Planning Your Improvements

Whether improved comfort, appearance, or value is your aim, foresight is the essential tool

Yorktowne Classic Kitchens

Kitchens that lack such new materials and appliances seem as outdated as the automobile of yesteryear.

When homeowners start an improvement project, they set out to improve the comfort or appearance of their homes. They may wish to increase its value should they ever wish to sell it. And they probably want to do the work themselves to avoid hiring a professional.

This book will help regardless of your aims. You will find here many suggestions for making your home more livable. You will get tips on the best ways to do your remodeling jobs yourself. And in the process, you'll make improvements that will add greatly to the permanent value of your house.

Some home improvements add more to your comfort than others. Some add more to appearance. Some increase value more. Projects which achieve all of these important objectives, in the opinion of reputable real estate brokers we questioned, include: UPDATING YOUR KITCHEN AND BATHROOM. No other rooms look quite so outdated as kitchens and bathrooms which have not been improved since before the war. So many new products and appliances have been introduced in the past twenty years that a room without them looks obsolete by contrast. The gap between the kitchen of the 1930s and that of the 1960s is as great as the gap between a car of that vintage and one that has just rolled off an assembly line.

There have been countless colorful space-saving appliances introduced—modern ranges and ovens, revolutionary refrigerator-freezer units, efficient dishwashers, garbage-disposal units. There have also been countless easy-to-clean counter surfaces, floor and wall surface materials, and dramatic lighting and ventilating fixtures. In addition, home economists have devised kitchen layouts that save both time and steps for the busy housewife.

Armstrong photos

With proper planning and materials, bathrooms can be spectacularly updated, as evident hi these pre· and post-improvement photographs. Note mirror of man's washstand, below, slanted for sharing ease.

Expanding families naturally consider the attic lot improvement. Several suggestions are shown on these pages. Imagination and well-chosen materials made this an ideal room for two teen-age boys.

Armstrong photos

The problems of light and ventilation were resolved in this attic apartment with an unusual skylight, part of which opens. Noteworthy, too, are the fireplace, foam-cushioned furniture, cork tile floor.

Bathrooms also have been spectacularly updated. Typical innovations are plastic-top dressing tables with wash basins built in, easy-to-handle shower doors, floor and wall tiles which are easily installed with adhesives, and many other washable floor and wall surface materials.

FINISHING OFF BASEMENTS AND "EXPANSIVE" ATTICS. The size of the average family has been increasing for several years now. As a result of this and other factors, typical American homeowners want more and more space. They need more bedrooms, which the attic can provide. And because they are more prosperous today than ever before, and have more goods — lawn furniture, sporting equipment, etc.—they need more space for storage.

Moreover, the development of television as the most time-consuming family activity means that there has been a steady demand for a special viewing area where some family members can watch without disturbing others. Another factor leading to demands for more space in the house is the universality of the five-day week. Dad has more time to spend at home and what better place to spend it than a basement hobby room?

Add up all the factors and you can see why contractors from all sections of the country report that a majority of their jobs consist of making attics and basements into habitable living space.

REPLACING AN INEFFICIENT HEATING SYSTEM. This is another big project that both adds to comfort and increases the value of the house. When a heating plant wastes fuel, replacement by a modern fuel-saving unit often will pay for itself in the long run. Ditto for adequate insulation. Researchers at the University of Texas made an exhaustive test to confirm the fact that you can hardly have too much insulation. No matter how much you use, you'll ultimately recover its cost in reduced bills for fuel.

INCREASING YOUR USABLE STORAGE SPACE. The lack of adequate space is one of the main complaints of homeowners. Yet you can use storage walls, built-ins, and other devices that make more efficient use of what space you have.

New storage units can be added to every room. The typical dining room has much wasted space in corners and along walls.

Armstrong

An attractive attic bedroom, such as the one at left, is built economically via dry-wall construction. Easily installed, material helps insulate.

Douglas Fir Plywood

Fir plywood paneling, tinted varnish finish were used below. Fifty-six feet of attic floor space were converted to quarters for four college boys.

Masonite Corp.

Cherry-grained panels make it easy tor the home handy man to create wood-grained interiors like this.

Put corner cabinets there: They will store silverware, china, linen, etc., without subtracting one bit from your floor space.

In your kitchen you may have inadequate storage space for staples—cans of fruit juices, soups, vegetables, etc. These cans have a diameter of about four inches, about the same as the width of a typical partition. Convert a partition between the kitchen and another room, into a narrow cabinet, and you'll gain tremendous storage.

You can use similar storage ideas in every room. In bedrooms, you can install cabinets along the wall, over the bed, and under it. In the bathroom, you can put a large cabinet on the inside of the door.

COVERING UNSIGHTLY WALL SURFACES. Many older homes suffer from cracks, gaps between the ceiling and ceiling trim, and other defects which suggest the house is on its last legs. It's surprising what you can do with modern materials at low cost—particularly the panel materials, which can be nailed or glued to old surfaces in remarkably short time and modernize a room to an almost unbelievable extent.

ADDING TO THE EXISTING STRUCTURE. You can expand your home on either side or in the back, provided, of course, that your lot has sufficient room. If your community's zoning code permits it, you can add additional bedrooms, a family room, recreational room, and almost any type room you can think of. While this type of improvement is costlier than obtaining the same amount of space in your attic or basement, you will find that the extension of "all on one floor living" will add considerably to your comfort.

UPDATING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Many electrical contractors claim that any home more than 15 years old has inadequate wiring. They cite statistics showing that the typical home of even a dozen years ago had a service entrance of only 40 or 60 amperes. It is almost universally agreed that you now need 100 amperes to take care of the electrical appliances in common use—air conditioning units, clothes dryers, room heaters, TV sets, etc.

Sometimes bringing your electrical wiring up to date involves ripping out partitions. It's therefore a good project to keep in mind when you're undertaking other improvements which would involve partitions anyway.

ADDING A NEW FACE. The exterior walls and roof make up the greatest surface area of any house. Naturally they are the first things that a visitor sees. First impressions are, of course, important, so a visitor who sees an up-to-date •wall and roof will think more of your house.

Taking care of your exterior is not only wise for appearance's sake. It's also often necessary for the structural integrity of the house. If you don't replace worn shingles, paint window sills and exterior trim regularly, check on roof gutters and leaders, the wear and tear on your house will be appreciably greater.

Tile Council

Ceramic tile enjoys increasing popularity. This beautiful dining court was designed by Harwell Harris.

Slump block, painted black, was used lor this modem fireplace which draws people automatically.

Wasco Products

Acrylite panels such as these warrant consideration by those seeking to vary a decorating scheme.

Western Pine Assn.

Money- and Time-Savers

Once you decide on a modernization project, you can keep your costs and effort down by several careful practices.

First, make sure you know exactly what each project involves. You will then be able to plan each step and carry it out in an orderly way. Unless you work in a well-organized, step-by-step fashion, you'll squander time and use an excess of materials as well.

If you plan to modernize your bathroom or kitchen, you must put in all the rough plumbing while the walls are open. Likewise, electrical wiring and heating ducts. Don't laugh. We know of one unfortunate "handy man" who had to rip out walls he had just put up to get ducts in.

Another important item is your modernization loan; get the one that's best suited to your purpose. You probably can get a loan from your bank in one of several forms. If you have a small mortgage now, and intend to spend a great deal on improvements, you might negotiate an entirely new mortgage—one which will keep your monthly payments low by extending them over a long period of time and at an interest rate which is below that of any other type of loan. If you have an open-end mortgage, you're in an ideal position: You will be permitted to re-borrow the amount you have already paid on the original mortgage, at attractive rates.

You can also apply for one of the home-improvement loans made by most banks. This may or may not be FHA. It may require you to pay the amount you borrow in 36 installments, and at an advertised interest rate of five to six per cent. However, the actual interest rate will be just about double that. The reason is that you will be paying the interest on the total amount of the loan for as long as it runs, though the amount you owe keeps diminishing with each payment.

If you have savings accounts, stocks, insurance policies, or other savings, you probably can borrow on them at reasonable interest rates. The lending agency will hold your collateral. An advantage of this type of loan is that you usually have no specified time limit on paying. You can do so at your convenience. So if you have assets you can borrow on, you're better off doing so.

Western Pine Assn.

Storage walls and built-ins can increase storage space of almost every room. Note pulldown movie screen, TV, hi-fi, and book shelves at the right.

Knotty pine wall at the left has desk, drawer, closet and shelf space, in addition to room for built-in TV and a small tank for tropical fish.

Douglas Fir Plywood

Sliding-door wardrobe provides plentiful storage in conjunction with this neat built-in bureau. There is a similar unit for the lady's husband.

You can often pocket large savings by shopping lumberyards. Some dealers have lower prices on structural lumber while others are lower on insulation. You can usually do well by patronizing dealers who run a cash-and-carry business. But if you do buy at a credit lumberyard, note whether the dealer allows a two per cent discount if paid before the tenth.

Another good idea is to take advantage of seasonal variations in prices. For example, insulation is often about fifteen per cent cheaper in July than it is in January. If you plan ahead, you can store it for six months and save. You generally can get better prices in the winter on lumber, plywood and cement than in the summer, when there's greater home-building activity and, therefore, greater demand.

Selecting a Contractor

If your home-improvement project is large-scale, you may want to hire a contractor to do some of the work—the plumbing, say, or the wiring. If you get the right man (or men) to do the job at the right price, at least ninety per cent of your problems are solved.

You can assure yourself of satisfactory work from contractors if you observe the five rules that follow. They are based upon advice provided by Better Business Bureaus and other sources.

1.—Look up men in your own or a nearby community. Local contractors ordinarily won't wish to jeopardize their reputation by doing inferior work. You can find contractors by consulting ads in your local paper, or inquiring of your local lumber dealer or bank. You may also see their signs or trucks where jobs are in progress.

2.—Check their reputations and inspect their work. You can demand references of local people for whom they have worked and call on them personally. Your Better Business Bureau can advise whether complaints have been made against any contractor you are considering.

3.—Check credit standings. You want to make certain that the man you choose is financially responsible. Call on his bank.

4.—Describe in detail the work you want done, the approximate time you wish it to start and when you want it finished. Prospective contractors then will all bid on the same terms.

Johns-Manville photos

High on the list of materials tor the handy man who finishes off his basement ot attic are these easily-installed ceiling tiles and wall panels. In shopping for materials be sure to take advantage of seasonal fluctuations in their prices.

Douglas Fir Plywood

In planning an improvement, consider what you can readily do. and what you must hare done. The Robert Prices of Tacoma. Washington, hired carpenters for this heavy work, saved by finishing themselves.

5.—When you decide upon the contractor, make him one in fact as well as name: Have him sign a contract. This should spell out the work he is to do, the brand names of materials to be used, what and when he is to be paid, etc. An agreement signed by both of you constitutes a contract.

By following these rules, you will avoid the gyps who have given some home-repair contractors a bad name. By selecting local men only, you will not be taken in by "suede shoe boys" who move from town to town, pushing doorbells and using high-pressure tactics. By checking thoroughly, you can rapidly weed out the incompetent and inexperienced. By checking with banks, you will avoid the contractor who might go bankrupt during the job. ·

When the job calls for professional help, don't hesitate to engage it. You will probably do best to check men in your own or a nearby community.

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