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Welcome to
Houseworks Unlimited
You’ve worked hard for your home, so it’s important that it be treated with care and respect. Remodeling your home isn’t to be taken for granted or treated as ordinary. During our remodeling process, we strive to show you that we care about you and your home while providing you with top quality remodeling services.

Houseworks is an award winning full service remodeling company specializing in home additions and renovations, serving Montgomery, Howard, Frederick and Carroll counties. Since 1990 our creative design-build solutions have assured that our customers receive the best value for their investment. Our staff is committed to professionally managed projects and long term satisfaction.
June 16th, 2011

Recent Remodeling Activity Hits Record Levels

The remodeling industry continues to show strength, with record levels of activity for the month of April.

The BuildFax Remodeling Index for April 2011 shows that remodeling activity for the month was higher than any April since BuildFax started tracking the market in 2004.

The latest BFRI index indicates that residential remodeling activity registered the eighteenth-straight month of year-over-year gains, demonstrating that many Americans are continuing to remodel their current homes, rather than purchasing new homes.

The BFRI is the only source directly reporting residential remodeling activity across the nation with monthly information derived through related building permit activity filed with local building departments across the country.

The April 2011 index rose 15 percent year-over-year—and for the eighteenth straight month—in April to 109.7, the highest Read more »

June 16th, 2011

Worlds Largest Solar & Coal Project

Australian PM Julia Gillard announced approval for the world’s largest coal/solar hybrid power plant. Photo: CS Energy

Australian prime minister Julia Gillard today announced the approval of a $104.7 million project to integrate solar energy into one of Queensland’s largest fossil fuel power stations.

The 750 megawatt (MW) coal-fired Kogan Creek Power Station in South West Queensland will be integrated with a new 44 MW solar thermal system, making it the largest project of its kind in the world. Read more »

June 16th, 2011

Kitchens for the Multigenerational

To understand the design elements Baby Boomers and Generations X and Y want or need in their kitchens, Masco Cabinetry, Taylor, Mich., completed its GenShift 2011 study. The online survey was conducted between Feb. 28 and March 2 by Harris Interactive, New York. Respondents were 1,027 U.S. adult homeowners aged 18 to 65.

Based on the survey, it’s believed that building and design professionals who have a strong understanding of solutions that meet clients’ multigenerational needs will be more likely to create kitchens for universal living.
Read more »

May 16th, 2011

How can I prevent paint from peeling in my bathroom?

Moisture: If the paint was put on while the walls were still damp (previous leak, build-up, etc.) this can cause blistering and pealing. Ceiling fans are needed to help get this moist air out of the bathroom.

Surface prep: It’s very important to get all the grease, grime and dirt build-up off the surfaces before painting. Use a strong cleanser and a scrub brush and go over the surfaces well. If you don’t, the new paint can’t grab on.

De-glossing: A glossy surface doesn’t allow the paint to properly adhere. A light sanding will help give the new paint something to hold on to. If your house was built before 1978 and it hasn’t been painted in a while, please consult a professional. Many paints pre-1978 contain lead and sanding can release dust into the air.

Painting: There are two types of paint: latex and oil base. Installing them in the incorrect order can result in pealing. When oil based paints dry, they have a durable, slick surface. This is one of Read more »

May 10th, 2011

Quartz v/s Granite- What should I use?

Whether homeowners work on it before a meal or gather around it afterward, the counter-top is arguably the most visible item in a kitchen. And according to a 2010 REMODELING Reader Panel survey, homeowners are choosing granite counter-tops by a margin of about 3 to 1 over the next most popular materials (see chart).

But why does granite get all the attention? Manufacturers and installers of granite and quartz weigh in on the benefits of each type of stone.

After nature does its part, mined quartz is crushed and mixed with resin to create subtly patterned slabs.

Pressure & Time
After nature does its part, mined quartz is crushed and mixed with resin to create subtly patterned slabs.

Beauty & Movement
“The customers we see that are looking at granite really are looking for that beauty and movement in the stone,” says Troy Roering, sales and marketing manager for Stone Holding Co., in Waite Park, Minn. “With granite, it’s like choosing a piece of art, whereas customers who want a more consistent look will choose quartz.”

Remodeler Ben Thompson agrees. “Both granite and quartz are premium products, but it comes down to aesthetics,” says the co-owner of Thompson Remodeling, in Grand Rapids, Mich., noting granite’s impact during the sales process. “We can take our clients shopping, pull out a big slab and show them that it’s the most dramatic and substantial item they’re getting for their new kitchen.”

Credit: REMODELING MAGAZINE Reader Panel

Read more »

March 31st, 2011

Adopt a Contractor and Protect Your Assets

If you are sitting on a million dollars or half a million dollars or even $200,000, you might consider getting advice from a financial advisor. With that kind of money, you’d want the best advice on how to grow your investment. During your first session with him you are going to go over your goals and ambitions, what assets you have, and when and how you plan to retire. With this information, your advisor will put together a plan to help you achieve your goals. You may put some of the money in stocks, some in bonds and some in annuities. At certain milestones you’ll change the funds from one place to another to maximize your return. Most of you will stick with your advisor for life, if he does a good job for you. Having a good financial advisor turns out to be a good move for you and your family. Read more »

March 31st, 2011

Making a Basement Feel More Like Home

Basements often are just leftover space. Builders don’t usually think about the most efficient way to use that space, putting the HVAC, plumbing and electrical components wherever it happens to be expedient. As a result, when it comes to re-purposing basement space, one of the toughest jobs is sorting out the infrastructure, says Mark Lawrence, AIA, of E/L Studio, Cheverly, Maryland.

A 1911 home in Washington, D.C., for which Lawrence and his partner Elizabeth Emerson designed a multi-functional family activities area, was no exception.

“One of the nice things about the basement was that it had a lot of windows,” Emerson says. “But in front of one of the windows they had put a water heater and air handler. Prime real estate was taken up by things that you want tucked away. We wound up moving them into a smaller mechanical room.”

The client’s desire for a family center where the children could do homework and play and where the family could gather to watch movies was the impetus behind the renovation. Their extensive wish list also included laundry space, room for a home-office “command center,” space to work on crafts, lots of storage and a full bath. Read more »

March 21st, 2011

Remodeling Projects Are Making a Come-Back

After years of shelving projects and doing only improvements deemed absolutely necessary, more homeowners are dusting off their remodeling plans this year as they grow more hopeful about the economy.

Many contractors are still willing to cut their prices to get new business, it could be a good time to get projects done for a lower price.

For remodeling, it’s a buyer’s market, says Paul Zuch, president of Capital Improvements, a remodeling firm in Dallas, and president of the NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry).

During the downturn, Mr. Zuch’s company lowered profit margins in order to stay competitive with not only other established remodelers but also home builders who began to dabble in remodeling when demand almost completely dried up for new homes. Read more »

March 10th, 2011

Better Homes & Gardens and Local Mt. Airy Remodeler

Craig Knott, CR of Houseworks Unlimited, Inc. has been asked to serve as an expert on the Better Home and Gardens ‘Ask-A-Pro’ section of their web-site. Need help with your project? Ask home improvement professionals from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), an association of remodeling professionals committed to providing the consumer with high standards of quality, honesty, integrity and responsibility. The panel of 5 NARI members, including Mr. Knott will answer your home improvement questions for the next 6 months. These answers will be posted on the website within the appropriate category.

March 7th, 2011

Harnessing the Wind

Tax credits and utility incentives push residential wind turbines closer to the mainstream.

In the backyards of five houses within a 2-mile span in Tarrant County, Texas, small Skystream wind turbines whir quietly atop poles. A prospective client recently approached builder Don Ferrier about making his lakeside house the sixth.

“The owner came to me as most of my clients do, saying, ‘We believe building energy efficient only makes sense,’” says the owner of Ft. Worth-based Ferrier Custom Homes.

Ferrier had to build the alternative energy system into the budget but found–as incentives for harnessing wind power whip over the nation in the form of federal tax breaks and state, local, and utility incentives–his client was in for a good deal.

Wind turbine dealers have sold almost 100,000 residential units since 1980, and in 2009 the turbine market swelled 15% despite the economic slump, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). The market boom, buoyed by growing interest in alternative energy, is a direct result of federal tax credits worth 30% of wind-harvesting costs. Read more »

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