Richlite counter top products are making their way into middle Tennessee.  Richlite is a company that produces durable, green and natu ralcounter top products.  Their secret lies in an environmentally sound manufacture philosophy.

Richlite counter tops are a green-classified, beautiful and earth friendly alternative to cold hard stone and impersonal solid plastic surfaces.  Richlite counter tops add utility, life and warmth to any workspace or counter top area.  Whether office, workbench, bathroom or kitchen, Richlite has the color, size and style to fit any need.  Richlite owes a lot of its versatility to its revolutionary building material, FSC-certified and other recycled paper fibers.

Richlite began using resin treated, pressure-baked paper fiber in the 1940s to supply Boeing with materials.  Later in the 1950s, before manufacturing counter tops, Richlite also began producing their unique material for the marine industry, building boats.  Over the decades several industries have realized the virtues of Richlite paper fiber based surfaces.  Today Richlite also produces the material that builds professional skate board ramps, commercial food service work surfaces, and counter top surfaces for a wide variety of residential applications.  This revolutionary material has proved itself time and time again for over half a century.  Today, homeowners everywhere can take advantage of the strength, style, and quality of Richlite counter top products.

Richlite counter tops are great for kitchens because they are extremely durable, not to mention heat and stain resistant.  Richlite counter tops are excellent for bathrooms and workspaces because they have a sanitary quality and require very low maintenance.  They bring a soft, comfortable tone to any room, in a way that a stone or laminate surface can not.

Richlite counter top surfaces can be catered to a broad range of design tastes.  Richlite counter tops are made primarily of post consumer paper fibers that are treated with a phenolic resin.  The fibers are formed into layers that are cross linked to the layers above and below them.  Then the resin “paper cake” is cured and baked into a solid, permanent single piece of rock hard Richlite.  The process of treating and baking long, cross linked paper fibers creates counter top sheets that are as elegant and attractive as wood, but hard as stone.  Because of Richlite’s unique manufacture process, these counter top sheets can be customized for extended cantilevers and long spans, eliminating seams in your counter top.

Richlite counter top products are now available in middle Tennessee, through professional contractors like Nashville’s <a target=”_new” href=”http://www.buildingcompanynumber7.com/Kitchen-Remodeling/“>Building Company Number 7</a>.  Call you local contractor and ask about the details and benefits of Richlite counter top products.

Replacement windows are an excellent green remodeling option for any home. Old, inefficient windows create a significant energy drain on your home, significantly increasing the cost of utilities. Drafty windows with poor seams and seals bleed energy out of a warm home on winter nights. In hot climes, bad windows make it harder to keep your house cool.

Beyond the economic and environmental sense, replacement windows can give a home a renewed aesthetic appeal. Replacement windows can brighten up and dramatically increase the sense of space in your home. Though it is not a simple job, many experienced DIY buffs have changed their own windows, especially if the existing window frames are intact. It may take a few days of dirty work, but the improvement to your home and utility bills is well worth it.

If you don’t have the tools or the time to take on a window replacement project yourself, there are many talented and qualified green remodeling professionals who can expertly dispose of your old windows, re-frame if needed, and install functional, beautiful and energy efficient replacement windows.

ARRA tax breaks are still in effect
Additionally, the federal energy efficiency tax credit has been extended. This makes 2010 a great year to move on your replacement windows project. The government is rewarding Americans all across the country for simply installing energy saving residential windows. On top of the tax break, your heating and cooling bills will be reduced by up to 25%, and you will have the pleasure of beautiful new windows that slide, swing, or latch snugly and securely. Replacement windows can also increase the value of a home. Many home-buyers are willing to pay thousands more for a home with energy efficient cosmetic improvements.

How to approach replacement windows
If you plan your green remodeling project correctly, installing replacement windows can pay for itself in a relatively short period of time. Before you get started, do some homework about the types of windows available. After that, look up a short list of local contractors, preferably professionals who have green remodeling experience. To begin your replacement windows primer, here are some basic facts about replacement windows, including their materials, styles, and levels of quality.

These days, typical windows consist of two or three panes of glass with air inbetween that acts as insulation. Higher grade windows are manufactured with an inert gas like argon between the panes, which insulates better than plain air. Advances in technology have produced several other insulation methods, including “low-E” special coating, which uses microscopic particles of metal to slow heat loss in cold months and prevent heat gain in warm months. When shopping for windows look for a label from the National Fenestration Rating Council. The NFRC is a reliable guide to energy efficiency windows, doors, and skylights.

Window glass is mounted in a variety of sashes. The main materials for window sashes are vinyl, metal, and wood. Wood is the most energy efficient of the three materials. The highest quality wood windows are clad with metal or vinyl on the outside of the window, utilizing a combination of materials and reducing the maintenance requirements of the new windows.

Window styles
Windows come in a large variety of styles. Single-hung and double-hung windows are the most common. These are the popular windows that slide up and down to open. A single-hung window only opens from the bottom up. A double hung window will open from the bottom up, or from the top down. Beyond these common styles, there are many more artful and versatile window styles that are suited to different uses. Awning windows are great for ventilation while keeping out the elements. Hopper windows are very useful for creating ventilation and a sense of space above a doorway in a room with a high ceiling. Bay windows can help create a breathtaking view while bathing a room in natural light.

Replacement windows are a refreshing and potentially elegant way to green your home. Whether you do it yourself or hire a green remodeling professional, replacement windows are one of the most significant improvements you can make to your home, both in the senses of energy efficiency and aesthetic appeal. The money saved on utilities, recouped in the increased value of the home, and combined with the ARRA tax credit, makes replacement windows one of the smartest and most cost effective home improvement projects on the market.

Many have heard the phrase “green remodeling” floating around the home improvement industry and are not sure exactly what it means. While it is true that “green remodeling” has to do with making your home more energy efficient, the idea covers more ground than that.
A green remodel is like a philosophy you can apply to your home. From weatherization to waste disposal to choosing recycled and reclaimed building materials, green remodeling can be practiced on several facets of your home. It does not just mean making your home energy efficient, it also means making your home, and consequently your daily life, more environmentally responsible.

The United States Department of Energy reported that buildings use up 40 percent of all the energy consumed in America. According to the Department of Energy, a large-scale greening of homes can save more money, and reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions more than hybrid cars do.

Greening your home takes many forms, from installing new windows to purchasing Energy Star appliances. If you want to green your home, search out a green remodeling professional. What does that mean? Well, a green remodeling professional is one who takes sustainability into account at every stage of your remodel. A green pro is skilled at responsibly maximizing resources, both your own and mother nature’s.

A green professional knows that green remodeling is also a way of thinking, not simply a way of buying. For example, if you are thinking of replacing your kitchen cabinets, your professional may suggest carefully removing your old cabinets and donating them to Habitat for Humanity for reclamation, rather than simply adding them to the waste stream.

The professionals meet a lot of clients that are skeptical about the quality and value of greening a home. The truth is that most green homes do not look different from conventional homes. Most green remodeling elements, like improved air quality or increased energy efficiency, are part of the inner structure of a home. Furthermore, most recycled products, like floors and counter tops, look the same as their non-recycled equivalent.

These days, green is getting a lot more publicity than usual, and that is a good thing. There are many benefits to green remodeling, from the pride you can take in your beautiful new, environmentally responsible home to the direct savings in energy costs you will notice after your remodel is complete.

Since money talks, here are three tangible economic reasons why now is a better time than ever to invest in green remodeling your home.

1. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, also referred to as the Stimulus bill, offers significant tax credits to homeowners that perform a green remodel. If you want to install, for example, a solar water heater or a new energy efficient HVAC, the stimulus bill qualifies you for a tax credit. This tax credit was approved in 2009 and has been extended all the way to the end of 2010. If you get some green remodeling done this year, the government will pay you to do it.

2. If you are thinking of selling your home, a green remodel will pump up the value of your home. Because of the potential long-term energy savings of a green home, homebuyers are willing to pay a lot more for homes that already have these improvements.

3. For those of you who just bought a home or are planning to live in your home for a long time, a green remodel is just as valuable, if not more so. It will improve the energy efficiency of your home. The investment you make in a green remodel will start coming back to you right away in lower monthly energy bills. Over the years, these savings will pay for your remodel, then start paying you.

Look into green remodeling. Find an informed green remodeling professional. Ask them questions and gather knowledge about energy and water conservation, renewable and recycled materials, and the potential for drastically improving the living quality in your home. All of these benefits, coupled with the economic breaks outlined above, make this the best time yet to green your home.

Bathroom remodeling is a surefire and relatively easy way to dramatically increase the value of your home. With bathroom remodeling, you get to invent a whole new space according to your personal needs and tastes, rather than the conveniences of the builder.  You can improve the shower, add cabinet space, add quiet ventilation, or heated floor tiles to make stepping out of the shower on a cold morning a lot more comfortable. 

One of the beauties of remodeling your bathroom is the variety of choices you have for a small room.  There are plenty of options for the toilet, sink, cabinetry, tub, mirror, ventilation, lighting, walls, and flooring.  Many people that have remodeled their bathrooms have been blown away by the amount of refreshing change that can be fit into a room as common as the bathroom.  They thank themselves every day that they installed a new wide washbasin with comfortable, elegant new faucets.

The bathroom is one of the most utilized rooms in a home.  This means that bathrooms get some of the most wear and use of any room in your home.  The amount of traffic that bathrooms get in a home shows how important a space it is.  Having an attractive and comfortable bathroom makes every day better. 

That fact is, that the majority of bathrooms are notoriously under designed in the name of a developer’s cost efficiency.  This makes your bathroom a likely candidate for a home improvement project.  Get a new bathtub, or simply resurface your trusty old tub.  While you’re at it, remember that a remodel is the perfect time to install the hot tub or whirlpool you’ve been daydreaming about.

A bathroom improvement project can be classified into two types: surface alterations and tear out/remodels.  Many surface alterations you may be able to  do yourself, like installing a new mirror or a new toilet.  But if you want to install a new tile shower or a heated vanity mirror that never fogs over, you may need the help of a professional.  The deeper your renovations the more you are going to need precise and professional electrical and plumbing work.

When planning a bathroom remodel, consider the underlying structure of the bathroom. Bathrooms collect moisture.  This means that you are most likely going to need to replace some drywall when you renovate your bathroom.  Bathroom drywall is different from regular drywall.  You’ll need to use a moisture resistant drywall, often called “green board.”  In really wet areas like showers, you may need moisture proof backer board.

If you have already begun your bathroom remodel, or have at least already called around for estimates, the same wealth of choices that are such a thrill at first can become a point of contention.  With so many options, from new electrical work to cultured marble tops, where can you find answers?  Call around to some of your local bathroom renovators.  Find a professional contractor that is patient and informative.  Make a list of bathroom remodeling services you can ask about.

A sample list of bathroom remodeling services:
* Major plumbing and electrical
* Painting and refinishing
* Repair and restoration
* Cabinet installation
* Toilets
* Sinks
* Tub installation and resurfacing
* Faucets
* Saunas
* Showers and shower doors
* Whirlpools and hot tubs
* Countertops
* Tiles
* Copper re-piping

One of the advantages of remodeling your bathroom is the satisfaction you get every day from the exquisite action of the new faucets, the softness of the new lighting, the broad spray of the new shower, the pristine gleam of a stone counter top, or the cozy warmth of heated tile floors.

Before you remodel your bathroom, acquaint yourself with the wide variety of options and services available.  Visualize the improvements you would like to see in your current bathroom and compare them against a list similar to the one above.  Once you have a sense of your needs, you can research each service.  Maybe you don’t want to get a new tub, but feel a skylight would be a better addition to your bathroom.  Then find a reliable, trustworthy contractor to answer your questions and take a look at your site.  Dedicating a little time and resources to your bathroom will increase the value of your home and make it a more functional and satisfying place to live.

The bathroom can both be a relaxing and dangerous place for anyone at home, especially when we deal with the elders. Bathrooms can be dangerous for those older people who cannot already be up steady on their feet. Hence, it could help a lot that in your bathroom Remodeling plans, you remove anything that would put them in much danger. And instead, apply some other accessories that would make that portion of the house much safer.

In your bathroom Remodeling, you can choose to install walk in bathtubs. These prevent the idea of getting out of the tub and slipping accidentally on wet floor, no matter what your age may be. These walk in bathtubs come in a wide variety of models, shapes and sizes which of course serves as your regular bathtub. Some of them even come with powered bath seats and watertight doors to limit the dangers of tripping.

You can also decide to install transfer benches which help the user slide into the tub without any danger. In shopping for this, what’s important that your choice of a transfer bench can be able to support the weight of anyone. The average transfer bench can only handle about 250 pounds and below. If you are something that can handle more than that, then seek to know more about the bariatric models.

The grab bars can be seen as useful too not only for the older people. It can be installed in numerous locations all around the bathroom and not just in the shower or tub. You can be sure that it won’t ruin the aesthetics of your bathroom’s total look for in the market today, grab bars already come in various finishes and colors too.

If you have an elderly with you in your Nashville area home, then you must consider to include in your bathroom remodeling plans to widen up the bathroom door just a little bit more. Even if they are not yet using the wheelchair to get around in any place, you might want to expect that happening soon enough as well. So consider addressing all the possible concerns you might encounter so you can steer away from always giving your bathroom another luxurious Remodeling. In fact, you might want to decide having a sliding glass door for easier access to your bathroom.

You can choose to do the bathroom Remodeling on your own but it can help you a lot better if you would seek the help of a bathroom Remodeling contractor.