Share If you’re considering investing in home renovations, why not build your very own home theater room? Believe it or not, there are actually a number of benefits to having a separate home theater room as opposed to having your entertainment center set up in the living ro …
Share You can read your own meters to help monitor your electric or gas energy use. During the heating season, your energy use should be compared to the number of heating degree days for the same time period; during the cooling season, compare your energy use to the number of …
Share Q: Are brick patios as long lasting as concrete? A: With the right installation, brick can be a beautiful addition to your backyard. But, they can buckle if not laid properly. As usual, hire a reputable contractor for this project, and your patio should last for decades …
Share Daylighting is the use of windows and skylights to bring sunlight into your home. Today’s highly energy-efficient windows, as well as advances in lighting design, reduce the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours without causing heating or cooling prob …
Share 1. Stay disconnected. Unplug your cellphone and other electronic gadgets as soon as they’re fully charged, or you’re just wasting energy while they soak up juice all night. 2. Lighten up. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) if they stay on at least 15 …
Share If you’re thinking about investing in home renovations, remember that taking away can be just as beneficial as adding on. Take the bathroom, for example. If you have a small bathroom that has a giant tub taking up space, why not have it removed? Removing the batht …
Share One of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more comfortable year-round is to add insulation to your home. Energy Efficiency Perhaps the most important building material in an energy-efficient home is the insulation package. Without a good insulation system, o …
Share Properly insulated homes would significantly reduce the release of these pollutants into the atmosphere: Sulfur Oxide Nitrous Oxide Fine Particulate Matter In the United States there are at least 45 million homes (65 percent) that lack the proper levels of insulation …
Share Have your home heating systems (including chimneys and vents) inspected and serviced annually by a trained service technician. Never use portable generators inside homes or garages, even if doors and windows are open. Use generators outside only, far away from the home. …
Share By John Tabor, president, Tabor Design Build Trying to determine what constitutes a good return on investment for home renovations? It’s generally best to have conservative goals. Over time, factors such as inflation will raise the value of most well maintained homes …
Share Guest Blogger: Janice Howell, MODA Floors & Interiors, www.modafloorandinteriors.com Sooner or later, time, traffic, life and living will take its toll on any floor covering. Ceramic tile is no exception. Understanding the best methods to care for your ceramic floor …
Share The color red is perhaps the most boldly daring and dramatic color of all. Red stops you in your tracks and demands attention. It often makes us think of stop signs, warning signals and fire engines. It is a versatile color with a vast number of connotations ranging fro …
Share Planning and overseeing a home renovation can be very stressful. After all, you have to think about money, logistics, the quality of the job and more. Because of this, it’s easy to forget about your pets. Unfortunately, a home remodel can affect the comfort and safety …
Share By Linda Castle, ASID, Decorated Designs Romance, such an elusive word, yet something we all strive to incorporate more of into our daily lives. Romance invokes feelings like love, passion, mystery, adventure and emotion. The challenge is to bring more of these feelings …
Share Keep bathroom doors closed. Never leave small children alone around any container of water. This includes toilets, tubs, wading pools, spas, aquariums and buckets. Safeguard bathtubs and sinks used for bathing by using faucet covers and nonskid mats or decals. Before ba …
Share Wood flooring is the most abundantly renewable flooring material available. The U.S. Forest Service states that the annual net growth for hardwoods is greater than the average annual removal rate. This means that trees are growing faster than they are being used today. …
Share Flagstone patios are really popular and can be done in a number of different ways to suit your home and landscape. In this brief video from About.com, Eric King, of King Landscaping, offers tips on how to lay a flagstone patio. http://video.about.com/landscaping/How-t …
Share Interior Designer Linda Castle, of Decorated Designs, offers some tips on how to choose paint colors for a sophisticated traditional kitchen. Via About.com http://video.about.com/homerenovations/Paint-Colors-for-a-Sophisticated-Traditional-Kitchen.htm
Share Guest Blogger: Greg Norred, CEO, Norred & Associates Over the course of your life, the chances of being the victim of a crime are at least one in three, higher if you live in a large city, and higher still if you’re a woman. The criminal’s objective is to maximi …
Share Energy conservation and rising fuel costs make ceiling fans a natural choice when it comes to conserving our natural resources. Ceiling fans not only circulate cool air in the summer, they also help with the movement of warm air in the winter. During the summer months, …
Share Recycling CFLs and other fluorescent light bulbs helps reduce the chance that the small amount of mercury they contain will end up in the environment, and some states/provinces require consumers to recycle fluorescent bulbs after they burn out. If your local environment …
Share Here are some energy-saving tips from Georgia Power to help you get your home ready for winter. On sunny days, open curtains and shades to let the sun warm your home naturally. If you have a fireplace, make sure the damper is closed when the fireplace is not in use. Thi …
Share By Peggy A. Card, CKBR, Designer/Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler, Tabor Design Build Q: What’s the best way to stretch a budget? A: There’s no one feature that can single-handedly stretch a budget; however, by looking at each grouping, you can create ov …
Share This weekend homes across the country will be a little brighter when millions of Americans kick off the holiday season by trimming their trees and their yards with holiday lights. Here are some seasonal lighting tips suggested by GE Lighting veteran Mary Beth Gotti, dir …
Share Walkways can serve different functions within a landscape. In this video from About.com, Eric King of King Landscaping shows how to design the different types of walkways that you’re likely to need. http://video.about.com/landscaping/How-to-Design-a-Walkway.htm &n …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: Lutron Electronics, www.lutron.com Choosing the right light bulb is a balancing act between energy savings, comfort, durability, cost and compatibility. Each area of a home or office will require different types of light and present different opport …
Share The National Association of the Remodeling Industry offers homeowners these top 10 warning signs that a home improvement contractor may not be reputable: You can’t verify the name, address, telephone number or credentials of the remodeler. The salesperson tries t …
Share By John Tabor, Tabor Design Build A remodeling project gets our blood pumping when we imagine how that new master bath or gourmet kitchen will change our lives. Before you get lost in the excitement, recall some of the horror stories you’ve heard about remodeling …
Share By John Tabor Here are some reasons why you’ll want to hire a professional to design and construct your new deck. The building codes for decks have become much more complicated due to the abundance of deck collapses during the last few years. Attachment techniqu …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: Nicholas Draper, president of Granite Source Did you know that renovating a kitchen or bath is the best way to add value to your home? As we wait for the economy to stabilize and home prices to increase, there are a number of ways you can work on yo …
Share Here are some tips for managing a bath remodeling project. Consider reglazing a tub instead of replacing it, especially if it’s still in relatively good condition. This can save you more than half the cost of a tub replacement and minimize the dust at the same t …
Share Here are some fireplace safety tips to help keep your family and home safe all winter long. Have all fireplace components inspected by a licensed contractor before using. Don’t place decorative or combustible items near the fireplace. Make sure your fireplace is v …
Share There are ways to stretch your remodeling budget and still end up with stylish results. In the Kitchen •If at all possible, reuse existing appliances, and build your new cabinets around them. This could save you anywhere from $1,500–5,000 easily. However, be aware …
Share Creating more space can be a big budget buster. Once you add square footage to a home, the price increases significantly. One alternative is to borrow space from a neighboring room (called space reconfiguration). A great place to steal space for a bathroom expansion is …
Share Be creative. There are often multiple solutions to accomplish a design objective, some more expensive than others. Discuss various options with your contractor. If all the room really needs is a facelift, make the most of changes with paint, as opposed to structural cha …
Share No one likes to cut a budget, especially when it’s his or her own. But when it comes to planning a remodeling project, homeowners must establish a realistic budget . . . and actively manage it. Preparing for a remodeling project is a lot like preparing to buy a ca …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: Claire Bowen, Shaw Floors Want some great basic guidelines on floor maintenance for the various types of floors? Here they are: Carpet Many carpets have stain-resistance treatments, but you still have to do basic maintenance. Regular vacuuming is th …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: Jim Burks, president/founder, Pinnacle Lighting Group To enjoy the exterior of your home after the sun goes down, develop a comprehensive outdoor lighting plan. Illuminating your property’s boundaries will make you and your guests feel safer a …
Share Tabor Guest Blog: National Association of the Remodeling Industry The National Association of the Remodeling Industry is providing tips to homeowners on how to prevent a remodeling project from becoming an allergenic nightmare, since it is estimated that 36 million Am …
Share By John Tabor We’ve all met the “guy up the street” who buys a truck, a toolbox and a business card and calls himself a remodeler. Since your home is your biggest asset, you need to know that the contractor you choose to remodel it is a full-time, dedicated, exper …
Share By John Tabor Here’s a link to an interesting article (http://bit.ly/MTAXKk) from Houzz, a leading online platform for home remodeling and design ideas. It offers tips on how you can keep your remodeling costs in check by identifying potential budget busters. This …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: Eric King, ASLA, King Landscaping, www.erickinglandscaping.com The best way to choose patio furniture for your home is to first think about three things. Number one: what is your budget? Number two: how are you going to use it? Is it for everyday or …
Share It is expected that home improvement activity will pick up in 2012. If you are planning to upgrade or remodel your home, you can expand your homeowners insurance policy to include improvements to your property. Getting Insurance Coverage for Remodeling or Upgrading Your …
Share Tabor Design Build Guest Blogger: Mary Kay Woodworth, executive director, MALTA (The Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association) Beware of These Toxic Plants for Pets If you’ve got a green thumb and are a pet owner, it’s a good idea to take inventory of the plants …
Share Tabor Design Build Guest Blogger: Ben Gardner, Atlanta Humane Society Keeping Your Pet Cool: The most important thing to remember during the summer months is to take care that your pet remains cool when outdoors. This means not leaving your pet outdoors for long periods …
Share Tabor Design Build Guest Blogger: Morgan Zenner, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, National Association of the Remodeling Industry Going green doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) offers easy ways t …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: Greg Chapman, Benjamin Moore Myth: All zero-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints are the same. Fact: False. Some paints claim to be VOC-free, and in their pure white formulation, they are. But, when you ask the paint store for a color, that’s w …
Share A recent article on energy efficient windows on Houzz featured one of our projects. The Stone family had a gorgeous backyard but it was only visible from a small window in the butler’s pantry. Although the butler’s pantry connected the outdated kitchen …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: Anita Howard, senior director of communications and events, National Wood Flooring Association Love wood floors, but confused about which type is right for your home? Hardwood flooring is manufactured in two ways: solid and engineered. Each is ava …
Share John Tabor, owner of Tabor Design Build, put his money where his mouth is when he incorporated green elements into a three-story addition to his own home. Now, after completing the remodel – one of the most complex projects his company has done – Tabor says …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: Gerald Thompson, Wood Chemist, Bona Hardwood floors are one of the largest investments in your home. Protect them by routinely cleaning to avoid dirt and in turn scratches and a dull finish. Using products that are safe for your floors, family and t …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: David Maddox, owner, Tuxedo Mosquito Control This is the time of year when we start planning our outdoor activities. Unfortunately you’re not the only living creature who’s thinking about warm weather. Mosquitoes are revving up for summe …
Share Tabor Guest Blogger: Theresa Minkoff, project consultant/interior designer, MODA Floors & Interiors This brief video covers some of the things you need to consider when selecting tile for your home. This includes location, budget, types and shapes. Click here to wa …
Share TABOR Guest Blogger: Jim Burks, founder/owner, Pinnacle Lighting Group Real estate agents say a nicely landscaped and illuminated yard can increase your home’s resale value by 12-14 percent. Although that’s important, most people invest their time and money …
Share By John Tabor If you’re considering remodeling your house, there are two crucial stages you need to understand: planning the project and selecting the company to do the work. Thinking both of them through will help ensure you minimize the issues to be addressed …
Share The picture of the day….my perfect sitting room. Cool, relaxing blues mix with warm and natural greens for my perfect haven. White paneled walls are contrasted with deep rich chocolate. Snuggle into the couch with a cup of tea and a good book….priceless.
Share As the President of Tabor Design Build, Inc., we recently designed and built a three story addition to our own home. This allowed us to extend our two children’s bedrooms, add a bathroom, create a sunny family room and add an indoor pool to the new basement. We …
Share Last week I attended a three day contractor training program for Endless Pools (EPI) at their factory in Aston, Pennsylvania. The training program included the history of EPI and their unique “try it before you buy it” program. At EPI they insist that prospectiv …
Share John Tabor and Tabor Design Build, Inc. are featured in the North Potomac Patch after receiving the 2011 COTY Award for Green Remodeling – Entire House. John Tabor, of Darnestown’s Tabor Design Build, Inc., was named contractor of the year for green remodeli …
Share What if you could make two dreams come true at the same time? Well, that’s exactly what Tabor Design Build and other local supporters of Rebuilding Together Montgomery County are going to do. We are going to build playhouses and the proceeds will be used by Rebuil …
Share Welcome to Spring! Well….we’re getting closer anyway. I just saw this warm and sunny breakfast nook and wanted to share this great color combo with you. It is supposed to hit 60 degrees here today, so it feels like Springtime to me.
Share Red can be more personal than any other color. Red is a stimulant, exciting, creating enthusiasm, full of energy. Red attracts attention, just ask a Matador. Red draws the eye and can be the focus of any room. Using red in a bedroom can have mixed results. Red i …
Share John and Tabor Design Build were featured in today’s North Potomac-Darnestown Patch. The article highlights John’s 3-story addition to his Darnestown, MD home. We are very excited to share details of this project with the local community. Click here to r …
Share In the midst of the holidays, you are reminded of last year’s plans to renovate your home. The kitchen addition to give your family and guests more space to connect during the holiday festivities, was never built. The basement renovation that will add bedrooms for …
Share It is that time of year again! Time to gather up gifts for children that depend on your efforts to experience the holidays. Please bring your new, unwrapped toys to our office and we will take care of the rest. Also, please consider bigger children when buying your gi …
Share Tabor Design Build is extremely passionate about the Veteran community. Over the years we have extended our design build services to wounded Veterans returning home. Whether our efforts were to increase accessibility, or a Veterans overall level of comfort, we are h …
Share Having been a remodeler for over 30 years, I have seen tremendous changes in the industry. As new technology is developed I research and implement its use in our projects. This month I had the honor of being asked to participate in a summit meeting of Dow Building Sol …
Share Energy Leaders Today, a publication dedicated to making the construction and remodeling industries “green”, featured us in it’s magazine this quarter. Tabor Design Build was recognized as an industry leader for it’s green remodeling and charita …
Share I have said many times that the hardest part of my job as a professional remodeling contractor is estimating accurately. Remodeling contractors are not magicians and we don’t have magic pricing wands. The profession of remodeling entails so many facets of construc …
Share On Monday and Tuesday of this week, Tabor Design Build president, John Tabor, is going to Missouri for a DOW Building Products conference called the ‘Vision Voyage’. The conference will bring together builders from across the country to discuss ways to mak …
Share You’ve lived in your home for years. You have witnessed your child’s first steps in the living room, baked cookies with your children in the kitchen, and played countless games of catch in the backyard during family time. These memories, along with count …
Share Just last week I took you inside of the Tabor 3-story addition and this is what it looked like: Now the drywall has been hung and the space is starting to look like an actual home. After hanging the drywall it was taped, blocked, scrapped, skimmed and sanded smoo …
Share Over a dozen inspections down and just two more to go. Things are moving along nicely. John’s three-story addition passed its most recent inspection just last week. The “close-in” inspection checks to make sure structural framing, plumbing, gas, …
Share Nothing like enjoying the weather, eating barbeque, socializing and calling it work! While John was away at a Remodelers Advantage Conference last week, Peggy Card (our in house designer) and I joined TW Perry for a wonderful cookout. On top of being able to enjoy some …
Share John Tabor, president of Tabor Design Build, was featured in an article in Remodeling magazine this month! For those of your following our blog regularly, you are up to speed on the 3-story addition being done at John’s home. Remodeling magazine picked up the stor …
Share Having worked in this industry for more than 25 years I can say that John Tabor’s unique approach to Design Build benefits the Homeowner in so many ways. The three that stand out the most to me are 1) The Trade Day 2)Scheduling and 3)Lack of Change Orders. It wa …
Share Swimming anyone? How about a dip in a bubbly hot tub? Well, the pool is set and the space for the hot tub has been insulated this week at the Tabor addition! If you have been following my blog updates, you were able to see the beginning stages of the pool’s instal …
Share The Tabor Team installed an endless pool at the Tabor Addition! See the video of the work in progress using the link below. Who knows, you may want an endless pool installed during your next remodeling project. Endless Pool Installation (Tabor Design Build)
Share Tabor Design Build recently worked with a family to correct a bit of a dysfunctionality they ‘inherited’ with the purchase of their Bethesda home. The homes in this area were built in the 40s and 50s, and not with the modern family in mind. Like so many fami …
Share You hear about them on the news everyday. You see them in the grocery store or maybe at a ball game. They return to us injured, from Afghanistan and Iraq. They are the men and women who have served our country with dignity and honor. They are our country’s …
Share I make it a point to stay current with remodeling news and trends. After all, how else could I provide beneficial information to potential clients attracted to our blog? Today, while scanning and reading remodeling and home improvement forums, I came across a post …
Share Commuting from the Upper Marlboro area to Rockville everyday has conditioned me to the increased likelihood of running into a traffic nightmare. Once in the Montgomery County area, I am quite comfortable assuming I wont have many traffic delays. Boy was I wrong. Not onl …
Share You have thought about it a million times; you want to remodel a room or rooms in your home. You need more space in the kitchen for the recipes you’ve been dying to try. You would love to extend your dining room area to enjoy more family dinners/events. You have e …
Share The Tabor team had a wonderful time at the Montgomery County Community Home Show this past weekend. It was refreshing to connect face-to-face with the individuals and families in and around Montgomery County. As expected, people came with interesting project ideas, lots …
Share When you read the title of this post, you may have thought the subject matter of our blog had changed. Instead of updates about the Tabor addition, you had somehow stumbled upon a site showcasing recently released horror films. Rest assured you are in the right place, a …
Share The great thing about trends is that you can set them! I read an interesting article from CBS Money Watch this week discussing remodeling trends for 2011, and this ideal was reaffirmed. Homeowners around the nation are setting trends by becoming more proactive in the r …
Share Tabor Design Build will be at the Montgomery County Community Home Show this upcoming weekend! We are eager to meet with you and your families to discuss your remodeling needs. Bring your questions, concerns and imaginations. The Universities at Shady Grove Conferenc …
Share In her normal Monday morning routine, Peggy Card, Tabor Design Build design consultant, scanned the weekends emails. Meeting confirmations, reminders and spam all in their place. Just as Peggy determined nothing was out of the ordinary, she reads, Congratulations …
Share This week we began the well drilling process for the three geo-thermal lines necessary to heat and cool the addition and the rest of the home. Drillers arrived on Monday and began to drill 473 feet into the ground. About 60 feet deep, we hit rock, which is typical in th …
Share The addition is finally under a roof just in time for the biggest snow storm we’ve had this year. Pella windows (www.pella.com) have been hung and sealed, helping to keep the cold weather outdoors. The choice to use these low energy windows was wise considerin …
Share Framing is still going well for my three-story addition. The first and second level walls and floors are set. When the Tabor team began the process of setting the roof trusses, we found that the trusses were not lining up properly with the existing roof. If we used thes …
Share Life is filled with numerous decisions and equally as many reasons not to make them. How true this is within the remodeling industry. The thing I hear from my clients most often; “We haven’t decided to move forward,” followed by a reason why. In recent …
Share I spend a great deal of time trying to understand my clients. What is important to them? How do they rationalize, strategize and ultimately make decisions about remodeling? What reasons serve as roadblocks in the space between conception and completion? I seek t …
Share I wish I could say there was a right or wrong way to decorate, but I can’t. What makes you feel good in your space is the right way, no matter what anyone else thinks. The same is true when decorating for the holidays. No matter the color or style, your holida …
Share Tabor Design Build, Inc. is honored to have one of their project photographs chosen for the cover of the “AARP Guide to Revitalizing Your Home”. The book, written by Rosemary Bakker, details creating beautiful living in your home for the second half of you …
Share autumnal - adj// of, occurring in, or characteristic of autumn My kids will tell you, I love this word. I love autumnal foods like pumpkin, butternut squash, soups and cider. I love autumnal scenery, the changing of the leaves on the trees and early morning fros …
Share With Halloween around the corner and winter not far behind, its important to perform a safety inspection of the front entrance to your home. Closely inspect your walkway and steps for trip hazards. Are your stone pavers/bricks uneven or has your concrete sidewalk …
Share I love glass tile! I love the colors, whether solid, blended or iridescent. I love them all. Glass tiles come in every color of the rainbow, in all shapes and now in lots of sizes. Although we see a lot of glass mosaics, glass tiles come in larger sizes too. So, add …
Share Today was back to school day for Montgomery County. Even though my kids are grown there’s something about the start of school that sets routines in motion. I reorganized my closets and planted mums this weekend in celebration of Autumn. Then one of my friends sent …
