Preparing Your Home for the Back To School Season

The “Back To School” season is a major event not only for the kids, but for the entire family as well. Going back to school means busier schedules for everybody and more events, which equates ultimately to a much more dynamic, constantly-shifting lifestyle.

Preparing the Home for Back To School

Believe it or not, preparing for the back to school season has to do with more than buying notebooks and backpacks. The most important part to have ready is your own home. The more organized and prepared your home is for the school season, the less busy-work you’ll have to deal with when everyone is back to the grindstone.

Here are our tips on how you can prepare your home for the back to school season:

1)  Creating Working and Studying Areas

This can be as simple or complicated as you want. You don’t need to renovate a whole room to make an office or redo a section of the home to create a study area. A good work area should have plenty of natural light and be spacious enough to not feel stuffy.

Creating an effective study area can be as simple as placing a desk in front of a window, removing a TV from a room, or clearing out a cluttered area. Get creative with the space you have available!

2)  Cleaning the Entry Way or Mudroom

Yes – it actually is possible to organize the family’s shoes and jackets to make more space. It’s a bit of a project at first, but once you organize and clean your entry way, there will be less backpacks and school supplies laying in the middle of your living room.

3)  Set Up a Breakfast Station

It’s not too difficult. A simple, “serve yourself” buffet or hotel-lobby styled breakfast station can be hugely beneficial to you and the kids. Everyone knows where to go for what, and you’ll be doing less last-minute prep each morning before the kids run out the door.

Conclusion

Preparing your home for the school season is huge.A clean house and defined work-spaces can make for more focus and a less-chaotic household. Spend the extra time to create a few defined work and study areas, clean the entry way for school supplies and backpacks, and set up a simple morning breakfast station for the family! And, welcome back to school Dallas students!

Making Your House a Home

A home is so much more than another building; it is a representation of the journey of your life. It reflects the real you and sends across the right vibe as well. Tony McClung believes in the same ideologies and this is why he doesn’t just design homes per se, he treats each one of them as an artistic masterpiece which will become one of the most coveted possessions for the owner.

The Man of Several Professionals

Tony McClung is not just a luxury home designer, but he is a jack of several trades. From honing the skills of a builder to that of an architect, foreman, and an architectural designer; he brings a lot more to the table which truly draws in the attention of his clients.

Giving It the Custom Touch

We believe that every home speaks a story and the story should always be yours. This is why adding your own customized and personal touches to your home are absolutely vital. Tony McClung is willing to be all ears to any special request you may have and he entertains them whenever they are erasable.

Based in one of the most upscale areas in Texas, most of his Highland Park homes truly stand out as they bear a testament to the amazing creative finesse and architectural brilliance he has. The best part about hiring him is that you do not need to be magnate to avail his services. He is aware that almost everyone has this dream to own the perfect house. So, he can craft the home to fit the budget you have in mind. His magical hands will add the wow factor and transfer the ordinary to extra ordinary.

Old or New – He Does it All!

Tony McClung is aware of the changing requirements of people. Some of us are on the lookout for a new home as we want to start afresh, with a clean slate and raise a toast to new beginnings. At the same time, there are a few people who want to hold on to the old memories and cling on to the place which has gifted them too many moments. They simply want it to have the artistic touch of new so that the old abode can reek of new memories and yet hold the nostalgia of the by-gone days.

So, no matter which category you fall into, Tony McClung is there to help. He can renovate your home artistically and let you hold on to the whiff of yesterday; while refining the image of tomorrow. At the same time, for the harbingers of change looking for a fresh start, you can be all set to witness an architectural masterpiece with his skilled magical ideas and vision.

So, if you are ready to weave magic to the place you call home; you know who you need to contact. Take a look at some of the current projects and the past work to gauge an idea as to what you should expect from this maestro of architectural designing. Give Tony McClung a call today at 214-668-7802!

Summers In Texas: Preparing Your HVAC for the Hot Season

HVAC can be a pain on finances and time. You spend so much throughout the year on electricity and gas for maintaining heating and cooling systems in your home, and right when you think you’ve spent enough, something breaks…

While some damage and general wear-and-tear is unavoidable, there are tons of helpful precautions and steps you can take to ensure longevity of your HVAC system and lower costs this summer season in the hot state of Texas. Here are some of our top recommendations!

Tips: Preparing Your HVAC System for Summer

Your primary objectives when preparing your HVAC system for summer should be to reduce the amount of wear that components of your system receive, as well as reducing the level of work your system does to a bare-necessities level. Here are our tips:

1)  Change the Filter

You’ve probably heard that more times than you count – it almost feels like servicemen are trying to upsell you for no reason. But in actuality, the filter in your HVAC system has huge implications on the health of your appliances.

When your filter gets dirty, the system must work harder to force air where it needs to go. If you frequently replace the filter, you’ll end up spending less on the additional components than you will on the monthly cost of electricity (and ultimately, the final price of replacing a broken HVAC system).

2)  Programming Your Thermostat

If you have a programmable thermostat, you could be saving tons of money on electricity. Believe it or not, raising the temperature of your HVAC system a mere 4-5 degrees while your gone at work for 8 hours can save you a few hundred bucks annually. Furthermore, the less the system must work to cool down your house, the longer it will last.

3)  Servicing Your System Frequently

It doesn’t cost much to hire a service or repairman (or to learn how to do these basic checks yourself.) There are plenty of key components in an HVAC system which can be easily and frequently checked for damage or wear-and-tear. If you check these on a continual basis, you can save yourself from hefty expenses in the future. There’s a large domino effect that the small components have on the larger ones.

Conclusion

In these hot Texas summers, we fork out a lot of money keeping our homes’ temperature regulated well. But many of us don’t realize we are spending more money than we need to. If you properly check your HVAC system’s components on a frequent basis, replace your air filter, and program your thermostat to raise in temperature while your gone at work, you will reduce the overall work your system needs to do. This will lower monthly electric costs as well as increase the longevity of your system overall!

Selecting Patio Furniture for Your Luxury Home

Most spring and summer home preparation happens to the exterior of your home – everything from cleaning the gutters, to reapplying asphalt for a driveway, mowing the lawn, landscaping, and power washing your house.

But while these are all necessities for a nice looking home, you’ll want an outdoor space that is welcoming and inviting for hosting friends, or at the very least, enjoying the outdoors in your own yard. Getting the right set of patio furniture can make the hot Texas summers so much more enjoyable. Here’s what we recommend you look for!

Selecting a Patio Furniture Set

There are so many different variations in color, design, and functionality of patio furniture. If you are looking for a simple, quick rundown on what to look for in different styles of patio furniture, here it is:

1.  Wicker Patio Furniture

Wicker, or resin wicker, is a weather-resistant synthetic material that gives a “woven” appearance to furniture made from the material. It has a very outdoor, natural appearance and often works well with both contemporary and modern looking homes.

While wicker patio furniture looks great, the drawback is that it tends to break down through the seasons. After a few years, many of the wicker strands unwind or break and can be a bit of a pain to manage. However, if you properly care for the patio furniture, it should last a while.

2.  Metal Patio Furniture

There are tons of different styles and types of metal patio furniture. The molding and shape of the metal, as well as the type of metal and build structure can all contribute to the quality and appearance of your patio furniture.

Steel

Steel patio furniture is relatively cheap. It’s sturdy and will last a while, however, steel (even stainless) will rust from rainy or humid environments over time. If you are in a generally dry area, this isn’t much of a factor to worry about, but always something to keep in the back of your mind.

Aluminum

Aluminum is perhaps the most popular version of metal patio furniture. It is great for its light weight and durability. Aluminum patio furniture will far outlast wicker patio furniture – the only thing you need to watch is the paint. Over time, paint can wear off or chip from the aluminum if not properly cared for.

Conclusion

Selecting patio furniture can be a difficult endeavor – there are so many different types of materials, construction, looks, and feels that vary between sets. While you will want to select a patio furniture set that you think looks best for your luxury home, make sure that you take durability into consideration. Once you’ve picked the right set, sit back and enjoy the warm season! Be sure to check out the outdoor patios that Tony McClung has designed and happy Summer Texas!

Home Renovation: Building An In-Ground Pool

Texas summers are HOT, right??

So, we can almost guarantee that nearly everyone has entertained the idea of getting a pool at one point or another, but unless you moved into a home with one already built-in, few have legitimately taken the steps to start installing one.

Building an In-Ground Pool

This post is all about in-ground pools and what types you should look into buying. Various different builds and materials are well-suited for different situations, so do your research and think carefully regarding which is right for you. Here are a few different types to check out:

Fiberglass

Fiberglass is perhaps the most well-known and commonly used material for building pools. The reason? They require an incredibly low-degree of maintenance due to their non-porous structure. They are easy to clean and take care of throughout the season.

Fiberglass pools are also relatively inexpensive to install, making them a great option for those trying to keep costs maintainable.

The only big drawback to fiberglass as a material is that it is not very customizable. If you are the type who wants to blueprint out their dream-pool shape and size, fiberglass won’t be a great material to work with.

Concrete

Concrete tends to pick up well on the areas where fiberglass fails – particularly in terms of customization. It’s easy to build a pool of any shape or size out of concrete, as the material gives you near limitless moldability.

One of the primary drawbacks to concrete is the higher maintenance costs in the long run. While it’s easy to work with during the installation and building phase, it’s pretty difficult to clean. Concrete creates rougher and more porous surfaces than fiberglass and accumulates dirt and grime over time that needs to be washed down.

Vinyl Liner

Vinyl liner pools are great for first-time pool owners, as they are quite affordable to install. They have a very smooth finish and are relatively easy to customize the shape and size of (not as much as concrete, but significantly better than fiberglass).

The only major drawback to vinyl liner pools is that the liner needs to be frequently replaced – every 6 to 8 years. So, while they have a low initial cost up front, there’s a bit more work involved in the long run.

If you are thinking about an in ground pool, or backyard renovation, be sure to contact Tony McClung today at 214-668-7802.

Home Security System Options for Your Luxury Home

IT’S THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!!! Here at Luxury Homes Designed and Built by Tony McClung, we know that means summer plans are just getting started - vacations, summer camps and more are ahead in the next few months. With that, you will be leaving your beloved home, and you want to make sure it is safe. Even in Highland Park, Texas, security is a necessity. Keeping your home, your belongings, and your family safe is so incredibly important. Regardless of where you live, everyone is at risk of being broken into, and unfortunately, the nicer your home, the more of a target it becomes. That’s why researching and installing the right security system is absolutely essential.

Home Security System Options:

If you are looking at upping your security system this season to protect your home, here are a few great options and ideas:

Video Recording Doorbell

Did you know that thieves ring the doorbell? It’s the best way to know whether or not you’re home! If you answer, they’ll have an excuse of why they’re there. If not, it’s “free game” for a break in.

Luckily, there are doorbells which have visible video and audio recorders built into them. These serve a dual purpose of warding off potential thieves as well as serving as a surveillance system in the instance of a break in.

Smart Security Systems

Another recent trend has arisen with smart security systems. Rather than systems being visible and manageable only by your security provider, new technology is closing the gap between homeowners and accessibility to their various security devices.

Plenty of new products allow users to control their security devices – viewing, turning on and off, scheduling, etc. – all from their smart phones. This brings greater security and lower costs to homeowners as competition continues to flood the market with new offerings, products, and apps.

Virtual Security Gate Motion Sensors

While camera surveillance is a great idea, it’s hard to program one to “trigger” when movement occurs. However, there are plenty of devices out there which can be installed discretely to detect any motion or movement within a home.

This is a great option for those who want an affordable way to trigger alarm systems within a home. While a security device on a door may trigger an alarm, those types of devices are near useless if perpetrators break in through a window. However, motion sensors are difficult to fool. Keep in mind though – these motion sensors aren’t a good idea for families with pets!

Conclusion

These are just a few of many ideas you can implement to make your home more secure. The market is full of products and unique concepts. With a little research, you can be well on your way to having a more secure, monitored home!

But last but not least, have a great summer!!

Spring Home Preparation: Pros and Cons of Power-Washing Your Home

Unfortunately, no matter what we do to keep our homes looking nice (replacing mulch and rocks, planting, fertilizing grass, etc.), the exterior of our homes will develop grime and dirt over the years that is hard to stray attention from. As you are jumping in with your spring cleaning, we recommend occasionally power-washing your home! Power washing is a simple method to help give a house a new, fresh, clean look from the outside.

Power Washing

Power washing, often called pressure washing, is a method of cleaning the exterior of homes with highly pressurized water. This method uses water to forcibly remove grime, dirt, and stains. Here are some pros and cons of this process:

Pros

1.  Effective

The internet is loaded with tutorials on how to remove dirt and grime from your house, but the truth is, many of them simply don’t work. Whether it’s material discoloration, rust and oxidation, dirt, or a myriad of other things, certain methods will only work for certain conditions.

However, power-washing your home is a fantastic way to guarantee a clean home exterior. There’s little that’s able to withstand the power of pressure washing the outside of your house, making it great for year-old staining that seems as though it has passed the point of no return.

2.  Cleaning Wooden Beams

Believe it or not, you can actually restore a wooden beam to it’s original shine without sanding it down. A lot of the mold and mildew that develops in the fibers of a board can be pushed out using a power washer.

So, if your deck is starting to look a little dated and weathered, pull out a pressure washer and watch it work its magic!

Cons

1.  Damage

Depending on the material you are using a power washer on, you may end up causing damage. Some types of siding are incredibly thin, making them susceptible to breakage during a pressure wash. So, if you plan on pressure washing things besides concrete, wood, metal, or other durable surfaces, make sure to do your research!

2.  Health Concerns

Yes – believe or not, using a power washer can cause health concerns such as inflammation or even tendinitis. Power washers use an immense amount of pressure while inducing a lot of vibration during use. Using a power washer for extended periods of time without a proper technique for holding them can very quickly result in tendinitis.

If you plan on using a pressure washer this season, do some research on proper methods for wielding one. It sounds silly, but yes, tools (even a power washer) can be dangerous without correct technique.

Benefits of an Architectural Designer

We all know how to do the same mundane home renovation tasks on our own – repainting, selecting new carpet, landscaping, and so many others. However, how do you handle the larger tasks? Depending on what type of home renovation you are looking for, doing a structural adjustment to your house may be within reasonable grasp. All you need to do is look into hiring an architectural designer.

Architectural Designers vs. Home Designers

If doing a structural home renovation interests you, you’ll need to hire it out. Usually, this will come in the form of selecting between an architectural designer or a home designer. Here’s a little bit about both:

Home Designer

A home designer usually does not have to be licensed. They may be experienced in the industry, but there are no official requirements for home designers/residential designers. Nonetheless, depending on the situation, a home designer may be all you need for your project!

Architectural Designer

On the other hand, an architectural designer is required to have a certain degree of schooling and licensing. Generally, they have met higher industry standards for education and have a wider breadth of knowledge for architectural design.

Benefits of an Architectural Designer

While much of the following will depend on who you hire, having an architectural designer work on your home renovation can be very beneficial:

1)  Sketching Out Concepts

Sometimes you have the ideas but just can’t quite articulate them. Luckily, architectural designers have the creative minds to help you work out your ideas, as well as the technical skills to map them all out on a sheet of paper or in their software. This can help you make sure your luxury home renovation will match your ideas before the project even begins.

2)  Documentations for Construction

Architectural designers go the extra step to create documents with detailed descriptions and blueprints of exactly how a project will be built out. Not only are these documents helpful for reference to understand what it will look like – they also ensure that the project will be built to specifications regardless of the construction company hired.

3)  Negotiating with Construction Companies

Finally, one of the benefits of hiring an architectural designer is that they will work with you to negotiate pricing with construction companies. Depending on the architectural designer you use, construction companies will often give discounts since they are referred from the designer, so make sure you pick someone with a solid network!

Conclusion

Architectural designers can benefit your home in a variety of ways. Above all, they help to take concepts and turn them into reality. Through discussion and flushing out ideas to the detailed mapping of every specification for construction, an architectural designer like Tony McClung can help bring your dream home to life. Give us a call today!

Spring Home Maintenance Tips

If you’re like me, the word “maintenance” probably brings on a bit of an unsettling feeling. We get it – it’s not the fun part about transitioning to a new season. But as a homeowner, you know that appliance failures and other unexpected costs are a pain to deal with.

If only there was some way to avoid property and appliance damage before they happen……

Luckily, as spring rolls around this year, there are a wide variety of small maintenance projects you can take on to ensure your house is in working order and ready to embrace the warm Texas weather!

Spring Maintenance Projects

Spring maintenance projects are (for the most part) easy, quick, and essential to maintaining a healthy home! Here are some of our top tips on how you can prepare your house for the new season and steer clear of “home repair” bills later:

Clean Out Your Gutters

Ick. We know. Depending on the size and perimeter of your house, it can be a bit of a longer project, but most people don’t realize how essential the task is for the health of your home. Cleaning out your gutters means you are keeping water from pooling around the foundation of your home. Having too much water around your foundation can result in mold and, in extreme cases, structural failures. It might even be time to get some gutter leaf guards installed to keep leaves from building up in your gutters.

Re-Sealing Your Doors and Windows

Most of us spend a lot of money on heating and cooling respectively through the seasons. While this is inevitable to a certain degree, much of it can be avoided by having a properly insulated home. Part of that involves sealing all the cracks and crevices that develop over time in your house.

Re-caulking your windows and doors can help introduce a better seal and save you money on gas and electric this year!

Proper Roof Inspections

You don’t need to book an inspector every year, but if it’s been a while since you’ve had a roof inspector come out, now may be the time.

Your roof really gets the brunt of all seasonal circumstances – being beaten on by the sun, those spring Texas hailstorms and taking on lots of rain water. If a roof fails, there’s a ton of extra costs associated with mold and flooding that can make their way into your home.

Having a proper roof inspection is a great preventative measure for keeping your house armored for the Spring season this year!

Conclusion

Spring maintenance isn’t that bad. And it’s a lot less of a headache to do the proper preparation now than to deal with the negative circumstances and costs later! If you want to get your luxury home ready for Spring this season, make sure to clean out your gutters, re-seal your windows and doors for heating and air conditioning purposes, and get your roof inspected! Enjoy the warm weather!

Is Your Garden and Lawn Spring Ready?

Winter is finally over in Texas and Spring has sprung! What better way to welcome spring in than by beautiful grass, flowers, garden beds and landscaping. I’m sure we can all agree that lawn care, landscaping, and garden prep are a bit of a hassle when the time to starts comes around. But truth be told, much of the difficulty comes from a lack of direction.

With an understanding of what needs to be done and when it needs to happen, preparing your garden and lawn for Spring should be easy! Here are some of our tips on how you can get started this year:

Preparing Your Garden and Lawn for Spring

Implementing proper landscaping practices before Spring starts is absolutely essential if you are planning on having a well-maintained garden and lawn this year. Keeping a healthy lawn and crops is largely dependent on how you set everything up before Spring.

If you are looking at preparing your lawn for Spring, here are some of our tips on what you should pay attention to:

1)  Soil Testing

Soil testing is one of the most important things you can do in preparation for Spring. If you haven’t had your soil tested in over 3 years, make sure to get it done ASAP. It will give you key insights into whether or not your soil has enough nutrients to support your crops and lawn.

2)  Fertilizer Selection

Regardless of what your soil test results are, it’s always good to start out the season with a fresh layer of new soil. Selecting a fertilizer is rather simple – you will be presented with the option to go with carbon-based fertilizers or petroleum-based fertilizers. Here’s a quick run-down on the difference between the two:

Petroleum-Based Fertilizers: Petroleum-based fertilizers, also known as synthetic or chemical fertilizers, are sort of a “band-aid” fix to a much larger problem. They provide a quick boost of nutrient energy for plants that dissipates quickly and leaves your lawn potentially damaged and nutrient-ridden in the long run.

Carbon-Based Fertilizers: Carbon-based fertilizers, on the other hand, build the structure of your soil and prepare it for the current year as well as seasons to come. They are natural and healthy in the long term for your lawn.

3)  Weed Control

Weed control – the phrase probably makes you shiver. If any of you have weeded your yard, you know full-well of the backaches and dirty knees that follow the dreaded task.

Luckily, Spring gives you the opportunity at a fresh start through pre-emergent strategies. Using a pre-emergent herbicide essentially combats the weeds from ever appearing in the first place! That means less backaches and bruised knees in the summer time, a healthier lawn, and a beautiful landscape for seasons to come!

Conclusion

Preparing your garden and lawn for Spring doesn’t have to ever be a difficult task. With a little leg-work upfront by testing your soil, laying down fresh, carbon-based fertilizer, and proper pre-emergent weed control strategies, you’ll be well on your way to a beautiful, lush lawn this year!