Search results for "Ignoring" in Home Design Ideas

As the temperatures continue to climb, and we finally get a chance to enjoy some warm weather, we start to walk around the neighborhood, or even our own homes, to find that lots of work needs to be done. Whether it be weed picking or changing bulbs in the light fixtures there’s always something that needs to be done. However, there’s one thing that can’t wait for your attention and that’s chimney tuckpointing. Why is it so important? Let’s take a look.
Weather and Tuckpointing, Not a Good Match
You might have guessed that Chicago and Chicagoland’s weather is brutal on masonry. The city and suburbs average around 35 freeze-thaw cycles every single winter. Every time the cycle occurs, it takes a toll on the chimney's mortar joints. When water gets in and temperatures drop, the water freezes & expands as ice with enough force to crack brick and stone. When Spring comes around, what once was a hairline crack, now gets bigger and allows rain to enter into your home.
This is why the yearly chimney inspection is not optional, according to the CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America).
A Little Chicago History
Most homes in neighborhoods like Beverly, Oak Park, Evanston and across the North Shore were built between the 1890s and 1950s. The mortar used in that era had a lifespan of roughly 25–30 years under normal conditions. Under Chicago and Chicagoland conditions? It is reduced. Homeowners buying older properties frequently inherit chimneys that haven't been maintained in a very long time.
When the chimney along with the flashing, bricks, chimney cap and chimney crown are not checked and maintained, loss of structural integrity begins. Water working its way through deteriorated joints reaches the interior of the chimney. This is where it can cause damage to the fire liner while it finds its way into the home. In some situations, compromised masonry near the fireplace can create fire safety concerns.
Getting a Chimney Inspection Early Makes All the Difference
The good news is that chimney tuckpointing, diagnosed early, is simply a repair. The bad news is that homeowners who wait too long can turn the issue into a partial rebuild, or a full chimney rebuild. By the time mortar is visibly crumbling from the street, the damage has already progressed deeper into the chimney structure.
A professional inspection every year is the most cost-effective way to keep the chimney and home heathy. It's often the difference between a few hundred dollars and several thousand.
Not All Tuckpointing Is Equal
One thing worth understanding is that proper tuckpointing requires removing the old mortar to a depth of approximately three-quarters of an inch before new mortar can be applied. Anything less and the new mortar won't bond with longevity / correctly. DIY or companies that just smear new mortar over old joints are doing what's sometimes called "skim coating," and it's essentially cosmetic work that won't hold up.
The type of mortar mix matters too. More modern cement mortars are actually harder than historic brick, which causes the brick itself to absorb, stress and crack rather than the mortar joint. A knowledgeable mason from Superior Chimney will match mortar composition to the brick, only something a real expert can get right.
Contact Superior Chimney today to get a chimney inspection which includes inspecting the exterior chimney today at 877-244-6349.

Featuring R.D. Henry & Company
Mid-sized transitional single-wall medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Chicago with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and stainless steel countertops
Mid-sized transitional single-wall medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Chicago with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and stainless steel countertops

Many people focus only on appearance when buying furniture. A natural wood folding chair can save space, reduce clutter, and provide long-term value for daily family use. Learn the benefits buyers often overlook.
Find the right local pro for your project

Example of a transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor dining room design in Los Angeles with white walls

Tom Marks Photography
Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Seattle with a double-bowl sink, glass-front cabinets, beige backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white cabinets
Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Seattle with a double-bowl sink, glass-front cabinets, beige backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white cabinets

Their family expanded, and so did their home! After nearly 30 years residing in the same home they raised their children, this wonderful couple made the decision to tear down the walls and create one great open kitchen family room and dining space, partially expanding 10 feet out into their backyard. The result: a beautiful open concept space geared towards family gatherings and entertaining.
Wall color: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
Cabinets: Dunn Edwards Droplets
Island: Dunn Edwards Stone Maison
Flooring: LM Flooring Nature Reserve Silverado
Countertop: Cambria Torquay
Backsplash: Walker Zanger Grammercy Park
Sink: Blanco Cerana Fireclay
Photography by Amy Bartlam

Michelle Scotto Trani
Example of a transitional master carpeted bedroom design in New York with gray walls
Example of a transitional master carpeted bedroom design in New York with gray walls

Recessed panel runs the length of the counter to create a finished look and to hide the dog den from guests.
Photo Credit: Betsy Bassett
Example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped light wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, matchstick tile backsplash, a peninsula, gray countertops and soapstone countertops
Example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped light wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, matchstick tile backsplash, a peninsula, gray countertops and soapstone countertops

This freestanding covered patio with an outdoor kitchen and fireplace is the perfect retreat! Just a few steps away from the home, this covered patio is about 500 square feet.
The homeowner had an existing structure they wanted replaced. This new one has a custom built wood
burning fireplace with an outdoor kitchen and is a great area for entertaining.
The flooring is a travertine tile in a Versailles pattern over a concrete patio.
The outdoor kitchen has an L-shaped counter with plenty of space for prepping and serving meals as well as
space for dining.
The fascia is stone and the countertops are granite. The wood-burning fireplace is constructed of the same stone and has a ledgestone hearth and cedar mantle. What a perfect place to cozy up and enjoy a cool evening outside.
The structure has cedar columns and beams. The vaulted ceiling is stained tongue and groove and really
gives the space a very open feel. Special details include the cedar braces under the bar top counter, carriage lights on the columns and directional lights along the sides of the ceiling.
Click Photography

photography by Rob Karosis
Bathroom - mid-sized traditional slate floor and gray floor bathroom idea in Portland Maine with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops and gray walls
Bathroom - mid-sized traditional slate floor and gray floor bathroom idea in Portland Maine with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops and gray walls

Bernard Andre
Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen remodel in San Francisco with an undermount sink, open cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, marble countertops and mosaic tile backsplash
Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen remodel in San Francisco with an undermount sink, open cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, marble countertops and mosaic tile backsplash

Connie Anderson Photography
Builder: Frankel Building Group
Example of a patio design in Houston with a fire pit and a roof extension
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This transitional timber frame home features a wrap-around porch designed to take advantage of its lakeside setting and mountain views. Natural stone, including river rock, granite and Tennessee field stone, is combined with wavy edge siding and a cedar shingle roof to marry the exterior of the home with it surroundings. Casually elegant interiors flow into generous outdoor living spaces that highlight natural materials and create a connection between the indoors and outdoors.
Photography Credit: Rebecca Lehde, Inspiro 8 Studios

Example of a trendy master white tile and marble tile light wood floor and beige floor freestanding bathtub design in New York with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, white walls and an undermount sink

This master bath was dark and dated. Although a large space, the area felt small and obtrusive. By removing the columns and step up, widening the shower and creating a true toilet room I was able to give the homeowner a truly luxurious master retreat. (check out the before pictures at the end) The ceiling detail was the icing on the cake! It follows the angled wall of the shower and dressing table and makes the space seem so much larger than it is. The homeowners love their Nantucket roots and wanted this space to reflect that.

Hi everyone, I'm Sarah and Ogun we are here with fine line kitchens. So we are a couple working together. I do the interior design and remodeling of the space material selection meeting with the clients. And I handled operations outside, you know meaning all the construction work that is taking place the inside. The houses that we work in. I handle all the aspects of the construction, so today's project is very special. We're in Vienna and the client had a very big family. It's a family of seven that lives here. So we had a few aspects that we needed to keep in mind while designing this one. Having everybody be able to sit on the island. So we wanted plenty of seating all the way around. We didn't want anybody standing or anything like that. So what we did is we maximize the space. The center island is the biggest part of the kitchen. We use a natural stone to kind of give it a beautiful texture versus quartz. It's kind of standard white or kind of fabricated, so I wanted something very natural. We did this because I took my inspiration from the outside, so the inspiration if you look at the view right in front of me is there are so many greens there's a lot of brass accents and I wanted to bring this. Into this kitchen while designing it for my clients. She is very warm very. She wanted a very homey, comfy kind of look for the kitchen. So that's what we did today. As you can see, the cabinets are sage green, very light, so I still think it's a neutral, but it's a lighter color that again brings the outside in and we combine that with the oak right behind me so it's a slightly warm oak. It's not very dark. It's not very light. It's a medium brown and the same color went on the island. To kind of tie these two in and the backsplash, my favorite part is where you can see a little bit of design. It is, in my opinion still classic, but includes a pattern so the outside part is as we said in the beginning, is handled by my husband. I'd like him to speak a little bit about that. Thanks, Sarah, I want to talk to you guys a little bit about the construction part of this project. Originally this kitchen was located mostly in this area. They had their stove there sing. It was more of a peninsula layout in Sarah's and the customer vision they wanted. They wanted to get rid of the peninsula and they want to be able to have a huge island that can at least sit seven people because they're familiar with seven. So we wanted to make sure that we can achieve this design and bring it to life so that they can be happy with this layout. Some of the challenges we had, the house, the home being, you know, old home. There were a lot of you know the older electrical and plumbing that had to be replaced. We had to relocate the stove from here to this area. Over here we had put a nice foot fan that we had to relocate all the ductwork and the plumbing. Was being on the peninsula area. We had to relocate it to the center islands. So we achieved all this and kind of like bring it to bring in this kitchen up to date it looks beautiful. That's true, so yes, the old layout did not function for my clients because everything was kind of gathered on one side of the kitchen. So there was like a peninsula right there. So the end of this island kind of continued straight. And that was just the L shape. Kind of where everything was and there used to be another big table here, so they were using only kind of half of the space. So like I said at the beginning, our vision was to kind of feed everybody at the island, create some symmetry. 'cause I love that. So as you can see behind me, this is kind of the focal point symmetrical. Everything is kind of even we wanted to also panel the fridge here so it mimics the pantry and another size. So when you're looking at it, it is bringing again that symmetry back again. I hope you enjoyed this kitchen and this video and I'll see you soon. So how do you think this project turned out? It's nice. I like the color. I think it turned out nice. It's kind of like a little bit different color than what we always do. So I realize. Are you giving me a little bit of credit here that I did something different? Are you proud? I'm so proud of you. Other than that I like it. That they have kind of like a two sink. So if this was our kitchen, if we ever like you can have your own. I can have mine if we ever get into a fight then this can be like my own kitchen. Why are we gonna bring in a fight right now? So I'm cooking anyway. You're grilling most of the time, So what are you even talking about? My kitchen? That's my kitchen. You can just take the small sink. That's fine. It's always good to have your own space right there, so anyways. Thank you guys for watching. We hope to see you soon and if you have any questions please click the link below. It'll lead you to our website, house, YouTube and all of the social media is so nice to have you guys. We'll see you soon. Thanks bye bye-bye.
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