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Beacon November 2014

Choosing a Contractor

By Wendy Manley, CKD
An important part of any renovation product is the contractor hired to do the work. This choice is an extremely important one. There are so many contractors in the Jupiter/Tequesta area and finding the right one for the job can be a tough decision.
There are several things to consider when choosing. The first, and most important, would be to make sure the contractor is a licensed General Contractor (GC).  Any construction on your property should be done by a crew of licensed and insured personnel. This is to ensure that the work all of the GC’s subcontractors will be to code. And, also, that any unfortunate injuries or accidents in your home will be covered by their Workman’s Compensation insurance. Second, would be to find out if the project requires a permit and is your GC willing to obtain one for all aspects of the job. Building codes have gotten much stricter in recent years.  While pulling a permit may seem like a hassle in the beginning, it is much more of a hassle to get caught in the middle of a project without one. The fines and time delays are just not […]

Counter top Choices

By Wendy Manley, CKD

There are so many choices to make when selecting materials for a new living space. Whether it be a kitchen, bath, outdoor BBQ or an office – counter tops are something for which the possibilities can endless.

Gone are the days of limited counter top options like granite, Corian or laminate. Quartz is a newer and quite popular material that has some great qualities along with many, many color options. It is a very hard and non-porous material, meaning that it is very durable and it’s cleanliness lends itself to use in even commercial environments, like hospitals.  Another nice feature of quartz is that it never has to be sealed. This is unlike granite and marble which do require resealing periodically.

Recycled products are also becoming quite popular for counter tops. Recycled glass counter tops are an attractive option for many spaces. The glass arrangements in these tops can often provide the “BLING” of the new space, definitely making it a conversation piece.

Concrete (cement) is another viable option. Although concrete doesn’t offer as many color choices as other counter top materials, the look of a concrete top is can be quite stunning. Concrete offers a commercial style […]