Nail-down installation

1. Remove any baseboards or shoe moldings. Baseboard is used to hide the gap that you must leave for expansion and contraction of wood. So, you will want to make sure your subfloor is clear to the walls in order to have a place to come back and install the base and shoe molding later. The standard gap between the flooring and the walls is 3/16″ to 3/4″ depending on your manufacturer and style of flooring.

2. Screw down any loose or squeaky boards and undercut any door jambs to allow for the wood to be installed underneath. A helpful tip is to use the backside of one of your boards to determine the height needed to be cut off of your door jambs.

3. Start laying out the first row. Try to run the boards perpendicular to your floor joists if possible. You will need to either pop a chalk line or stretch a line parallel to your first wall. Make sure and account at this point for any out of square issues in your room. Once you start running boards they will appear as straight as the first board. You usually would measure from one side of the wall to the other and adjust any discrepancies with this first row. Make sure and predrill your first row or two for nails and face nail them into joists if possible.

4. Dry fit the next 3 feet or so. Make sure you are pulling your strips or planks from three separate boxes randomly so that the natural graining of the wood will vary slightly. This way your installed floor will have a more uniform look. Now you can layout all your boards for 3 feet or so and make your length cuts accordingly.

5. Nail down the next rows. Use a flooring nailer to nail through the tongue of the board. These are usually available for rent at most tool rental outlets. Using a rubber mallet to shoot the nail through the tongue. Make sure you adjust the nailer so that it countersinks the boards. Keep alternating nailing and dry-fitting boards to assure a proper fit.

6. Nail around any obstacles in the floor such as cabinets or pipes/fixtures that come out of the subfloor. Make sure you leave the appropriate gap around any of these obstacles.

7. Face nail the last few rows when you come to the edge of the room.

8. Next install your transitions and base moldings. Make sure you allow for a gap inside your transition. Also, make sure that you do not nail down the transition or moldings to the wood floor. You will need to nail the base moldings into the wall and the transitions into the floor in a place where it will not come into contact with the wood. Sometimes it is helpful to add some construction adhesive to the bottom of the transitions as these are usually high traffic areas. Over time this will prevent squeaking.

Glue-down installation

1. Remove any baseboards or shoe moldings. Baseboard is used to hide the gap that you must leave for expansion and contraction of wood. So, you will want to make sure your subfloor is clear to the walls in order to have a place to come back and install the base and shoe molding later. The standard gap between the flooring and the walls is 3/16″ to 3/4″ depending on your manufacturer and style of flooring.

2. If installing over a wood subfloor, screw down any loose or squeaky boards, Undercut any door jambs to allow for the wood to be installed underneath. A helpful tip is to use the backside of one of your boards to determine the height needed to be cut off of your door jambs.

3. Start laying out the first row. Try to run the boards perpendicular to your floor joists if possible. You will need to either pop a chalk line or stretch a line parallel to your first wall. Make sure and account at this point for any out of square issues in your room. Once you start running boards they will appear as straight as the first board. You usually would measure from one side of the wall to the other and adjust any discrepancies with this first row. Glue down this first row.

4. Dry fit the next 3 feet or so. Make sure you are pulling your strips or planks from three separate boxes randomly so that the natural graining of the wood will vary slightly. This way your installed floor will have a more uniform look. Now you can layout all your boards for 3 feet or so and make your length cuts accordingly.

5. Apply glue a foot or so out from the board and glue down the next few rows. Keep in mind the larger the room the less area away from your board you will be able to glue at a time. Make sure and keep some cleanup rags to try and keep the glue off the wood. Most manufacturers sell these as accessories. You can also use Acetone on a cotton or cheesecloth rag.

6. Glue around any obstacles in the floor such as cabinets or pipes/fixtures that come out of the subfloor. Make sure you leave the appropriate gap around any of these obstacles.

7. Glue down the last few rows when you come to the edge of the room.

8. Next install your transitions and base moldings. Make sure you allow for a gap inside your transition. Also, make sure that you do not glue down the transition or moldings to the wood floor. You will need to nail the base moldings into the wall and glue the transitions into the floor in a place where it will not come into contact with the wood using some construction adhesive to the bottom of the transitions.

The post How to install hardwood floors appeared first on Atlas Homes TX. Custom Homebuilder / Major Remodeling.

With the rising energy costs there has been an increase in interest for energy saving appliances. Efficent “tankless” water heaters have become very popular for their capability to heat hot water on demand, with no storage tank required. Instead of holding water in a traditional water tank, they circulate the cold water through a series of electrically heated coils that warm the water as it moves pass this heat source. This newer process of warming water requires more expensive equipment than the conventional water heater, but this money is regained in the long term with energy efficiency savings. The energy savings is mainly gained from no longer needing to heat an entire tank of water.

Since the tankless water heaters do not store hot water but rather constantly heat water as it is demanded, they do not run out of hot water. There is one exception, to this “endless” supply of heated water. The flow rate is limited. In other words if you simultaneously use more water than the flow of the water heater (i.e. 3 people showering at one time) you will receive unheated water.

Since conventional water heater stores the water together in a large tank it is able to provide water at a set temperature. Tankless water heaters differ in this aspect since they are dependent upon the incoming water temperature and the flow rate. The incoming water temperature can vary greatly from summer to winter. The capacity of a tankless water heater is generally measured by how many temperature degrees it can increase water temperature by gallons per minute (gpm). Most tankless water heaters are powered by gas to better handle the heat output and response time required. These gas powered water heaters require proper venting, normally more venting than the older, conventional water heaters required. If you are replacing a conventional electric water heater tank, you may want to add a power vent in the side of the wall. This would be the less costly alternative if there is no existing roof vent. Some of the smaller and more portable single-fixture units are powered electrically.

The post On-Demand Water Heating from Efficient Tank less Water Heaters with Atlas Homes appeared first on Atlas Homes TX. Custom Homebuilder / Major Remodeling.

Another important aspect of home addition building relates to compliance of rules. Check out the rules and regulations laid out by the authorities concerned in New York City before embarking on home addition. As per rule, the property owner has to pay a certain fee to the local municipal before starting work on the home addition. The owner or remodeling contractor is also required to obtain all requisite clearances before starting the construction work. Care has to be taken to ensure that the home addition work does not disturb the neighborhood.

Once you prepare the master plan for home addition, freeze the design to enter the second phase. Identify a suitable contractor or professional specializing in home additions. Evaluate their work by checking with their past projects and clients. If you find this a difficult task, utilize the services of the architect in evaluating the jobs. However, at times, the architects themselves, will refer suitable candidates for the job. Besides, there are some agencies, which take up the entire house addition project from the beginning to the end. However, at every step, the property owner will be consulted. The architect agency will charge a lump some amount to execute the entire work. If yo are a professional engaged in a twelve hour job, it is suggested that you hand over the work of home addition to a professional firm. It will reduce your burden on various matters relating to preparing the estimates and purchasing the necessary materials.

When it comes to addition to the kitchen, keep a tight control on the budget. Since the kitchen accessories are costly, there are chances that you might over stretch the budgetary allocation. Be wise while spending on home addition.

The post Building a Room Addition by Atlas Homes 713 545 2429 appeared first on Atlas Homes TX. Custom Homebuilder / Major Remodeling.

By Atlas Homes

Tell us a little bit about your company and its foundation.

Atlas Homes has a proud tradition of making a family’s dream home a reality. The many styles and floor plans offer you the flexibility to design and choose the home of your needs and desires. Atlas Homes offers the quality, security and lifestyle people demand in a custom homebuilder today.

Atlas Homes has served the greater Houston area since October 1983. We service the Austin, San Antonio and Houston, Texas area. Atlas Homes has on-site designers on staff who have the experience and knowledge to guide even the first-time home buyer through the designing, building and finishing of a custom home.

Over the past 34 years, Atlas Homes has earned an unequaled reputation and completed hundreds of projects. Our goal is to make you happy, while building solid, attractive homes in a reasonable time for a reasonable price. We work honestly, ethically and take extra care to satisfy our customers.

What is the first thing you tell people who are looking to remodel their bathroom?

That we will be an advocate for our client from the initial design to project completion to use their investment as wisely as possible and complete a bathroom in which add equity to their home.

When looking at a bathroom for a remodel, what factors do you take into consideration first?

We carefully listen to our clients needs, desires and wants, and analyze the current living environment. A unique, artistic and buildable design is created, translating client ideas into a plan of action to fit today’s lifestyle.

What are the most popular areas that are considered a waste of space in the bathroom?

This depends on the layout of the bathroom and customer’s wish list as well as the usage of the bathroom.

What are your personal favorite design elements in a bathroom?

Detail work, seamless shower door, fine tile work, lighting and natural color painting.

What is your best professional advice for homeowners who are looking to remodel their bathroom?

Homeowners need to be careful of hiring the contractors and decide on the one who has expertise in bathroom remodeling and can provide quality work.

What’s the best way for people to get in contact with you or your company?

Interested clients can contact us @ 713 545 2429 / 210 541 2466 or e mail their requests at info@atlashomes.us

The post Professional Advice on Your Bathroom Remodeling Project: An Interview with Atlas Homes appeared first on Atlas Homes TX. Custom Homebuilder / Major Remodeling.

An FHA 203k loan is a loan backed by the federal government and given to buyers who want to buy a damaged or older home and do repairs on it. Here’s how it works: Let’s say you want to buy a home that needs a brand-new bathroom and kitchen. An FHA 203k lender would then give you the money to buy (or refinance) the house plus the money to do the necessary renovations to the kitchen and bathroom.

Often the loan will also include: 1) an up to 20 percent “contingency reserve” so that you will have the funds to complete the remodel in the event it ends up costing more than the estimates suggested and/or 2) a provision that gives you up to about six months of mortgage payments so you can live elsewhere while you’re remodeling, but still pay the mortgage payments on the new home.

please give us a call at 713 545 2429 if you might have any questions about this type of loan

The post Getting a Mortgage Loan for a Fixer-Upper? FHA 203k Loans. Atlas Homes GC. appeared first on Atlas Homes TX. Custom Homebuilder / Major Remodeling.

Houston area 713 545 2429

Austin and San Antonio area  

The post An extension of your home and personal taste, Atlas Homes 713 545 2429 appeared first on Atlas Homes TX. Custom Homebuilder / Major Remodeling.