Do you dream of cooking in a modern kitchen or watching the Redskins in your new sunroom?  Does your bathroom do little to make you feel refreshed?  If so, you may be thinking about remodeling your home, but where do you start?  Finding the right designer or contractor can be daunting, and it is a big investment to make, so how do you know if you are making the right decision?  Here are a few pointers in helping you select the right remodeler for you and your family.

The number one thing we always tell our clients is to check references.  This is the best way to find out about the company you may be working with.

There are two main questions to ask:

1)     Did your remodeling project end up costing what the contractor told you it would cost?

• Foster Remodeling Solutions gives you a fixed price contract so you know what you are paying before entering into contract.  The only changes that affect the end price during construction should be client driven.  For example, a contractor should never come to you during construction to ask for more money unless you have made a change added something after the contract has been signed or a hidden condition is found.

2)     Did the contractor finish your remodeling project when they said they would?

• No one wants to be without their kitchen or master bathroom for longer than they have to.  No one should have to wait longer than promised.  At Foster Remodeling Solutions we give you a start and end date on your contract that we always stick to.  When we assign a lead carpenter to your project they are not assigned to any other project during that time.  This way they are not trying to juggle more than one project and can stick to a schedule.  Plus, Foster Remodeling Solutions makes sure all materials have arrived to our warehouse undamaged before we start a job.  Making sure there are no surprises during construction is a sure way to stay on schedule.

These are the two biggest complaints we hear about other companies.  So do your homework and call references!

Always ask for a copy of the contractor’s license and make sure the date is current.  If someone is not pulling the permits for you, that probably means they do not have or have lost their contractor’s license.  Doing work without a current license is illegal and should make you wonder why they do not have one.  Without permits, the work being done on your home will not be inspected by a third party.  This means the work being done may not be up to code and you will be probably be very disappointed.  Stay away from contractors without an up to date license!

Liability Insurance and Workers Compensation are two things any upstanding company should have, especially when you are talking about remodeling.  A good remodeler will want to protect themselves, their employees, and their clients.  Make sure to ask and see a copy of their up-to-date insurance papers.  This could save you an arm and a leg!

Be aware of quotes that are too low.  It would be wonderful if you could get all you wanted for a price you were happy to pay, however if a company is quoting you something that is too good to be true, it probably is.  They could be leaving a lot of the work out of the quote in order to get you to sign with them, or they may be skipping out on getting the correct permits and inspections.  Whatever their reason is for quoting something half of another’s, beware!  Something is just not adding up.

How do you know you can trust someone in your home, with your family, and all of your possessions?  Well, I am not trying to scare you, but these are real concerns to have.  Foster Remodeling Solutions does a thorough background check of all their employees.  We also do random drug tests on our employees.  This protects the company and will make sure your remodeling job is being done safe and efficiently.

There are some websites, like Angie’s List, that will also help you in your search.  Make sure to do your due diligence and you will be sure to have a nice remodeling experience.

author: Carin Demmon, Design Consultant

Ask our design team at Foster Remodeling about energy efficient appliances. We can help you discover what they are and choose a model and style that’s right for you. For example, if you’re doing a Northern Virginia bathroom remodeling project, you can use a low-flush toilet and a shower head that uses less water. A new tankless hot water heater will save money on the utility bill every month. It not only uses less water, but it takes less energy to heat up the water that is used.

In the kitchen, the modern electric ranges preheat much faster rates than in the past, using less energy. They cool down much faster, too, preventing a warm kitchen in the summer from becoming oppressive. Something as simple as adding a programmable thermostat to the central heating or a/c unit will save a lot of money on power bills.

Green materials are another way to be environmentally responsible and upgrade your home at the same time. Many products are made from recycled or biodegradable materials. We can help you choose those that are more environmentally-friendly if you prefer. If you are using new vinyl replacement windows, you will find cheaper energy bills to go along with the beautiful new look. Skylights are another way to bring natural light into the home while conserving on energy. If you are looking for outdoor walkway lighting, consider solar lights instead of electric ones.

If you are interested in making some eco-friendly changes when you do your Northern Virginia home remodeling project, be sure to let us know. We can give you some ideas of what’s available or help you find the best or most affordable eco-friendly products when you already know what you want.

Green 101

With all that’s been in the news lately about “green” and “environmental and energy efficient” building how can you keep it all straight? We know here at Foster Remodeling Solutions how important these issues can be for our clients so we wanted to provide you some definitions of terminology so you can know exactly what you are getting and what all this new information means.

Below are some of the terms frequently used and what they mean to you:

• Green: This term is thrown around a lot these days, and many people have different definitions of what this means, all in all at Foster Remodeling Solutions our opinion is a green product should be one that should be more environmentally or energy conscious. Many products use this word as a marketing tool without actively fulfilling that consciousness so make sure to ask what makes the product green and how is it more efficient or environmentally safe.

• VOCs: This is an abbreviation for Volatile Organic Compounds. Basically VOCs are vaporous chemicals that can offgas (see definition below) and provide harmful fumes. These are typically found in paints, stains, glues, or sealants. Many manufacturers now offer paint lines with low-VOC content though check and see because sometimes colors may be limited.

• Off-Gassing: The slow release of gas from a product or material, affects the quality of air in the space where product is located, which can be particularly harmful in kitchens.

• FSC: Forest Stewardship Council, a non-profit, non-government rating agency. You will often see “FSC Rated” on wood products, this means that there has been a “Chain of Custody” from when the wood what planted, farmed, cut, and transported to your site. They actively promote responsible forest management; rapidly renewable (see definitely below) woods and try to avoid rare or endangered species, as well as replanting techniques for farms. At Foster Remodeling Solutions we have access to both cabinetry and molding companies that can provide FSC certification for products in your remodeling project.

• Rapidly Renewable Materials: Materials harvested from fast growing sources, those that go from seed to full grown in less than 10 years, bamboo is a great example which can be used as flooring or for cabinets.

• Greywater: is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes such as dish washing, laundry and bathing, this water can be reused for grass watering and other non-consumable uses in your remodel.

• EnergyStar Ratings: A government backed program that rates household products under strict guidelines set by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to protect the environment and promote energy efficient products and practices while saving consumers on lower energy bills.

• Compact Fluorescent: An energy efficient light bulb which uses 20-40% less energy than a standard incandescent light bulb, with many green products these were very costly a few years ago, but with more and more demand and manufacturers prices have come down significantly.

• Low Flow: Plumbing fixtures including faucets, toilets and shower heads that use less water than standard plumbing fixtures, generally without compromising on performance, obviously some manufacturers have been more successful than others on the performance, but these are generally a great way to become more efficient and save money. Also, considering water heaters typically use about 25% of a home’s energy, this is a great way to easily save money in the long term by investing in higher quality products during your kitchen or bathroom remodel. Certain areas of the country have low-flow requirements already in place.

• LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, this is a third party certification designed by the USGBC (see below) which has rating systems for Homes, Commercial Interiors, Core & Shell, New Construction, Schools, Healthcare, Retail and a pilot program for Neighborhood Development. Projects can become LEED Certified (at different levels) by gaining a certain amount of points (dependent on which system used) filing with the USGBC and having a LEED Accredited Professional work on their project.

• USGBC: United States Green Building Council, a non-profit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for the nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. www.usgbc.com