The cost of a project is many times what holds back many homeowners from adding space to their existing home or designing a new one. Materials and Labor are the two major factors can drive the costs up or down. Materials typically consist of plywood, counter tops, sinks, electric fixtures and everything else that the builder uses to deliver the finished home. Likewise, labor cost is incurred when hiring a contractor to perform the building of the home or addition. In order to

Slab Advantages Homes built on slabs have less risk of flooding or leaking gases, which creates a healthier environment than homes built over crawl spaces and basements that are susceptible to flooding, gas leaks and mold. Slabs often eliminate the need for extra steps because they are lower to the ground. Senior citizens or people with physical restrictions are attracted to one-level homes that don't have a lot of steps to climb. Slab Disadvantages Shifting soil, invasive tr

A house of cards succinctly illustrates the concept of load-bearing walls; every horizontal card must be supported by vertical cards; and as cards build upward, their weight bears down on the lower walls. A real house works the same way, except that the load-bearing walls aren’t so easy to locate. Identify these important walls using a few rules that apply broadly to buildings before starting your project. Always remember, though, that even if it doesn’t fit one of these cate

Roof is an essential part of any building. This is because it is the top most covering of a house. Besides being essential, a goodlooking roof also adds beauty to your house. There are several kinds of roofing available nowadays. These roofs are also made of different materials like metals, woods, asphalt, fiber glass and mud flap. Each material endows a unique look to the roof and is suited for different styles of houses. They also have their set of advantages. For more inf

Deciding which home improvements add the most value to a property remains one of the biggest challenges facing both homeowners and real estate investors. Installing the right home improvements can maximize your return on investment (ROI). All too often, misconceptions result in terrible remodeling choices. Those implementing poor home improvements may fail to create additional profits for their investment. Furthermore, installing the wrong fixtures can lead to recouped costs

The Harris Home concept combines minimalistic and traditional design. Great for mediterranean-like weather such as in Southern California or even southern belt states as it takes great advantage of the sun withit's number of terraces and patios. This highly customizable design is only available from our designers at dashausdesign.com. Check out the Harris Home Gallery here or Contact us for a Free Consultation today! #customhome #roomaddition #minimalist

I live in the desert of southern California so it can get pretty hot in the summer (110°F is not uncommon). I would like to lower my electric bill, but more to the point, I want to ensure that our house is comfortable without the air conditioning running all the time. What can I do? Insulation is always good, hot or cold. There are a lot of other considerations to save energy and keep cool. Air leaks, unprotected windows, and ventilation are also important factors. Perhaps yo