As always, Master’s Craft wants to be a source of new and valuable information on items related to your home.
New energy efficiency laws that took effect on Jan 1, are aimed at making lighting in your home more energy efficient. Starting in California as of January 1, 2011, the traditional 100-watt and 150-watt A19 incandescent light bulbs are no longer being sold in California. Next January 2012, these bulbs will be off the shelves nationwide.
The law also calls for the sale of 75-watt incandescent bulbs to be halted in 2013. (California will remove them from store shelves one year earlier.) And in 2014, Americans will no longer be able to purchase 60-watt and 40-watt A-shaped incandescents.
What does this mean for all of us who have incandescent lighting? We will have to gradually switch to another type of bulb. Homeowners will be encouraged to replace their traditional incandescent bulbs with compact flourescent lamps (CFLs) or high-efficacy halogens, both of which are longer lasting and use less energy. LED technology is also becoming available and are constantly being improved. In fact, we are currently remodeling a kitchen where all the lighting will be LED.
CFLs are spiral shaped, average between $2-$3 each and can last up to 10,000 hours.
Halogens emit the same warm light that an incandescent bulb does but lasts about twice as long or up to 2,000 hours. The cost is $1.50-$2.00 per bulb.
LEDs have a life expectancy of 25,000 to 50,000 hours and are fast becoming a great option. While they are still quite expensive ($30 to $50 per bulb), one LED bulb can easily outlast 20 or more standard incandescent or halogen bulbs. They should be seen as an investment that returns lower energy bills, require less time changing light bulbs, and ultimately have about the same or less out of pocket expense over the life of the bulb.
One of the biggest challenges with the new law and converting homeowners to more energy efficient options for lighting their home is teaching people what to look for when choosing a bulb. This chart from eBuild.com tells you everything you need to look for.
When remodeling your kitchen or bathroom or building a new home it’s really important to find a contractor that knows the simple ways, such as lighting, to make your home more energy efficient.
If you have any questions about energy efficient lighting or are looking for ideas about where to start with your kitchen remodel or bath remodel, contact us. We proudly serve Montgomery County and Bucks County, PA, including the boroughs and townships of Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton, Franconia, Telford, Hilltown, Doylestown, New Britain, West and East Rockhill, Towamencin, North Wales, Lower and Upper Gwynedd, Mongomeryville, Collegeville, Upper and Lower Salford, Salford, Skippack and Worcester. Owner Brian Martin is a NARI Certified Remodeler (CR) and a -NARI Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler (CKBR) . Master’s Craft Construction LLC is a proud member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
We want to take a moment during this busy time of year to reflect and give thanks. First of all, thank you to all of you, our loyal customers, for making 2010 a successful year for Master’s Craft. While the recession has been challenging and things have not been easy, we are thankful that we are still here, and we are grateful to each and every one of you who entrusted your home to us. We are quite busy now and look forward to the projects we have scheduled for the New Year.
Brian & Cheryl Martin Family, Owners
Through the support and loyalty of our employees, clients, families, and friends, we are becoming one of the premier kitchen and bath remodeling companies in Montgomery County and Bucks County, PA. Over the last two years, approximately 70% of our business has come from repeat clients or from direct referrals of previous clients. We are very proud and yet humbled by that. We recognize that you, our friends and clients, are an integral part of our success.
We also want to give thanks for the gift of Christmas and the reason we celebrate the holiday–our Lord Jesus Christ. Without his grace, who knows where we would be.
If a new kitchen, bathroom or addition is on your wish-list this year, contact us and we’ll be honored to help you design and create the room of your dreams.
Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year from our family to yours!!!
Cabinetry is without question the most prominent consideration in any kitchen remodel and also plays an important role in nearly every bathroom remodel. When choosing new cabinets for your kitchen or bath there are many things to consider including construction, style, quality, materials, color, and price. One element seldom researched however is the reputation, values and quality of the company manufacturing the cabinets.
One of the brands we like best is the Talora Cabinet line by Decor. Decor Cabinets is a family owned company located in Morden, Manitoba that has been producing beautiful, high-quality cabinets for more than 33 years. Decor prides themselves on their modern facilities, quality materials, state of the art equipment, and a comprehensive employee training program that emphasizes creation of a superior product.
Decor is also extremely passionate about green initiatives and having high environmental standards. They have instituted a Greencor team who looks at how the company operates and what kind of impact it has on the planet. These “environmental stewards” find ways to improve their existing planet-friendly policies and practices.
As an authorized Dealer, Decor Cabinets allows us to offer high end kitchen and bath cabinetry with a maximum degree of design flexibility to meet our client’s needs. This flexibility allows us to order individual cabinets down to the 16th of an inch thereby eliminating distracting fillers and spacers often seen in lower quality cookie-cutter stock cabinets. If you have a space that measures 28 7/8″, we can order a cabinet to fit that opening precisely–for the same price as a standard 30″ cabinet. No up-charges. This translates into what really amounts to virtually custom cabinets for your kitchen and bath at a semi custom price point. Our customers have been thrilled with the result.
If you have any questions or are looking for ideas about where to start with your kitchen remodel or bath remodel, contact us. We proudly serve Montgomery County and Bucks County, PA, including the boroughs and townships of Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton, Franconia, Telford, Hilltown, Doylestown, New Britain, West and East Rockhill, Towamencin, North Wales, Lower and Upper Gwynedd, Mongomeryville, Collegeville, Upper and Lower Salford, Salford, Skippack and Worcester. Owner Brian Martin is a NARI Certified Remodeler (CR) and a -NARI Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler (CKBR) . Master’s Craft Construction LLC is a proud member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
Choosing to invest in remodeling your Kitchen or Bathroom is almost always a smart move. Not only does a new Kitchen or Bath add beauty, personality, and functionality to your home, it can also add to the resale value and increase interest when you decide to sell it. Real Estate experts nationally as well as locally in Montgomery and Bucks County estimate that up to 80%-90% of the remodel / makeover investment in upgrading these rooms is recouped when you sell the home. Plus you get to enjoy it until you do so.
With October being National Kitchen and Bath Month, we thought we’d highlight some key areas within your Kitchen and Bath to consider upgrading. As a reminder, Master’s Craft serves the Montgomery and Bucks county region with professional remodeling and design / build services for Kitchens, Master Baths, Bathrooms, and Additions.
Flooring
Ceramic tile, hardwood, bamboo, cork, laminate and vinyl are all popular flooring choices for kitchens. Because of the moisture involved, ceramic tile or vinyl are typically the best options for most bathrooms. We just completed a kitchen remodel using Armstrong Alterna groutable vinyl tile. The result is an affordable floor that is also very beautiful. The owners love it so much, they just signed another agreement to have us install the same flooring in their Master Bath, the Hall Bathroom and the Powder Room.
Cabinets and Countertops
Beautiful, functional cabinetry and countertops can serve as the centerpiece of any well-designed Kitchen or Bathroom. Custom cabinets provide the ability to choose the exact look and feel you envision, while semi-custom cabinetry gives you a predetermined palette of stains and finishes, wood species and door/drawer styles from which to choose. Master’s Craft is proud to offer our clients the superior quality of Talora Cabinetry by Decor.
Countertops can be the crown jewel of any kitchen, not just a functional item. The options are many. Granite remains the most popular because of its natural beauty and astounding variations–your kitchen can truly be one of kind. Other considerations include Corian, Solid Surface, Quartz, Stainless Steel, Recycled Glass, PaperStone, Wood, and Concrete.
Fixtures
Items like new sinks, shower-heads, toilets, and faucets make a tremendous difference when it comes to the overall impression your kitchen or bath portrays. It’s important to update all, not just some of these fixtures when renovating a room. This will give it a clean, consistent look. When choosing these fixtures make sure to consider not only how they look, but also their functionality.
Lighting
Most do-it-yourselfer’s don’t consider the dramatic impact thoughtful Lighting design makes. Lighting can be the difference between nice and spectacular–it is that important. The type of fixture, positioning of the fixture, and type of light provided all make a difference. Both kitchens and baths need to be well-lit with several different forms of lighting–general lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. Making use of any natural light that is present in these rooms is also a key consideration.
Layout and Design
Would your bathroom work better if it were just a little bigger? Would your kitchen be more functional if it were rearranged differently? Do you need the space an Addition might provide? The time to consider these options is before you start remodeling which leads us to the importance of good Kitchen and Bathroom Design. Master’s Craft’s owner, Brian J. Martin is a NARI Certified Remodeler and a Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler. His award winning expertise can help you transform your kitchen or bath from a good room into a gorgeous room.
If you have any questions or are looking for ideas about where to start with your kitchen remodel or bath remodel, contact us. We proudly serve Montgomery County and Bucks County, PA, including the borough and township of Hatfield, Lansdale, Franconia, Telford, Hilltown, North Wales, Lower and Upper Gwynedd, Mongomeryville and the Philadelphia Metro area. Owner Brian Martin is a NARI Certified Remodeler (CR) and a -NARI Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler (CKBR) . Master’s Craft Construction LLC is a proud member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
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