Author: Classic Construction

3 Keys To Creating The Kitchen Of Your Dreams

Everyone wants a nice space for entertaining guests, preparing meals, and of course, making family memories. Nobody really wants gross appliances, old cabinets and boxed in spaces for kitchens. Kitchens create great space and value in your home and will provide a nice pay back on your investment.

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3 Key Components for Richmond Kitchen Renovations.

1.  Cabinets – Cabinets that have been exposed to water leakage or are just plain tired and worn out looking then it is now time to replace them. If your kitchen has a dysfunctional design, boxed into a corner or is missing an appliance then you are likely to want to redesign the kitchen and have a fresh start.

The great thing about starting over is having a clean slate. You can move the electrical and plumbing to accommodate your ideal layout efficiently. Have your Richmond kitchen remodeler take measurements of your kitchen space and do a professional layout that will have your appliances properly placed and maximize your storage to utilize the right-sized cabinets. There are plenty of options available for your kitchen cabinets. They have a wide variety of depths, sizes, pantry style, and others. If your house has high ceilings, you can take advantage of wall cabinets in 36″ or 42″. Don’t forget about the toe kick and crown moldings to let your cabinets shine!
Once you have established a design layout, you can choose your door and hardware design. They are available in a wide variety of colors and finishing. Also, make sure to include slow-closing doors and drawers and get some very nice and efficient inserts.

 

2.  Counter-tops:  The available options for countertops are always changing. You can customize what best suits your personal needs.

Countertop to consider:
Granite – The granite types are the most popular and continue to be the best-selling countertops. It has a super hard quality, incredible natural color and a solid surface that is perfect for your kitchen. It can be designed with a variety of edges including bevels, bull nose, ogee and double ogee. The lighter colored countertops can be stained which makes them not completely maintenance free. Beware of this fact but granite is a long-time favorite of many people!

Quartz – If you want a very durable with a solid surface countertop, quartz material may be something you’re looking for. They are typically made up of 95% quartz and 5% polymer. That precise combination is a great combined option for consumers. They comes in a wide-variety of patterns and colors, and has been gaining popularity for the past few years.
Beyond Granite and Quartz you can also easily explore other surfaces such as concrete counter tops and add a nice farm style sink if that is your preference.

 

3. Appliances – You don’t have to spend a million bucks to have an amazing looking kitchen. Add in stainless steel appliances to achieve the desired look. They don’t cost much more than the normal black or white appliances.

You can also upgrade your stainless appliances to the latest gourmet style appliances and make your kitchen a complete show-case that you will make you feel like a food-network star!

gourmet kitchen
 
There you have it!  3 key components to your gorgeous new kitchen.  For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

Gorgeous Home Make-Over in Mechanicsville & Salisbury

Everyone loves the look, smell and sight of NEW!

Your home deserves to be maintained and sometimes you need new siding, new windows and a new roof.

If you are not sure if your siding needs to be replaced, then check out this article we wrote that will help you inspect your own Richmond siding.
Check out this gorgeous new exterior in Mechanicsville.

mechanicsville vinyl siding

In one word or less this home is Gorgeous!  What improvements were made to this home?
1.  Vinyl siding
2.  Composite decking on the front porch
3.  RDI Endurance vinyl railings on front porch
Here is a closer look at the front porch for you:

mechanicsville vinyl rail

 

Want a new maintenance free exterior?  Contact us now for your free quote.

How did this gorgeous home in Salisbury get transformed?

salisbury hardie siding

1.  Gorgeous HardiePlank fiber cement siding
2.  Vinyl design thermal windows
3.  RDI Endurance Vinyl Rails

 

Now is a great time to improve your home & enjoy it for many years to come.  Your friends, family & neighbors will all be blown away by the difference it makes!

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation. 

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

New Deck In Brandermill – Maintenance Free Outdoor Space Done Right

Nice, maintenance free outdoor space adds a huge value to your home and lifestyle and that is why we love building custom outdoor Richmond decks, screened porches and sun rooms throughout the Richmond Metro area.

If you missed part one of this blog detailing how to design and build a composite deck, here is the link for you.

Part one Brandermill Deck Design and build

Let’s pick right up where the last blog left off.  Take a look at the photo below.

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When building your deck be sure to use only the very best materials so that you properly protect your investment for many years to come.  At Classic Construction we use the very best materials available.  Our materials have been tested and proven to stand up to the harshest weather conditions.  We use composite decking, vinyl rails and all the right fasteners to ensure your deck will be preserved for many years to come.

Can you picture your family friends hanging out on your deck, making new memories and having fun?  I hope you can feel the nice outdoor space and the impact it can make on your lifestyle and family.  Ready to see the final product we completed for an awesome family in Brandermill?
Don’t you love their design?  That is where it all starts when the Classic team meets you and we work together to create the space that works best for your needs.  I love the way the stairs come down from the deck at just the right angle.  That is the type of custom work and details we love to add to our projects.

Besides the angle of the entry stairs, the vinyl rails are completely maintenance free and will not rot, warp or ever need to be painted!

This Brandermill deck is just right and will provide many new memories in this maintenance free outdoor space!

Are you ready to build the outdoor space of your dreams?

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

5 point siding inspection checklist. Do you need new siding?

It can be hard to know when to replace the siding on your home.  The siding is like the skin that keeps everything in tact and looking great (hopefully). Richmond siding does eventually wear out, cracks, warps, breaks and takes a beating from our weather elements including rain, wind and sun.
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But how do you know if your home is in need of brand new siding?  Here are 5 points your should investigate and inspect in order to make an informed decision on your home.

1.   Rotting and/or warped siding
Start by visually inspecting your siding, look from the group all the way up to the roof!  Did you see rot and warp?  If you have older hardboard siding, you probably do, and this type of siding is prevalent in many areas.  Next do the poke test. Grab your screw driver and poke your siding to see if it is soft, just like the Dentist checking if you need a filling!

If your siding is rotting and/or warping, it may be time for replacement!

2.  Painting
If a home needs frequent painting, say once every 3 – 5 years, that is a good sign that something is wrong with the current siding.   Siding in good condition should keep its shape and keep its color for many years.

Siding that is not retaining paint may need to be replaced!

3.  Loose or cracked pieces
Visually inspect all sides on your home and look for loose and cracked pieces, pieces hanging by a nail (literally).  If you have just a few pieces hanging, then it can likely be fixed, but if you have a number of loose or cracked pieces…

It is time for replacement!

4.  Moisture
Everyone hates seeing moisture, mold & mildew and so does your siding.  Typical spots that collect moisture are your seams and the beaded areas.  If you have powered washed your home, you know what I am talking about because these areas take longer to clean. If your siding has a large amount of obvious moisture you will want to inspect closely and it may be…

Time for replacement!

5.  Color
Is your home fading?  Lost it’s original brilliant and clear color scheme?  All siding comes with a color expectancy rating so if your siding is older, it may lose its color.  If you have aluminum siding, it may become chalky and vinyl fades eventually.  If you want to return your home siding to it’s original glory…
It may be time for replacement!
How did your home do?


If you have rot, moisture, lack of color or loose pieces now may be the time to get it replaced.  It does make a huge impact on your home and overall curb appeal.

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

8 Point Checklist for hiring a contractor

Everyone knows a contractor, but not every contractor is right for the work on your home.

Licensure and insurance are a must. If the contractors are not properly set-up with general liability insurance or do not want to provide information for your W-9 reporting to the IRS, I would recommend you keep looking for another contractor.

Decisions for your investment property improvement projects should be with intention and diligence.  Although it can be a bit tempting to hire a company with the lowest bid, it would be smarter to hire someone who does the job right, and meets all of your expectations.

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Where Do I Begin?

Here are easy tips on how you can improve your chances of selecting a credible contractor the first time.

 

Your 8-Point Hiring Checklist

1. License: Make sure your potential home contractors are licensed and insured. Call your local state business licensing board to verify current licensure and ask about any complaints that have been issued to your potential home contractors. Also be sure to request a copy of both the license and insurance as part of your investigation.

Contractors are licensed as a Class A, Class B, or Class C, and then there are also trade licenses, specifically for HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing.

Here are the classifications:

Class A: Work on a single contract up to $120,000 or multiple contracts up to $75,000
Class B: Work on a single contract up to $7,500 or multiples up to $120,000
Class C: Work on single contact up to $1,000 or multiples up to $7,500
2. References: Talk to some of your contractor’s previous clients and references. There is no better way to evaluate potential contractors than by talking to their previous customers or checking out the finished work itself. If you get the chance to view some of the work that the company has done, don’t miss it. Ask the references specific questions regarding communication, project time-line, surprises, budget, etc.
3. Insurance: An absolute requirement for every contractor is a General Liability and Workers Compensation Insurance. If a contractor doesn’t have insurance, you could be the one held liable for any accident that can happen under construction premises while work is going on. Get a copy of the contractor’s insurance certificate from their provider before starting any project. Make sure the information is current.
4. Complaints: Search for contractor reviews and complaints online. Run your own background check on these contractors by searching for reviews and complaints from your potential contractions online. You can check out the Better Business Bureau site or other sites such as  Angie’s List.
5. Contract:  Sign a contract that will protect the interests of both parties. Specify the tasks that need to be completed,  its cost, and the payment dates. Don’t forget to be specific with the details.

The scope of work should include that they are responsible for any issues that may occur during the renovation. Residential renovation bids are often poorly documented with a lot of issues being overlooked, poorly defined, or left out. Include in the agreement the pricing, draws for payments, insurance requirements, and timeline for completion.

6. Permits: You should ask your contractors specifically about how they plan to handle necessary permits for the job. If they absolutely refuse to pull permits, consider this a red-flag.
7. Change orders: Be aware of how change orders work. Construction projects can sometimes encounter unexpected conditions. These are conditions that may alter the original construction plan and are left inherent during the bid. Make sure the “change of order” process is clearly defined.
8. Deposit: All contractors will want to have some funds up-front. Be sure that the construction draw process is clearly documented in the contract to avoid future misunderstandings. Be careful of contractors who request all their money up-front.
9. Schedule: Speed of construction is a major consideration. Be sure to clearly define the start date and expected completion date in the contract. Your holding costs on your investment will skyrocket if the construction takes forever to complete.

It’s Not About the Lowest Bid

N The best contractor value consists of a combination of quality labor and materials, ability to clearly communicate, complete the job on-time and price. When searching for a great contractor, you want to find that balance.

Be sure you find a contractor who will be on your team and have your best interest as his primary objective. Keep in mind that you are providing the contractor with a large contract and entrusting him to do a great job and complete it on-time with minimal hassles.

Contact Classic Construction today for your free quote at https://classicconstructionext.com
We are fully insured and properly licensed.  We have tons of happy customers throughout the Richmond metro area!

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.