Most of the design for aging in place for the kitchen is very beneficial for any age. That’s why homeowners will often look to make kitchen remodels their first priority. Ease of access and a clean, stylish look is a high priority and a good addition for potential resale value. “Our clients don’t want to have to bend down so they request more drawers and pullouts in their cabinetry. They also want their cabinets to be shallower so that they can easily see and reach their kitchenware,” says Walton.
Renovating rooms for future caretakers
Walton says Marrokal Design & Remodeling clients are interested in whole room renovations— another preparation for the future. “People are creating space for a caretaker. They will have a room remodeled into a suite with a bathroom, a small living space, and kitchenette, so that in later years a caretaker can live there and assist them,” says Walton. He says these additions are becoming more popular especially as extended families are coming together and living under one roof.
When it comes to remodeling your home for aging in place or simply for added space and comfort, Marrokal Design & Remodeling is the company that clients trust their homes to. The staff understands that every remodeling project is a precious development in their clients’ future.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Spacious Bathrooms and Walk-In Showers
The next tier of remodeling is to look at improving areas that have limited access for those who are using wheelchairs or walkers. For those homeowners wanting to age in place, the bathroom almost always needs to be adjusted to accommodate wheeled assistance.
Walton says this requires widening doors and re-designing the bathroom so that a wheelchair can freely maneuver not only around the bathroom but also through the doorway to reach the bathroom.
“Hallways are generally three feet which is wide enough to get a wheelchair through, but the door openings in a standard home are about two-foot-six or 30 inches wide. So those need to be widened to a minimum of two-foot-ten or three foot which is a standard width,” says Walton.
“The next step would be to make the shower more user-friendly. The universal design of a walk-in shower has mass appeal because of its convenience and easy access for all. “If you have the space, that’s best; if not, then the shower has to be remodeled so that the doors are frameless. That way, there’s no frame or track that sticks up and prevents the wheelchair from rolling over it,” says Walton.
Walton says this requires widening doors and re-designing the bathroom so that a wheelchair can freely maneuver not only around the bathroom but also through the doorway to reach the bathroom.
“Hallways are generally three feet which is wide enough to get a wheelchair through, but the door openings in a standard home are about two-foot-six or 30 inches wide. So those need to be widened to a minimum of two-foot-ten or three foot which is a standard width,” says Walton.
“The next step would be to make the shower more user-friendly. The universal design of a walk-in shower has mass appeal because of its convenience and easy access for all. “If you have the space, that’s best; if not, then the shower has to be remodeled so that the doors are frameless. That way, there’s no frame or track that sticks up and prevents the wheelchair from rolling over it,” says Walton.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Home Remodeling for Seniors: Safety and Ease of Mobility
• Creating ramps or slopes instead of steps for easier and faster access to the home.
• Decreasing the height of steps.
• Using materials for flooring that grip or are skid proof to reduce falls.
• Adding lighting at the bottom of the stairwell: reduced lighting, especially at the foot of the stairs, can cause accidents and injuries for seniors.
• Adding grip bars in bathrooms and railings in hallways: signs of fingerprints on walls in hallways often indicate that someone living in the home may need assistance with balance in those areas.
• Filling sunken living rooms: “A lot of people who have homes with sunken living rooms are asking to fill up their living room to make it so that it is on the same level as the next room,” says Walton.
• Changing doorknobs to handle levers so that they are easier to open whether someone is elderly or has an injury such as a broken arm.
• Adding walk-in showers that are convenient for both showering the dog and rolling in a wheelchair or walker.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Baby Boomers Seek Comfort and Safety for Permanent Living!
Aging gracefully is a multi-billion dollar business. Americans are continuously seeking anti-aging remedies to preserve their external and internal youth. As the baby boomer generation ages, spending to preserve their accustomed style of living is transferring to their homes as well.
Homeowners want to stay put. They have invested lots of money in their homes which have become a sanctuary in these times when vacations to high-end resorts are being postponed to a time of better economic conditions. Instead, many are choosing to make their homes more comfortable right now and for their future long-term stay. In the home remodeling industry it’s known as aging in place and it is becoming a significant source of work for some remodelers.
“The baby boomer generation elected to make themselves as comfortable as possible. So they put money into their homes,” says Steve Walton, Senior Design Consultant with Marrokal Design & Remodeling. “They have invested a lot of money into their homes and they don’t want to leave them—their home is their castle.”
Staying in their homes as long as possible is the goal, but as wheelchairs, walkers, and other signs of aging are needed, a transformation is required to keep modern comforts and allow for successful and safe mobility.
At Marrokal Design & Remodeling, Walton says it all begins with looking at the picture of the lifestyle that their clients want both now and in the future. “People who are middle-aged and younger are also opting to use products that are safer because they see the benefits. They are choosing to use tiles that have textures that prevent slippage. They’re looking for ways to make the home look aesthetically pleasing and assist them with moving comfortably into their later years,” says Walton.
Homeowners want to stay put. They have invested lots of money in their homes which have become a sanctuary in these times when vacations to high-end resorts are being postponed to a time of better economic conditions. Instead, many are choosing to make their homes more comfortable right now and for their future long-term stay. In the home remodeling industry it’s known as aging in place and it is becoming a significant source of work for some remodelers.
“The baby boomer generation elected to make themselves as comfortable as possible. So they put money into their homes,” says Steve Walton, Senior Design Consultant with Marrokal Design & Remodeling. “They have invested a lot of money into their homes and they don’t want to leave them—their home is their castle.”
Staying in their homes as long as possible is the goal, but as wheelchairs, walkers, and other signs of aging are needed, a transformation is required to keep modern comforts and allow for successful and safe mobility.
At Marrokal Design & Remodeling, Walton says it all begins with looking at the picture of the lifestyle that their clients want both now and in the future. “People who are middle-aged and younger are also opting to use products that are safer because they see the benefits. They are choosing to use tiles that have textures that prevent slippage. They’re looking for ways to make the home look aesthetically pleasing and assist them with moving comfortably into their later years,” says Walton.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Company’s Design-Build Process Ensures Success in Home Remodeling
If you’re a homeowner interested in remodeling, what does this mean to you? It means that there are lots of companies to choose from so selecting the best company to get your remodeling project completed can be challenging. But if you understand what to look for in a home remodeler, you’ll be able to select the best one for your project.
Understanding the design-build company
Not all remodeling companies are created equal. In fact, not all remodeling companies offer the same services. A full-service, design-build remodeling company offers homeowners the ability to get all of their remodeling needs from the architectural design to the construction of their remodel met through one company that will oversee the entire project—from start to finish and even service beyond completion.
Marrokal Design and Remodeling is an industry leader based in San Diego, California since 1981. For over a quarter of a century, Marrokal’s design/build professionals have impressed homeowners with their attention to detail and unparalleled customer service.
“We have a great core group of people who really work hard for our clients. About 75 percent of our business is from referrals,” says Bruce Howard, Director of Production at Marrokal Design and Remodeling.
Howard started with the company 21-years ago. He says Marrokal Design and Remodeling plays an integral role in helping homeowners navigate their way through a highly confusing industry. “There are a lot of choices just in products, alone, such as tile. It makes it difficult for homeowners to figure out where to go to select a product and then even more difficult to choose which one is right for their home,” says Howard.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Green Building Also Saves You Money!
Of course, simple things like changing your light bulbs to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can help you cut costs; lighting can contribute anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent of your electrical usage. LEDs will cost a little more upfront but they last more than 11 years and they don’t contain the toxic element, mercury, as the less expensive Compact Fluorescent Lights do.
Centrullo says during the design phase of the remodel, environmental factors such as the sun, wind, and shade, are given special consideration because they will later affect the need for heating and air conditioning of the home. “We’re taking advantage of Mother Nature,” says Centrullo. This creates an economic benefit later for the homeowner.
You can also invest in better insulation for your remodel. “Marrokal Design & Remodeling uses an upgraded insulation which makes a difference. The less heat exchange from inside to outside the home, the more money you will save,” he says.
Centrullo says that another big cost-saving benefit for Green Building is to use re-circulating pumps to help you save water. “Most of the time when the water is turned on, it’s not hot right away, so people just let it run until the water heats up,” says Centrullo. The average American family can waste 10,000 gallons of water each year just waiting for it to get hot, according to Home Builders Association of Metro Denver.
Re-circulating pumps are devices that push the water through the pipes and re-circulate it back to the water heater instead of pushing it down the drain. That process can amount to a couple hundred dollars of savings in your water and utility bills. “These are simple devices that we can install. They can be left on all the time or set to come on at certain times throughout the day,” says Centrullo.
Imagine never having to pay another utility bill? That is becoming a reality rather than just a thought for many homeowners. In fact, news reports reveal that some families, thanks to solar thermal (for heating water) and solar photovoltaic (PV) (for producing electricity) are generating even more power than they use. These days, homeowners are considering solar panels to supply electricity to warm their pools, generate home electrical needs, and even supply power for a plug-in electric vehicle.
Centrullo says during the design phase of the remodel, environmental factors such as the sun, wind, and shade, are given special consideration because they will later affect the need for heating and air conditioning of the home. “We’re taking advantage of Mother Nature,” says Centrullo. This creates an economic benefit later for the homeowner.
You can also invest in better insulation for your remodel. “Marrokal Design & Remodeling uses an upgraded insulation which makes a difference. The less heat exchange from inside to outside the home, the more money you will save,” he says.
Centrullo says that another big cost-saving benefit for Green Building is to use re-circulating pumps to help you save water. “Most of the time when the water is turned on, it’s not hot right away, so people just let it run until the water heats up,” says Centrullo. The average American family can waste 10,000 gallons of water each year just waiting for it to get hot, according to Home Builders Association of Metro Denver.
Re-circulating pumps are devices that push the water through the pipes and re-circulate it back to the water heater instead of pushing it down the drain. That process can amount to a couple hundred dollars of savings in your water and utility bills. “These are simple devices that we can install. They can be left on all the time or set to come on at certain times throughout the day,” says Centrullo.
Imagine never having to pay another utility bill? That is becoming a reality rather than just a thought for many homeowners. In fact, news reports reveal that some families, thanks to solar thermal (for heating water) and solar photovoltaic (PV) (for producing electricity) are generating even more power than they use. These days, homeowners are considering solar panels to supply electricity to warm their pools, generate home electrical needs, and even supply power for a plug-in electric vehicle.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Preserve the Environment With Green Remodeling with Marrokal!
Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels is becoming a greater concern to Americans. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are used to produce energy but green remodeling can reduce energy use by 50 percent in a home without costing a fortune. According to reports, half of the known oil reserves on our planet have already been used. The rest is more difficult to reach—further out to sea, deeper underground, or more chemically complex—causing it to be even more expensive.
In remodeling, Centrullo says that preserving the environment starts by making sure that the materials that are collected during the demolition phase of the remodel are properly recycled. Marrokal Design & Remodeling makes sure that these materials are saved for recycling centers. “Rather than filling up landfills, our waste haulers deliver the materials from the demolition phase to recycle centers. They sort the materials into glass, paper, wood, steel, and other materials that then get recycled or reused.”
Centrullo says the demolition materials often can have a second life, “If we save reusable items such as doors, windows, or even appliances, we can then take them to organizations that can reuse the materials which are still in pretty good shape.”
During clean up, Marrokal Design & Remodeling uses best management practices to make sure that run-off from products don’t flow into storm drains.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Marrokal Green Building is for a Healthy Lifestyle
Many homeowners aren’t aware of the dangers that are linked to numerous building products that are commonly used in American homes. “A lot of these products continue to give off harmful gas vapors,” says Certified Green Building Professional, Mike Centrullo, who is a Design Consultant at Marrokal Design & Remodeling. The non-green products can cause health problems such as headaches, eye irritation, asthma, nervous system disorders, and even cancer.
Green remodeling uses healthy building materials and therefore helps to eliminate potential health risks. One of the biggest areas of concern in green remodeling is ensuring proper indoor air quality.
That process begins in the design phase. Centrullo says making sure that a home is well ventilated creates a healthier living environment. For example, he says, “If there is a breeze corridor that runs parallel with the side of the home that we’re working on, we might consider installing a casement style window that opens out and allows the air to funnel into the home, which creates better ventilation.”
“Using low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) finishes, cleaners and adhesives can also make a huge difference in indoor air quality,” says Centrullo. And when it comes to flooring, using the proper types of materials such as carpet that has low VOCs or even using pre-finished wood floors instead of finishing them on site will reduce the amount of harmful exposure to product fumes.
Green remodeling uses healthy building materials and therefore helps to eliminate potential health risks. One of the biggest areas of concern in green remodeling is ensuring proper indoor air quality.
That process begins in the design phase. Centrullo says making sure that a home is well ventilated creates a healthier living environment. For example, he says, “If there is a breeze corridor that runs parallel with the side of the home that we’re working on, we might consider installing a casement style window that opens out and allows the air to funnel into the home, which creates better ventilation.”
“Using low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) finishes, cleaners and adhesives can also make a huge difference in indoor air quality,” says Centrullo. And when it comes to flooring, using the proper types of materials such as carpet that has low VOCs or even using pre-finished wood floors instead of finishing them on site will reduce the amount of harmful exposure to product fumes.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Green Remodeling: Healthy, Saves Money and Resources
If you’re considering a remodel for your home, you’ve likely heard that going “green” can make a difference in your pocketbook, the world, and your lifestyle. But you may not completely understand how or why green remodeling is becoming the leading choice for savvy and eco-friendly homeowners.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, green building (also known as sustainable or high performance building) “is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, and deconstruction.”
Marrokal Design & Remodeling has an award-winning Green Certified Design Team that focuses on understanding homeowners’ lives and then building the most energy-efficient green-type homes to match their clients’ needs. The result is a whole-systems approach to remodeling projects that ultimately saves you money, makes the home more comfortable, increases healthy air quality, requires less maintenance and provides higher and sustained durability. The final outcome positively affects your lifestyle, the environment, and your bank account.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, green building (also known as sustainable or high performance building) “is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, and deconstruction.”
Marrokal Design & Remodeling has an award-winning Green Certified Design Team that focuses on understanding homeowners’ lives and then building the most energy-efficient green-type homes to match their clients’ needs. The result is a whole-systems approach to remodeling projects that ultimately saves you money, makes the home more comfortable, increases healthy air quality, requires less maintenance and provides higher and sustained durability. The final outcome positively affects your lifestyle, the environment, and your bank account.
Monday, November 1, 2010
See What Our Customers Are Saying About Us!
Notes like this are not the exception but rather the rule. It seems this nationally recognized and award-winning company is constantly receiving praise for its work. “Our sincere gratitude to Senior Design Consultant, Jim Dyjak, and his design team, Project Designer, Scott Hall, and Interior Designer, April Worrell, who came up with ideas we never thought of. Jim even managed to get us back some of our lost view by moving our kitchen, rearranging windows, enlarging sliding doors, and repairing the adjoining sun deck. The new kitchen is our absolute favorite with its nine-foot island (aka: the sushi bar). We look forward to many get-togethers with family and friends—they'll see firsthand what high-quality work Marrokal Design and Remodeling does,” writes homeowner, Marilou Seki from Point Loma.
And think about this, when is the last time you hired someone to work on your home and you wound up giving them an endearing nickname? You’ll probably have to think for a long while about that. That’s because the home improvement industry ranks high in consumer complaints but Seki had such an exceptional experience that she wrote this. “Last, but not least, a special thank you to our Project Manager, Pete Hoffman. Frankly, we don't think we could have survived our home remodel without him. His availability for countless calls and questions, his professionalism, unflappable personality and quiet humor had my daughter calling him "Sunshine". Pete single-handedly kept us from panicking over unexpected problems with his calm presence and knowing where to find sensible solutions,” writes Mrs. Seki.
From Lakeside, the Chavarrias write, “It has been a few months since our remodel has been completed. The project was completed on time, no surprises, no flaws, and it absolutely looks great! We are still receiving compliments about how nice it looks.”
President of the company, Gary Marrokal, knows you simply can’t buy this kind of advertising. But he knows that you can earn the praise by doing extraordinary work and running an exemplary company. And, while his company has received many awards for its high industry standards, perhaps the most satisfying indicator of success comes from comments like this one from the Marmalejos. “Businesses of every sort should use Marrokal as the model for recruiting only the best, retaining a highly professional staff, contracting and outsourcing with the best tradesmen, and setting the standard for customer service.”
So when you’re researching home remodelers, remember to look for an ethical company that makes you their top priority, offers full design/build services, and has a staff that is experienced and responsive. When you search for those criteria you will find Marrokal Design & Remodeling. Count on Marrokal to enhance your home, suit your needs, and exceed your expectations.
And think about this, when is the last time you hired someone to work on your home and you wound up giving them an endearing nickname? You’ll probably have to think for a long while about that. That’s because the home improvement industry ranks high in consumer complaints but Seki had such an exceptional experience that she wrote this. “Last, but not least, a special thank you to our Project Manager, Pete Hoffman. Frankly, we don't think we could have survived our home remodel without him. His availability for countless calls and questions, his professionalism, unflappable personality and quiet humor had my daughter calling him "Sunshine". Pete single-handedly kept us from panicking over unexpected problems with his calm presence and knowing where to find sensible solutions,” writes Mrs. Seki.
From Lakeside, the Chavarrias write, “It has been a few months since our remodel has been completed. The project was completed on time, no surprises, no flaws, and it absolutely looks great! We are still receiving compliments about how nice it looks.”
President of the company, Gary Marrokal, knows you simply can’t buy this kind of advertising. But he knows that you can earn the praise by doing extraordinary work and running an exemplary company. And, while his company has received many awards for its high industry standards, perhaps the most satisfying indicator of success comes from comments like this one from the Marmalejos. “Businesses of every sort should use Marrokal as the model for recruiting only the best, retaining a highly professional staff, contracting and outsourcing with the best tradesmen, and setting the standard for customer service.”
So when you’re researching home remodelers, remember to look for an ethical company that makes you their top priority, offers full design/build services, and has a staff that is experienced and responsive. When you search for those criteria you will find Marrokal Design & Remodeling. Count on Marrokal to enhance your home, suit your needs, and exceed your expectations.
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