4 Home Improvement Projects to Tackle this Winter with MER Building Services.
The long Canadian winter can make spring seem like it is light-years away.
Before you know it, the days will be long and beautiful and those to-do outdoor home improvement projects will be calling for your attention. Winter is the ideal time to take on some internal home renovations, on either a large or small scale.
Here are some ideas for renovations in your home this winter…
Kitchen upgrades:
Consider replacing your kitchen countertops. You can choose a style that matches your existing theme or you can experiment with something new. This project doesn’t require a lot of trips back and forth to the store, so it’s ideal during winter.
Quartz countertops are very popular at the moment. They come in many colours — from bright whites to cool grays, warm creams, and rich browns and blacks. Some quartz have veining that gives the appearance of marble. Some options contain mirror chips that reflect light and appear to make the countertops sparkle.
As an additional option, upgrading your kitchen cabinets can give your home a whole new feel. Two-toned kitchens - with light upper cabinets and darker base cabinets - are on trend and are a great way of adding value to your kitchen.
Bathroom faucets and countertops:
If it seems daunting to renovate your whole bathroom during the winter months, why not tackle a smaller project that has a big impact? Replacing your bathroom faucets or countertops can instantly refresh the appearance of your bathroom!
Light fixtures:
Winter can have a negative impact on our mood. The lack of sunlight can trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder. Fight it by changing your old light fixtures to something bright and cheery using LED lighting. LED produces less waste light and uses more useful lumens than traditional lighting. If you replaced all the lighting in your home with LEDs, you could see as much as a 60% to 70% improvement in your overall energy efficiency.
Paint your interior:
Winter is a great time to change your interior colours. If you have been picturing how you could update your home, now is the time to pick a paint colour and get to work! If you can’t decide what project to tackle, look around your home. There will always be something that needs your attention. Whatever it is, doing those projects will help you enjoy the winter and feel more productive despite staying indoors more often. Make sure to choose the paint type that will work best in the area you are painting
Flat/Matte: Flat paints (also called matte paints) have the least amount of shine. They provide the most coverage of any other paint and require fewer coats to cover imperfections like nail holes.
Eggshell: They’re slightly more lustrous than flat paints (with the delicate low sheen of an eggshell). Eggshell paints are great for places with low or medium traffic, like living rooms, hallways, and entryways.
Satin: They have a velvety sheen and are easier to clean than flat and eggshell paints, which makes them a great choice for high-traffic areas like kitchens, playrooms, family rooms, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.
Semi-gloss: Semi-gloss paints are shiny and reflective. They’re extremely durable and mildew-resistant, so they’re best used in rooms that get a lot of wear and tear or moisture, like kids’ rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. They’re also great for trim. As a glossier finish, they will show imperfections more than less shiny paints.
High-gloss: High-gloss paints are the shiniest paint finish of the bunch. They’re also the most durable and washable, so they can handle daily scrubbing. Consider this family of paint for doors, trim, and cabinetry. In addition to being an interior paint, high-gloss can also be used as an outdoor detail as well, on things like shutters. However, prep work is important when using this finish—it can show many imperfections when applied incorrectly.