Why Bother Building Your Own House?

In today’s market conditions, a new house in Missouri averagely costs about $100,000 or more. For the middle earner, this amount can take a lifetime to pay. The worse news is that today’s real earnings continue to decline while the housing costs keep on escalating. So, if you are one of these people who take jobs but cannot stand to pay the house that suits you, better consider building your own with the help of professional home builders in Missouri.

More Choices in Terms of Finishes

Unlike ready-made houses that are for sale in the state, building your own allows you to create something that you can call your “masterpiece.” If you hire a home builder, you have two options – you can either work with them during the design process, or you can hop in and join them executing the details and finishes. Of course, you can do both if you really want every corner to have your personal touch.

You can freely select your preferred materials (in case you would like to go green), tile designs, wallpapers or paint colors, and space allotment. Additionally, more freedom in terms of finishes also means more choices on what you can do in your own home.

Quality is Never Compromised

Employing a home builder also allows you to check the quality of the work during every construction process. Unlike in purchasing a ready-made home, you are not sure whether the materials used, as well as the overall project development, have passed quality standards. In addition, you cannot be sure if the construction of the house is rushed or in accordance with the project plan.

Set Your Own Pace

Another good thing about building your own house is that you can set the pace of construction process. This means that even without the whole budget, you can still accomplish a portion of the house. For instance, you can allot your initial budget in building the rooms, the comfort rooms, and then the kitchen area next. You can do this bit by bit until the house is complete. Your pockets will never be forced, and more importantly, you will never have to worry about paying mortgages.

So in a nutshell, why bother building your own home with the help of reputable home builders in Missouri? Apart from the liberty of having your own preferences, you do not have to force your budget. All these combined, you would definitely feel great about accomplishing and building your new home.

Home Builders in Missouri on the Benefits of a Gazebo

Gazebos are basically an outdoor structure that has a roof and open walls. Of course, they could come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and materials. The most common material used by home builders in Missouri, however, is wood, and as for the shape, it could usually be round, octagonal or even rectangular. Regardless of whether you live in a location that enjoys a warm climate all throughout the year or an area with varying climates, gazebos can definitely help in maximizing your outdoor living space as well as beautifying your home to a whole new level. So what are the benefits of having a gazebo in your home? Here are some:

These look great all year long.

Since their appearance remains aesthetically pleasing regardless of the season and your location, you’ll be able to find a use for it, one way or another. In the warm, summer months, you can take your time sitting in your gazebo and marvel at the beautiful weather. In cold snowy winter days, you could utilize your gazebo as a dry spot to enjoy the snow fall while sipping hot cup of coffee or cocoa. In autumn, your comfortable gazebo can also provide a vantage point to witness the glorious changing colors of the leaves. And in spring, well, you’ve got the perfect spot to relinquish yourself to the beauty of nature!

These offer you a boost in your social life.

The longer you have your gazebo, the more it will feel like the most natural place for you to host gatherings with your relatives, friends and even neighbors. Even if it is something as simple as sitting down with your buddies, enjoying the surroundings while sipping nice fruit juice, it will definitely be a more fulfilling experience when it’s in a beautiful setting such as in a gazebo. Setting up a small table to enjoy a barbeque party or simple cookout in autumn can definitely offer you more fun and memorable experiences.

These add to your home value.

As guaranteed by most home builders in Missouri, gazebos are very beautiful structures, and their usability will surely increase your property’s value. Even if you do not know what the future holds or if you have plans of selling your home at a later time, it can surely present your home with a better value. Anyway, it will really hurt to have a beautiful gazebo you could enjoy anytime.

These are a good spot for a nice snapshot.

If you’re a person who loves photography, you’ll will definitely get more value from the installation of a gazebo as this will give a perfect spot for your snapshots. Whether you plan to make holiday cards for any special occasion or would want to get a good place to take a picture for models, you can count on the aesthetic value of this home improvement. You will always have a readily available backdrop you can work on that will surely befit any occasion.

Conclusion

When you are trying to select a gazebo, you need to take into serious consideration the size of your yard, since a big one will definitely make it cramped. You also need to make sure that, when contracting home builders in Missouri for its construction, the gazebo’s color should match your home’s color scheme or give a good contrast if you choose to go the other way, and that this will fit your yard’s landscape. Also, you need to factor in the maintenance cost in your decision – wooden gazebos require staining and painting once a year. Additionally, if you want to add more amenities for your gazebo, you might also want to get an electrician for the installation of power outlets, lighting or maybe even a ceiling fan if you want to cool down in those hot, summer days. Still, whatever your choice may be, you need to make sure that it is installed properly by professionals so you can enjoy it more throughout the years.

Wood Deck Materials Commonly Used by a Deck Builder in Missouri

For a deck builder in Missouri, wood still remains to be the king of decking materials as this provides the natural beauty that most homeowners love, aside from the several other advantages like functionality, flexibility and more. There are several options available in the market that include pressure treated lumber, redwood and cedar, and tropical hardwoods. Mostly, you will see these types of decking materials at the local lumberyard, but their availability are highly dependent on the area where you live. In fact, even if there is a growing array of wood decking options like tropical hardwoods, these are mostly available only online. So with that, it is really important to know the differences between these types of wood so that you will be able to choose the best material that will maximize the benefits from what you will spend.

Pressure-Treated Lumber

One of the bestselling decking materials in the market for several decades up to the present, this green-tinted wood makes up approximately 75 percent of the total number of all the new decks produced in an annual basis. Pressure-treated lumber, when used in decking, mainly covers the understructure frames, such as the posts, beams and the joists. The reason why PT lumber makes it to the top spot of the most preferred decking material is because of its affordability and availability in the market.

Most of the PT lumber decking have the standard size of 5/4 x 6-inch planks, which equates to about 70 cents per linear foot. Another common size out there is the 2 x 4s, which are used because they only cost about 50 cents per linear foot. The vast majority of these decking materials are cut out of the southern yellow pine, chemically treated in order to withstand decay, fungal infection and bug infestations. Most PT lumber is treated by Alkaline Copper Quaternary, copper azole and other carbon-based, non-metal preservative agents so any deck builder in Missouri can use it more safely.

Its disadvantage is its dimensional instability. It is vulnerable to swelling, cracking, splitting and warping. It is also surprisingly heavy when drenched and needs routine maintenance like yearly washing, as well as staining every two or three years.

Redwood and Cedar

The main selling point of these two is their rich crimson color, as well as their natural beauty. Additionally, redwood and cedar tannins and oils actually make these inherently resistant to rotting and insects so these do not need to be chemically treated. Further, these types of wood are lightweight and can easily be cut and fastened with nails and screws. Unlike PT lumber, these are very stable and are not prone to warping and splitting. They come in different sizes but, most commonly, the ones used by a deck builder in Missouri is either 2 x 6 or 2 x 4.

Compared to cedar, redwood would cost more but when compared to PT lumber, the cost could be as much as three to five times more. Besides, while these are naturally resistant to weathering, they should still be washed once a year and stained every three or four years. Additionally, to preserve its natural color and texture, you will need to apply a semitransparent stain or risk it weathering to a soft silvery gray color.

Tropical Hardwood

These types of material come from South America, Africa, the Philippines, Malaysia and other places across the globe. These are naturally resistant to insect and rotting and are durable and hard, but are also heavy and so dense that boring holes are necessary before it is nailed or screwed. Nevertheless, these do not need much maintenance that only an occasional scrubbing and perhaps a coat of wood preservative are necessary. When it comes to the price, there is not an accurate cost as there are several species available but these are certainly among the expensive types that cost slightly more than redwood and cedar.

Conclusion

For a deck builder in Missouri, a beautiful deck is a result of careful planning and design. All the best-looking decks around are often reminiscent of the theme of the house without compromising its intended purpose. Still, most decks could have a price range of 25-35 dollar per square foot, which could also depend on the height and design of the material. Basically, if you are looking for a cheap option, you can go for a pressure-treated lumber, but if you are willing to shell out more funds, you can always go for redwood and cedar, or even tropical hardwood if this is available in your area. Either way, these options will all look good because of their natural look but will differ in terms of cost and maintenance.

Home Builders in Missouri Explains the Advantages of Wood Fencing

Wooden fences are the most common choice by both homeowners and home builders in Missouri as a means of protecting a person’s privacy. This material makes a house look more like a home, especially when this is brand new. These are very nice looking backyard barriers that do not compromise functionality. These protect you from unwanted intrusions and, at the same time, provide a good amount of privacy for you and your family. In addition, you can also decide on the style and many other attributes important to having the right kind of fence system for your property. Regardless of whether you are opting for wooden fence as a decorative element or as a barrier, here are some of its advantages:

It is customizable.

Wooden fences have several types you can choose from, and some of these include the picket, split rail, board, privacy and post. Each type of fence has its own functionality and is used for different types of properties. This flexibility is one of the reasons why most people who hire home builders in Missouri choose to opt for this material for their residential abodes.

It is affordable.

Most fencing materials can be really costly in its installation, with costs that could easily go over ten thousands of dollars. Glass fencing, for instance, can escalate up to 20,000 dollars, but for wooden fences, they are not that expensive to install and purchase. At an average, the cost of a full wood perimeter fence could go between seven dollars and 14 dollars per linear foot, and its total approximate cost will depend on how large of a space you want to enclose with it.

It is adaptive.

Wooden fences, when properly installed by home builders in Missouri, could be easily and quickly tailored to adapt to the surroundings, as well as ensure that these will fit much better with your property and its environment once installed. With this, whatever home type or style you have, be it country, classic, modern and the like, you certainly have a wide array of options that will best fit the design or style of your house. It goes without saying that this will not compromise the total costs of your home.

It is easily maintained.

Wooden fences are very low-cost when it comes to maintenance since these could be easily fixed whenever a part sustains damage. Nevertheless, as time goes by, wood will need to be treated by home builders in Missouri, as well as do some minor repairs. The frequency of repairs depends on certain factors such as your location as adverse weather conditions may greatly damage your fences. However, the total cost of having all these done is not really much. As for the time factor, it will only take about half of the total time necessary to fix other common fencing materials.

It ages magnificently.

As the wood matures, wooden fencing will look even more beautiful since this material will set with its surrounding environment. This cannot be said for most of the fencing types out there like metal and even vinyl—these materials do not age very well and, as such, they need more maintenance processes and costs in order to maintain their good appearance as well as their functionality.

Conclusion

For most home builders in Missouri, wood still remains to be a very popular choice when it comes to its function as a residential fencing material. Homeowners find it cheaper than most of the other options out there. Additionally, since wood is an organic material, it is environmentally friendly and cheap to install. It is easy to maintain and does not really need much attention in order to always look glorious. Thus, at most, you will definitely find wood fencing to be the best option for your fencing needs.