Mike has been asked once again to fill in for Lou Manfredinni on WGN’s “Mr. Fix It” show.

So tune in to WGN 720 AM on February 20th from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM. Give Mike a call, say Hello and ask your question!

The phone number is 312-591-7200.

Let’s start in the kitchen. We all know the kitchen is the most popular room in the home to remodel. It is also, typically, the most expensive. If the cabinets are in good shape, you can replace the counter tops. Imagine an outdated expanse of gold laminate top replaced with white laminate enhanced with a wood tone bevel. If you are looking for a bolder statement, take a look at the available colors in the laminates. The array of colors, subtle and not so subtle designs, and textures is awesome. Different edging selections are also available. Your possibilities on counter top replacement do not stop with the laminates. While more expensive, you can also venture into the ever expanding world of solid surface. Most people think Corian, which is one type of solid surface material offered. Natural stone, like granite, is another popular counter top material at a similar price to Corian.

Now that you have changed the counter tops, you might also want to replace the faucet. The old chrome faucet is now available in many different colors, styles and finishes. Regardless of your decorating style, you can find a faucet that makes a statement. Another small project that says wow, is as simple as replacing cabinet hardware. This project is so easy you might decide to change your kitchen cabinet knobs seasonally, especially after you take a look at all the different options.

Changing the flooring in a room can make a big difference. That vinyl floor was pretty easy maintenance with the kids and the dog tracking in and out, but it has sure worn, and you are just sick of it. Wood is a great product and you love the look, however in a high traffic area it may not be the best choice. Consider a laminate floor. Pergo is a name you might be familiar with, but it is just one of the brands of laminate floors available. The variety of colors and styles has greatly expanded from the original, and still popular, “wood grain” plank style. Don’t forget ceramic tile. Drop in at your local flooring store for a dizzying array of ceramic tile choices.

If you’re looking for a subtle change that impacts both the appearance and function of an area check out lighting. Do you still have all the builder-grade fixtures in your home that have been there for 15 years? They may be ugly or nondescript, but they work so you haven’t bothered to replace them. Now may be the time to invest in some new fixtures. Add some ceiling fans and have the advantage of attractive lighting, in addition to keeping down those summer energy costs. Why have an ordinary hall light when you can have a small, but elegant, hallway chandelier? Install task lighting in the kitchen. It creates a soft ambience as well as lighting specific work areas.

Add a skylight to the kitchen, bathroom, hallway, bedroom or any room that could benefit from more natural light. Have a window seat built in front of a window that overlooks the garden. Besides becoming a cozy nook, it can be designed to create added storage space. Don’t forget paint. A change of color can dramatically alter the appearance of a room.

Small projects can revitalize any room in your home. Look around, let your imagination run free. That tax relief check may have a big impact after all.

Do you envision a modern kitchen, all sleek, shiny and spare? Perhaps the look of a commercial kitchen appeals to you.

One factor in determining style is the way you use the kitchen. If the kitchen is just a place to hold the coffee maker and microwave, you will plan a much different room than one who prepares gourmet meals and entertains regularly.

If you are the average American, you spend three to five hours a day in your kitchen. That is at least triple the amount of time you would spend in a formal living room. Most people mention that when guests come by their home, they tend to congregate in the kitchen. If you are spending this much time living and entertaining in the kitchen, it would make sense to treat it more like a living room.

One way to accomplish that is to create an unfitted kitchen. An unfitted kitchen may include a free standing piece for an island. Other pieces might include a hutch, armoire, desk, and even a love seat or comfy stuffed chair. The unfitted kitchen is very European. Americans have not been as willing to part with miles of continuous counter tops and banks of cabinets.

A completely unfitted kitchen may not be as practical as a modern kitchen, although it may have loads of old world charm and warmth. The best of both worlds is to incorporate some of the features of an unfitted kitchen into a more typical kitchen. Several cabinet manufacturers are introducing cabinet lines that include furniture details. Many are also offering lines of freestanding pieces that are tailored for the kitchen, such as food cupboards, plate dressers and pantries.

An unfitted kitchen makes it easier to work around existing features like windows, chimneys and doors. It can incorporate antique furniture you collect. This style blends better with other rooms in the house, allows more expression in design and may be more likely to be rearranged to suit changing needs. If you love the look of granite or Corian you can do it on one or two pieces, while using laminates on the others. This may be a helpful tool when trying to stay within a budget. Different counter top heights can be useful for food preparation and different cooks. A lower top for rolling out pastry dough for the shorter baker can be combined with a higher unit for that tall vegetable chopper in the family. Older family members are likely to appreciate a counter top where tedious kitchen chores can be done while sitting down.

On the other hand, separate pieces may cut down on storage space. A long expanse of counter top, which can be useful, may not be feasible due to separate cabinet pieces. An unfitted kitchen may take more time to plan and design. A good eye is required so the room does not appear cluttered and mismatched. Some of the more elaborate architectural details can add to the cost of the project.

If you are considering remodeling your kitchen, the unfitted kitchen is an option you might want to ponder. If your idea of a kitchen can be described as relaxed, comfortable, visually appealing, more flexible and a room that looks less like a kitchen than a kitchen, an unfitted or semi-unfitted kitchen may be for you.

If you are lucky, before you jump into this new endeavor, you talk with someone who has experienced the trials and tribulations of running their own project. First consider how much time and patience you are willing to contribute to the project. You can save money by being the general contractor, unless you consider your time to be money.

The general contractor, whether you or someone else, will spend a great deal of time on ordering, organizing and scheduling before the project begins and then continuously reorganizing while the job is underway. The carpenters, plumber, electrician, drywallers, painters, etc. all have to be scheduled at the proper time and in the proper sequence. Just one of these people canceling and needing to reschedule or one material delay will likely result in a massive rescheduling of everyone else. Often your contractor has an advantage when needing to reschedule subcontractors as he has a longstanding working relationship with them so they are more apt to cooperate with schedule changes.

Material delays are commonplace in the remodeling business. The subcontractors you are hiring will charge you if they show up to install all the plumbing fixtures and one has been delayed so they will have to come back another day. If one of the products is flawed and you purchased it, expect to be charged for the installation, the removal after it was found to be defective, and the installation of the new one when it comes in.

When there is a problem with the project for which you have hired a remodeling company, you make a phone call to them and they are responsible for resolving the problem to your satisfaction. If the new electric outlet just installed in your basement is not working, just call the remodeler. On the other hand, if you’re the general contractor, you have to handle the problem.

First you contact the electrician. He informs you that the outlet was working when he left last week and maybe the drywallers damaged something. He will come out and fix it in two weeks, but he’ll have to charge you since it was not his fault. You can try to have the drywaller pay for it, but if he claims he did not damage it and says the electrician messed up in the first place, you are stuck in the middle. Stuck in the middle means you will probably end up paying for the repair out of your pocket.

It now appears that the organizing and scheduling may not be quite as simple as you thought. If you are purchasing all the materials, have a plan in place as to how you are going to get them to your house. In addition, hiring someone to install products you purchased may be tricky. Some installers prefer to do their own purchasing and may not accept the job. Others may install customer supplied products,but this may affect their warranty. Still others may refuse to install certain brands. Also, don’t forget, if you are the general, it is up to you to pull permits and coordinate the proper inspections.

If you are determined to be the general contractor, you might want to go to your local library and do some studying. You may find your efforts to save money have resulted in a huge amount of your time, a lot of aggravation and may actually have ended up costing you more money. Being your own general contractor can be successful and rewarding, but you must be extremely well prepared, very organized and have the time to devote to the task. Approach this as a full-time job. If you do not stay on top of all aspects of the project your dream room could become a nightmare.

This got me to thinking how I would define remodeling. I have the luxury of defining only one word so I didn’t feel the need to be as brief as Webster. Remodeling is both an art and a science. Remodeling restores and renovates, it brings back the beauty of a gentler more gracious era. Less romantically phrased, remodeling also converts some pretty poor designs, updates some ugly outdated color schemes, maintains and repairs structures, and makes living space more functional and attractive.

The growing home improvement industry encompasses projects as basic and inexpensive as replacing a door knob while also including projects such as addition which can be larger than the original house. This has grown into a pretty big industry. Back in the 1990’s remodeling surpassed the new home building industry in terms of dollars. However, with the current slowdown in the economy both new home building and remodeling will be affected. While the remodeling industry faces leaner times, it will not be stopped, simply because it is such a broad based business.

Remodeling is much more than major alterations, it also includes the all important home maintenance category. You might decide not to do that full kitchen remodel this year, but if your roof is leaking you will need to have it repaired or replaced. If you absolutely cannot stand your entry way any longer, you may not do a major remodel and reconfigure the layout, but you might still invest in new floor tile and a fresh coat of paint. Very few homeowners can walk through their homes and not come up with a project or two that they would love to have done. Take it from someone in the industry, who can do these projects himself, and who just spent the past week obsessing over needing to get a few closets organized. I decided to write this article and I’ll get to those closets later this week.

Bringing order to my closets won’t alter the structure of my home, but it will make the space more functional. That meets one of my definitions of remodeling. Sorry Webster.