Home Addition Ideas for More Room to Roam

Your home should be the place where you are the most comfortable. If it feels as though the walls are closing in because you lack space, it might be time to do some creative thinking. Home additions are the perfect way to create the space you lack. There are many creative ways to add space within your home without putting a huge dent in your budget.

Think outside the box

Sometimes the perfect way to create additional space is to look outside. Screen porches, decks and patios are a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors while providing more livable space. Outdoor kitchens, dining areas and living rooms provide a peaceful sanctuary to relax and unwind after a busy day while enjoying all that mother nature has to offer. In addition, simple solutions like installing a fabric canopy can provide protection from the elements for little cost.

Add on

Do you have extra space outside your home to add to the footprint of your current living space? Perhaps now is the time to build an addition. This is the best way to add year-round living space to your home. First, determine how you want to use the space. Perhaps you have been longing for a master suite, or maybe you want to install a sunroom or even an extension to your current living room or dining area.

Work with an architect or qualified home improvement contractor to determine the best design options. The contractor can also give you a cost estimate for building and labor expenses and can get the process underway by determining and zoning requirements and pulling all necessary building permits.

Finish up inside

Do you have a basement that would work perfectly as a man cave? Or perhaps you have an unfinished attic space that would be perfect for your dream master suite. Is your garage space unutilized? It might make a great family room addition. Using indoor space can be far more cost effective than building existing square footage; however, it does require careful consideration with regard to load bearing walls, electrical, plumbing and other features. It is important to work with a contractor who is experienced in interior remodeling projects to ensure that your job is finished to the current building codes.

JD Coussens Inc has been providing quality design and construction since 1990. Contact us today to start planning your dream addition.

Perfect Exterior Projects for Spring

While winter might still be putting up a fight here in Davenport, Iowa, warmer temperatures are closer than you might think. With the onset of spring comes the urge to get outside and get to work on the spring fix-up projects around your home.

• Roofing – Did the winter weather wreak havoc on your roof? Are you finding areas with loose shingles, soft spots or even worse leaks? Spring is the perfect time to upgrade your roof. While it might be a costly project, it is an important way to keep your home protected from the elements while maintaining structural integrity.
• Landscaping – The warmer temperatures of spring often bring out the gardening bug in people. In addition to cleaning out garden beds and adding mulch, constructing a retaining wall or other landscaping feature is a great way to highlight unique areas of your yard.
• Painting – Adding a bit of color or freshening up your current paint job is an excellent way to add a bit of sparkle to your home. Consider a whole new color scheme for a brand new look.
• Additions – Do you need more space in your home? Home additions are an excellent way to create extra living space while adding interest to the exterior elevation of your home.
• Decks – Spring and summer beckons us to spend time lounging outside. A deck is the perfect place to enjoy the exterior of your home. Design an outdoor kitchen or dining area and even a fire pit or cozy seating nook to add square footage and extra entertaining spaces.
• Fencing –  Are you struggling to keep the neighborhood dogs out of your yard, or keep your own pets in? Or, perhaps your home is nestled up to a busy road, shares a lot line with nosy neighbors, or connects to a public space. Privacy fences are a great way to create your own outdoor oasis without sharing it with curious onlookers.

At JD Coussens, we offer a variety of residential building and remodeling services. Speak with one our team members about your exterior renovation projects. We are here to help you plan, design and construct the exterior space of your dreams. Contact us today to start the planning process for your spring renovation project – spring might be closer than we think.

Interior Projects Can Cure the Winter Blues!

The holiday season has long since passed, but the weather outside continues to be frightful—and the cold, harsh temperatures aren’t going away anytime soon. It seems like every year, countless people seek new ways to beat the winter blues and find a creative outlet to get to spring. This is the perfect time of year to explore new hobbies, spend time with new friends and acquaintances, and get creative in whatever way inspires you.

Around this time of year, your friends and experts at JD Coussens look for ways to beat the winter blues that are a little closer to home—we look for the things we can do at home to make it to spring! This is the ideal time of year to give your home a fresh look, and it isn’t as intense or as expensive of a process as you might immediately assume!

Take a look at our four helpful interior design tips to give your home the boost it (and you) need to get through the upcoming, continued chilly months!

Make Your Walls Make an Impact

Change the look of your home’s interior without the burden and expense of a complete renovation. This can be done by breathing new life into your walls. Consider adding a bold coat of paint, crown molding, or modern trim work this winter!

Make Your Kitchen Reflect Your Personality

Adding new backsplash to your kitchen walls is a great way to give your kitchen a new and innovative look without breaking the bank.

Give Your Bathroom New Life

There’s no better time than the winter to turn your boring bathroom into a spa retreat. While replacing a faucet, re-grouting tile, or repainting are relatively easy for the do-it-yourselfer, more ambitious jobs like replacing the tub or adding tile floor might be better left to a professional. If it’s in your budget this winter, we absolutely recommend it!

Let There Be Light!

Floor lamps, table lamps, and ceiling lighting are quick and simple ways to give your home’s interior an exciting new look.

From design to finish, JD Coussens is your resource for anything and everything redesign! Give us a call at 563-388-0967 or pay us a visit at our location at 4621 Cheyenne Avenue in Davenport!

How to Avoid Frozen Pipes This Winter

The winter months in Davenport, Iowa can mean tranquil beauty, but they can also bring less than desirable weather conditions. Once frigid temperatures hit, they can wreak havoc on your plumbing system, causing pipes to freeze and creating large headaches for homeowners.   

What causes pipes to freeze?

When the weather gets excessively cold, any water that is in any pipes located on the exterior walls or unheated areas of your home can freeze. When the water freezes, it expands and creates immense pressure within your pipes. If the condition is not addressed promptly it could cause your pipes to burst. This can create a host of problems for your entire plumbing system and can leave a huge mess to clean up, as walls, floors and other surfaces that come in contact with water can warp, mildew and mold. The best way to keep your pipes from freezing is to prepare ahead of time. Here are three tips to avoid a costly catastrophe.

• Turn off outside spigots – If your exterior hose bibs remain turned on, any water in the pipes can freeze starting from the outside of your home and working its way inside. Before cold weather hits, turn off the water supply to the exterior of your home and bring in garden hoses, which can also become damaged in freezing temperatures.
• Open doors of exterior cabinets – During extreme cold spells, be sure to open the doors of any exterior wall cabinets that house plumbing pipes. This will allow the warmer air from inside your home to circulate around the pipes. If the temperatures are excessively cold, consider running a ceramic space heater near the cabinet to help raise the air temperature.
• Turn your faucet to a slow drip – If your faucet is located on an exterior wall, turn it on slightly to allow the water to consistently drip. Keep it turned on until the temperatures outside moderate. The steady flow of water through the pipes will make it more difficult to freeze.

If freezing pipes continue to be a problem or your home is in need of repair because of a leaking pipe, it might be time to consider remodeling your home to move plumbing pipes away from exterior walls. Contact the experts at JD Coussens to determine the best option for your budget. We have been providing full-service remodeling since 1990.

Maintaining Your House During Winter

If you own a home in an area where snow can be expected every winter, then you’ve had to deal with the number of activities that come along with it; shoveling, plowing, scraping off your car, salting, and dressing in multiple layers just to go outside. However,if you keep with these tasks during the winter months, you’ll protect your home from damage and make it easier on yourself when a big snowfall does happen.

Store Away Tools 

Make sure all your tools and equipment are properly cleaned, fixed, and ready for use. You don’t want to have to rummage through your garage or storage shed to find your shovel. Have your snow shovels, snow blower, and plenty of rock salt handy so you are prepared for a major winter storm. Do you have a snowblower? Make sure you have the tools to maintain and take care of it in case it needs repairs.

Check Your Furnace

Before winter arrives, the most important thing you need to do for yourself and your family is to ensure that your furnace is operational, safe, and as energy-efficient as you can make it. When that first cold day hits, you don’t want to turn on the furnace only to discover that it isn’t working (a lot can happen during the warmer months to affect your furnace). Your best bet is to call an HVAC professional and have them come out and inspect your furnace. During a regular maintenance inspection, the repairman also will clean the furnace, change the filter, check for leaks and unhealthy gases, and ensure that everything is operational. If you can, have them to clean the furnace ducts.

Seal Any Drafts

Older houses can be drafty. It’s a fact. But just because they are drafty doesn’t mean they have to stay that way. The good news is it doesn’t require a huge sum of money spent on big projects to stop the drafts. Rope caulk is a fantastic and super easy solution to drafty windows in the wintertime. Plastic film covering your windows is another affordable solution in keeping out the cold. Stop frigid air from creeping through window sills and under doors with a draft snake. You can buy them online, or easily make one by filling a knee sock with dry rice.

To learn more about JD Coussens Inc. and how we can help make sure your home can handle winter, please visit our website!

Helpful Kitchen Renovation Tips

Kitchen renovations can be stressful, expensive, and time consuming but the incredible new space created makes all of this hard work worthwhile. Many homeowners aren’t sure where to begin with this daunting task of renovations. A kitchen upgrade and a complete kitchen renovation are 1st and 2nd in the NARI’s “Rank of projects’ appeal to buyers” and “rank of projects’ likely value to home for resale” lists. Whether you are crafting your dream kitchen, updating for a move, or flipping a house as a Real Estate investor, here are some tips.

1. Measurements Matter- Measure all doorways carefully to ensure your purchased appliance will fit.
2. 
   Shopping Spree- Select all materials, appliances, and fixtures you would like installed in your new kitchen. This will allow for a more accurate timeline because it avoids back orders. This will also allow contractors to provide a more accurate bid.
3. Too Many Cooks- Measure the amount of work area or aisle between counter tops and islands. All aisles should be a minimum of 42 inches wide, however 48 inches is recommended.
4. “I’ve Got Some Bad News…”- HGTV has taught us all that there are always some unforeseeable events that either increases the budget or the timeline. Allow for a little bit of leeway in both of these aspects of the renovation.

During a simpler kitchen update, the top goals includes upgrading a worn out surface, modernizing, and creating a better functionally for the space, 57% of relators encourage seller to upgrade the kitchen. An additional 25% stated that the updates are what closed the sale.

The goals for a complete kitchen remodel are the same as an upgrade. The budget and timeline are increased with a full remodel but so is the selling potential. When a $60,000 budget is used when renovating a kitchen, the cost recovery at the time of sale is an estimated $40,000. The increase in value on the home is 67%!

JD Coussens offers a comprehensive Design-Build remodel schedule. First, goals and budgets are discussed. We then create a design plan with a 3D computerized walk through. Next, a proposal is signed, materials are ordered, and a start date is set. Now comes the actual remodel, overseen by a production manager. Before you know it, it will be time for the walkthrough of your new kitchen! Don’t forget we provide a one-year warranty! To set up an appointment, call (563) 388-0963. To view more of our past kitchen remodels, check out these before and after photos on our website!

Why Choose Luxury Bath?

There’s nothing like taking the time to relax and unwind with a luxurious bath. A warm bath can help relieve tense muscles, improve health and even enhance your mental well being. However, an outdated bathroom with a grimy, slimy tub is not relaxing. If you haven’t updated your bathroom lately, now is a great time to get the bath of your dreams!

Luxury Bath Technologies is an exclusive manufacturer of custom tubs and showers. Here are just a few of the benefits you will achieve from investing in Luxury Bath Technologies:

• Luxury Bath Technology uses Microban® protection to inhibit mold, mildew and other microbes from reproducing. It is a great way to ensure a clean and healthy bath every day.
• All bathtubs are anchored with LuxBond® adhesive systems that harden like a rock for permanent fit.
• Luxury Bath’s are created with signature Luxsan acrylic. This is the heaviest gauge in North America and is more impact/chemical resistant and less porous than most others. This means a more durable and easier to clean surface for your bath enclosure!
• You can’t find LuxSeal® shower doors anywhere else! LuxSeal® glass surface is ultra-smooth, optically clear and has a protective layer for easy cleaning.
• Each tub or shower from Luxury Bath is manufactured for your specific space.
• Luxury Bath has a variety of colors available thanks to silicone sealant. This silicone sealant also prevents the growth of mold and mildew.
• Luxury Bath’s exclusive SuperTach adhesive guarantees that your acrylic walls will be anchored in place for a lifetime.

The secret to a perfect bath starts with the perfect tub! If you are ready to enhance your bathroom and create a relaxing environment, don’t wait. Get started on your Luxury Bath remodel today. JD Coussens is a premier dealer for Luxury Bath Technologies and much more! We are happy to provide you with a new way to remodel your bathroom with less time and endless options. Schedule an appointment with our professionals today and we will show you just why Luxury Bath Technologies is the best way to transform your bathroom.