44 THE QUEENS COURIER • AT HOME • SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
at home
Big, smart ideas for renovating smaller homes
While newly constructed homes are
bigger than ever, most Americans still live
in modestly sized or even small houses -
and many of these owners are choosing
to remodel rather than move into a bigger
home.
More than half of all American houses
were built before 1980, according to the
National Association of Home Builders. At
that time, the average new home size was
slightly more than 1,700 square feet, U.S.
Census Bureau data shows. Meanwhile,
interest in remodeling is at an all-time
high, according to Metrostudy.
Homeowners looking to renovate their
average-sized homes in order to get more
living space don’t have to build costly additions.
Many modern remodeling tactics,
tricks and tools are made to work well in
smaller homes. Here are ways to get the
most out of your home renovation:
Space-saving plumbing options
Plumbing can be problematic in any renovation,
but adding plumbing in certain
smaller-house locations can be especially
challenging. Traditional plumbing may
require you to open walls and fl oors to
connect to existing drainage lines, or break
through concrete to add toilets, showers
and sinks when fi nishing a basement.
Above-fl oor plumbing can solve a number
of small-space challenges. For example,
you may decide to add a powder room
in the unused space beneath a stairway.
However, if the space is very small, a standard
toilet with water tank and traditionally
plumbed sink might not fi t. In such a
situation, a compact, one-piece macerating
toilet like the Sanicompact from Sanifl o
installs quickly, easily and conveniently in
tight spots.
Traditional plumbing can also be a challenge
in renovations where you’re adding
plumbing below a main level, such
as installing a bathroom with a shower
or even a second kitchen in a basement
setting. In southern states, where most
homes are built on slabs rather than with
basements, adding any kind of traditional
plumbing would require you to break
open the concrete in order to add pipes -
an expensive and risky undertaking.
However, a Sanistar one-piece,
wall-mounted toilet with built-in macerator
allows you to add a basement bathroom
without cutting concrete. For adding
sinks or showers, gray water pumps
such as the Saniswift can be as compact as
a small wastebasket, and can carry water
away from new bathrooms or kitchens
where no traditional plumbing exists.
Right-sizing utilities
If you’re adding a bathroom or kitchen
in your average-sized, average-age home,
it may also be a good idea to replace the
water heater - especially if it’s 10 or more
years old. An older water heater may fail
or worse, leak, causing damage to nearby
fl oors and walls.
Modern tank water heaters are more
energy effi cient, but also larger as a result
of the insulation needed to achieve greater
effi ciency. If you’re replacing a water heater
in an attic that’s accessed through pulldown
stairs or in a crawl space, or adding
one in a closet or out-of-the-way corner, a
traditional tank water heater might not fi t.
Tankless water heaters require less room,
solving space problems. Plus, they’re more
energy effi cient because they heat the water
only when you need it, rather than using
fuel to maintain the temperature in a large
tank.
Natural light without sacrifi ce
If your home is older, it may have fewer
or smaller windows than newly constructed
homes. However, if you crave more natural
light, you don’t have to sacrifi ce wall
space to windows or incur the expense of
opening a wall.
Skylights and tube skylights can bring
more natural light into a home. Modern
skylights are energy effi cient and far less
prone to leaks than older models. A standard
skylight can easily be installed in
rooms with direct roof access, and tube
skylights can even bring natural light to
ground-fl oor spaces. Plus, skylights allow
you to preserve privacy in settings where it
matters most, such as bathrooms.
Looking up
Older homes may have less fl oor space,
but many older homes also have higher
ceilings. Or, your smaller home may
have a two-story family room or entryway.
Using the extra height in your home to
create storage space can allow you to free
up fl oor space. For example, fl oor-to-ceiling
shelves in a family room or entryway
provide ample storage space.
Tall ceilings can also be an opportunity
to add task lighting in work areas
such as over kitchen islands, or to create
design statements through the addition of
exposed faux beams.
Smart renovations can help make your
home feel bigger and function better for
your family, no matter how big or small
its square footage.
Courtesy BPT