At Foster Remodeling, we do second floor home additions. Depending on the structure of your home, adding on a room or two over the first floor could be pretty straightforward and give you the extra space you need.

A front room over the garage, often referred to as a FROG, is a practical place for an at-home office, extra room for storage, or an additional bedroom for growing family. Here are a few things to keep in mind for your Northern Virginia home renovations.

Your garage or the part of the house beneath the addition will need a firm foundation and sound structure. For garages, the concrete must be thick enough to support the additional weight placed on it from the second floor. The support beams and ceiling structure should also be adequate. If not, it will need to be reinforced first.

Investigate what type of insulation, electrical and plumbing runs through that portion of the house on the first floor. We can advise you on what permits you may need to make improvements, depending on where in Northern Virginia you live.

When doing a second story home addition, a matching roof and roof angle help it to blend in better and look more aesthetically pleasing. Depending on the angle of the roof and the type of shingles, we can likely match both. A steep roof angle will likely reduce the ceiling space in the FROG.

Use our design build technology to get some ideas or meet with one of our consultants to come up with a plan to make your addition fill your needs.

Is your basement a hidden gold mine of space? Imagine it with more walls. Maybe it’s time for you to do some custom remodeling. Divide the basement into two or three more rooms. There would still be plenty of room for storage and appliances, but the wide-open space can probably be used much more efficiently. Maybe it’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but never seem to get to.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Bedroom

Who needs their own bedroom? Has your family expanded since you bought the house? Maybe your children are sharing a room. Things might be a little more peaceful if they had their own rooms. Teen-agers would definitely agree with that.

Bathroom

Has someone in your home been dubbed a “bathroom hog”? This might be one way to solve the problem. Improve the one you have with a remodel to add a shower or tub. If there is no bathroom downstairs, adding one is probably easier than you think.

Playroom

Do the kids have a safe place to play where they can be a little noisy? Give them their own haven with soft floors and cozy furniture. Make a playroom big enough for the train set, the Barbie dolls and the Wii.

Storage Room

Are things piled up in the basement? Use shelving to make the most of all that space. Line the walls with storage units or rows of shelves to store paint cans, small appliances and sports gear. Anything that is in boxes or piled up in a corner can be neatly stowed away until it is needed.

Entertainment

Do you need a comfortable place for another TV or are you ready for a new entertainment center? Put sound proofing in the walls and move Aunt Mary’s couch in here. Add a small fridge and a bar with a sink for cold drinks and refreshments during the game or a movie. This can become a room for rest, relaxation and enjoyment.

Computer Room

Do you have a computer room? This might be a good place to put one. Maybe your office upstairs is too noisy or distracting. Move it downstairs to the basement and convert the room upstairs into something else, like a bedroom. Consider installing wireless networking to make it compatible with your laptop.

When you are ready to remodel your basement, give Foster Remodeling a call. We specialize in Northern Virginia home renovations. We can help you with interior remodeling for your basement and help you do it on budget and on time.

One of the most popular Northern Virginia home additions is the deck. Not only does it create a social gathering place for friends, family and neighbors, it boosts the resale value of the house.

There are a number of factors to consider before jumping in. Start with the location. Consider whether your deck will be best on the first or second floor. Keep it close to an entrance. Transporting things like food and drinks, books and games in and out of the house should be easy and convenient.

The area should be relatively level. If not, added support beams must be put up. If it’s a second-story structure, it will cost more, but may be worth the investment. The deck should be in an area with a nice view when outdoors. Avoid placing it next to the shed, dog run or woodpile.

How big to make your deck really depends on how much room you have and how it will be used. If you plan to have meals at a picnic table or multiple people will be using it, make it big. On the other hand, this will limit the amount of room to roam in the yard. Make sure the kids and pets will still have an area to run and play.

The avid gardener in your family will be protective over areas with the best soil and sunshine, so think it through and try to come up with a location that will make everybody happy.

The more expensive the materials, the more the project will cost. Remember, skimping on quality may cost more in the long run. Find a happy medium with quality materials that will last a long time. If you plan to stay in your house for the long haul, think about how the deck will look and wear in five or 10 years. You may wish to have a surface that can be stained a different color. Likewise, you may prefer something with as little maintenance as possible.

At Foster Remodeling, we can help you find the right location and materials to suit your needs. With years of experience in Northern Virginia home renovations, we know what works best for remodeling projects. Hot summers, snowy winters, wet springtime and a blustery autumn all affect how a new deck should be built and what materials will suit it best.

Once you have decided on the basics for a new deck, it’s time to focus on some features now available. Awnings, lounge furniture, lighting, dining areas and electricity should all be taken into consideration

As with all home additions, building permits are usually required. We can help you secure which ones you need and make sure you are in compliance during the project. Since we have done new decks for years, we are familiar with all of the steps necessary to complete your home improvement project on time and on budget. When you’re ready to take the first step, contact us. We will help you plan a new deck you can enjoy for years to come.

Older model stoves take longer to heat up and cool, making unattended hot surfaces a burn and fire hazard. Newer models heat up instantly, speeding up the cooking process. While at a glance waiting for an electric stove may simply be an annoyance, in reality it is a time waster that puts people in a hurry to finish cooking. A delay in getting started creates a delay in getting finished. Rushing around a kitchen with hot pots and pans is never safe.

Consider refrigerators that have been in use for a long time. Doors that stick and must be tugged open are a safety hazard, not to mention an inconvenience. Pulling too hard jars the contents and may cause it to tip over completely. Custom remodeling projects can eliminate these problems.

Appliances are not the only risks that can be improved with a kitchen remodeling project. It seems storage is always a challenge for homeowners, especially in the kitchen. The signs of it are probably there. Are you constantly tripping or bumping into certain items in your kitchen? Maybe that quaint “onions and ‘taters” box that you bought at the craft fair some years ago has become a huge dust collector that people trip on as they round the corner. The cabinet over the stove has great storage space, but trying to reach it is difficult, even with a stepstool. Every time you open the pantry door it squeaks. These are all signs that your storage compartments are out of date.

Having room for everything that is used regularly in a kitchen is crucial. If there are things sitting on the countertops because there is no room for them, this is a sure sign that a kitchen remodel is in order. You will need a custom remodeling contractor that understands how to create a safer kitchen area for your entire family.

At Foster Remodeling, our design-build program will help you find storage space you never realized you had. After taking kitchen measurements, plug in the different elements on the layout. This will help you find more room for bigger cabinets. Replacing bulky items with newer compact ones will conserve space needed for other things and a safer, more pleasant kitchen environment is key.

Do You Need To Replace Everything?

When kitchen remodeling, it’s exciting to replace everything and start new. However, by only replacing what you really need to, you can save on your kitchen remodel cost. Think about whether you really need to replace everything or if you can just fix up what you have. For example, you could replace your countertop, but just paint or refinish your kitchen cabinets instead of replacing them completely. This allows you to enjoy having a new kitchen while keeping your kitchen remodel cost down.

Color

To make a big kitchen remodeling change without spending a lot of money, you can make a dramatic difference by just changing your wall color. Paint is an inexpensive way to completely change a room. For an even bigger change, consider painting an accent wall a bold color or adding some accents that complement your new wall color. Look for yard sale goodies and flea market treasures as an affordable way to make an impact with color.

Lights

kitchen light

Nothing can brighten up a dreary kitchen like new light fixtures and it’s a great way to liven things up without adding much to your kitchen remodel cost. Kitchens need lots of light and if yours is lacking in natural light, bring in fixtures like track lighting where you can light the dark spots. Under cabinet lighting is great for work areas, but it can also provide a decorative touch if you use it to highlight decorative pieces.

Fabrics

When most people think about decorating with fabric, they usually think about the living room, dining room, or bedroom, but the kitchen is a great place to use fabric. Use a beautiful tablecloth to dress up an old table. Not only will it hide scratches, it will provide a totally new look. Consider a skirt to cover your island and liven up a window with fresh curtains. Don’t forget cushions for your barstools or kitchen chairs and even towels, oven mitts, and potholders. To keep your cost down, repurpose throws and sheets or purchase leftover lengths of fabric from discount fabric stores.

Floors

If you don’t shop smart, floors can be one of the most expensive parts of your kitchen remodeling project. For a tile floor on a budget, consider going with clay tiles instead of porcelain tiles. You’ll find they look identical. The only difference is the color goes all the way through porcelain tiles. These kitchen remodeling tips may not seem complicated, but if you consider them, you’ll find you dramatically reduce your kitchen remodel cost.