Small Projects That Make A Big Impact On Your Kitchen: Backsplash

Give your kitchen a focal point with a beautiful backsplash.  Today there's a huge variety of different backsplash materials to chose from such as tile, beaded board, brick, glass, and recycled materials which makes choosing one the hardest part of the project!

Check out the pictures below to give you an idea on what a big impact a backsplash can bring to your kitchen:

Need help installing your backsplash?  Give Michael Blanchard a call at 513.203.1965.

Small Projects That Make a Big Impact on Your Kitchen

We are starting a series this month on small, inexpensive projects you can do to upgrade your kitchen in big ways.

We're starting off our series with painted kitchen cabinets.  New cabinets are nice of course, but did you know that painting your cabinets and replacing the hardware can achieve the same, high-end look?  For just the cost of a few gallons of paint and some new knobs or pulls, you can totally change the look and feel of the heart of your house.

Check out these awesome painted cabinets:

Kitchen cabinet hardware now comes in so many shapes and styles it's hard to choose which look you like the most.  Here's a small sample of some knobs and pulls available today:

If you need some help transforming your kitchen, Michael Blanchard is your man. For your free estimate, give us a call at 513.203.1965 or shoot us an email to michaelblanchardhandyman@gmail.com.  Don't forget to ask about our 25% off first time customer discount!

Cozy Up Your Home with a Wall Mounted Fireplace

Long past are the days where you had to use bulky brick and build a chimney to have a warm, cozy fire in your home.  Thanks to bio ethanol fuel, gels and vast improvements in electric fireplaces, you can now have a sleek and elegant fireplace in any room in a matter of hours.

We're sure you're already aware of gel and electric fireplaces, but have you heard of the bio ethanol fueled ones?  Bio ethanol fuel is a safe, eco friendly fuel made from renewable plant sources and is clean burning creating no soot, smoke or hazardous fumes. They're not only beautiful, but environmentally friendly as well.

Below is a very small sample of the many wall mounted fireplace designs available for you to choose from on the market today:

Have a flat screen television?  Why not create an amazing media wall with your TV and new fireplace?

As always, Michael Blanchard can help you out with this project or any other home improvement project you are thinking about.  Just give us a call at 513.203.1965 or shoot us an email to michaelblanchardhandyman@gmail.com.

Improve the Most Visible Room in your Home - The Garage

Sometimes garages are the most ignored spaces in people’s homes.  What people don’t realize is that neighbors and members of the community see the inside of your garage more than they see your living room or kitchen!

Think about it.  How many times do you have your garage door open during the day? You pull your car in and out, you have it open on weekends to cut the grass, work on home improvement projects, etc.  That means people passing by in their cars; neighbors out and about in their yards and people strolling down the sidewalk all have a great look into your garage which all in all is an extension of your home.

When neighbors look into your garage what do they see?  Do they see the same attractive, organized, functional space like the rest of your home, or do they see a room full of clutter and chaos?

There are many ways to make your garage not only organized, but attractive as well.  One of the best ways to accomplish this is creative storage solutions like these:

Affordable, open shelving creates a neat appearance as well as making all your belongings easy to find. 

Closed custom cabinetry not only offers organization it gives your garage a high-end feel. 

 Another custom cabinetry look.  Perfect for a potting station.  Installing a sink would make for easy clean up and plant watering

Inexpensive wall hanging racks make your yard tools easily accessible and get rid of the clutter in the corners of your garage.

Do you need more than a rack?  Why not try a whole wall! 

These sports lockers not only look great but your kids will love having their own lockers to store their sports equipment and hang their coats and backpacks when they get home from school.

Now that we have your storage options covered, let's move on to flooring.  Garage floor coverings come in two styles – mats and tiles. They’re both fairly easy to install, are great looking, and strong enough to support cars and car jacks. 

These are just a few ideas on how to make the most visible room in your home a real head-turner. As always, if you need a friendly hand to help with your garage projects, call Michael Blanchard at 513-203-1965 or email michaelblanchardhandyman@gmail.com to get a free estimate.

Need a New Floor? Go Green with Cork

There are many different reasons to use eco-friendly solutions for your home improvement projects.  Not only does going green with your home help maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with the environment, it’s also incredibly chic and stylish as well.  But did you know that going green with your home improvement projects will also increase the value of your home?

There are many ways you can update your home to make it more eco-friendly and Michael Blanchard can help you with most of them. Today, we’re focusing on cork flooring.

Why use cork? It’s simple really.  It's eco-friendly, beautiful, easy to maintain, provides thermal and acoustic insulation, it's comfortable to walk on, provides a unique design, is extremely durable and is very cost effective starting at $3.00/$3.50 per square foot. 

About Cork Flooring:

Cork Flooring combines the beauty of a natural material with the comfort of a cushioned surface. It is durable, acoustical and a great insulator. Cork is naturally waterproof and does not facilitate the growth of mold or mildew. This makes it a great choice, particularly for allergy sufferers. Cork is an environmental flooring option as it renews once harvested from the tree. The bark of the cork tree is peeled without destroying the tree and it grows back ready to be harvested again. Installation is made easier with the precision milled glueless locking joint system and pre-attached cushion. Warm to the touch and resilient, cork floors are a great addition to your home.

Maintenance:

Cork flooring is easily cleaned and maintained by using a dry or damp mop. 

Performance / Durability

Cork is highly abrasion resistant on it's own and treating it with a protective finish further increases its durability. Cork has a tremendous amount of "memory" and recovers well from compression. Cork floors will last as long as most hardwood floors.

Are you ready to go green with a beautiful, new cork floor?  If so, give Michael Blanchard Handyman Services a call at 513.203.1965 or shoot us an email at michaelblanchardhandyman@gmail.com.

Increase the Value of Your Home

Little Things Make a Big Difference

Not all home improvement projects need to be a significant investment of time and resources. No matter how old your home is, a few little updates can result in a new and improved appearance as well as increase your home's value.

Michael Blanchard Handyman Services can help you update your home with a few projects that make a huge impact for a small budget:

1. Check out the overhead lighting fixtures around the house. Many styles and options are available to put the room in a new light. Old, worn-out ceiling fans can be replaced with newer, more efficient models.

2. Interior design elements such as crown molding, trim, or a chair rail can add decorative accents to a room with a minimal amount of effort and investment. Small shelves can provide space to display items and complement the décor in the rest of the room.

3. Replacing the sink or faucet can provide a completely new look for a bathroom. Even simple changes like a new showerhead or cabinet hardware can give you a sense of satisfaction.

4. The outside of your home may need some attention. A new front door or storm door can increase energy efficiency and provide an upgraded look. Replacement windows are a more expensive consideration, but many products can offer significant energy savings to counter-balance the cost.

5. Organizing your home maximizes space and simplifies your life.  Storage spaces can always benefit from a few design enhancements. Updating kitchen cabinets, customizing closets, building toy storage trunks/baskets and maximizing garage spaces are just a few ways you can organize your home to make life easier and give you more time to spend on the important things in life.

6.  Add a little color to your life. There is nothing that transforms a home more than color. For the exterior, new paint or siding will give your home massive curb appeal.  Paint, wallpaper and tiling on the interior not only changes the look of your home, but your mood as well - from calm and relaxing to vibrant and energetic.

To see what we can do for your home, give us a call at 513-203-1965 for a free estimate.

Home Winterizing Special

As we enter the cold part of the year in the Tri-State Area, it's time to start thinking about getting your homes ready for winter. Not only do you want your house to be physically ready to withstand the elements, you want it to be energy efficient as well. We want to help you accomplish both goals, so for a limited time only, we're offering our special Home Winterizing Package for the low introductory price of just $99.00. 

Our Home Winterizing Package includes:

1. Caulking/weather stripping doors and windows that have air leaks.
2. Install foam insulators behind the face plates of light switches and electrical outlets (If you count up all the outlets in your house, and consider that each one lets in a small breeze 24 hours a day, 365 days a year -- that's a lotta lost energy! For most homes, these recurring small leaks add up to create an effect equivalent to leaving a window open, all day, all night, and in all seasons.)
3. Reverse the direction of ceiling fans to push hot air downward and delay it from escaping the house
4. Remove and put away window unit air conditioners
5. Check/replace batteries in smoke detectors

You wouldn't believe how all these little things add up to making your home warmer, safer, and more energy efficient during the brutal winter months. 

If you find after winterizing that you need additional work/repairs done before the cold and snow sets in, we also offer these services at very competitive rates:

1. Replacing/repairing windows and doors
2. Insulation
3. Repairing leaky basements
4. Repairing/replacing leaky roofs
5. Cleaning/replacing gutters and downspouts
6. Replacing water heaters
7. Any other projects you may have

What are you waiting for? The cold and snow aren't going to wait much longer and neither should you! Reply to this ad with your name and phone number and one of our representatives will give you a call to schedule your appointment right away.

*Price is for a standard 2 bedroom ranch style home. Prices may vary. Minimum one door weatherstripping.  $20.00 for each additional door.

Member of Hire-Contractor.com: Member: Miamitown, OH