Home Renovation Bars and Home-Made Martinis
People who have bars in their homes are certainly different from you and I- they like to have fun. If you’re the type who likes to unwind after a grueling work day with a nice, frosty glass of margarita or a simple unshaken martini at a bar, having these drinks in the privacy of your own home is no different. In fact, more and more people are seeing the fun and comfort of having drinks in their home with close friends. More and more home improvements include home renovation bars in their list of to-dos.
Some have even gone on to building projects solely for home renovation bars complete with all the amenities and fixtures of a restaurant bar.
Home Renovation Bars Are Not All about the Drinks
But before going on a building spree, consider the following practical guidelines for home renovation bars.
How often do you entertain? If you’re a real partyphile who throws an average of 3 parties a month with a guest range of 12-60 heads, then it’s about time to see if your current set-up adequately supports that. Chances are, having a proper bar will eliminate some of the difficulties you’ve been having with your current set-up, saving you plenty of effort and energy to enjoy your parties more. Home renovation bars should incorporate the kind of elements found in bar establishments and the costs are not as expensive as the kind you normally pay for in these establishments.
In fact, plumbing and lighting fixtures and furniture for home renovation bars are widely available at any home depot store. Other external elements that will give home renovation bars that “real” bar feel include the back bar, moldings and railings and these can be sourced in specialty shops or even hardware stores in a wide variety to suit any budget or taste.
There is however some certain bar components that should be “non-negotiable” in terms of quality simply because they are the central props in any bar setting. Choosing quality brands or materials for these important props is also good investment because quality ensures that they last a long time. These are the bar top and the under-bar counter top.
The bar top of course is where all the action takes place including all that hammering of downed tequila glasses. The wear and tear that happens on this surface makes it necessary to make it durable, but not too hard. Some have used beautiful granite slabs which are okay except that aggressive glass hammers might themselves with a broken glass and a cut or two if they’re not careful. Try wooden veneers which are soft and are actually water-proof coated to make them withstand years of liquid spills.
And finally, the under-bar even if it’s hidden, should not mean that its construction should be shoddy. Make sure that it’s spacious enough to hold all your materials and drink components; you wouldn’t want to go running to another storage area simply because it can’t store everything you need adequately. Since this is where a portion of the bar sink is situated, check for possible spills and leaks and plug them as necessary.
Home renovation bars should be fun projects and not headaches you’d like to forget with a whole bunch of home-made martinis with!
Ground Rules for French Property Renovations
French property renovations are initiated in order to convert an old and damaged structure like a house or residence into something that is more modern and more equipped with facilities and amenities. In France, many stone houses that were built several years before are now on sale to new property owners. While these houses may have withstood the test of time, they commonly require French property renovations since most of them are either neglected or vacated for a long time.
Period properties are very commonplace in France. While these properties are livable, a new owner may feel the need to have them modernized. Before embarking on French property renovations, it is advised that the property be checked by an expert or expert en immobilier, so that the authenticity of the period property would be established. Likewise, the drainage and septic tank system, and other parts of the French real estate structure like the walls and roofs, including the electrical wirings, should be checked to make sure that they are still usable. Moreover, this once-over is needed in order for the new owner to know what needs to be improved or changed altogether.
Furthermore, it is prudent that before commencing French property renovations, the new owner should have an idea about how much the entire home improvement project may cost. When making cost estimates, the owner should allow significant margin of errors for unscheduled and unplanned project delays. To ensure that there is progress in French property renovations, it is recommended that an architect be employed to oversee the tasks. Aside from knowing a great deal about building construction, architects also ensure that the property restoration project comply with national and local building regulations.
Guidelines in Hiring a Builder or Architect
A building permit may sometimes be required before a new owner is allowed to make French property renovations. This is a requisite if the French property that is to be renovated is subject to a preservation order or if it is included in the list, Inventaire Supplementaire des Monuments Historiques (Additional inventory of the Historic Monuments) or ISMH. Usually, it is the architect who secures a permit before any renovation can be done. In hiring an architect or professional builder to supervise French property renovations, a property owner should ensure that he is employing someone who is properly registered in France. To verify this, he can ask for important information from the builder or architect like the Siret number issued by the France Chamber of Commerce or a Decenel Insurance, an insurance that protects a client, or a Responsabilite Civile, a third party insurance that will cover the costs in case the builder unintentionally damages a property. It is crucial to hire someone who knows what they do so that an owner can be forewarned about major building defects.
Farm House Renovation Includes Initial Inspections
Many people are starting to move back to the country, away from the hustle of city life and the noise and congestion swallowing the suburbs. While finding old houses in the country may not be easy, there are some that may require an extensive farm house renovation to meet the demands of living conditions for today’s population. Depending on the age and condition of the house, in many cases performing the farm house renovation is considerably cheaper than building a new house as a replacement.
Most of the older farm houses were constructed with wood sawed to a slightly larger size that today’s size standards and probably much more sound than even some newer houses. However, there are also some other potential problems that need to the checked before beginning any type of farm house renovation. Before beginning any changes, foundation integrity should be confirmed as well as insuring there is no sign of damage from or infestation of termites. Once these aspects are satisfied, the farm house renovation project can be planned.
In many of the older houses, electricity was run through them using two separate wires instead of today’s single, insulated wire and it will have to be brought up to the current building code requirements. Many extensive farm house renovation projects will include not only new wiring and circuit breakers, but will also involve replacement of old galvanized pipes used in the plumbing and probably the furnace and ventilation system as well.
Consider Door And Window Replacements
Many of the older homes used double-hung windows utilizing ropes with weights to make lifting the lower windows easier. Over the years, these ropes will have deteriorated and there is a good chance the fit of the windows is poor due to years of use and settling of the foundation. When performing a farm house renovation it may pay to replace them with newer styles.
Many of the older homes, due to settling over the years, may also have uneven floors that can be leveled by using jacks in the basement. During a farm house renovation, if major floor work is required, it is suggested the floors are level before installing new doors, windows or other interior fixtures. This insures they will work properly as when the floor is leveled, many other proportions of the house will be affected.
Understand that a farm house renovation is not a weekend project and will take a lot of time and effort to make sure it is done right. There is no reason to embark on such as project unless you have the time and financial resources to see it through to completion.