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Understanding Bathroom Layout & Code

A bathroom renovation can be a stressful time in your life. How long is it going to take? How much will it cost? Will everything meet code? Depending on your contractor and the scale of the renovations, the timeline can be a week, to up to a month. Costs are also going to range with the scale and quality of materials. But if you're doing it yourself, you're probably not a bathroom code-master. So let's break down the code to something more understandable*.      Let's break down the code. We're using the 2015 International Residential Code book. Per R307.1; " Space Required. Fixtures shall be spaced in accordance with Figure R307.1, and in accordance with the requirements of Section P2705.1".  Let's see what that means. Figure R307.1  shows spacing for bathroom fixtures. Such as the center of the toilet has to be 15" from any adjacent object; walls, tubs, vanities, etc. It also shows that the space in front of the toilet, and any vanity, must

Preparing Your Home For Winter

Preparing Your Home For Winter Image by: Hamilton Building Services  © 2019 As winter looms over the horizon, throwing the occasional snow in our direction, it's important to make sure you and your home are prepared for it. Today we'll talk about how to winterize your home to ensure a comfortable season.       Winter in the past years has been no joke. With more and more snow pouring down over us, and sub-zero temperatures, it's important that your home is prepared for it. Let's start with the most important parts of winterization.       Double checking the attic space for leaks that need to be addressed before too much snow piles atop, and causes issues in the spring. Having several feet of snow on top of your roof when it begins to melt can be a big issue if you have leaks in the roof. Taking care of those leaks prior to the snowfall will ensure that there are no headaches in the fall and that there are no costly repairs so early in the year. Similarly, be s

What Type of Foundation Should I Go With? What Options Do I Have?

(Photo courtesy of Hamilton Building Services   2016)       There are a surprising amount of foundation types. Some of the most common at this time are poured foundations, which use metal molds for the foundation. But this isn't the only option you have. Today, we will be talking about the 4 types of foundation and the pros and cons between them. Poured Foundations      A poured foundation is exactly what it sounds like, using wet concrete to fill the molds that make up the foundation. This can be used for crawl space, or full height basements. Poured foundations are stronger than block foundation, because there is more lateral strength, which means they can resist more outside pressure. There are no joints in a poured foundation, meaning it will be significantly easier to waterproof than a block foundation. Poured foundations, however, are not insulated by default without the need for additional framing on the inside of the wall, which can increase cost. However, po

Keeping Your Home Safe And You Feeling Secure!

      Photo by: Hamilton Building Services        In today's society, crime is far from unheard of with burglary on the rise. It is not just the local supermarket or favorite retail store, but it's homes as well. This is why it is more important than ever to make sure that not only ourselves, but our homes are protected. So, how do we do this? Do we hire a security team? Do we never leave our homes and try to protect it ourselves? Do we just lock everything? Not exactly. Though those could be helpful, they're not entirely practical or cost efficient.        For starters, yes, always make sure your doors and windows are locked. That's the first step into helping keep our homes safe and secure. The Washington Post, posted an article with several ways we can keep our homes safer and as usual, we are going to dive into those, give our input, and our suggestions as well. Let's begin!        A tip they suggest is to secure your perimeters. This means all windows and

Weekend Homes Are On The Rise..

     Photo by TDKvisuals / Shutterstock.com    These days, it isn't unheard of for people to have vacation homes, however, nowadays, people are purchasing weekend homes. At first, this may sound a tad ridiculous, but when you think about it, it's like a little getaway every weekend from your "normal" life and change can be a very good thing for your physical and mental health! Believe it or not, a lot of people in New York are beginning to do this! According to The New York Times , a lot of wealthy New Yorkers are looking to the suburbs for their weekend home!      One reason that people are choosing to do this is because they are not ready to leave the city, but enjoy a little escape that makes them feel more in the country and more at peace without all the noise of constant traffic and people and sirens. Most people who choose to do this, choose places that are commutable. Now, commutable can mean something different to everybody. Some people may consider t

How To Stay Cool The Rest Of The Summer!

Photo from: article linked Jeremy Andberg of artofmanliness.com wrote this article to give us some tips on how to stay cool without putting our AC's on blast and with the weather this last weekend, we think they are great to follow! Let's dive into them as well as give our own input, shall we? Jeremy says that our windows and blinds are important to work with when it comes to keeping cool. He suggests keeping the windows open at night and the blinds closed during the day! He says a majority of the heat that comes inside our homes are coming through our windows due to the "greenhouse effect" which he says is where sunlight and heat can enter, but cannot leave. He suggests keeping fans on in as many rooms as possible to allow good airflow. One thing I've found that helps is having blackout curtains. I purchased mine at Wal-Mart for cheap and have noticed a significant difference in how my room feels! The next one Jeremy talks about is kind of a given one, wh

Jasmine Roth's Advice To Take A Basic Home And Turn It Into A Gorgeous Home

Photo by: Jo Auger        These days, it's as if almost no one is happy with their home, especially when it comes to those areas where literally all of the homes look the same. This can become an issue when having guests over or even if you aren't fully paying attention and try to go to the wrong home. Now, Jasmine Roth, actually likes these homes as she finds them challenging but exciting to turn around. Let's dive into what Jasmine suggests doing to change these homes in her article at HGTV as well as some of our own suggestions!        The first thing that Jasmine suggests is to upgrade your fireplace. She says that while you might not be upset with it, if you're living in an area where all houses look the same, chances are the fireplace is the same in all homes so why not make it unique to stand out? She says that you can utilize drywall and wallpaper to truly transform it! One thing that I would suggest is deciding what you want the focal point to be in each

For Those Last Minute Planners This Fourth of July

Photo by:  Flynnside Out Productions It's officially  less than a week until the Fourth of July! You know what that means! Parties, food, fireworks, games, and more! In case you are feeling stuck this holiday, I went ahead and found this article through HGTV to help give you some ideas on how to throw the perfect holiday party! Let's start making those memories, shall we?!  The first thing you are going to want to take into consideration is food. After all, it's not a party unless there is food! Things like burgers and hot dogs will need to be made during the party for freshness, but that doesn't mean that you can't have all the sides prepared! Some of my family's go to sides are  deviled eggs, chips and dip, fruit platters, vegetable platters, cookies and brownies. Why not add some food die to the deviled eggs to make them red, white, and blue? Add some frosting or sprinkles to the cookies and make them red, white, and blue as well! You'll also need

It's A Perfect Weekend For Some DIY Home Improvements!

     Credit: Getty Royalty Free Do you find yourself unhappy with how your home looks? Do you often feel bored and like you want a change that is both challenging and rewarding? Why not put your skills and knowledge to the test by working on some DIY projects this weekend! DIY projects are often a cheaper alternative rather than having a professional come in and charge you for the labor and the materials. Plus, you can work DIY projects easily into your schedule, meaning no worries on having someone else at your house when it's inconvenient! According to Forbes , there are some home improvement trends you should be looking out for in 2019! Check out there article to learn more! Let's take a minute to discuss some of these home improvement trends and give a little insight ourselves! I especially want to talk about DIY projects. The first point Forbes makes for home improvement is that most DIY-ers tend to be millennials as they tend to be working and utilizing tec

With Father's Day Around The Corner...Consider Investing In A Man-Cave For Him!

                Photo by: LIFE                 It's a trend we have heard about for several years now, and with Father's Day this weekend, why not consider investing in one or making one for Dad?! If he has been the best father you could ask for, show him a little love! More than likely, if we are looking at today's typical home process, he probably didn't have much a say in choosing the decor and layout of the furniture! I'm all for having a Woman-Cave, as I'm all for having a Man-Cave! That way your shared space is still your shared space, BUT you each have a room all to yourselves! Now, let's talk about some ideas that LIFE  talks about with contribution from HomeAdvisor and Andrea Davis.           When it comes to deciding what to put in there and designing the layout of the room, you should ponder about what your dad likes and dislikes. Maybe he wants a room where he can just relax and watch tv, so consider putting in a big flat screen tv and a r

You've Cleaned, Now For Storage!

Last week we talked about some cleaning tips and tricks to utilize in your home and we hope they are working for you! If you missed last week's article, give it a read here ! This week, we are going to discuss how to create more storage for the stuff that you do still have and need in your home that you do not want to part with. With the help of The Spruce and their article how to do so, we feel confident that we can get your home all clean and in order in no time! When it comes storage, The Spruce says you want to accomplish the following: Create more space To streamline your organization by putting similar items together Easier to find things It's recommended by professionals to use clear plastic containers. They say this because you can see inside the container so it is easier to find what you're looking for and saves you time. However, I find that from a style point of view, plastic containers look exceptionally well in a pantry setting or a cupboard sett

Let's Get Cleaning!

      Photo by: Hamilton Building Services About four years ago, Asian Efficiency posted an incredibly motivating and helpful article  written by Kayla Matthews on how to keep your home clean when you are a busy person. This day in age, everyone is always on the go and tend to be exhausted when they are finally home. Or, even after a busy day, they want to go out with their significant other or go out with friends but feel like they shouldn't abandon their duties at home. (Keeping it clean and healthy.) SO, as a solution to all of the above, why not utilize these tips and tricks to keep your home clean and help you feel less stressed?! Here are the twenty tips that Kayla Matthews writes: If it doesn't look dirty, don't clean it. Divide cleaning up across every weeknight. Rinse and put dishes away after each meal. Keep cleaning supplies near the areas where you use them. Throw away old food on garbage night. Fix broken appliances right away. Keep microfiber cl

Featured on Matt Risinger's Channel! A Recap of What We Do by Jordan Smith!

Matt Risinger, of Risinger Homes in Austin, Texas and his partner, Jordan Smith, recently showcased us in their youtube video at the JLC Live Show in Providence, Rhode Island this past April to their 370,000 subscribers which you can find here . In the video, Jordan begins explaining how like in their Mitek Truss Plant tour, we do the same thing and more! He talks about how Hamilton Building Services provides the complete framing package with sheathing in a panelized system directly to the site. He then goes on to say that we begin with the design. Now, you can either send us a design or start with one of our standard designs and we will send you the full set of prints for the project. Like Jordan says in the video, we do use the Mitek Sapphire Software to come up with all of our framing prints and then we make these panels. Every panel for the walls are pre-made and shipped to the site. In the home's foundation floorprint, every bundle for the walls is labeled where t

Still Spring, Let's Clean! A Guide To Spring Cleaning And Yard Suggestions For The Summer!

      Photo by: Hamilton Building Services While the weather may be all over the place lately, that doesn't mean your home has to be!  Lynn Andriani of Oprah.com, wrote this  helpful article on Oprah's website about Spring cleaning and how to get it done in just eight hours! We thought what a great way to get prepped for Summer! We suggest tackling this as soon as possible and should you find yourself with no plans on a rainy day, why not take this on?! With these helpful tips, you'll be ready to move onto yardwork and get your Summer plans started! Plus, who doesn't love a clean home?! With that being said, let's go on to what Lynn Andriani says for each room! We begin with the bathroom at 9:00AM and block out an hour for this one. The key things to do here are: Vacuum and wipe the walls and ceilings Toss any throw rugs into the washing machine Wash mirrors and the insides of windows Spray and soak Rinse the floor Next we move onto bedrooms from

What Will You Choose To Do?

            Photo by: Hamilton Building Services We come to a point in our lives when we decide that we want our own home. We get sick of renting, living at our parent's house or with a friend and so we begin our journey to find a place of our own! That's when we are hit with a big question, do we want to buy an existing home? Or, do we want to build our own home?        Investopedia dives into whether or not we should buy an existing home or build a new one from scratch. At the end of the day, it really comes down to the person and their preference. Investopedia goes over the pros and cons to both options here , so let's take a look at those! Buying an existing home. This one was broken down into two categories, convenience and cost. Typically when you're looking to get a new home, you're looking to move in relatively soon, and how much sooner can you move in than a house that is already built and move-in ready?! Existing homes are more than likely going t

Your Home Choices Can Affect Your Health!

    Photo by: Hamilton Building Services This day in age it's easy to get swept up in busy schedules, stress, and the seemingly never-ending list of tasks you have to do. While those things may be important, you can't forget the importance of YOU and your HEALTH and your HOME! Our living spaces truly do affect our health and there are actions that can be taken with our home to improve or hinder our health and it's up to us to figure out which is which!  We're talking about actions for BOTH our physical and mental health, which are equally important! Our physical health helps us get things done and be relatively okay in terms of sickness and injury while our mental health can sometimes dictate our physical health and our surroundings. After all, the brain is the most powerful organ in the body!  Barbara Ballinger, freelance writer and author of several books on real estate, architecture, and remodeling, tells us important trends when it comes to your home. These t

Working With Your Room And How To Make Your Room Work For You!

Photo by: Photo Courtesy Contour Interiors by Julie Soefer It's a tale as old as time. You've been there. You just moved into your new home and you're ready to make it your own! You want to style it so that it is beautiful, but still shows your personality and yet, you find yourself asking, " How do I do this? " Have no fear! Our friends over at HGTV have taught us just that! In short, the three key factors in decorating a room successfully are: FUNCTION MOOD PERSONALITY We know what you're thinking, " That's great, but how do I use those to create THE room of my dreams?" It's actually simple and you don't need to be a professional designer or decorator to do so! You just need to remember those key factors and utilize them so that they fit your style! Now, let's get started! When it comes to function , you want to make sure you have a focal point, the right furniture, and the right furniture arrangement, as well as th

What Can You Expect From Your First Kitchen Consultation?

     Here at Hamilton Building Services, we pride ourselves on our in-house kitchen and bath design. Whether the consultation will take place in our office, or at your home for renovation, the complimentary consultation will handle most of the design process.      When it's new construction, we'll talk about the layout as it shows in the plan. Our kitchen designer will ask you what you want most out of your kitchen. How you plan on using the space and take examples from you of what kitchens you like the most. Kitchen design isn't just about making it look good, it's about the personalities that will live there. How the customer will use the space for gatherings, or just on a day to day basis. When it's a renovation, we'll see where the current kitchen is, and how you currently use it. If it's an in-home consultation, we will lay out the design as it develops so you can get a feel for how it will be.      A common question Jacob, our kitchen design

7 Tips for Designing Your Bedroom

Sometimes creating the perfect bedroom for you can be very challenging, especially since often times, our bedroom is like our safe haven... our place to go and relax and escape the world after hard day's work. Here are some tips on how to tackle those challenges head on!

Let's Bring Your Home's Big Picture Into Focus with One Small Step

                                                                (Image credit:  Heather Keeling ) Even though it is no longer January, the same can still be said for February...it's important to get your house up to date and organized for the 2019 year. Here are some tips on how to do just that!

We Can Dream: Ultimate Sports Barn

Some people love sports so much, they like to incorporate them into their home as well! Let Hamilton design the perfect indoor sports "bar" for you and your family, like this family did!

6 Design Ideas to Cure Your Winter Blues

                                                               (Image credit:  Lauren Kolyn ) Winter Blues really setting in with spring so near? Here are some ideas on how designers take a boring winter stuck inside and turn it into something useful by incorporating mood lifters all around their homes! 

This LEGO Wall Installation Is a Childhood Dream Come True

                                                              (Image credit: Lana U/Shutterstock)  Some people will take the strangest ideas and turn them into a reality to make their home even more unique than it was before!