In our last post we revealed one of our favorite products – Cambria Countertops!  This week we wanted to explain exactly what you need to do to get your own Cambria Countertop installed.

Find A Location: While we like big box hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s as much as the next person, you won’t find Cambria products at those retailers.  The Cambria company prides itself on establishing long-lasting relationships with a limited group of retail partners.  Our personal favorite such retailer is The Cabinet Store located in Apple Valley.  We love working with The Cabinet Store and our clients to create custom solutions.

Choose Your Aesthetic: Cambria countertops are available in more than 100 designs.  Color options range from calm neutrals to bright modern styles, creating enough variety for any aesthetic.

In addition to your color choice, you will also need to choose an edge profile.  As with other countertop materials, a choice of square, bull-nose or ogee edges are available (plus many more).  However, keep in mind that an ogee edge will be slightly more prone to chipping than the alternatives.

Get Your Estimate: To order your countertop, you will need the dimensions of your cabinet layout, information regarding backsplash requirements, edge profile selections, and the location and dimension of your sink and stove. Which of course we can help you with!

If there is any additional questions that you have about Cambria either give us a call here at Shaeffer Contracting or feel free to visit Cambria’s excellent Common Questions webpage.

Are you ready to purchase the perfect countertop for you?  Give us a call, and we will help you get started!

Countertops can make or break a space.  Whether in the kitchen, the bathroom, or another room of the house altogether, out of style countertops can easily date a room.  On the other hand, a well coordinated countertop can tie a room together.  With such strong feelings regarding countertops, it likely comes as no surprise that we have a favorite product as well – Cambria Countertops.  We love installing Cambria Countertops in our own homes, as well as in the homes of our clients. In a nutshell, Cambria is a stain resistant, nonporous natural quartz surface that is harder, stronger, safer and easier to care for than other stone surfaces.  However, our love affair with Cambria is multi-faceted, but here are just a few of the reasons why we are happy to call them our favorite:

Cambria Offers A Multitude Of Stylish Designs: Cambria offers a wide array of designs, patterns, and colors.  Cambria now offers more than 100 designs, making their selection the world’s largest and most diverse. Click here to see all Cambria’s designs and colors.

Cambria Holds Up: Cambria surfaces are durable and stronger than granite.  In addition, Cambria countertops are NSF 51 certified for both food and splash zones and are nonporous, reducing the potential for bacterial growth and making them as safe as stainless steel for food preparation.

Cambria Stands Behind Its Products: Cambria provides a Lifetime Limited Warranty to the original owners of the installed Cambria that the product will be free from manufacturing defects for as long as the original owner owns the product.

Cambria Goes Green: Cambria prides itself on offering environmentally friendly products.  Cambria quartz is primarily mined in North America, resulting in lower transportation requirements than other quartz surfacing products produced outside the United States.  In addition, during processing, 100% of the water used in Cambria’s plant and fabrication facilities is recycled through a series of advanced settling and filtering techniques.  Lastly, all scrap material is collected and used as road base material on local construction projects.

Stay tuned next week for our discussion on how to select the best countertop for your home and our recommendation for the best place in town to find the right counter for you! Contact us for a free consultation and also for current promotions on Cambria countertops!

As of March 20, spring has officially sprung!  With the advent of a new season comes a new home maintenance checklist.  Follow these simple steps to make sure that your home is as ready for the season change as you are!

Check Your Sump Pump: Spring is the season of rainfall and, as such, spring can also be the season of water damage if your home is not properly prepared.  To ward off water-related disasters, check to make sure that your sump pump is working correctly and consider installing a battery-operated backup pump that will kick into gear if the electricity goes out.

Give Your Exterior Some TLC: In the winter your home’s exterior takes a beating.  Inspect your sidewalk and driveway for cracks and crevices and make any necessary repairs.  Spring is also a great time of year to seal your driveway.

Inspect Your Deck and Patio: Power wash your deck and patio.  Inspect your deck for rotting wood or loose railings and make repairs as necessary.  Also check for discolorations and warping – both signs of water damage.  To verify that your sealant is working, pour water onto your dry deck and check to see if it beads.  If you have not done so in the past year, consider re-sealing your deck to help prevent against future damage.  Don’t yet have a deck or patio?  Spring is the perfect time of year to undertake an exterior home addition!

Gutters: Check your gutters for leaves or other debris that may have accumulated in your gutter throughout the fall and winter and clean accordingly.  Reposition gutter downspouts and add extensions as necessary in order to carry water at least 3 to 4 feet away from your home’s foundation.

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In this, the last of our storage series installments, we are going to be talking about solutions in the bedroom.  Organization in our bedrooms is key as research shows that we sleep better in clean, well put together rooms!  Get your sleeping space into gear with these easy ideas:

• Headboard Storage Space:  Take advantage of any and all nooks and crannies afforded within your room.  The headboard is an often overlooked storage opportunity.  For a truly unique statement piece, consider having a customized built-in bookcase headboard installed to house lamps, books, knick-knacks, or photos.

• Under Bed Stowaways: Utilize the space under your bed by packing it with storage bins filled with off-season clothing, extra linens, or other seldom needed items.  Use clear containers to keep items visible for future reference and attach casters or drawer pulls to make for easy access.

• Expand Your Closet:  If you lack the proper storage space, it is hard to stay organized no matter how hard you try!  Bedroom storage centers on the closet.  If yours is simply too small for your needs, consider expanding your closet with a bedroom renovation.

• A Place For Every Item: The key to organization (regardless of the room being organized) is to have a home for each and every wayward item, making cleanup and storage a breeze.  Consider those things that are most often found strewn about your room and designate a specific place for them.  For example, if your throw pillows can more often be found on your bedroom floor than the on the bed itself, place a large wicker basket in your room as a catchall for wayward bedding.  If your necklaces routinely end up tangled in a heap on your nightstand, place a few hooks just inside your closet door for an easy place to drop jewelry at the end of the day.

With this installment we are wrapping up our storage series, but stay tuned for more home improvement tips and renovation ideas in the weeks to come!  In the meantime, check-out our solutions regarding bathrooms, basements, and kitchens.

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With 2011 coming to a close, we thought this would be the perfect time to take a look back at what the year has brought us.  Check out our list of the past year’s most popular remodeling trends!

Bathroom Remodels: 2011 was the year of bathroom remodels!  According to the National Association of The Remodeling Industry, “Bathrooms are the hottest 2011 project. Baths cost less than a kitchen or addition and most houses have more than one bath, so there are more available to be remodeled.”

Warm Tones: In the past year we saw a transition from the minimalist white designs of previous years into warmer and cozier earth tones.

Opening Up: Open floor plans have continued to rule.  Thus, the removal of interior walls was a favorite trend in 2011.  Because open floor plans facilitate flexible use of space and the maximization of a home’s square footage, this is one trend we expect to see continued in 2012!

Going Green: Homes have gone green!  From energy-efficient windows, lighting, and appliances to the use of recycled and sustainable products, it has never been more on-trend to reduce your carbon footprint.

Baring It All: In 2011, homeowners got down to the bare essentials and replaced carpeting with floor surfaces such as ceramic tile, hardwood, and laminates. The one exception to this has been the bedroom, where carpeting is still the most popular choice.

We’re looking forward to ringing in 2012 and seeing what the New Year brings to the remodeling world!

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With so many choices available it is easy to be overwhelmed by the number of remodelers soliciting for your business.  However, not all contractors are created equal.  Follow these helpful hints to find a qualified professional to undertake your next home improvement project.

• Check Credentials: Ensure that any potential contractors hold all required state and municipal licenses.  In addition, qualified contractors should maintain membership in professional associations.  Common contractor organizations include the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

• Request References: Ask to see a portfolio of your contractor’s past projects to get a feel for the nature of previous jobs.  Request references and follow-up with former customers.  While chatting, discuss whether the contractor was on time, on budget, and in tune with their customers.

• Take A Community Check-Up: Qualified contractors tend to have an established presence in their community and will have been in business for a significant amount of time under the same business name.

• Get It In Writing: Once you have found a contractor you prefer, require them to submit a written project proposal before finalizing your selection.  This proposal should include a bid price and payment schedule, the scope of the work to be performed, and a project schedule.

• Practice Permitting: Ensure that your contractor will pull all appropriate building permits and use only products and building materials that will meet area code requirements.

• Lighten Your Liability: If a worker is injured working on your property and the contractor does not have insurance, you as the homeowner, are liable. To avoid your homeowner’s insurance policy becoming your contractor’s liability coverage, ensure that your contractor carries insurance to protect you, the homeowner, from any liability.  License status information can be obtained from the state licensing board.

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