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Friday, 24 February 2017

Ensure Practicality When Constructing New Homes

The latest trends in home construction are no longer dependent on marble or tiled flooring, glass sinks and a spacious bathroom with all amenities. Gone are the days when people used to build huge homes to make a style and fashion statement. These days’ homeowners are looking to build a house that is eco-friendly and does not cost a lot of money. With the labor costs, the cost of construction materials, etc., all at an all time high, people have started to watch the pennies that they spend on home construction. There has been a drop in the size of the home by about 10% to 15% nowadays when compared to a decade ago. The word spacious is not in the dictionary of a homeowner looking for new home construction. It is practicality that they are looking for when building new homes.


Energy efficient homes


Energy efficiency is the latest style of home construction. Many of the modern day builders and contractors are looking at ways to make the house greener. They are ready to build wallet-friendly homes for their clients. They employ different types of construction methods to make the living space affordable and spacious. One of the ways to increase the energy efficiency in the home is to use good quality windows that offer better R-value. All the duct work done in the home will be properly sealed so that there is no air loss and inmates enjoy from the good airflow. There is also the concept of installing green roofs to reduce the summer heat inside the house and also to support the environment. Proper insulation is given on the walls, ceilings, and attics to help in increasing the resale value of the home.

Scaling back kitchen and bathroom sizes


There are many people who are of the notion that upgrading the kitchen and the bathrooms and making it big will help in increasing the resale value of the house. This is true to some extent. If you are looking to build budget-friendly homes, then downsizing the size of the kitchens and bathrooms is a very good option. Previously, homes had three to four bathrooms and new cost-effective home construction means that there will be just one or two bathrooms depending on the number of bedrooms and family members. Many people have moved away from the idea of a kid’s bathroom. Kitchens have gotten smaller as the years have gone by. But, it is built keeping practicality in mind as it is the most used room in a house. It is now considered to be multi-use area and many have dining tables placed in the kitchen to save space.

Why reduce room size?

The larger rooms will take a lot of time to heat and cool and hence you need to pay more money towards electricity charges. If there are more bathrooms in your home, then water bills are likely to skyrocket. It is also important to insulate the rooms so that energy consumption can be greatly reduced. So, with smaller insulated rooms the consumption of electrical energy will be less and thereby you save more money.

Friday, 3 February 2017

Why Selecting Faux Slate Roofing Is A Good Option


There are many homeowners who are looking for a better replacement for the real slate roofing and many of them find faux slate roofing a better option. Apart from mimicking the looks of a real slate roof, they also offer better performance and benefits. When used in right weather or climatic conditions, these are a good alternative to original slate roofing. Synthetic Slate Roofing comes in a variety of materials and offers different performance characteristics.



Faux slate roofing materials
The roofing materials such as plastic/polymer composite, clay, fiberglass, and cement, rubber or steel are used in creating faux slate roofs. Many of these have the same shape and texturing of slate. Apart from the availability of faux slate in different materials, they also offer other important features as well.

Important features
The important features that make faux slate the ideal roofing material are given below.

Fire/ impact rating
There are products coming with fire/ impact rating which defines the resistance power of the roof to fire and hail impact. It is better to select the faux slate roofing with a Class A rating for durability. When it comes to impact, you need to select the roofing with Class 4 impact resistance.

Color variation and blending
It is possible to achieve the natural colors of the real slate with the faux slate roofing material. There are products offered by manufacturers, which mimic the color variations and shades of real slate. You can also go for the pre-mixed package of blended colors according to your roofing need.

Easy installation
The faux slate roofing comes in different shape and size and in different materials and the installation procedure may vary from product to product. You can find the instructions provided by the manufacturer to make the process easy for you or your installer.

The pros of faux slate roofing
  • Cheaper than real slate
The homeowner can achieve the look of real slate roofing without spending much by opting for the faux product. The installation charges are comparatively low for the faux slate roofing than the original slate.
  • Lighter material
Most of the imitation materials for slate roofing are lighter in weight when compared to original slate and hence suitable for re-roofing of old buildings.
  • Environment friendly
Many of these products are made from recycled materials like rubber roofing whereas the slate is a non-renewable source. Moreover, there are products which are recyclable after the use.
  • Durability
They are more durable than the real slate and hence foot traffic on the roof will not be a problem.

Selecting the best

Selecting the best faux slate roofing needs clear understanding of your needs and the climatic conditions in your area. You need to consider quality products from reliable manufacturers. Understand the pros and cons of using different faux slate material and compare their durability before you take the final decision. Look for the warranty given by the manufacturer and go through the reviews about the different products available in the market. Make sure that installers are available for the product you buy and the product and installation are economical.

Tuesday, 10 January 2017

Why Choose Composite Tiles for Roofing? Explore the 5 Reasons!

How do you protect your house from invaders and natural disasters? Indeed, it would be by means of installing security systems, quality roofing and more. Roofing! Yes, you read it right! It too plays a crucial role in protecting the house from natural disasters like wind, rain, fire, hail, and snow.

The market is flooded with various types of roofing material, but which type of material you want is completely your call. However, listening to the Brava Tile expert’s advice, choosing recycled plastic material for roofing is an optimal choice. If you want to know why? Explore the following reasons –
Eco-Friendly
The prime reason for choosing this material is its eco-friendly feature. It is made of a recycled and recyclable material called plastic, which helps provide a beautiful look to the house and at the same time keep the environment safe.
Durable
This is another feature of this roof that has made it popular across the U.S. Despite being made of recycled plastic, it has the ability to face a high level of wind, fire and hail thus keeping the house, its valuable and people inside safe.
Aesthetic Beauty
Besides having a durability feature, this roofing material has the ability to provide an aesthetic look to the house as well. Though you may be surprised to know this yet it is true!
Light in Weight
Another important feature of composite roofing is that it is light in weight. This makes the job easy for the contractors and also benefits the homeowners because they need not require making any costly structural changes for the installation of it.
Different Color Options
Last but not the least feature that has made this roofing material popular is the colorization property. In simple words, it can be made in any color according to the choice and preference of the client.


From the above provided information, you must have got an idea about the reasons behind choosing composite roof tile. So, if you are thinking to install a new roof, you must opt for eco-friendly options.