Creative Decks

Your Outdoor Living Specialist

"Design Drawings and Construction Plans"

Framingham, MA

508-877-1060

NEWSROOM

Thinking of a Home Addition in Framingham, MA? 3 Things You Should Know

By on

Framingham MA has many beautiful homes. A lot of these beautiful homes are on the small side. This region has definitely been shaped by our Colonial past, where home design trends resulted in narrow homes with small rooms. That was fine back in the day, but modern families need more space. If you’re thinking of a home addition in Framingham, MA, here are three things you should know:

1) Kitchen additions – boost your home’s value & increase family happiness

Kitchen remodels and renovations are among the most popular home improvement projects in our region. Kitchen additions are the solution to undersized kitchens that just don’t have enough space for a busy family. Many Framingham homeowners are very enthusiastic about the idea of a designated pantry, with room for food storage as well as a location to keep all of the cooking gear you need to have but don’t use all of the time.

2) Master bedroom additions – stay in your home longer

If you’re an older homeowner, every now and then you have to think about where you’d like to live during your senior years. If you want to do that at home, you need to make sure you can live safely and independently in your home. That can be tricky if your bedroom is on the second or third floor – those jokes about falling and breaking a hip aren’t nearly so funny when you’re old enough to know a fall can put you out of commission for six months to a year. Adding a master bedroom addition on the first floor means you can live life all on one level – ideal for aging in place.

3) For the entrepreneur – home additions for business, fitness, storage & more

Many people in the Framingham area run their own businesses, either as or in addition to their full time job. Successful businesses need space to operate. You can’t run a company from your kitchen table if your kitchen table is also being used by your family to eat breakfast! Give your entrepreneurial dreams a fighting chance to succeed by having an addition built to house your business. Other reasons people choose a home addition: the home gym for fitness buffs, the private library for the scholar, and storage for those with too much stuff – in other words, everyone!

Can You Convert a Screen Porch to a Sunroom? Yes. Should You? Absolutely!

By on

“We’ve had the screen porch for a few years now, and I do have to say we enjoy it,” Samantha said. “But I’m beginning to think we’d enjoy it more if we could use it year round. And the fact that our youngest has pretty severe allergies is a factor too – this year, we wound up staying indoors when the pollen was really bad. In a sun room, we wouldn’t have to do that.”

Converting a screen porch to a sun room is a smart idea for many families. This is especially true if you have a small home and need to make full use of your available space. “With four of us in this place, sometimes we do wind up practically sitting on each other,” Samantha laughed. “And that isn’t always a good thing. Having a sun room would provide a place for whoever needs a little alone time, whether they want to go play on their phone or read a book or just be by themselves for a while – they can have some solitude, but I know they’re still safe at home.”

Sunrooms are also a great feature for pets. “Our dog Bounder is a good boy, but you have to watch him every single minute,” Samantha explained. “His name fits him. If you don’t pay attention constantly, he’s bounding out of the yard! But he loves to see everything that’s going on outside. The screen porch was okay, but I was always worried he would get wound up by a passing squirrel and take off after it. In the sun room, he’s got a great view but he’s also contained.”

Sunrooms are durable and long-lasting. Investing in a sunroom now will pay off for years to come, as your family has additional space to enjoy all year round. “Sunrooms are really pretty,” Samantha said. “They add character and curb appeal to the home. That’s why they are so popular.”

Fall Fun on the Deck: A Massachusetts Homeowner’s Guide

By on

Fall is nice in other places, but in Massachusetts, it’s magnificent. The leaves are changing color, there’s a nice crisp edge to the air, and of course, the Pats are out there showing the rest of the NFL how the game is played.

This is the season to enjoy your deck. Here are a few activities to try with your family and friends:

Toasting Marshmallows in the Fire Pit

You thought s’mores were a summer time treat? That’s only because you haven’t tasted them in a cool fall evening. Fire features are a staple of creative deck design in Massachusetts. You can choose a traditional wood fire, or for the ultimate in convenience, a gas fire feature. Either way, you’re set for a good time. Just rustle up some marshmallows and toasting sticks and enjoy!

Carving Pumpkins for Halloween

Here’s a parenting trick that will make your life so much easier. The kids love carving pumpkins for Halloween, and they’re not the only ones. But pumpkin carving can be a messy job – all the stringy pumpkin ‘guts’ and seeds can get all over the kitchen. Switch things up by having your pumpkin carving happen outside. After the Jack O Lanterns have been created, hose off the deck. Goodbye mess, hello frightful festivities. This is especially effective if your deck is built out of composite material – it doesn’t stain and is so easy to clean!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

It wouldn’t be fall in Massachusetts without watching the game with some friends. As long as the weather’s nice, you don’t have to stay indoors. Outdoor kitchens are a great part of creative deck design. If you have one in place, you can fire up the grill and do the tail gating thing at your place.

Getting Your Deck Ready for Back to School Season

By on

Where did the summer go? We don’t know, but we do know that it’s the most wonderful time of the year, when school supplies are all on sale and bright yellow buses start their journeys around the neighborhood. Now is the time to transition your deck out of summer fun mode into gear for back to school – which also means back to soccer practice, piano lessons, and everything else that happens now.

Here’s what you need to know:

Fall is the best time to schedule deck repairs. If the summer’s been rough on your deck, you’ll want to have repairs made before the snow starts to fly. Simply searching for a deck contractor near me isn’t enough – you’ll want to choose a builder with a reputation for excellence so you know the repair work is done to the highest possible standard.

Change your outdoor light bulbs! The days are already getting shorter, and before you know it, it will be dark outside before the kids are done for the day. Make sure that your deck area is properly illuminated, particularly if the deck leads to the main entrance of the home. When changing your light bulbs, take a moment to clear away any leaves, spider webs or debris that may have accumulated on your fixtures – it’s a simple touch that keeps your place looking great.

Use a sunny day to seal your deck. If you have a wooden deck, you want to be sure it’s sealed against the elements before winter does its worst. Your local deck contractor can certainly help you out with this, but for the ultimate in low-maintenance decking, choose PVC decking or composite decking. Then you’ll never have to worry about sealing or staining your deck every again.

Tidy up the toys & outdoor furniture: Taking a few moments to stow all of the summer toys and outdoor furniture now will save you from chasing it all around the yard when those strong autumn winds arrive!

The Top 3 Reasons to Remodel Your Master Bedroom

By on

Kitchen remodels are extremely popular in Western Massachusetts, as are bathroom upgrades. But what surprises many area homeowners is the fact that more and more couples are choosing to upgrade their sleeping quarters by having a master bedroom addition built. Here are the top three reasons why people remodel their master bedroom:

It’s Time for More Space: When you’re home shopping, the size of a master bedroom doesn’t always make it onto the priority list. Especially for families with young children, master bedroom size can be sacrificed to be in the right school district or because the back yard is perfect. However, after a few years of trying to get by with an undersized master bedroom, having a master bedroom addition built in Framingham, MA can provide some much needed extra room.

Mobility Issues: If you’ve been sleeping in a room on the second or third floor, and then develop lower back pain, hip pain, knee pain, or other mobility issues that make climbing the stairs painful, having a master bedroom addition built on the first floor makes going to bed at night pleasant again. If you’re planning on having your current home be where you live out your golden years, paying attention to accessibility makes sense. You’re going to sleep every night!

Because Work Doesn’t Belong in the Bedroom: Lots of people in the Framingham, MA area work a lot. When you bring work home with you, you have to do it somewhere – and more often than not, that means in a room that the kids and pets can’t get to. Making your bedroom do double-duty as a home office might make sense logistically, but it’s hardly restful! Sleep experts recommend keeping all stressful things out of the bedroom, and even the best home office has some element of stress built in. Having a master bedroom addition built means you can use your old bedroom as a home office and keep your new bedroom for more enjoyable activities.