Different Types of Kitchen Islands

PublishedUpdated Sherry My Blog
Types of Kitchen

Kitchen islands are a great addition to any kitchen. They are stylish, elegant, and could really be the focal point of your kitchen. Aside from that, kitchen islands won’t only make your kitchen more gorgeous – kitchen islands are functional additions to your home that can raise its value.

For a lot of kitchen remodeling projects, modern homeowners decide to add a kitchen island in their kitchens. You don’t have to have a really spacious kitchen for you to be able to build a kitchen island. Even a small space can accommodate one.

There are various types of kitchen islands you can add to your kitchen depending on your need:

Portable kitchen island – Kitchen islands are typically built over your kitchen floors; they are attached to your floors and are immovable. Portable kitchen islands are not attached to your floors and can just be purchased at the stores and put on your kitchen. They can be a great choice if you are not certain yet if you really want a kitchen island and you just want to see if you really do.

Storage or cabinet island – Unlike the portable kitchen island, a storage or cabinet island is built in and can be considered permanent as it is attached to the floor. As the name implies, storage or cabinet islands have storage on its base which could be in the form of drawers or cabinets.

Dining island – Kitchen islands are commonly built to get an additional area for cooking. Dining islands can be used not just as a cooking space, but as another dining space as well. Dining seats are placed around or on one side of the island.

Sink and/cooktop island – Sink islands have built-in sinks and cooktop islands have cooktop islands; and sometimes, these two components are built in just a single island. These kitchen islands were built to facilitate full-blown cooking. You can also put some cooking appliances on it as electrical outlets are built into this type of kitchen island.

Why Hire A Professional Tree Removal Company?

PublishedUpdated Sherry My Blog
Tree Removal Company

Trees add undeniable beauty to our property and so abundant in the South Surrey area. Trees are so important to many, that, countless people looking for a house to buy would only consider buying a property if there are healthy, mature trees planted in its lawn.

Additionally, depending on the location of your property, trees can significantly increase the value of your home. Check out our flooring blog for another great way for a quick and cost effective way to increase your home value.

But there would be times when it might be inevitable for you to have some of your trees removed. Such scenarios include trees being at risk of falling, some trees being infested by devastating bugs or infected by damaging disease. Or sometimes, you need to remove a tree from your property to give way to a home renovation project such as adding an extension.

And when you’re in need of a tree removal service, there’s no better person for the job than a licensed arborist. At Sherry’s Home Design, we always rely on Tall Timber Tree Removal In South Surrey. We have used them for a number of different services including tree removal, tree trimming, hedge work and landscaping.

Some people might wrongly presume that removing a tree only requires physical strength. However, while the job would certainly be a lot easier if you are fit and strong, you need more than strength to be able to successfully remove a tree. You need professional skills and training that only an experienced arborist has.

Aside from the necessary skills and training, there are other good reasons to hire a professional for a tree removal task, such as them having the right equipment for the job. Tree removal companies already have high quality, high powered chainsaws or crosscut saws, axes, and stump grinders to cleanly remove trees from your property. They also have the trucks needed to haul the tree that will be removed. If you decide to take on the job yourself, you have to purchase these tools or equipment that you’d probably use only once in your life.

Another reason to hire a professional arborist for tree removal is that these experts will be insured while working on your property. Removing a tree is no easy feat, and it can also be quite dangerous, especially for some who aren’t specifically trained for the job. Licensed arborists from reputable tree removal companies will be properly insured. Therefore, you wouldn’t have to worry if any accident happens while your tree is being removed. You can be assured that any property damage that might occur during the tree removal will be paid for by the company.

Low Maintenance Flooring Options for Your Home

PublishedUpdated Sherry My Blog
Low Maintenance Flooring

All of us want to come home to a clean home. Dust-free furniture, fresh-smelling home, and sparkling floors are just some of the most wonderful things any homeowner would love to come home to.

However, sometimes, no matter how much we love having a clean home, not all of us have the time to scrub our floors clean every single day. But that doesn’t mean that we are left with no other choice but to leave our floors dirty.

The solution? Low maintenance floors.

Flooring materials that require low maintenance are a godsend to many exhausted homeowners who want to keep their homes clean but simply don’t have the energy to do so.

Here are some of the flooring materials that are quite easy to maintain:

Ceramic tile – Ceramic tiles are durable and are easy to maintain. On top of that, they are resistant to water and stain. Any spill on ceramic tiles can easily be wiped clean with a regular rag. Dust can be removed from ceramic tiles by sweeping.

Natural stone – Natural stone flooring don’t just look spectacular, they are also incredibly hard-wearing and strong. And the best part? They are very easy to maintain. Just like ceramic tiles, they are resistant to water and stain. Natural stone floors have high resistance against scratches, too. Light mopping would be more than enough to clean natural stone flooring.

Concrete – Concrete is very strong, long -lasting, and easy to clean. Just a little bit of dusting and occasional mopping will be able to remove any dirt from concrete floors. While some might regard concrete as a boring material for floors, that’s actually not true. You can add beautiful, customized patterns to concrete floors through stamping.

Laminate flooring – Laminate flooring looks like hardwood, but can even be better than genuine wood in terms of ease of maintenance. Hardwood may be easy to clean, but are vulnerable against scratches and can be damaged by water. Laminate flooring can be cleaned by a regular mop, is water resistant, and is scratch proof. Also, it is significantly cheaper than hardwood flooring. If you’re looking for energy saving tips for your home please check out our energy saving blog.

Energy-Saving Home Renovations

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Energy-Saving Home Renovations

Many homeowners go through with a home improvement project with one goal in mind: make my home look more beautiful.

There really is nothing wrong with that, especially if it’s been a while since you have updated your home design. But, while you’re at it, you might want to take advantage of making your home an energy-saving one. Besides Saving energy and money, you may even apply for some rebates from BC Hydro and other companies like Fortis BC.

Nowadays when people are continuously looking for new ways to save energy, it is the best time for anyone to take the opportunity to save energy in your home, too. An energy-saving home won’t only increase the value of your property, it could also help you save money as it will make you cut down on your energy consumption and bills.

There are many ways you can make your home energy-saving:

  • In your next renovation, switch to windows and doors that are energy-efficient. Energy-efficient doors and windows are much more effective in keeping the home well-insulated. Thermal insulation also has an added benefit of sound proofing your home as well.
  • Replace your light bulbs with energy-saving models. LED lights, for instance, consumes 75% less energy or electricity than incandescent lights.
  • Switch to energy-efficient home appliances. Lights aren’t the only items in your home you can replace with energy-efficient alternative options. You can buy energy-efficient refrigerators and air conditioners, too.
  • Have insulated pipes installed? Insulated pipes will help make your water warm faster, therefore reducing energy use.
  • Apply a roof coating on your roof. A roof coating will help your roof reflect heat, thus keeping your home cooler during summer.
  • Replace your roof with cool roofs. If you really want to choose the most energy efficient roofing option, switch to a cool roof, if possible. Cool roofs are highly reflective and can be very effective in reflecting heat away from your home. When your home is cooler in the summer, there would be no need for you to adjust your air conditioning system.
  • During the renovation, have your contractor check your existing home insulation for any faults. The sooner you detect any problem with the insulation, the sooner you can fix it. Any fault in the insulation means wasted energy.

Reasons You Should Consider Soundproofing Your Home

PublishedUpdated Sherry My Blog
Soundproofing

Proper thermal insulation is one of our top priorities of most homeowners when their homes are being built. Effective thermal insulation can ensure that you and your family will remain warm and comfortable inside your home even when the weather is too cold outside.

But if thermal insulation works perfectly in giving you comfort when it comes to temperature, there’s also acoustic insulation – which is sometimes also referred to as sound insulation.

Thermal insulation works by retaining the temperature you have indoors; acoustic insulation, on the other hand, works by containing the noise and quietness you have – inside your home. So it has a double benefit that includes energy efficiency as well as sound proofing.

What’s great about sound insulation is that it is beneficial for both the individuals behind the soundproof walls and the people on the other side of this wall.

Having soundproof walls means that you can enjoy the peace and quiet inside your home and not be bothered by excessive noise outside. This is probably one of the best reasons to get a soundproof wall on your next home renovation.

And, when you have walls that are soundproof, the noise you create inside your home – especially if you have kids who love playing loudly indoors – won’t bother your neighbors.

Soundproof walls are also a big help if you have teenage kids who are into playing loud musical instruments such as drums or electric guitars. You wouldn’t want to hinder your kids from exploring their hobbies and talents, would you? But you can’t blame your neighbors if they start to complain about the noise. The solution? Soundproof your walls!

Apart from these, there are many other reasons for you to consider soundproofing your home (or at least some of your rooms). For instance, if you have a home theater, having soundproof walls is almost a necessity. When you have a home theater, you want to enjoy watching movies as you would in a commercial theater (minus the other viewers), right? Having soundproof walls will give you the freedom to watch the movies the way they are meant to be watched.