Any realtor will quickly tell you that kitchens and bathrooms are what make or break a home sale. So when you want to add value and WOW factor to your home, bathroom improvement projects are a wise choice. But before investing in an update or upgrade, you want to ensure you are taking on a task that will genuinely improve your home value. The team at Renovation Pros knows what is in demand, how to get the most out of your investment in a bathroom project, and the technical details and codes that must be met to ensure you are adding value to your San Diego home.

A Face Lift For That Outdated Bathroom

Upgrading old fixtures within the original footprint of a bathroom is the most cost-effective option to add a spark to a tired space. Replacing the faucets, shower fixtures, and toilets brings a cleaner, more modern look. Nothing screams outdated like the old pink or blue commode and bathtub of the 60s.

Upgrading the sink and vanity can also significantly add impact, as does upgraded lighting above the vanity. Then add a coat of paint and possibly new flooring, and you have a space that will draw attention from buyers, but now in a good way. And your investment is likely to be under the $10k price point.

Significant Improvements For More WOW Factor

When you really want to make a lasting impression on potential buyers and add more significant value to your home, professional upgrades are the way to get the most return on your investment. For example, luxury features in a bathroom are the items that make the space feel more relaxing and spa-like than the average water closet. Some of the features that Renovation Pros customers most request include:

• Upgrading a single vanity to a double sink model
• Increasing storage with cabinetry and custom shelving
• Installing heated floors
• Adding a heated towel rack
• Installing a Jacuzzi tub or steam shower
• Removing a traditional tub for a glass shower enclosure to create the appearance of a more spacious room and bathing area

Finally, stick to neutral colors and timeless styles for fixtures and lighting to get the most bang for your buck and long-term appeal for the space.

A New Addition

Rarely will buyers comment that a home offers too many bathrooms. So if you have the space and budget, adding a new bathroom is a great way to increase your home’s value. Creating a master bath in a house that did not have one is a vast improvement and will pay great dividends. Also, adding a dedicated guest bath is perfect for making the home attractive to buyers and reducing the traffic in the family bathroom when you have guests.

Only Trust The Renovation Pros

When you want to understand more about adding value to your home with a bathroom upgrade, remodel, or addition, call 951-225-1570. The seasoned experts at Renovation Pros will guide you through the planning and design phases to ensure an excellent ROI for your bathroom project.

 

After a disaster has flooded or damaged your home, you feel as if your private sanctuary has been violated. All of the mementos and memories have been altered or damaged, and you feel an urgent need to do something. However, most homeowners in the Riverside, San Diego, and San Bernardino communities have no idea whom to turn to in this difficult time. Fortunately, the experts at Renovation Pros are here to assist you 24/7, 365 days a year. Call 951-225-1570 to have our highly skilled team en route to your home within the hour.

Safety Is The Priority

Your heart and mind are flooded with conflicting feelings as you view your damaged home. Part of you wants to run the other direction, and part wants to begin sifting through whatever remains of your belongings. However, it is vital to remember that your safety is the priority. Never enter a damaged structure until it has been deemed safe by professionals. The Renovation Pros team will arrive equipped to evaluate the damage and sort through the items that can be salvaged for you and your loved ones.

Documentation Is Essential

After such a tragic event, it can be challenging to think clearly. However, it is essential that you immediately begin documenting everything for your homeowner’s insurance claim, any federal aid, or other organizations that can assist with a natural disaster. Photos of the outside of the house, yard, and other structures are vital if you can safely access these areas. Also, compile a list of names and numbers of the people you are contacting for assistance to have fast access to the information.

Preventing Further Damage And Health Concerns

Once you have access to the inside of the house, it is essential to begin thinking about moving forward with clean-up and safety precautions. Water and moisture damage is one of the first concerns, as these moist items can foster toxic black mold growth in less than 24 hours. Therefore, removing all wet objects, including furniture, personal items, carpets, and curtains, is a priority.

It is also important to note that you should never enter the house without proper personal protective gear to prevent any injuries or illness due to the contamination. The experts from Renovation Pros have years of experience in evaluating the damage, removing moist or otherwise damaged items, and cataloging all of the issues for your insurance claim. We hope that our services can reassure you and help keep you and your loved ones safe from any potentially harmful conditions.

Protecting Your Home

Before the Renovation Pros team leaves your home, we will protect it from the elements and any intruders. It can be necessary to preserve the area until your insurance company representative can complete an inspection or make further arrangements to move forward. Our staff will be glad to take care of this task for you and help you plan your next steps to correct the damage to your home and return it to your safe haven.

Discovering that your home is flooded is one of the worst feelings you will ever experience. And your stress is compounded even more because you have no idea how to handle this type of disaster properly. The water could have resulted from a leaking water line, a storm, or a flooding waterway, but all you can see is the destruction and contamination of your home and belongings. Fortunately, residents in the Temecula area know that the Renovation Pros are just a call away at 951-225-1570. Our team is here 24/7 to help you sort through all the details and tasks that follow a flood in your home. Below are some of the crucial steps that we will cover with you when we arrive onsite.

• If the flood water was severe enough to force you to evacuate your home, never return until professionals deem it safe. There could be structural damage to the house, leaking gas, or downed power lines. All of these can be life-threatening if not adequately handled by a professional. Call the Renovation Pros for professional help managing everything from the initial evaluation to the complete renovations to repair the damage caused by the flood. Our team is available 24/7 to provide professional guidance in managing the restoration project after a flood.
• Document everything as you are surveying the damage to your home. Digital photos are easy to store and forward to insurance adjustors and the team at Renovation Pros for expert advice and solutions to your home’s damage.
• Wear protective gear even if you think the flood is due to a clean water leak. Wear rubber boots or waders to prevent coming into contact with the floodwater. Gloves, a hat, eye protection, and a mask are also highly recommended. Contaminants can move quickly through the water to cover the entire house and the air you breathe, so be sure to protect yourself from potential health issues.
• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to report the flood and begin to file a claim for the loss.
• If you are removing anything from the house, throw away all items in contact with the floodwater and any food items that could have been contaminated. It only takes 24 hours for toxic mold and mildew to begin to grow in moist and warm conditions, so be very selective about what you try to keep.

All of these steps are just the beginning of understanding the extent of the damage to your home. Unfortunately, the full assessment cannot be completed in many cases until the water has been removed. And that process can take hours or even days. The safest way to ensure that your home will be quickly dried out and evaluated is to call the water damage restoration experts at Renovation Pros. Our staff is here to provide the services you need to ensure that your home is quickly returned to its pre-flood condition. Call 951-225-1570, we will respond within 60 minutes to provide the expert help you need in this stressful time.

Moving forward after a fire at your Poway or Oceanside home can be complicated. You experience an incredible amount of stress as you begin to face feelings of loss and insecurity. It is essential to understand that after the trauma of a home fire, you will need to travel a path of recovery that will require time and help from many professionals. When embarking on the cleanup process after the fire, you need to find patience and the help of caring professionals who understand the tragedy you are working through, to safely and efficiently guide you through the fire damage cleanup and healing process.

First, Take A Deep Breath

After a house fire, most homeowners are very focused on getting their life, and the lives of their loved ones back to normal. Unfortunately, it can take a bit of time even to begin the process. Resist the desire to wade into the rubble to start salvaging keepsakes, documents, and other personal items. Leave those tasks to trained professionals who have the proper protective gear to enter a home after a fire.

Call Your Insurance Agent

If you have not contacted your insurance agent, make that call as quickly as possible. They will provide you with their process for accessing the damage and hiring a professional to begin the recovery and restoration process. Most insurance companies have preferred professionals who are very knowledgeable about their methods, relieving much of your stress.

Find A Safe And Peaceful Place

Even in the case of a minor fire, smoke, soot, and other harmful chemicals were released into your home. Find a safe and quiet place for you and your loved one to stay until the house has been professionally inspected and is safe for you and your family to return. If you are having difficulty locating a safe place, the Red Cross offers assistance locating temporary housing.

Securing Your Property

The size of the fire and the amount of damage will dictate how big a challenge it will be to secure your home after a fire. Substantial damage can make this process very intensive. However, your restoration company should provide all of the labor and materials needed to meet your insurance company and the municipalities requirements for securing the area.

Understand The Dangers After A Fire

Toxic chemical fumes, soot, and smoke are all potentially hazardous and will exist in your home and permeate the items in your home. Fabrics, clothing, and furniture could all be harboring toxic fumes. In addition, food items, medicine, and cosmetics could be contaminated. Defer to the expertise of your restoration company when deciding what is safe to keep.

The process of sorting through your belongings after a house fire can be upsetting and potentially dangerous. Never risk your safety or a loved one’s safety. Instead, be thankful that your family is safe and let the Renovation Pros handle all potentially hazardous items from inside your home. Call 951-225-1570 24/7 after a fire in your home.

Residents in the Temecula and Escondido area know that the moist climate can make it very difficult to control mold growth. Unfortunately, mold is present throughout the environment. When you locate a small amount of mold, there are several things that you can do to remove it and prevent future growth in your home. But first, it is helpful to know a little bit about this fungus and what it needs to thrive.

3 Things Mold Needs To Grow

Like most living things, mold requires a few things to live and grow in any environment. First, it needs food. Mold can feed on most building materials like wood, drywall, and cardboard. Second, it needs a specific temperature range to survive, which is between 40 and 100 degrees F. Finally, mold requires moisture to survive. If you can eliminate any or all of these three things, mold will not be able to live in your home.

Tips For Stopping Mold Growth Inside Your Home

Unfortunately, you cannot eliminate all of the mold’s food sources from your home because it can consume almost all common building materials. In addition, you would not be comfortable in your home if you maintained a temperature that is not conducive to mold growth. So the only way to have an impact on mold growth is to work diligently to control the moisture and humidity inside your home.

• Ideally, keep the humidity below 60%.
• Dry up spills or other water as soon as possible. It only takes two days for mold to appear.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that appear to be prone to mold growth- steam cleaning is a good option in many cases.
• Repair water leaks immediately, including old pipes, leaks in the roof, foundation, walls, and HVAC drains.
• Dry items entirely before storing them
• Improve airflow as much as possible, open closet doors regularly, move furniture away from walls, and open windows to increase ventilation as often as possible.
• Monitor the moisture and ventilation in the basement, install a sump pump, use a dehumidifier, insulate the walls, and dry the space as quickly as possible when there is excessive moisture.

Moist Areas Of Your Home

Your home’s kitchen and bathroom are the most prone to excessive humidity. When cooking, turn on any exhaust fans to remove steam or added moisture in the air. Dry any spills and dry dishes rather than letting them air dry on a towel. Place wet towels in the dryer to reduce the potential for mold growth.

In the bathroom, always use an exhaust fan when showering to remove as much steam as possible. Use bathmats to reduce standing water on the floor. And place wet towels in the dryer to eliminate added moisture.

Clean both of these potentially moist rooms with mold-killing liquids like vinegar, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide to reduce the chances of future mold growth. If these steps do not eliminate your mold issues, call 951-225-1570 to speak to the mold remediation experts at Renovation Pros.

How to Restore Your Home After Flood and Water Damage

The natural thing after your home has suffered flood or water damage is to wonder if the damage can be fixed. Typically, you will be worrying about the extent of the damage to your home and the items in it. Like most people in this situation, you want to minimize the cost of repairs and maybe avoid buying new stuff.

It is almost impossible to not do repairs after flood or water damage, but how much repairs you do depends on your actions right after the event. When trying to restore a home after flood or water damage, as NC Property Group explains, time and expertise are vital. How soon restoration begins and how well it is done determine how much of your personal belongings you will save.

How should you proceed after your home has suffered flood or water damage?

 Step one: Stay safe

Above and beyond all else, protect yourself and your family. Before you do anything to resolve the problem, take the following precautionary steps:

• Do not enter the home if there is evidence of structural damage, such as unstable floors, walls, roof, or ceiling.
• Ensure the electricity and gas supply to the home are shut off before you enter it. Use flashlights or other battery-powered lights to see your way around.
• If you need to enter the home to turn off the power or gas, it is best to let an expert do it.
• When entering the home, wear protective clothing; rubber gloves and boots, plus eye protection.
• If you are able to enter the home, secure your valuables first, including important documents.
• Do not forget to call your relatives to let them know you are okay

 

Step two: Call the insurance company

Your insurer will send in an adjuster to assess the extent of damage and probably determine the origin of the flood. You should not rely solely on the adjuster; take photos of the scene and damaged objects, noting their value.

 Step three: Hire a flood cleanup and restoration company

The company should be able to deploy to your home immediately. They should have well-trained water cleanup/damage restoration technicians and the right water removal and structural drying equipment. Water removal and property restoration should begin 24-48 hours after the flood. 

Step four: Remove any standing water

The longer the water stays in your home, the more time it has to work its way into the structures of the building and the items in your home. The standard way to remove flood water is to pump it out with a submersible pump. 

Step five: Dry out the home

Even after standing water has been pumped out of your home, water absorbed by the materials in the building is still there. Depending on the severity of the flood, drying can be done using air movers, fans, desiccant humidifiers, or refrigerant dehumidifiers. 

Step five: Begin restoration

This is an extensive and multifaceted process. The appropriate steps to take will depend on the specific structure of the home or item that is being dealt with. The usual steps are:

• Flooring: Laminate/hardwood flooring and subfloors will absorb water, swell, and warp. They should be removed. As a rule, wood or OSB (oriented strand board) subfloors should be removed. Tiles floors will not absorb water, but the wood substrate beneath them will and it won’t dry out completely if the tile flooring is not removed.

• Walls: Wood studs and drywall will absorb water and grow mold if not properly dried out. The walls should be opened; at least, one foot of drywall should be removed to allow for proper drying. Undamaged wall paneling may be reused after they are removed and cleaned.

• Insulation: Batt insulation, the most common type, will also absorb water and it will not release the water completely unless the insulation is removed. For uninsulated walls, holes should be cut in the wallboard to drain and dry them.

• Wall cavity: The wall cavity should be left open to dry after the drywall and insulation are removed. Reconstruction cannot begin until the percentage of moisture in the air is back to normal.

• Carpets and furnishing: Flood water is not clean water, so carpets are best removed and discarded. Upholstered furniture should be discarded or may need to have its stuffing and upholstering replaced. If the flooding is caused by clean water from inside the home, carpets, and furnishing should be dried thoroughly – preferably outside.

• Appliances: All appliances which were exposed to water must be evaluated by a professional to determine if they are safe to use. To avoid electrocution, do not switch on appliances until this check has been done.

• Mold prevention: To prevent mold, keep the AC/heater on at all times and use a dehumidifier until the humidity is back to normal. Alternatively, improve ventilation with fans and by opening the windows. In addition to drying and cleaning some surfaces – such as wall studs and plates – may be disinfected by spraying them with a mixture of one cup of bleach to a gallon of water.

Finally, note that flood damage restoration is not something you should attempt on your own. For the best results, you should let an expert handle it.

An outdated kitchen can not only be unsightly to look at; it can make cooking more difficult. You may long to renovate your kitchen to get it the way you want it. Before you begin, consider exactly what remodeling your kitchen will look like.

Consider the Cost – Literally!

Remodeling a kitchen is really expensive. Expect to spend anywhere from $20,000 for a minor remodel to over $100,000 if you’re going upscale. New cabinets carry the biggest cost along with installation of those items and others. Appliances are another big expense to prepare for.

What’s an even bigger dose of reality for kitchen remodeling is it doesn’t increase your home value equal to what you put into it. Expect to get about 60 percent back in resale value if you do it right. Make the wrong decisions on the updates, and you could recoup even less.

Consider the Cost in Other Ways

While financial expense is one of the major considerations for remodeling a kitchen, you also have to think about the cost to your time. Whether you’re doing the work yourself or overseeing it, you’ll be hands-on more than you might realize now.

Another cost to figure in is how much time you will lose your kitchen. How will you eat and function with that area closed off to you and your family? Will you set up a microwave in the garage, eat out every meal, or go to a friend’s house? This isn’t just for a day or two, but weeks or even months of not having access to your kitchen.

How Will You Use Your Kitchen?

Before you begin your remodel or even start making plans, consider how you will use this newly-remodeled kitchen. The answer to this question should determine everything else. If you like to cook and bake for big crowds or at least guests once or twice a week, you might want two ovens. If you like having your kids hanging out with you while you cook, a breakfast nook or island might be important. A larger freezer may be a requirement if you live on frozen dinners during the week.

Your Kitchen is One Part Beauty Two Parts Functionality

When planning the details for your new kitchen, you’ll want to be logical more than emotional. Practical should beat out pretty when it comes to the major components. Think about how you’ll use your countertops and cabinets rather than just what looks good. This doesn’t mean you’ll end up with an ugly kitchen. It just requires you to have a reason for your decisions. Put the pretty components in the details, like the backsplash or wall art.

 

Know Where and When to Cut Corners

If you’re trying to save a few dollars or stick to a budget, make sure you know when to cut costs and when not to skimp. For instance, the part that is unseen is often the most expensive but the most important. For instance, you may need to upgrade the electricity to handle more appliances. Don’t cut back in these areas. Instead, look at refurbished appliances or last season’s cabinets to save money.

If you’re feeling lost and overwhelmed at the idea of remodeling your kitchen, get professional help. Renovation Pros has years of experience in transforming outdated kitchens into a culinary dreamspace. Give them a call to make your dream come true.