At Your Door Floors flooring store shown on Thumbtack

I found a new website called Thumbtack for posting your services. Here we posted services for our At Your Door Flooring store with locations in Burleson, Mansfield and Fort Worth Texas. The store sells Tile, Engineered Hardwood, Solid Hardwood, Carpet, Laminate and Countertops.
Please visit the website for more information at www.atyourdoorfloors.com

Read about 'Discount Brand Name Flooring Sale' on Thumbtack, a website for local service professionals

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix remodeling & flooring
At Your Door Floors
www.puttingonthefix.com
www.atyourdoorfloors.com
817-908-9019
brian@puttingonthefix.com

How to waterproof and tile a shower by Putting On The Fix remodeling & ...

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LocalConstruction.net, local construction companies.

Are you a pet lover and need your house remodeled to accomodate your pet?

Many people in today's world see their pets as one of their children. For many people that do not have children, their pet is their child. And there is an ever increasing trend in the home remodeling business that substantiates the growing bonds that homeowners have with their pets as they work to have their home modified to accommodate their pet's needs.

Projects can vary in size and creativity, but below are listed some of the trends industry experts are seeing as written in Qualified Remodeler Magazine:

• Doggy showers with low-level, hand-held sprayers, are often located in mud rooms or garages. These spaces, often tiled and custom-painted to suit a pet's personality, make bathing or rinsing off muddy paws a breeze.

• Feeding stations can be built into a family's kitchen or mud room. Wall build outs accommodate feeding bowls and can include adequate space for the storage of food and other pet-related items, such as toys and medications. Some spaces even feature an installed water line that automatically refills the water bowl as needed.

• Litter boxes can be discretely located in custom cabinetry with whimsical, cat-shaped cutout entryways to help contain a kitty's potty area.

• Pet doors have become elaborate with options including French doors, screen door panels, and infrared and magnetic key options.

• Hideaways and sleeping areas can be built into laundry or foyer areas, creating peaceful and private spaces for pets to retreat.

• Windows are being designed to be located lower to flooring so pets have excellent outdoor views- complete with personalized 'pet seats' for four-legged friends to enjoy hours of "built-in" entertainment.


Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

Great news for the remodeling industry

If you are a remodeling professional or have a job that is tied to the remodeling industry, there are some new positive trends that are hopefully pointing towards better days for you.

For the first time since 2006, home improvement spending is on the increase. In 2010, annual growth will be nearly five percent and many trends suggest that the increased spending will continue in 2011, according to the latest Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA), released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

You can view more about this subject in a recent article posted by Remodeling Magazine:
http://www.remodeling.hw.net/lira/remodeling-growth-its-back.aspx

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

Good news for Texas home owners!

Are you looking at remodeling your home but unsure whether it is a wise decision with recent changes in the housing market? Well if you live in Texas, odds are your housing market is pretty solid and you can justify making those remodeling plans.

The recent Builder Magazine published a study of the most 20 healthiest housing markets in the U.S.
Here is what they wrote:

Boyce Thompson’s article in Builder Magazine listed the 20 healthiest housing markets for 2010 that are poised to recover more quickly than other markets in the US. His premise is: “Housing economists have long held that the housing rebound, when it comes, will be uneven. The markets that benefit first will be the ones with the strongest core dynamics; places where house prices never got out of hand, cities where a diverse and progressive employment base drives job creation, towns that continue to draw population despite the economic recession.”

It is of very little surprise to me that the Austin MSA is number one on this list. The other top markets (including the surrounding municipalities are:
20 – Des Moines, Iowa
19 – Greenville, SC
18 – Houston, TX
17 – Wilmington, NC
16 – Portland, OR
15 – Myrtle Beach, SC
14 – Colorado Springs, CO
13 – Minneapolis, MN
12 – Richmond, VA
11 – Dallas – Fort Worth, TX
10 – Eugene, OR
9 – Durham, NC
8 – Washinton DC – I guess all the hot air in DC is blowing that market up
7 – Huntsville, AL
6 – Denver, CO
5 – Charleston, NC
4 – San Antonio, TX
3 – Charlotte, SC
2 – Raleigh, NC
#1 – AUSTIN, TEXAS!


Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

Adding glass doors to your old and tired cabinets!

Are you looking to give your cabinets a quick makeover? Adding glass can give you a clean, fresh new look without having to spend a lot of money on completely replacing your old cabinets. As long as you like the current layout of your cabinets and they function as you want them to, then this is a great solution in addition to painting/staining your cabinets to give your kitchen an instant facelift.

Most people feel more comfortable in hiring a remodeler to insure proper installation, however if you are adventurous, have access to the proper tools and feel confident enough in your hands-on skills, then here is a quick how-to guide:

Using a router, remove the door's raised panel. Chisel out the rounded corners left by the router so right angles remain.

Sand the frame, wipe with a cloth, clean with sodium triphosphate solution, apply a stain-blocking primer, then semi gloss latex paint.

Measure the opening and add an extra half inch all around. Order glass from a glass shop, choosing from clear, frosted, seeded, or ribbed glass for a unique look. Be sure to have the edges of the glass smoothed.

Place the piece of glass that has been cut to size on the back of the frame and secure it with clips. (A glass shop can do this for you or they will sell you the correct parts.)


Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

Do you have Chinese Drywall in your house?

Chinese food, good. Chinese drywall, not so good. Last week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission made a press release stating that any homes tainted by Chinese drywall should be gutted.

They concluded that the drywall has been linked to corrosion of wiring, air conditioning units, computers, doorknobs and jewelry, along with possible health effects. Some of the possible health side effects preliminary testing have linked are throat, nose and lung irritation and high levels of hydrogen sulfide gas emitted from the wallboard, coupled with formaldehyde, which is commonly found in new houses.

Most of the homes tainted by the Chinese drywall are located in the Florida, Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana areas. The drywall was used in the homes during the recent housing boom and Gulf Coast Hurricanes such as Katrina.

Inez Tenebaum, chairwoman of the commission, said "We want families to tear it all out and rebuild the interior of their homes, and they need to start this to get their lives started all over again,"

Luckily, if you reside in Texas as I do, you should not have fell victim to it. However, if you have any doubts whether or not you might suspect that your home contains Chinese drywall, please contact your local trusted home expert as soon as possible.


Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

Remodel your attic to add more livable space to your home

Has your family outgrown your house? If so, maybe your are trying to make a decision on whether to sell your current house and move to a larger home, or to remodel or add an addition to your current home. With the recent downturn in the housing industry, many people are choosing to remodel their home.

If you live in an area where home typically have unfinished basements (in-ground), then that provides you with a really good option for adding livable space to your home that previously was unused.

However, if you live in an area such as I do, Texas, where there typically are not basements, you can look to turning your attic into livable space. I recently had thought about that, and thought about adding a dormer to my attic/roof. Dormers are great because they add natural light and usable space, add height to bathrooms, kitchens, seating areas, and niches for desks. Dormers will help you gain more space in the middle of the attic to improve movement and circulation.

I was having difficulty deciding on what type of dormer/dormers to utilize in the remodeling process so that the style was appropriate to my house. There are many different styles and shapes of dormers:
- Flat
- Shed
- Gabled
- Pedimented
- Hipped
- Deck
- Arched
- Oval
- Eyebrow
- Inset
- Composite (includes several of the above forms)
The list below can give you an idea of what style of dormer is typically used for what style of home:
• Gable dormers: Colonial Revivial, Georgian, Shingle, Queen Anne, Stick, Chateauesque, Tudor, and Craftsman, to name a few
• Hipped dormers: Prairie, Shingle, Craftsman
• Arched dormers: Second Empire, Beaux Arts, French Eclectic
• Oval dormers: French Eclectic, Beaux Arts, possibly Italian Renaissance
• Shed dormers: Craftsman, Arts & Crafts, Colonial Revival
• Eyebrow dormers: Shingle, Romanesque, Queen Anne
• Pedimented dormers: Georgian, Federal, Colonial Revival styles



Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

3 ways to clean dirty grout in your home

Whether you've got tile floors, kitchen backsplashes, or shower tile, the grout between tiles can get pretty scummy. With a few simple tools or cleaning solutions and a little bit of elbow grease, you can get your grout looking like brand new.

Tile grout gets dirty in many different ways. In the bathroom, it's usually mold or mildew causing the grout stains. In the kitchen it could be a combination of food stains, general household traffic and grime, and mildew.

3 simple options you can try to clean your grout:

1. Sandpaper
Many stains are on the surface of the grout and can be removed with sandpaper. Just fold the sandpaper into a crease, and work it back and forth along the grout line. If sandpaper doesn't work, you may have better results by applying a pencil eraser.

2. Cleaning Solution
If sandpaper or an eraser can't do the job, try an over-the-counter grout cleaner -- or create a similar "home solution" from household bleach and water or vinegar and water. Squirt or pour the solution onto the grout, and scrub with a firm toothbrush. Make sure the area is well ventilated, and wear rubber or latex gloves when working with bleach.

3. Remove and Replace the grout
If bleach doesn't do the job, you may need to remove and replace the grout. Use a grout-removal tool or a rotary tool with a carbide tip found at your local home supply store. Don't worry, it is very simple to use and you can't do much damage with it so there is no need to be intimidated by this step. Mix and install new grout and seal it with a grout sealer to reduce the likelihood of future stains setting in your pretty new grout. A homeowner should reapply sealer once every two years.

If all of the above steps fail to work or you just are too busy to do them on your own, contact Putting On The Fix or your local remodeling contractor and they will be happy to do the quick fix for you.

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

Fort Worth & Arlington land on Top Ten list

As often is heard on one of my favorite radio stations, people love lists. The Fort Worth & Arlington area recently found itself on the top ten list of "10 Cities for Real Estate Steals" that was put out by Luke Mullins in the US News & World Report.

With the recent roller coaster ride of the housing industry over the past decade throughout the nation, the DFW area's ride has been less dramatic. Many regions in the U.S.(California, Florida, Phoenix, Las Vegas) had seen meteoric rises to their property values in the early to mid 2000's only to see them come tumbling down like Lindasy Lohan's career in the past few years. Fortunately for property owners in the DFW area, and largely the state of Texas, they have been sheltered from the large decline in property values. That is why the Fort Worth/Arlington area finds itself at #9 on Luke's list of Cities with Real Estate Steals.

Here is Luke's explanation why Fort Worth/Arlington made his list:

9. Fort Worth/Arlington, Texas: In recent years, home prices in the Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas, area have also grown increasingly undervalued when compared with longer-term averages. The area's price-to-income ratio fell from 3.95 in the fourth quarter of 2005 to 1.89 through the third quarter of 2009. Compared with an average price-to-income ratio of 2.02 for the 15 years before 2003, house prices in the Fort Worth/Arlington area are now relatively undervalued. And with a labor market that is projected to perform better than the national average, home prices in this region are expected to hit bottom in 2011 and begin moving higher, according to Moody's Economy.com.


Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

Green homes sell for higher price, who would have thouth that?

This morning in my daily viewing of newspapers, I came across an article in USA Today titled "Green homes sell for more and faster than other homes." To most people, I would hope that this would come to them as common sense. I am all about promoting the Green living movement, but it just made me laugh to see an article from a national publication that was pointing out the obvious. Apparently, with the stagnation of the housing market, there is very little to write about it.

In the article it states that homes that are "green certified" were selling for 8.5% more per square foot and 22% faster than homes that were not "green certified". The advancements in green products for your home have vastly improved in recent years and have become more affordable to the average homeowner. However, your average homeowner is likely only to make small green improvements at once which typically will fall short of the strict guidelines needed to become "green certified" by the LEED standards.

But a home that does meet the standards set by LEED to become "green certified" should/will garner a higher selling price because it cost more to build or remodel the home to meet the standards set by LEED.

The one point that the article made that makes me happy is that the green homes are selling faster which means that there is more interest for people in making the change to greener living, despite a higher premium. Hopefully that trend will continue to upswing and the green housing products continue to improve and become more affordable so we can go onto living healthier lives while making a smaller carbon imprint with the way we live.

Here is the article
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/02/green-homes-sell-for-more-and-faster-than-rest-of-the-market/1

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

To follow the rules or to not follow the rules. Is there a question?

Are you a homeowner of home that was built prior to 1978? If so, there is an 80% chance that your home contains Lead Based Paint. Lead based paint presents health risks for you and your family. That is why the EPA has recently imposed a new law to make sure that your family's health is a priority when you are having it remodeled. You can view it in its entirety at the following link:
http://www.epa.gov/lead/

However, the question remains, will homeowners be more concerned about their family’s health or their budget. Sadly, many people are willing to cut corners so they can have the home they have pictured in the dollar range they have set. Many times overlooking the quality of products, quality of contractor, perceived added value to their property, and what should be most importantly being their health.

Many people when they hire a contractor, their deciding factor in choosing that contractor is the price. However, if you own a house built prior to 1978 it might be to your and your family's benefit to make sure that price includes a contractor who is certified to remodel your home properly so that your health is not affected.

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

Home Energy Tax credits, do they work?

Are you planning on taking measures to make your home more energy efficient? If so, according to the latest reports, it appears you are a member of a slight minority of Americans who are utilizing the opportunity to save money on your electric bills and get money back from the government backed Energy Tax Credit program.

Why haven’t more people jumped at the opportunity to take advantage of the tax credits and to save energy when electricity rates are at such high levels? My belief is that there are two major reasons why people refrain from making the energy saving changes to their homes.

The first is that I feel that most Americans just aren't fully educated on the benefits that an efficient home provides (personal health, economical, ecological). Most people don't see that making minor changes such as new windows or upated caulking would make much of enough a change personally or globally to entice them to make the changes.

The second probably most critical is cost. At time when unemployment is in double digits and a family's discretionary spending budget is minimal, I don't think that refunding 30% up to $1500 is a large enough incentive to entice people to make the changes that otherwise would not. I think the people that are making energy efficient changes to their homes are a large majority of people that had already had plans to make the changes and are excited to know that they will get money back.

So hopefully the government will do more to educate the American public and provide greater incentives to get more people on board with the program before we find ourselves at a major energy crisis point years down the road. Hopefully it won't be too late!

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

Will a white roof cool your home?

Instead of painting the town red, researchers and the U.S Secretary of Energy would prefer that we pain it White. At least our roofs for that matter.

Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado say that their research shows that painting our roofs white will reduce the "urban heat island effect".

What the heck is the urban heat island effect you say? It refers to the asphalt roads, tar roofs and other artificial surfaces that permeate cities absorb heat from the sun, making temperatures in urban areas on average 2 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 3 degrees Celsius) higher than in rural areas.

So they say that painting our roofs white would actually reflect heat back towards space which would cool our temperatures and reduce our carbon imprint with lower electricity needed to cool our homes.

I think that most people realize that we need to start making changes to reduce our carbon imprint and I know that everyone would prefer to spend less on our energy bills. However, the biggest hurdle that I think we would face in implementing this strategy would be the aesthetic changes and the unwillingness for people to accept them. In addition, the research conducted is just in "theory", we would need the population to actually implement it to test its validity and I am not sure we are ready for that yet.

What is your thought on painting your roof white?

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

HUD amends law in hopes to decrease the inventory of foreclosed homes.

Foreclosed properties are purchased for many reasons such as a person's primary residence. They also pose as financial opportunities for investors. Some investors remodel the property and turn around and sell it for a quick profit. Some remodel the property and hold on to the property as a rental. In recent years, FHA had imposed restrictions for the borrowers from purchasing a property from someone who has owned the property less than 90 days. Those owners typically are/were investors.

With the recent downturn in the economy and housing bust that lead to heights of our nation's foreclosure crisis, HUD has decided to lift those restrictions for 1 year. They are hoping that easying of the law will bring more investors back into the housing market to help easy the foreclosure meltdown.

I guess only time will tell if their actions will help their cause or if it will lead to more issues that arose in years past that brought on the restrictions in the first place. Hopefully it will assist in our housing market because right now we could use all the help we can get!

For more details on the new changes, check out the press release by HUD.

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

What happened to Cash for Caulkers?

Homeowners, home service providers, banks, manufacturers, heck everyone other than extreme Conservatives and Libertarians were excited when the whispers of a Cash for Caulkers program was in the making.

It would provide tax benefits and more efficient homes for homeowners. More work for home service companies. More jobs for workers. More cash flow into our economy, etc...

However, word on the street is that the implementation of the Cash for Caulkers program has been put on the back burner. Despite an immediate need for a jolt to the housing industry to assist in an economic recovery, politics reared its ugly head and pushed this program aside so that the politician's full attention could be focused on the Health Program Bill.

So send a quick email to your local State Representative or Congressman and urge them to pass the Cash for Caulkers bill so we can create a healthier living environment and save money on our energy bills and hopefully at the same time work our way out of this recession.

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com

To remodel or not to remodel when selling your home?

That is the question!

With latest news on the reversal of the housing industry (home sales and production were down last month) it is feared that we might not have hit the bottom of the downturn.

What does that mean for anyone trying to sell their home? Obviously that means that it just became even more difficult than it was just a few months ago when there was a sliver of light to a recovery. So that makes it even more important to think about making improvements to your home you are trying to sell so it stands out amongst the other homes on the market in your community.

Brian Heltzel
Putting On The Fix Remodeling
Burleson, TX
www.puttingonthefix.com
In a recent article by Yahoo, Ron Phipps, a real estate broker, had made the following comments:

"Clients are savvier than ever in their shopping. Even though the costs of home improvements are less likely to be returned on resale than they have been in prior years, sellers may still have to bite the bullet and do the remodeling if they want their house to sell at all", he said.

"It's kind of intriguing," said Phipps. "Buyers are using the unimproved houses to negotiate lower prices, but they wind up buying the remodeled homes."

"So, if there are two similar houses in the area, buyers will use the listing price of the one that has not gone through a metamorphosis to get the seller of the renovated house to slash their price. Buyers want to pay for the caterpillar but get the butterfly."

Seller must play along if they want to make deals. "You get to sell the house more quickly if you do the renovations," Phipps said.