Stained and Finished Cabinets

What to Do:

• Do clean with Old English Spray Wood Polish once a month.
• Do clean heavily used areas (around the sink, the dishwasher, the stove, and the wastebasket) with Old English Spray Wood Polish once a week.
• Do polish using Old English Lemon Oil twice a year (this puts moisture back into the wood and keeps it looking like a piece of furniture for years).

What Not to Do:

• Do Not wash with water (the finish is water resistant, not water proof).

**If you do spill water on it, wipe if off with a clean, dry, soft rag**

Painted Cabinets

What to Do:

• Do Keep dusted with a clean, dry, soft rag.
• Do clean with Murphy's Oil Soap on a damp, not saturated, rag if dirty.
• Do dry with a clean, dry, soft rag.
• Do use Butcher's Wax on heavily used areas.

What Not to Do:

Do Not use water to clean.

What to Do:

* Do sweep or vacuum to remove any dust or abrasive material.
* Do spray a light coat of wood cleaner over soiled area or on mop.
* Do mop floor in a back and forth motion (on same direction as strips).
* Do place mats outside and inside entrances to prevent sand and abrasives from accumulating on floor (avoid mats with rubber or other dense backings that would prevent airflow and trap abrasives and moisture).
* Do keep your pets claws well-trimmed to avoid scratches.

What Not to Do:

* Do Not use wax, oil-based detergents, or other household cleaning agents on the floor (these may dull or damage the finish and leave a greasy film that makes floors slippery, maintenance more difficult, and refinishing impossible without deep sanding and complete re-varnishing).

1. Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations (when known) for the proper care of a wood floor. Get that information from your wood floor installer/retailer, and it is also a good time to purchase your wood floor care products.
2. Know the type of finish on the wood floor. Follow the proper maintenance procedures for the particular finish.
3. Never wax a urethane floor. A majority of floors installed today have urethane finishes.
4. Never use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly. The only remedy in this situation is to sand and refinish the floor.
5. Consult with an installer, the finisher or the manufacturer if there is any doubt of the kind of floor finish.
6. Place mats and throw rugs at doorways, exteriors and interiors to help prevent the tracking of grit, dirt and sand. Sweep or vacuum wood floors regularly.
7. Never wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
8. Wipe up food and other spills immediately with a dry or slightly dampened towel (wipe dry).
9. For a wax floor, buff to restore shine. You may want to invest in a buffer.
10. Do not over-wax a wax floor. If the floor dulls, try buffing instead. Avoid wax buildup under furniture and other light traffic areas by applying wax in these spots every other waxing session.
11. Put plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
12. Remember: cleats, sports shoes and high heels can dent any floor surface.
13. When moving heavy furniture, protect wood flooring by slipping a piece of cloth or pile under the legs or covering each leg with a heavy sock or half of a milk carton.
14. For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink to catch water.
     

What to Do:

• Do sweep or vacuum to remove any dust or abrasive material.
• Do mop floor using a tile cleaner or prepare a cleaning solution using a non-sudsy ammonia cleaner designed for cleaning ceramic tile.
• Do wipe glazed walls with a cloth or sponge dampened with a tile cleaner or a non oil-based cleaner.
• Do clean unglazed wall and floor tiles in a similar manner using a tile cleaner or a solution of water and soapless detergent instead of an all-purpose cleaner.
• Do use a sealer on grout joints (sealer should be used 28 days after grout is installed allowing grout to fully cure - be sure to clean area first).
• Do promptly clean any food, soft drinks, alcohol, etc. spills with a sponge or damp, well-wrung cloth. Spray cleaner to dissolve spot and wipe off.

What Not to Do:

• Do Not use harsh cleaning agents (such as steel wool pads), these can scratch or damage the surface of the tile.

How often does a new lawn need water?
First, lawns perform very well with irrigation systems. It is a wise investment when used efficiently. Seed needs to stay moist at all times – not wet in order to germinate. If it dries out the seed casing can crack and die. Once there is grass about an inch or so long over the seeded area the watering should be adjusted to focus on establishing a good root system. This means less frequent and longer in duration. As the lawn matures and has been cut a few times it is best to water by lengthening the durations and reducing the frequently. This practice promotes a deep root system, which will strengthen the lawn and arm it against drought.

Drainage
The drainage on a landscape is one of the most important and least addressed items when thinking about a construction project. By looking at how the site’s drainage will change after the construction is completed in the early stages of a project, problems can be prevented successfully.

What should we do about downspouts that run water all through our landscape?
The ideal situation is to either install a drywell that can receive the water from multiple downspouts. This is possible when they are strategically placed in the landscape. Or when there is ample land and pitch to work with, downspouts can be piped to daylight in an area that will not cause erosion or adversely affect a neighboring property.

During the planning phases, making decisions regarding the scope of the project, design decisions, and checking permit requirements will help keep the building phases on time. For example, it’s a lot easier to change designs early on than when the project is in the working drawing phase, or worse, has been built. It takes time to check permit requirements, develop practical designs and plans based on those requirements, and then have them reviewed and approved.

We recommend that you give yourself as much time as possible and get started early, at least six to nine months ahead of the start of construction. Planning can take longer if decision-making is naturally a long-term process for you. Several professionals need to do their jobs when working with you to plan your project. Give them the time they need. Don’t rush, especially the early stages of planning.

One professional who can help is an Interior Designer. When our Designer works with our clients, her assistance with the options and choices for materials, colors, etc. helps in a number of ways, including a faster process. With her, decisions are informed and smart. This ensures fewer regrets about the selections down the road, too.

The building phase, when a project involves electrical and plumbing changes of any kind, along with modifications to finishes, rarely can be completed in less than four to six weeks. To be sure, the actual scope of the project will contain a number of variables, so it’s fair to say that no two projects are exactly the same.

Still, on average, the building of major remodels of a kitchen or bath generally take six to 12 weeks. Additions will typically take three-and-a-half to six months or longer. New homes will take four to 12 months or longer.

Regarding the projection of costs and the budgeting of your remodeling project, it’s helpful to review some of the considerations that affect the cost.

First, we suggest that it’s important for you to be clear about the money you have and would consider spending on your remodel. Balance this against the project you want to do, the value it will bring to the quality of your life, as well as to the value it adds to your home.

Because it’s so important to start with your budget, perhaps the greatest piece of advice we can give you is to make sure that your architect or designer has accurate knowledge of hard costs and knows what you can spend. It’s unfortunate when plans are developed that are out of line with a client’s resources.

The challenging part of this topic is that construction costs vary by project. There is no hard and fast rule to “the average master suite addition” or to “the average kitchen remodel.” Therefore, we build into the planning and design phases a process to work with each client’s budget and a projection of actual costs for their endeavor.

You can call us to discuss this, and we will provide you with ranges of costs for different types of projects, such as mid-range to upscale kitchen remodels, additions of family rooms and master bedroom suites, as well as mid-range to upscale bathroom remodels. Within the context of what you are planning, we can get more specific.

Also important and helpful to know are the other considerations, some of which are not commonly regarded, including such items as the difficulty and costs for the builder to physically get into the area to be remodeled. Some logistical or structural issues can make access more complex. For example, does the builder have to walk through the house, or can they go around to a door that opens directly to the work area? Special equipment may be required to gain access.

Expenses associated with protecting certain areas of the house need to be considered. A dust protection application may be desired.

Where you live in the house during construction may have an impact. Will a temporary kitchen be desired? Is a temporary laundry to be included?

When the remodeling or addition is completed, landscaping, window treatments, new furniture, and other needs will have be part of the overall cost of the project.

Clearly, time and money are factors involving many facets. You have control over both, especially when you work with a team that apply the processes or system to manage and both. This way, your project can be planned, designed, and completed on time and on budget.