As you look ahead to a new year of possibilities, you may have created a few resolutions or vision boards, or you may have taken a personal inventory of your goals. These actions can help you keep moving forward towards your dreams and make changes in your life. It’s a great idea to take this approach with your home, too!

To keep your home updated and moving ahead, we’ve got a way for you to take a visual inventory of what’s working and what might need updating. Just follow these simple steps to see if your kitchen and bathroom should be out with the old and in with the new. (Come back next week to see what you can do to upgrade other areas of your home!)

Take Stock of Your Kitchen

1. Scan your cabinets, countertops, and backsplash. Normal wear and tear should be addressed to keep them from deteriorating further. Backsplashes near cooktops should be cleaned professionally at least every two years—or more if your backsplash is a daily recipient of food and oil debris from cooking. Taking care of your backsplash helps it last longer and look new.
2. Are there cracks in your floor, are tiles broken, or are wood/laminate boards lifting? Normal use, as well as the settling of a house, can cause grout lines to become uneven or tiles to crack. Wood planks might lift in some spots. A home improvement professional can look at the problem to let you know if it’s an easy fix (replace a tile or two or a plank), or if there’s something bigger going on (subfloor has issues). If you don’t address the issues, new tiles or flooring will have the same problem before long.
3. Can your kitchen use an upgrade? If your budget allows, you may opt for cabinet painting or new cabinets, an upgraded backsplash, new countertops, and even new appliances. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you to design your new kitchen. Or, we can recommend other options that don’t entail a complete kitchen overhaul. Quick kitchen upgrades include: a new backsplash, upgraded cabinet hardware, or a more modern faucet. From simple and relatively inexpensive, to multi-step new kitchens, we can help you from start to finish!

Boost Your Bathroom

1. Small leaks around a toilet base, sink base, or even around your tub can cause grout to become wet. This can cause additional problems very quickly. Look around your bathroom fixtures for signs of moisture (grout looks dark or feels wet, caulk has peeled or lifted) and get these addressed as soon as possible. These simple and typically inexpensive fixes can save you thousands of dollars later!
2. If your shower or tub area hasn’t been professionally cleaned in more than two years, take a closer look. Has the grout darkened or changed color? Do the tiles or grout feel slimy or gritty? Do you have water stains on the tiles or grout that just won’t go away? Hard water, water deposits, soap, and cleaning agents can impact grout and tile surfaces over time. We can take an honest look and let you know if the area needs to be cleaned, regrouted, or resealed. If it’s fine, we’ll tell you that too!
3. Can your bathroom use an upgrade? If your budget allows, you can completely remodel your bathroom to turn your tub into a walk-in shower, upgrade your sink, vanity, and mirror, and replace your old toilet with something nicer and more water-efficient. Quick bathroom upgrades include: painting the vanity, switching out a vanity top, replacing the faucet, or just changing the vanity hardware. A grout cleaning for the shower, tub, floors, and walls is also a great way to freshen the space. No matter or how big or small, we can help! For any tile, kitchen, bath, or home improvement needs, you should always work with an experienced and insured professional. Call or text us at 980-616-0914, email MrTileNC@gmail.com or visit tileandhome.com. We look forward to helping with your home projects in 2020!