Improving your home is an investment, and not knowing where to spend your money for the best value is a common issue for many homeowners. Its important to consider your needs in the present and plan for the future, as in, how will this improvement pay off in the end?

Knowing how to invest your money into your home is a valuable lessonliterally. Here are some high-value areas of your home in which to consider making improvements:

Outdoor Living After a Wisconsin winter, youll surely want to spend as much time outdoors as you can. If you enjoy being outside but you dont feel like you have a place to do so, consider upgrading your outdoor space with a deck or sunroom addition. Both add versatility to your living space and allow you to enjoy your yard in a defined entertaining space. In Milwaukee alone, homeowners found that a deck addition recouped 73% of its cost, per Remodeling Magazines 2017 Cost vs. Value report. If youre satisfied with your backyard but would like to add additional living space to your home, The National Association of Realtors found that adding a sunroom recouped anywhere from 70-80% of its investment. Not only are you adding space for your family with a deck or sunroom, but youre making an investment that youll see down the road if you sell your home. These are add-on items that not every home has, and their presence is attractive to buyers who will remember your home for its amenities.

Window Replacement If youre noticing a higher utility bill or your windows are looking outdated or damaged, investing in new windows pays dividends in the future. Replacing your windows not only has immediate value in reducing your energy costs and creating a more efficient home overall, but it increases the resale value of your home if you decide to sell. According to Remodeling Magazines 2017 Cost vs. Value report, replacing your wood windows in the Madison area has a 90% return on investment when selling your home. Not only are you keeping your home structurally sound by protecting it from the elements, youre creating an attractive feature to homebuyers who arent going to want to deal with replacing windows soon after buying a house. This is a summer improvement that isnt as high maintenance as changing your floorplan, but adds tremendous value to your home.

Bathroom Remodels Bathrooms are generally one of the most expensive types of home improvement projects. Theyre also areas where potential buyers can see if youve invested your money or not. If you have an older bathroom, its not only inconvenient for you to live with outdated features, but buyers also look at bathrooms as focal points of their potential new home and place a lot of value in its aesthetic. If you do want to make improvements, remodeling a bathroom in the Upper Midwest region brings returns of upwards of 60% on your investment, per the National Association of Realtors. Remodeling a bathroom is a sure-fire way to see your investment pay off in the future.

Investing for You and Your Future There are plenty of options to consider if youre looking to make improvements to your home during the summer season. Having the facts for a home remodeling project is important, but be sure to remember that its not just the future value of the project that matters, but the value youll get as a homeowner when youre enjoying your new space. If youre considering making an investment into your home, the experts at Tundraland can help turn your design ideas into a reality. They offer free, no-obligation consultations to plan your remodeling project with the guidance of knowledgeable professionals. Theyll help you create a space that youll enjoy with your family today, and the housing market will appreciate in the future.

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Invest in Your Home with a Summer Remodel - Fox11online.com

ONTARIO If all goes as planned, Saint Alphonsus Medical Center- Ontario plans to begin its $11 million remodeling project mid next week.

Plans to remodel a section of the hospital was first announced at the end of October 2016 and will soon be on its way to realization with a completion date set for summer of 2018.

The hospital will be finishing a pre-existing shell space that was built in 2002 and remodeling a 15 bed medical/surgical floor and former operating room area. The end result will be a 27 bed medical surgical unit and a six bed critical care unit.

Since the announcement was made, Ken Hart, president of Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Ontario, said crews have been working on demolition and clearing out the pre-existing shell space for the last six months.

Previously, the shell space served as a storage unit for a number of years, where medical records were kept as well as office furniture and a number of other items. Since then, medical records have been shipped off to a Saint Alphonsus storage area, Hart said.

Interestingly, Hart added, the project will include remodeling three sections each which were built in different years into one unit. The shell space was built in 2002, while the operating room was built in 1959 and another section was built in 1995.

Once the project is completed, it will allow patients to be cared for on one floor, rather than two floors, which is the current status.

By placing patient rooms on one floor, Hart said it will allow the hospital to increase its efficiency and enhance the quality of care for patients.

Other improvements include modernized rooms with adequately sized bathrooms and noise-softening materials.

Some of our current patient rooms have a shared bathroom, which tends to be a patient dissatisfier, Hart said. When the remodeling is complete, each patient room will have its own private bathroom.

After the 27 bed medical surgical unit are completed, the plan is to eventually move surgical patients from the second and third floors to the newly renovated space. After patients are moved from the current surgical unit, the space will then be remodeled into an intensive care unit, Hart said.

We want to ensure each patient who enters through our doors is well cared for and has the highest quality of care possible, Hart said.

The project is said to be the final phase of a facility master plan, which was developed when the hospital became part of Saint Alphonsus Health System and Trinity Health in 2010.

Within the last seven years, over $50 million has been invested in Saint Alphonsus Medical Center - Ontario, which includes the construction of the Fruitland and Ontario Health Plaza and the remodeling of the maternity center inside the hospital.

After this phase of remodeling is complete, every patient room in this hospital will be brand new, Hart said.

Dan Cummings, community development director, said the remodeling of the hospital is quite the investment for the community.

Its a huge benefit to the community to have an updated hospital, and hopefully, it may attract doctors to live in this area, Cummings said. Those are the economics I see in this project. It also doesnt hurt to have an updated hospital. Nobody wants to drive 60 miles to get the care they need.

Cummings said a permit for Saint Alphonsus to begin construction is still in the review process, but plans are to hopefully issue it in the middle of next week.

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Project pending permit: Hospital plans to begin $11 million construction, next week - Ontario Argus Observer

TECUMSEH One of the reasons Orval and Pat Dale decided to update the narrow galley kitchen in their 1960s-era Tecumseh home was to have the open concept popular in todays modern style. Removing just one wall gave them a clear view not only into their dining and living rooms but also to their backyard deck and beautiful Lake Jivaro.

As for the other current kitchen-style trends, the couple went in the opposite direction.

Pat wanted wooden cabinets instead of popular white ones because she believed they gave the room a warmer feel. Instead of a seating area around an island, she had Levi Niedfeldt, of Custom Woods Products, design the front to look more like a piece of her dining room furniture. And though she wanted black appliances, she went with white ones because well, thats what they had already.

The refrigerator was practically new, Orval said. So was the dishwasher.

Im doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing, but youve got to do what makes you happy, Pat added.

PDQ Construction had remodeled the couples master bathroom in 2008. Because the Dales were pleased with the work, they decided to use them again for the kitchen project.

Pat started planning for the remodel in fall 2016. She went through the kitchen cupboard by cupboard while taking notes about what she wanted in her new space. By the time work was to begin, she had a three-ring binder full of information, right down to the color and style of light switches she wanted and the exact placement of the pendant lights over the island.

The more you think about it and do your homework, the easier it will come together, Pat said.

The Dales met with PDQ project coordinator Bobby Miller in November to compile the estimate. Project manager Rick Hudkins and his team started work in late January and finished just five weeks later.

The rich wood cabinets in the new kitchen include a custom-made vent hood over the stovetop, which was a last-minute change requested by Pat and created by Niedfeldt. A kitchen wall was styled to resemble an old-school butlers pantry. Pat was quick to point out details such as the built-in HVAC vent in one of the side cabinets, which she feels shows the quality of the work done by Niedfeldt.

The quartz countertops are a subdued gray tone with marbling that looks like granite. The backsplash is made from shades of tan stone, featuring a glass-tile border running through the middle and a special design for the stovetop area.

The new island contains the white cast-iron farmers sink Pat always wanted. Underfoot, the existing wood flooring was extended to account for the larger space.

After living with the finished room for a few months, the only thing Pat said she would change is the location of the kitchen faucets on/off handle. Otherwise, she and Orval are pleased with the result.

The reasons we like PDQ are, one, theyll listen to you and what your ideas are, and two, then you can ask them what they think, Pat said. They want to do what you want done, but if you ask, they come up with good ideas. Theyre not afraid to say, I dont think that will work. We were blessed to have them.

Linda A. Ditch is a freelance writer from Topeka. She can be reached at lindaaditch@gmail.com.

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At Home: Tecumseh couple bucks kitchen remodeling trends - Topeka Capital Journal

(BPT) - As homeowners begin to dream up plans to update their kitchens and bathrooms, they can spend hours searching for inspiration on the web or one of the many home renovation television shows. Theres no shortage of beautiful ideas and designs out there, but before you make any decision, you should start with the crucial question: What is it I really want?

A recent study conducted by the home design website Houzz found that the two things homeowners want most for their bathroom are style and ease of cleaning. In effect, people want their bathrooms to exhibit both function and design.

Of course, there are the conventional bathroom remodel options, such as a new faucet, countertop or shower fixture, all of which can be stunning and transform not just your bathroom but your house. But the most commonly used bathroom component is often the most overlooked: the toilet.

Eighty-three percent of Americans claim theres something they want to improve upon with their toilets, according to a survey by Kohler. The question is what.

This statistic should give homeowners pause and invite them to think beyond the conventional bathroom remodeling ideas and re-imagine the possibilities.

Comfort, hygiene and style

Travelers returning from Italy, Spain, Argentina and Japan often rave about the unexpected luxury of using a bidet. While popular in many other countries, bidets are only just now catching on in the United States, moving from high-end luxury bathrooms and hospitals (where theyre used for their superior hygiene) into household bathrooms across America.

As the leading manufacturer of modern bidets, Kohler has been working to incorporate the trifecta of comfort, hygiene and style into their intelligent toilets.

Built directly into an ergonomically shaped toilet seat, a stainless-steel bidet wand offers adjustable water temperature, pressure, position and shape, along with pulsating and oscillating functions to maximize the comfort of the experience.

But thats not all. To better introduce Americans to the international phenomenon of bidets, Kohlers intelligent toilets feature a heated seat, warm air dryer and added sanitary features such as hands-free flushing and a deodorizing seat.

A redefined bathroom

Equipped with smart technology that allows a person to fully customize their experience, such ultra-modern bidets may change how Americans go to the bathroom but only if the look is right.

Consumers are not willing to sacrifice design for functionality; they want it all. For anyone who has used or seen a Veil Intelligent Toilet, its evident that the same exacting standards it brings to cleanliness and hygiene go into its crisp, clean look.

A recent survey by Kohler suggests 33 percent of homeowners would be excited to upgrade their toilets. With this latest generation of toilets and bidets, its likely that more people will want to redefine their bathroom with these stunning new options.

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Rethinking bathroom design - Yankton Daily Press

The recently built Villa Della Costa feels like a private island set high above Santa Barbaras Gaviota Coast. With vaulted ceilings and oversized windows, the sprawling single-story house takes in the surrounding landscape from every perspective. The ranch-style modern Mediterranean shares its 106-acre perch with a helipad, a guest house and a pool cabana.

Address: 14200 Calle Real, Goleta 93117

Price: $35 million

Architect: Jock Sewall

Builder: Shane Mahan of Kitchell Custom Homes

Interiors: Mark Weaver of Mark Weaver & Associates Inc.

Landscaping: Stacey Faussett

Built: 2014

Lot size: 106 acres

House size: Five bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, three powder rooms

Features: Library/study, den, family room, home theater, antique wood-beam ceilings, walnut floors, custom lighting, four interior fireplaces, staff quarters, basement, radiant-floor heating, stone decks, fountain, outdoor fireplace, swimming pool, spa, circular gated driveway, drought-tolerant landscaping

About the area: The median sale price for single-family homes in the 93117 ZIP Code in May was $797,000 based on seven sales, according to CoreLogic. That was a 2.9% increase compared with the same month the previous year.

Agents: Joyce Rey of Coldwell Banker, (310) 285-7529, and Randy Solakian of Montecito Estates, (805) 565-2208

To submit a candidate for Home of the Day, send high-resolution color photos via Dropbox.com, permission from the photographer to publish the images and a description of the house to lauren.beale2@latimes.com.

Follow Lauren Beale on Twitter @laurenebeale.

See more Homes of the Day:

Contemporary living on a ridge in Baldwin Hills

E.P. Janes cottage stands the test of time in Altadena

Newly built contemporary rises along the waterfront of Las Flores Beach

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On top of the world villa overlooks the Gaviota Coast - Los Angeles Times

Ubisoft and ESL are partnering for one of the largest For Honor international tournaments ever created since the game's release in February.

The For Honor Hero Series will pit the best For Honor players around the world against one another to find out which player is the best on the battlefield.

For Honor is a hack and slash fighting game where players strategically take down their opponents by targeting specific areas of the body. The game uses a unique system that puts players in total control of their characters weapon movements in an attempt to try and vanquish all enemies who stand in their way.

At ESL we are committed to growing the esports landscape and F or Honors competitive ecosystem has been something we've all been looking forward to, said Sean Charles, VP of Publisher and Developer Relations, ESL. With the For Honor Hero Series and the addition of ranked mode, there is a lot in store for future For Honor players.

ESL plans to host weekly competitions one-on-one from July 8 across all platforms in Europe and the United States. ESL say it's committed to supporting the series well beyond the first year and will take community and participant feedback into account for any future events.

Players earn points based on their rankings in weekly tournaments. Those that have earned the most points by the end of the weekly tournaments will be invited to the live event in Burbank, California on Aug. 12 for a shot at winning a part of the $10,000 prize pool.

ESL plans to broadcast the finals on the For Honor official Twitch channel and Ubisoft's YouTube channel , as well as other livestream services such as Facebook Live. The company has no plans to livestream any of the weekly tournaments at this time, however.

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For Honor is getting an international tournament with a $10000 prize pool - Dot Esports

If the area of your BASEMENT is 700-1,200 sq. ft. you would need a budget of about $4,700 $12,650. The package would include installation of 1/2 ceiling board, installation of 1/2 regular drywall on walls and bulkheads, installation of 1/2 water resistant drywall in the bathroom, installation of 1/2 densshield in bathroom tiled areas, installation of metal corner bids, taping and sending of new drywall, smooth ceiling, ready for primer. Labour materials and delivery included.

If the area of your HOUSE is 1,200-3,500 sq.ft. you would need a budget of about $6,800 $36,200 The package would include installation of 1/2 ceiling board, installation of 1/2 regular drywall on walls and bulkheads, installation of 1/2 water resistant drywall in the bathrooms, installation of 1/2 densshield in bathrooms tiled areas, installation of metal corner bids, taping and sending of new drywall, smooth ceiling, ready for primer. Labour materials and delivery included.

How we price the drywall installation? There are several methods we use when we have to price the drywall job. Preliminary quote on drywall boarding can be issued over a telephone based on the square footage of the area that needs drywall installation. As drywall contractors we need to know the total area of drywall board for the rough quote. We usually ask over the phone total floor area and clarify if the area is an open concept or divided on section/rooms. Than we ask about ceiling height. The formula for open concept area on drywall installation total square footage is floor area square footage multiplied by 3.5 , for the area with rooms: floor area sq footage multiplied by 4. For example, if we required to install drywall in the house that has 5000 sq foot of the floor area with 8 ceiling height and open concept, than amount of the drywall board that we will have to install will be roughly 50003.5=17500 sq ft. Than we multiply the total square footage of the drywall board by the price per square foot. Of course it works the best if the drywalled area doesnt have custom features like multiple custom shaped skylights, cathedral ceilings in rooms and unusually shaped entrances, amount of corner beads also play role in the drywall installation pricing. In the case of custom situation it will be the best to arrange for a visit of our certified professional drywall estimator to get more accurate quote. To find out more you can always contact or call us at 647 866 0201 and we will be happy to help you with your drywall installation price .

Today I want to talk about our Drywall Taping Prices and teach you how to calculate the exact cost for your home project.

If you apply this simple formula, you will quickly and accurately calculate the right price for your drywall taping project.

Follow these steps:

[square feet on floor area] X [4 (four) to get the sq.ft of ceiling(regular height 8) and walls of entire area] X [price per sq.ft.] = [total price for labour drywall taping, mudding and sanding]

click for more information about Drywall Taping Prices

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Prices | Drywall Installation and Taping Services Toronto ...

DrywallTaping.caprovides residential and commercial drywall installation, drywall taping, mudding, plastering and sanding services in Toronto and all over the Greater Toronto Area.

If you are a home owner or a contractor that needs boarding, taping and plastering work, whether if it is a basement, a house or a commercial property give us a call or email us with your inquiry. We are committed to providing our clients with excellent quality workmanship and reliable services at competitive prices. We WSIB insured and carry up to $5.000.000 liability insurance.

Our clients

Drywall Taping Toronto performs drywall installation and drywall taping services in various types of projects; finishing of entire basements, full residential houses and apartments, commercial sites such as hotels, schools, office buildings, condominiums, rehabilitation centers, full plazas, dancing studios, supermarkets and more. Each and every one of our team member is a highly qualified professional who dedicated over 10years working in the field of drywall installation and drywall taping. As a leader in the Greater Toronto Area for top quality drywall installation and taping services,

As a Drywall Contractor with many years of experience John T. G.(the owner) have a thorough knowledge of drywall installation process. Taping is a trade where in order to deliver excellent quality, a taper needs to be an artist. And having said that, we only hire such artists tapers who only specialize in taping and mudding. Soundproofing is another area of our specialization as well as plastering over the drywall. Every drywall taper that works for us knows how to install drywall and soundproof drywall in the process of basement and house renovation. Our target niche is drywall installation and taping of custom homes in Toronto. We have established business relations with an array of drywall contractors as well as custom home builders and home owners. Just call us and we will help you with any matter related to drywall.

Drywall Contractor Toronto 416-639-9972 John T. G Owner at DrywallTaping.ca

Drywall Installation Toronto,Drywall Taping Toronto, Drywall Mudding Toronto, Drywall Sanding Toronto, Gypsum Installation Toronto, Soundproofing Toronto, Drywall Boarding Toronto, Basement Drywall Toronto, Blueboard Drywall Toronto, Fire rated drywallToronto, Cement board Toronto, Drywall Contractor Toronto, Drywall Framing Toronto, Drywall Insulation Toronto, Taping Contractor, Drywall, Drywall Cost Installation

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Drywall Contractor Toronto 416-639-9972

Sabo said the exterior of the building at 1211 N. University Drive is complete, electrical installation is finished, and plumbing will be done within the next two days. A new rooftop patio deck is set to be finished in a week or two, he added.

The Bison Turf passed inspections for electrical and heating in late June, said Bruce Taralson, Fargo inspections administrator. Plumbing will be inspected once completed, and a framing inspection for the structure will take place after that.

"Once this has all passed, they can start on the interior," Taralson said,

Sabo said inside the building, crews need to add drywall, lay down flooring and install all appliances. Sabo expects this will put the reopening of the Bison Turf off for several more weeks.

"I'm hoping for the end of July, but it'll probably be August," he said.

When Sabo's building permit was approved in January, he hoped to open for business as early as the end of March. In late March, he expected a May reopening.

Sabo said complying with the city of Fargo building codes, such as adding larger water pipes and a sprinkler system, took longer than he expected.

Once finished, the inside of the Bison Turf will be familiar for returning customers. All of the booths, tables and other furniture that were saved from the flames will be returned. Sabo said a lot of his original staff will also return.

He plans to hire more staff to help with the increase in customers he expects from added seating and a second bar on the rooftop patio.

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Bison Turf in final stages of reconstruction, owner expects August ... - West Fargo Pioneer

We are the only retaining wall steel sales company that are also professional retaining wall builders! We are also the cheapest supplier in the region of steel posts that are not left exposed to rust by cutting or drilling without requisite galvanic protection. Saving a few dollars on steel, for walls that need replacing in 10 years, is not good economics! We guarantee high quality, 100% corrosion resistant steel posts.

We add value with our advice on:

We can even perform part or all of your construction if you need. Getting your steel posts in accurately before the concrete sets is crucial and mistakes are very expensive.

As professional retaining wall builders, weve learned how to source the best materials for the job. For example, our steel posts are galvanized to these Australian Standards:

AS 1627.1Preparation and pre-treatmentof surfaces Removal of oil,grease and relatedcontamination. AS 1627.4 Preparation and pre-treatmentof surfaces Abrasive blastcleaning of steel. AS 1627.5 Preparation and pre-treatmentof surfaces Pickling AS 2309 Durability of galvanized andelectrogalvanized zinc coatingsfor the protection of steel instructural applications AS/NZS 2312 Guide to the protection ofstructural steel againstatmospheric corrosion by theuse of protective coatings AS 4312 Atmospheric corrosivity zonesin Australia AS/NZS 4680 Hot-dip galvanized (zinc)coatings on fabricatedferrous articles

Our company Melbourne Retaining Walls has specialized in design and construction of retaining walls for several years in the Melbourne and Geelong suburbs hence weve done a lot of sourcing to find the best quality and value steel post materials to build our retaining walls.

As we specialise in H-Posts and buy in bulk to make our construction more efficient, we are now able to offer retaining wall steel posts at very competitive prices to others.

We can also help you design the wall so youll know what posts are needed and we can cut to length, weld, bolt, galvanize and deliver to your site. We can advise on construction or even help out with construction if you need.

Click here for our products and cheap prices: http://melbourneretainingwallsteel.com.au/retaining-wall-steel-products/

Call Brett Abbott on 042 588 7202 or email him at BrettAbbott@yahoo.com.au with any inquiries into our retaining wall steel post products. We deliver throughout Melbourne and Geelong.

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Melbourne Retaining Wall Steel Call Brett on 042 588 ...