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Interior design and decorating! October 9, 2008

Posted by repairfindersdotcom in Architects, architecture, Bathroom, carpenters, carpentry, Construction, Decorating, Electrician, electricity, Exterior, Flooring, Fountains, Garden, General Contractors, Handyman, house, Interior, Interior design, Landscape, masonry, natural, painting, Pest Control, Plumbing, Pools, remodeling, Repairs, Skylights, Yard.
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Interior designers draw upon many disciplines to enhance the function, safety, and aesthetics of interior spaces. Their main concerns are with how different colors, textures, furniture, lighting, and space work together to meet the needs of a building’s occupants. Designers plan interior spaces of almost every type of building, including offices, airport terminals, theaters, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, and private residences. Good design can boost office productivity, increase sales, attract a more affluent clientele, provide a more relaxing hospital stay, or increase a building’s market value.

Traditionally, most interior designers focused on decorating-choosing a style and color palette and then selecting appropriate furniture, floor and window coverings, artwork, and lighting. However, an increasing number of designers are becoming involved in architectural detailing, such as crown molding and built-in bookshelves, and in planning layouts of buildings undergoing renovation, including helping to determine the location of windows, stairways, escalators, and walkways.

Interior designers must be able to read blueprints, understand building and fire codes, and know how to make space accessible to people who are disabled. Designers frequently collaborate with architects, electricians, and building contractors to ensure that designs are safe and meet construction requirements.

Whatever space they are working on, almost all designers follow the same process. The first step, known as programming, is to determine the client’s needs and wishes. The designer usually meets face-to-face with the client to find out how the space will be used and to get an idea of the client’s preferences and budget. For example, the designer might inquire about a family’s cooking habits if the family is remodeling a kitchen or ask about a store or restaurant’s target customer in order to pick an appropriate motif. The designer also will visit the space to take inventory of existing furniture and equipment and identify positive attributes of the space and potential problems.

Then, the designer formulates a design plan and estimates costs. Today, designs often are created with the use of computer-aided design (CAD), which provides more detail and easier corrections than sketches made by hand. Once the designer completes the proposed design, he or she will present it to the client and make revisions based on the client’s input.

When the design concept is decided upon, the designer will begin specifying the materials, finishes, and furnishings required, such as furniture, lighting, flooring, wall covering, and artwork. Depending on the complexity of the project, the designer also might submit drawings for approval by a construction inspector to ensure that the design meets building codes. If a project requires structural work, the designer works with an architect or engineer for that part of the project. Most designs also require the hiring of contractors to do technical work, such as lighting, plumbing, or electrical wiring. Often designers choose contractors and write work contracts.

Finally, the designer develops a timeline for the project, coordinates contractor work schedules, and makes sure work is completed on time. The designer oversees the installation of the design elements, and after the project is complete, the designer, together with the client, pay follow-up visits to the building site to ensure that the client is satisfied. If the client is not satisfied, the designer makes corrections.

Designers who work for furniture or home and garden stores sell merchandise in addition to offering design services. In-store designers provide services, such as selecting a style and color scheme that fits the client’s needs or finding suitable accessories and lighting, similar to those offered by other interior designers. However, in-store designers rarely visit clients’ spaces and use only a particular store’s products or catalogs.

Interior designers sometimes supervise assistants who carry out their plans and perform administrative tasks, such as reviewing catalogues and ordering samples. Designers who run their own businesses also may devote considerable time to developing new business contacts, examining equipment and space needs, and attending to business matters.

Although most interior designers do many kinds of projects, some specialize in one area of interior design. Some specialize in the type of building space-usually residential or commercial-while others specialize in a certain design element or type of client, such as health care facilities. The most common specialties of this kind are lighting, kitchen and bath, and closet designs. However, designers can specialize in almost any area of design, including acoustics and noise abatement, security, electronics and home theaters, home spas, and indoor gardens.

Three areas of design that are becoming increasingly popular are ergonomic design, elder design, and environmental-or green-design. Ergonomic design involves designing workspaces and furniture that emphasize good posture and minimize muscle strain on the body. Elder design involves planning interior space to aid in the movement of people who are elderly and disabled. Green design involves selecting furniture and carpets that are free of chemicals and hypoallergenic and selecting construction materials that are energy efficient or are made from renewable resources

Work environment. Working conditions and places of employment vary. Interior designers employed by large corporations or design firms generally work regular hours in well-lighted and comfortable settings. Designers in smaller design consulting firms or those who freelance generally work on a contract, or job, basis. They frequently adjust their workday to suit their clients’ schedules and deadlines, meeting with clients during evening or weekend hours when necessary. Consultants and self-employed designers tend to work longer hours and in smaller, more congested environments.

Interior designers may work under stress to meet deadlines, stay on budget, and please clients. Self-employed designers also are under pressure to find new clients to maintain a steady income.

Designers may work in their own offices or studios or in clients’ homes or offices. They also may travel to other locations, such as showrooms, design centers, clients’ exhibit sites, and manufacturing facilities. With the increased speed and sophistication of computers and advanced communications networks, designers may form international design teams, serve a more geographically dispersed clientele, research design alternatives by using information on the Internet, and purchase supplies electronically.

Postsecondary education, especially a bachelor’s degree, is recommended for entry-level positions in interior design. Two-year and 3-year programs also are available. Some States license interior designers.

Education and training. Postsecondary education, especially a bachelor’s degree, is recommended for entry-level positions in interior design. Training programs are available from professional design schools or from colleges and universities and usually take 2 to 4 years to complete. Graduates of 2-year or 3-year programs are awarded certificates or associate degrees in interior design and normally qualify as assistants to interior designers upon graduation. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree usually qualify for a formal design apprenticeship program.

The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits approximately 250 postsecondary institutions with programs in art and design. Most of these schools award a degree in interior design. Applicants may be required to submit sketches and other examples of their artistic ability. Basic coursework includes computer-aided design (CAD), drawing, perspective, spatial planning, color and fabrics, furniture design, architecture, ergonomics, ethics, and psychology.

The National Council for Interior Design Accreditation also accredits interior design programs that lead to a bachelor’s degree. In 2007, there were 145 accredited bachelor’s degree programs in interior design in the United States; most are part of schools or departments of art, architecture, and home economics.

After the completion of formal training, interior designers will enter a 1-year to 3-year apprenticeship to gain experience before taking a licensing exam. Most apprentices work in design or architecture firms under the supervision of an experienced designer. Apprentices also may choose to gain experience working as an in-store designer in furniture stores. The National Council of Interior Design offers the Interior Design Experience Program, which helps entry-level interior designers gain valuable work experience by supervising work experience and offering mentoring services and workshops to new designers.

Licensure. Twenty-three States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico register or license interior designers. The National Council administers the licensing exam for Interior Design Qualification. To be eligible to take the exam, applicants must have at least 6 years of combined education and experience in interior design, of which at least 2 years must be postsecondary education in design.

Once candidates have passed the qualifying exam, they are granted the title of Certified, Registered, or Licensed Interior Designer, depending on the State. Continuing education is required to maintain licensure.

Other qualifications. Membership in a professional association is one indication of an interior designer’s qualifications and professional standing. The American Society of Interior Designers is the largest professional association for interior designers in the United States. Interior designers can qualify for membership with at least a 2-year degree and work experience.

Employers increasingly prefer interior designers who are familiar with computer-aided design software and the basics of architecture and engineering to ensure that their designs meet building safety codes.

In addition to possessing technical knowledge, interior designers must be creative, imaginative, and persistent and must be able to communicate their ideas visually, verbally, and in writing. Because tastes in style can change quickly, designers need to be well read, open to new ideas and influences, and quick to react to changing trends. Problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and under pressure are additional important traits. People in this field need self-discipline to start projects on their own, to budget their time, and to meet deadlines and production schedules. Good business sense and sales ability also are important, especially for those who freelance or run their own business.

Certification and advancement. Optional certifications in kitchen and bath design are available from the National Kitchen and Bath Association. The association offers three different levels of certification for kitchen and bath designers, each achieved through training seminars and certification exams.

Beginning interior designers receive on-the-job training and normally need 1 to 3 years of training before they can advance to higher-level positions. Experienced designers in large firms may advance to chief designer, design department head, or some other supervisory position. Some experienced designers open their own firms or decide to specialize in one aspect of interior design. Other designers leave the occupation to become teachers in schools of design or in colleges and universities. Many faculty members continue to consult privately or operate small design studios to complement their classroom activities.

Interior design and decoration is a very fulfilling and well paying job.  However not everyone has the eye, or the diligence to compete in this field. If you are looking for an extraordinary designer take, couples of minutes, go to Repairfinders.com, and look at our extensive list of designers and decorators in your area. All of the businesses listed are hardworking, reliable, and trustworthy. You will always receive the best service.

Skylights, saving you energy and money with a natural light source! October 2, 2008

Posted by repairfindersdotcom in Architects, architecture, carpenters, carpentry, Construction, General Contractors, Handyman, natural, Repairs, Skylights.
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Nearly everyone likes skylights. They let in light and warmth, provide a convenient place to hang indoor plants, and simply brighten up an entire room. Properly installed, roof skylights can add a touch of class to even a rather drab kitchen, bathroom or other room in your house. However, old and leaking, or incorrectly installed roof skylights are a never-ending nightmare that will have you swearing never to have another skylight in your house.

Skylights come in many shapes and sizes, and may be traditional glass or the lighter weight vinyl skylight with plastic glazing. They can be flat or domed, and you can combine multiple skylights for a lighting effect that will reduce your utility bill. Even if you have an attic, you can still have skylights in the form of tubular skylights, which use long metal tubes-also called “sun tunnels” to reflect the light down into your room.

When you purchase a skylight, it will usually come with everything needed to install it except the tools and the carpenter. The smaller skylights, especially the tubular skylights, look deceptively easy to install, but we do not recommend installing them yourself. You might pay a professional a few hundred dollars to do it right, but cutting a hole in your roof is not something for an amateur to do. If you accidentally cut in just slightly the wrong place, cut the hole the wrong size, seal the flashing incorrectly, or damage any of your roof tiles in the process, you will wish you had never thought about skylights. In addition, if a skylight leaks, you cannot only end up replacing your roof, but also the ceiling beneath it along with the insulation or anything else that the water was able to reach. Correctly installed, however, a skylight will be as stable and dependable as the rest of your roof, and you will enjoy the ambiance for many years.

The following tips will help you find the right skylight and the right contractor to put them in your home.

Consider the design and location of your home. If you are in a southern climate, you probably will not want skylights on the south side of the house unless you also install some sort of reflective blinds. Otherwise, you will have both light and heat, driving your air conditioning bill up during the summer. In colder climates with more moderate summers, the blinds are and option.

Ask the contractor for references. How many other skylights has he installed? Try to contact people who have used his services and look at their skylights. If you cannot arrange an opportunity to inspect installed skylights in other homes, at least get some reactions from other customers. Would they use that contractor again?

What warranty is offered? If there is any problem with the skylight once it has been installed, will the contractor return to fix it? For how long? What is the warranty on the skylight itself if it happens to be defective? (Although it can happen, a leaking skylight is seldom the result of defective material. Ninety percent of the time, a leaking skylight is the result of improper installation or of taking shortcuts in an attempt to save time and money.)

If you already have a skylight and just need to replace it-and there is no need to replace the roof itself-the task will be simpler and less expensive. If you are installing a new skylight, it will obviously cost more. However, save up the money and have it done correctly the first time. You will never regret erring on the side of caution.

By letting natural light stream in, skylights fill rooms with warmth and a feeling of spaciousness. By reducing the need for electric lighting and adding winter warmth, they help trim energy bills. Moreover, clear ones give you a window to the starry night sky.

A skylight is like a window in the roof, but its frame is designed and flashed to withstand the rigors of rainfall that a roof receives. As shown here, a skylight’s flashing works in concert with the roofing material to usher away rain and snow.

Newer skylights are virtually leak-free, thanks to rugged construction and easy-to-install, integral flashings. They are also equipped with channels that carry away condensation.

Though some frames are solid wood or aluminum, most new skylights are made of a combination of metal, vinyl and wood. The exterior frames tend to be aluminum cladding with a durable finish–the part you see inside is often made of solid wood, plywood or white vinyl.

Some skylights are glazed with acrylic or polycarbonate, others with glass. Plastic ones are lightweight, economical choices often put where a skylight could be easily broken. Because they are molded, they come only in standard sizes and shapes: flat rectangles, bubbles, domes, pyramids, ridge-shaped, dormer models, and so forth.

Many people prefer Glass because it does not scratch as readily as plastic does and because it is available in nearly limitless sizes and types. You can get single, double or triple glazing with energy-saving low-E glass or argon-gas-filled panes. For use where the sun may damage carpets and furniture with ultra-violet (UV) rays, you can get bronze-tinted or other UV-blocking glass.

Other options for eliminating or reducing the sun when it is not wanted include built-in blinds, horizontal curtains or shades and UV-blocking insect screens. Cross-section view of a glass skylight shows key parts and how the flashing provides continuous drainage down the roof. A skylight’s shaft governs how light is delivered to the room below. If all four sides are flared, light spreads over a wide area. A shaft with perpendicular sides focuses the light straight below. If the shaft is flared on only one or two sides, it sprays more light in the flared direction.

If you are interested in getting skylights in your home, the best place to look is on Repairfinders.com. On this site, many contractors in your area are willing to assist you with this. Remember not only does having a skylight help the environment, but it also save you money, gives you beautiful natural light, makes rooms look larger, and adds to the quality of your property.