Furniture design is a complex process by itself. Not only you’ll have to account for a lot of complex details, but you also need the final product to correspond with the room or building style. So, if you’re a furniture designer, you’ll most definitely need a specialized software allowing you to work more efficiently and in ease.

We’ve picked 10 software products aimed at furniture designers. We’ll review: KitCad, Furnish, RhinoParametrics, Master-Design Art-Shop X-Lite, eCabinets System, IKEA Home Planner (formerly IKEA Kitchen Planner), Polyboard, Edraw Max, Sketchup, 5 Autodesk Homestyler.

KitCad

This piece of software is mainly used for designing kitchens. It allows you to create and modify various parts of kitchen furniture. Although not as rich in functionality as other cabinet design software, it would still let you create and edit various furniture designs in full 3D mode.

KitCad currently exists in two version. First off, there’s a web version, available as an extension for Chromium-based browsers. It is powered by HTML5 and WebGL standards, allowing you to do all work inside a browser. The developer has managed to port all the program’s functions to the web app without crippling them, so the HTML5 version should be perfectly fine.

However, if you can’t use an online version, be it because of being forced to use an outdated browser or due to limited or missing internet connection, you can use an offline version. It supports the same functions as the web version, although the interface looks and feels very antiquated, as if it was developed in late nineties and has never been touched since. In fact, it’s not so far from the truth, as the first version of KitCad was developed in 1999.

After taking a look at both version of KitCad, we can conclude that the web version offers the same functions as the offline application, while having a slightly more modern and refined interface. As such, it becomes our app of choice. It doesn’t mean you should completely ignore the offline app; you’re more than encouraged to try it, but only if you’re not worried about the antiquated user interface. The app can be downloaded for free from the developer’s web site.

PLEASE NOTE: This particular piece of software seems to be abandoned, with the last update being released in 2014. While the online version works fine, we cannot guarantee that the offline version will work without hiccups on newer PCs, especially if you use Windows 8, 8.1 or 10. There are no separate offline versions for macOS or Linux.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As of now (Aug 15, 2017) the web version is completely broken. Therefore, we can no longer recommend this particular piece of software. Should the article be revised, we’ll include another application.

Boconcept Furnish

Another free application designed for house or office planning, Boconcept Furnish features a full catalog of the company’s furniture, including its price. The program serves as an addition to Boconcept’s furniture collection.

Furnish was developed by Geac Computers for various furniture dealers, including Boconcept and IKEA. As the developer was acquired by a larger company in 2006, the program is way past its end of life. The last update has been released in 2010.

Boconcept Furnish is nothing more than an advertisement of Boconcept products hiding under a disguise of a helpful program. Its feature set is quite limited, and we’re sure you’ll find more useful programs elsewhere. But in case you’re interested, Furnish is not really a full-scale cabinet design software. It will simply let you decorate a pre-existing room template with Boconcept furniture. You can also create your own furniture unit made of, of course, Boconcept parts.

Overall, Boconcept Furnish is a completely passable piece of software. The only redeeming factor is its freeware license. You can easily install and use software for free – no strings attached.

PLEASE NOTE: This software is abandoned and no longer supported. If you intend to use it, please bear in mind that the developers are no longer providing help or releasing updates; in addition, the software may work unstable on newer operating systems, such as Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. As far as we know, there are no separate versions for macOS or Linux.

RhinoParametrics

RhinoParametrics is a plugin for Rhino 3D, a three-dimensional geometry editor known for its rich future set and relatively low price compared to ther CAD products. Created by McNeel, the software is mainly used in industrial design, conceptual projections in automotive and shipbuilding industry, jewellery design, quick prototyping and other tasks.

Rhino is powered by various modules created both by McNeel and third-party developers. RhinoParametrics is one of such plugins. It allows for parametric geometry edits in Rhino, making each connection between elements manipulate and inform the design of complex geometric objects. In short, this may allow you to build separate furniture units from interconnected simpler parts.

Although the Parametrics plugin is quite free, you’ll need to cough up a lot for the core program. Rhino 3D’s costs start from 995 euros, and that’s only for the base program. While the program’s feature set is quite large and the cost is actually justified, we can imagine many users shifting to more cheaper applications or to freeware projects. Luckily, the developer allows you to use Rhino for free for three months before forcing you to either buy a license or uninstall the application.

Rhino3D with RhinoParametric is a very powerful tool for designers, allowing you to design houses and create custom furniture pieces. Unfortunately, the price is quite high for many DIY enthusiasts. On the other side, the developers never intended Rhino3D to be a universally accessible software. It is designed to be used by professionals or even corporate users working for major construction or repairing companies. If you’re ready to cope with its high price, we actually can recommend it – again, the feature set here is just amazing. However, you’ll definitely find something much more affordable and even with a comparable feature set. The choice is yours.

Master-Design Art-Shop X-Lite

Developed by Italian company TIPS, Master-Design Art-Shop X-Lite is designed for professionals working in the furniture industry. Dealers, carpenters and producers are considered the core audience of Art-Shop.

The software allows you to design various areas, such as kitchens, bathrooms, offices and cabinets, in both 2D and 3D. The controls are intuitive and easy, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the application in little to no time.

Art-Shop X-Lite allows you to view the finalized project in several ways. First off, you can view 2D room plan with furniture, allowing you to design all elements of a room on the go, adding and deleting furniture as you see fit. When you’re done with 2D editing, just switch to 3D render mode to take a look at how would the resulting job look like. There’s also a VR mode for virtual reality aficionados that would let you traverse your newly designed rooms in virtual reality mode; however, seeing as the program was last updated in 2013, we don’t know whether it would work with modern VR headsets such as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive or not.

As for the objects database, the developer boasts that Art-Shop X-Lite has one of the largest bases in the industry. However, there are no numbers to prove that claim, and the overall number of users is so low that we failed to find any third-party information confirming or denying this claim. As a rather interesting fact, most reviews are written in Italian.

The latest version of the application was released in March 2013. It added some new functions while hiding some of the more advanced features (such as HD rendering, VR navigation, Blender interoperability, etc.) behind a paywall with its new Pay per Function model.

Art-Shop X-Lite is distributed as freeware, and the license agreement does not prevent you from using the software commercially. Please bear in mind that the application seems to be abandoned and there’s no guarantee of any kind that the developer still supports it.

PLEASE NOTE: This software was last updated in 2013 and now seems to be completely abandoned. The English version of the developer’s website is poorly translated and features various grammatical and syntax errors, which may indicate that any requests for help or support will most likely be fruitless. Some of the application’s features are illicitly hidden behind a paywall, such as high-definition rendering. As far as we know, no separate version for macOS / Linux was ever released, and the software isn’t tested for compatibility with Windows 8, 8.1 or 10. Please use with care.

eCabinet System

eCabinet System is a cabinet design software developed and provided by CNC routers manufacturer Thermwood Corporation. The company develops and supports various technologies, services and equipment mainly aimed at the production sector.

As eCabinet Systems is intended to be used as an addition to Thermwood’s portfolio of woodworking industry products, the program is entirely free of charge. The developer provides regular updates for the application, constantly adding new features and fixing existing bugs. This is the first non-abandonware free cabinet design solution we’re reviewing in this article.

New users can install and launch eCabinet System right away. The software is bundled with various free libraries of cabinet designs, allowing you to start working immediately. If you need assistance, Thermwood is ready to create custom libraries tailored to your specific needs, although it comes at a price. Comprehensive user’s manual will allow you to quickly learn the basics. It won’t take long before you’ll create your first job and build your first product.

Should the need for more advanced features arise, you’ll be able to modify the library cabinets, define the special features of your products and add pricing & material information. For those aiming to squeeze every last bit of usability from eCabinet System, Thermwood offers special training programs available as a recurring $25.00/mo subscription.

Let’s talk a little bit about the software functions. First and foremost, eCabinet Systems works in full 3D. The software generates beautiful highly detailed 3D models, reflecting every aspect of your design. As you make changes on the fly, you can always rotate, move and zoom the image to ensure that the product will match your envisioned design to the very end. As you work towards modifying cabinets, you can save them, make more changes and save them again, contributing to creating your own library of custom-designed products. You can then access, resize and use them in your real jobs. Should the need arise, combine multiple cabinets or components as an “assembly”. They also can be saved and used in future projects.

For manufacturers, eCabinet offers on-the-go custom layout making with an option to momentarily generate cost estimates and manufacturing data along with CNC outputs for the layout. If no layouts are needed, just resize and add your cabinets to a job.

For those who want to master the software, Thermwood offers various training courses. Virtually any user can enlist into the online subscription-based training couse, where he or she will be trained to fully master the eCabinet software. The course costs $25.00 per month.

You can download eCabinet Systems on the manufacturer’s official website.

IKEA Home Planner (formerly IKEA Kitchen Planner)

IKEA Home Planner is a web app available for all modern browsers and platforms. It can run on Internet Explorer 11, Firefox 44+ and Google Chrome 48+.

IKEA’s planner is primarily used by those who are considering the purchase of IKEA kitchen products. However, it can be used by literally everyone else.

Unfortunately, the IKEA Home Planner isn’t the most stable piece of software. As of now it’s quite buggy and prone to various errors which can possibly lead to data loss. Keep that in mind when working with IKEA Home Planner; that might be a serious disadvantage that will prevent you from working with the software.

IKEA Home Planner was formerly known as Kitchen Planner. The tool’s functionality and scope has been expanded over the last years, and it has then been renamed to Home Planner.

IKEA’s planner and the similar tools are little more than the marketing tools instead of real design software. If you are working in the house design industry, chances are you won’t need this kind of software. It’s usually too lightweight, buggy, and its library usually only includes the host company’s products.

Luckily, the limited library isn’t a problem. Cabinets usually come in standard sizes, so swapping one manufacturer with another won’t be a huge issue.

IKEA Home Planner’s biggest advantage is its clean, simple interface. The planner tool also automatically makes a shopping list each time when you add items to the plan, allowing you to easily calculate the cost of all items.

Unfortunately, there’s quite a lot of disadvantages preventing IKEA Home Planner from being an application of choice when it comes to cabinet design. The main disadvantage is the extreme bugginess of the tool. IKEA Home Planner is very error-prone, occasionally crashing or refusing to save your work. It can be a very frustrating experience, especially if you’ve spent several hours working on a project.

There are no “walkthrough” option, disallowing you from traversing the virtual space in first person mode. You can only stay on the outside. In addition, the layour area is very small, only 8″x5″, and you can’t pan your viewport while in 3D mode.

The last straw here is the overall graphics quality and some additional hiccups. First, the 3D items do not look realistic at all’ second, they will not move or be deleted even when you commanded them to. Plus, it’s practically impossible to find non-IKEA items; only a few generic floorings and item colors will not bear IKEA’s tag and price.

CONCLUSION: If you’re a professional, IKEA Home Planner is a complete waste of your time. Its sheer lack of features, extreme lagginess and virtual non-existence of any other brands in its catalogue prevents it from being used as a cabinet designer’s tool. Its freeware status does not change that a bit – so if you want something for your job, look for more powerful programs, such as Google SketchUp or Autodesk HomeStyler. We’ll review both of them below.

Polyboard

Yet another CAD tool designed for cabinet and shelves construction, Polyboard is a more professional piece of software designed for professionals. It is a parametric cabinet software, allowing you to design various woodwork and even produce it, provided that you have a CNC machine. Polyboard is a paid program, with prices ranging from $860 for the Lite version to $3866 for Professional version with CNC support.

Polyboard has a lot of in-built options to let you create and design beautiful, highly detailed cabinets. Users of Professional version can prepare the parts for manufacturing immediately, as the software fully supports various CNC machines.

In addition to many basic features you’ll expect from a CAD software, Polyboard provides several additional features. For example, you can add a custom number of slopes and vertical divisions, modifying the distance between them. You can, of course, create additional horizontal divisions (commonly known as shelves), making them both mobile and fixed, place doors and drawers into available spaces.

An extensive materials library for frames, panel and edges allows you to further customize the product, personalizing the resulting item and tailoring it to the particular customer’s needs. You can also change the edge style, further modifying the product design. Not to mention that Polyboard fully supports all features of traditional CAD programs – such as zooming in and out, viewing any section in 3D, etc.

When it comes to cabinet construction, you can choose from several manufacturing methods that would fit several construction scenarios. Once you select the materials, styles and manufacturing methods, the material list will immediately become available.

The cabinet tool will work with virtually any CNC tool. For that purpose, the professional version can provide DXF files of the design blueprints. Concise and user-friendly GUI provides a lot of graphic details and various features, allowing you to easily manipulate the cabinet.

The installation kit does not include the documentation. However, some information can be found on the developer website. The installation process is very simple.

PolyBoard is only compatible with Windows. There are no Apple macOS or Linux versions available.

CONCLUSION: Polyboard is a very powerful cabinet design tool. It has a very wide set of features designed particularly for professionals. If you need such kind of functionality – especially if you work with CNC machines – Polyboard is an application of your choice. The price, however, is a very large stopping factor. The least expensive Lite version costs $860, and it does not have several very important functions that are needed for professional users. If the exorbitant price is not a problem, Polyboard is the best software we’ve reviewed – and we’re definitely ready to recommend it.

Edraw Max

Edraw Max is, in fact, not a specialized cabinet design software. It is a 2D flowchart generator mainly designed for office use. However, it can be used for generating various blueprints and schemes, so there’s some limited potential in using it for cabinet design purposes. Edraw Max can generate technical drawings, thus earning a place in our review. So, let’s take a look at this piece of software and see whether it can be effectively used in cabinet design.

Edraw is a very easy to use software with a simplistic, Microsoft Office-like interface. The familiar concept makes it easy to master the program. You won’t need to delete existing objects if you’ll have to change their shape. Adding or removing any connection points is as easy as ever, and the automatic resizing feature allows you to fit any addition into existing elements. Edraw allows you to preview any changes before you actually make them; just hover the mouse over the effect you’re going to apply. If you don’t like the change, move the cursor away and nothing will be applied.

As you edit your blueprints, the canvas will automatically expand. You can add additional layers or pages. This is especially useful for technical diagrams. Variety of examples and premade templates are especially helpful if you’re unsure what type of chart you require.

Edraw Max offers real-time collaboration thanks to its own cloud service, Team Cloud. For example, you can show the project progress to your clients. They will have to download the free Edraw Viewer app to view, save and print the blueprints. They, however, cannot edit or comment the project, so the possibilities of the cloud service are kinda limited. However, when you depend on the client’s approval to continue working on the project, these features will be very effective to increase collaboration. To let your client edit or comment the project, he or she will have to download the trial version of Edraw Max. Another downside is a complete lack of revision history; plus, you cannot encrypt or password protect the blueprints.

Luckily, you can export your collaborative projects to a wide variety of formats, including PDF and HTML. You can create presentations, allowing you to capture the attention of your viewers and clients. If you have to, add hyperlinks, labels and various connection points to the figures.

Let’s now take a look at the price of Edraw Max. Edrawsoft offers three licensing options: annual subscription ($99 for first year, $69/year for renewals), “perpetual” license ($179, unlimited use, free upgrades for three years) and the lifetime license ($245, unlimited use, lifetime upgrades). As far as we’re concerned, all three options look like a nice deal, especially if you already have a separate application for full-scale 3D cabinet design.

CONCLUSION: Feature-rich and simple to use, Edraw Max is a powerful tool for 2D blueprints and technical diagrams. While this particular software isn’t exactly affordable, the price seems justified by the set of features and simplicity it offers.

Sketchup

Formerly known as Google Sketchup, this software was sold to @Last Software in 2012. It is one of the easiest, yet the most feature-rich CAD software that is suited for both enthusiasts and professionals.

SketchUp is available in two editions: SketchUp Make and SketchUp Pro. SketchUp Make is a lite version devoid of several features. It is available free of charge for personal and educational use. Then, there’s SketchUp Pro, a full-featured version for commercial use. We’ll review SketchUp Pro, as it has the most features.

Any kind of CAD software is usually supplied with a starting library of various models and symbols. SketchUp Pro includes access to Trimble 3D Warehouse, chock full of various models available for download. While the built-in library isn’t as rich as you can imagine, you will have access to huge variety of shared assets, models and designs. There are also additional features available, such as textures, lighting effects and animations. You can install plugins to add support of photorealistic renering. However, Sketchup Pro lacks several architectural tools, including a wall tool and a house wizard. That’s not a very large problem, knowing that Sketchup already has a huge feature set, but these omissions aren’t exactly pleasant anyway.

Like any high-tier CAD application, SketchUp Pro is outfitted with the best tools and features to help you edit your 2D and 3D projects. SketchUp is focused on 3D editing, but you can still use it to work with 2D projects. List of functions includes layer managing and color/text editing. Additional icons and shortcuts will aid the navigation, while three types of toolbars – style, measurement and layer – will easen up the editing process. You will be able to quickly switch different functions and quickly apply styles.

One of the most important parts of any CAD application is its user interface. What makes SketchUp Pro so easy to use is its extremely intuitive user interface. Working with SketchUp Pro is as easy as drawing with real pen on a real piece of paper. You can customize all elements, including tool palettes. Rearrange, remove or add separate palettes however you like. Never lose track in list of features thanks to large, understandable icons.

Setup manager, macro recordings, importing capabilities and other features improve the general convenience and ease of use. There’s also a command line mode, but it will take some time to learn the forum and user’s manual before you’ll be able to master this element of interface. It is definitely not the easiest part of the application.

CONCLUSION: Being one of the most intuitive and easy to use CAD applications, SketchUp Pro is one of the most novice-friendly cabinet design applications to ever exist on the market. Huge amount of assets available in the 3D Warehouse will always provide you with premade models, textures and symbols. While the architectural scope of use is quite limited, SketchUp Pro remains one of the best propositions on the market. We’re definitely ready to recommend this program.

Autodesk Homestyler

Autodesk Homestyler is a free application from Autodesk, a renowned developer of various CAD programs, including AutoCAD. It is mainly aimed towards enthusiasts rather than professionals, thus presenting a watered-down version of otherwise professional CAD software.

Homestyler runs as a web app with no offline version available. It was initially using Adobe Flash, but as Adobe decided to pull the plug and put Flash to an end, Homestyler has transitioned to HTML5. As such, all you need to run the app is a web browser and a decent internet connection. Mobile users can download the iOS or Android apps.

Homestyler is a very simple application. You can add various objects, including furniture, by dragging and dropping them from the left pane to the layout. The similar way is employed to add openings and other kind of objects. Most of the objects’ shapes are editable, allowing better customization. Floor plan is also editable to a certain degree, allowing you to choose from a variety of floorings, add labels on different rooms, exact dimensions or other features.

To let you construct an ideal floor plan, Homestyler has quite a large catalogue of furniture props. Like in most other freeware applications, you can’t modify them directly. This can be partially alleviated thanks to a nice collection of materials you can choose from. So, even if you won’t be able to find an exact match of an object you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find something that would resemble the item you want.

Users of Homestyler can save or print the designs. Both 2D and 3D designs can be exported to other software as DWG design files. Of course, you can also print the designs in both two or three dimensions.

Those who would like to see how much they’ll have to scrounge up will appreciate the “Shopping” view. It will give you the links to the companies who sell the products you’ve chosen. Some items are quite generic and don’t have a price tag of their own, so you won’t be able to find out the exact price for all items.

There’s also a small bonus for all users of Autodesk Homestyler. The developers have provided a lot of landscaping tools for the users. They include Gravel, Grass, Water tool and even more.

What makes this application so unusual? In addition to being freeware, Homestyler allows you to export your projects to other applications. Even the paid apps don’t usually have this feature. Homestyler is easy to learn and master, allowing you to jump straight in without any prior experience and still get good at using the app. You can even share your works on various social media sites.

CONCLUSION: Free and simple to use, Homestyler is your application of choice if you’re not a professional cabinet designer and only need to use the app once or maybe twice for house decorating. Despite being free, Homestyler has several important features, including landscaping tools and powerful sharing and exporting capabilities.

The post Best 10 Cabinet Design Software For Furniture Maker appeared first on Home Improvementer.

If you’re looking for interior design software programs that will have you crafting great designs, you’re in the right place. Below are 33 of the best online interior design software programs. This list includes both free and paid types of software.

1. RoomToDo (free)

RoomToDo// geminifloors.com

RoomToDo is an online based interior design software which enables you to plan, design, and decorate your home completely free. Rooms can be designed in 3D to your specifications and you’re not required to have any special skills to use this software.

RoomToDo offers you powerful tools that will allow you to realistically and clearly visualize your projects. You’re able to experiment with your home interiors and get professional results without even having any professional skills.

RoomToDo offers features such as a simple interface which uses a wide variety of furniture, windows, doors, and decorative material to get a specific style for you. Another unique feature is the 3D walkthrough which basically allows you to view your design like you are walking through the space. And through the white label feature, businesses are able to offer RoomToDo on their websites as a design portal for their customers.

2. Planner5D (free and paid)

Planner 5D// houseplanshelper.com

Planner 5D offers you an extensive catalog of more than 4000 items to design your dream home. It’s suitable for both professionals and amateurs. Planner 5D enables you to create a design in 2D and then convert it to 3D for editing. You can edit the size, colors, patterns, and materials of walls, furniture, and floors to create your own unique style.

Planner 5D includes a snapshot feature which enables you to take a photo-realistic image of your design. And you can save and share the photo. Planner 5D is free but offers extra premium features at a fee. It can be used online or downloaded for offline use.

3. RoomSketcher (free and paid)

RoomSketcher// roomsketcher.com

Room Sketcher is perfect for professionals and interior design enthusiasts alike. It allows you to create stunning 3D interior design projects online on any device. RoomSketcher offers you an option of designing rooms from scratch or using their ready-made templates, however, the latter option comes at a price.

RoomSketcher is easy to use, it features a simple drag and drop tool which enables you to furnish and decorate your design in a snap. This software also offers you a 360 view to see how each of your rooms looks like in detail. You can take a 3D image of your design and share it online. There’s also an option of a live 3D walkthrough of your design.

4. Virtual Architect Home Interior Design Software (paid)

Virtual Architect Home Interior Design// novadevelopment.com

Virtual Architect Home Interior Design Software makes interior designing quite easy. It enables you to upload images of your room and work with them or sketch out a new room. It also allows you to redecorate rooms using your own digital photos. Its interface works pretty fast and it’s easy to use, simply point and click to pick fabrics, patterns, and paint colors.

You can check out the video tutorials to speed along your design experience if you’re an amateur. Virtual Architect offers an extensive library of materials from well-known brands. It has a wide selection of furniture, flooring, fixtures, electronics, appliances, kitchen and bathroom cabinets to choose from. Virtual Architect has a catalog of more than 7500 items and it’s a paid software. It also features a virtual walkthrough for a live experience of your design.

5. 3Dream (free and paid)

3Dream// tomsvalimu.ga

3Dream is an online interior design software which allows you to create beautiful 3D designs for any room. 3Dream offers over 40,oo0 items to experiment with. It’s very easy and quick to use. It has a free version but you can upgrade to the premium version at a monthly fee for expanded features. Additionally, 3Dream offers a free 30 day trial for the premium version.

3Dream has video and text tutorials to help you get the hang of it. There’s also a design gallery where you can view other designs and upload your own design if you like. You can take photo realistic snapshots of your design and share them. Rooms can be viewed in 2D but you can switch to 3D for a more real life like visual.

6. Lowe’s Virtual Room Designer (free)

Lowe’s Virtual Room Designer// housely.com

Lowe’s Virtual Room Designer is a product of the home improvement company, Lowe. It allows you to design rooms (kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room) from scratch or use one of their templates. You can choose from their extensive catalog of flooring, paint, home decor, and kitchen appliances to create your own unique style.

Lowe’s Virtual Room Designer is completely free and can be found online on their website. Their interface is quick and easy to use, you can view the room you’re designing from different angles and make any changes as you see fit.

7. Home Hardware Design Center (free)

Home Hardware Design Center// designingidea.com

Home Hardware is a home improvement company based in Canada, however, their interior design software can be accessed by anyone anywhere in the world from their website. It’s free and can only be used online. Home Hardware offers two interior design programs on their website, Beauti-Tone Color Visualizer and Kitchen Designer.

Beauti-Tone Color Visualizer allows you to work out which colors would work best with your space. It operates in two ways; one is to upload an image and then experiment with different colors, the other is to use the preexisting images.

Kitchen Designer allows you to sketch a kitchen layout or use ready-made kitchen layouts then furnish and decorate the space. Based on the selections you make in your design, the program can also generate a shopping list for you.

8. Armstrong Flooring’s Design a Room (free)

Armstrong Flooring’s Design a Room// armstrongflooring.com

Armstrong Flooring’s Design a Room software offers the user hundreds of items to experiment with when designing a room. It allows you to upload an image of a room you’re interested in redesigning and then you’re presented with different selections of stains, paint colors, and floors to choose from. You can also play around with predesigned rooms to see how different colors or textures work.

The program features a tool which enables you to save and share your designs. And it’s completely free. This program is best suited for people who are interested in remodeling and want to see what the room would look like before they start buying products.

It has different types of floorings, walls, cabinets, ceilings, countertops, so it will give you a good idea of how each item would look in the space you want to remodel.

9. Space Designer 3D (free)

Space Designer 3D// spacedesigner3d.com

Space Designer is a free interior design software that can be accessed online on any device, smartphone, tablet, or pc. You can use Space Designer anywhere at any time. It allows you to draw your floor plan from the ground up and then customize it with different items from their 5000 item catalog. Space Designer can be used for both commercial and residential designs.

Additionally, designs can be viewed in both 2D and 3D. You can also view your design in VR using a mobile VR headset or Google Cardboard. And if you want a 3D walkthrough, it’s also available. Operating the software is pretty simple, just drag and drop items where you want them.

10. Turbo Floor Plan (paid)

Turbo Floor Plan// turbocad.com

Turbo Floor Plan interior design software is a paid program. It has a variety of unique features which enable a user to build their dream home at every stage, from the floor, walls, to the roof. You have the option of importing your own photos or using the preexisting images. Turbo Floor Plan allows you to drag and drop
items as you like.

You can even adjust room size to your preferred specifications. When you are starting to decorate, you can first choose the colors you want to use and they will be collected and organized into your own special palette so they are easier to apply throughout your design. Turbo Floor Plan also offers video tutorials to help you get familiar with the software.

11. Olympic Paint Color Visualizer (free)

Olympic Paint Color Visualizer// turistite.com

Olympic Paint Color Visualizer is designed to help you decide on which paint colors would work best for your space. It allows you to create a clear picture of how the colors would look in your room before you buy the paint. Olympic Paint Color Visualizer is a free online program and can be accessed via the Olympic Paint website.

To use this software, just take a picture of the room you plan on painting and then upload that picture to the software. From there, you can mix and match different colors to see how they would look on the ceilings and walls. You can also browse their gallery to see paint color combinations that work well and get inspiration for your project.

12. Punch Software (paid)

Olympic Paint Color Visualizer// turistite.com

Punch is one of the more sophisticated interior design software programs out there. It’s very popular among professional interior designers because it generates designs which appear just like photographs. Punch is a paid interior design software and it comes in a variety of packages so you can pay for what best suits the needs of your projects.

It allows you to create full home layouts or individual room layouts in a very short period of term. Its interface is very intuitive and works very fast. Punch offers an extensive library of 3D objects to design all the rooms in your project.

13. Roomle (free)

Roomle// roomle.com

Roomle allows you to design and decorate any room of the house (bathroom, living room, kitchen, hallway etc). It includes finishings and furniture for all the rooms. Roomle offers you the option of designing empty rooms and discovering what you like and don’t like as you go along or you can work with their inbuilt templates and edit them according to what you want.

This software is very good for amateur designers and businesses alike. And the best part, you don’t have to pay a dime to use it. It’s easy, quick, and fun to use. It has a very convincing visual quality, offering HD rendering, 2D, 3D, VR and AR visuals.

14. HomebyMe (free)

HomebyMe// home.by.me

HomebyMe is a free software program available for free download. HomebyMe allows you to plan, draw and design your space in 2D according to your specifications. After, you can convert it to 3D so you can view the design you just created in real time.

HomebyMe is quite versatile for a free program. It includes features like sketching and wall measurements, the ability to customize a number of home features like stairs, doors, windows, power outlets, ac units among others.
With HomeByMe, you’ll be able to play with a wide selection of colors and textures for different rooms.

You can import your own images if you like or design something from scratch but whatever you choose, the experience and results will be worth it.

15. PlanningWiz (free demo and paid upgrade)

PlanningWiz// angel.co

PlanningWiz is an online interior design software program that offers a professional planning and designing experience for both seasoned interior designers and amateurs. It’s a user-friendly program with a simple drag and drop tool. PlanningWiz allows you five free plans to test drive the program and after that, you would have to upgrade to the paid program to continue using it.

With PlanningWiz, even the most complicated floor plans are made easy, what with the application being very easy to operate and having a highly responsive interface. After crafting your design in 2D, you can export it to 3D for a better visual or even initiate the 3D walkthrough. When you’re satisfied with your plan, you can share it with your friends and family via social networks or email.

16. SmartDraw (free demo and paid)

SmartDraw// capterra.com

SmartDraw is a popular software brand which offers a number of programs for presentations and visual graphics. Its interior design software allows you to design and customize individual rooms or the entire home. It offers you a vast selection of materials and objects to choose from for your designs. Options include furniture, decor, cabinets, lighting fixtures, HVAC, and countertops.

In case you find that any of the textures or patterns you would like to use are not available, you can always import photos of material or objects that suit the design you have in mind. SmartDraw offers a free trial and if you like the program you can upgrade to the paid version. However, with SmartDraw, designs can only be viewed in 2D, and you have to download the program to use it.

17. Chief Architect (paid)

Chief Architect// architosh.com

Chief Architect interior design software is the epitome of a well-built program constructed with the user in mind. You can sketch and design any room of the house using a vast catalog of materials, textures, colors, and patterns. Chief architect allows you a 360-degree image visual of your design and a virtual walkthrough.

Final designs can be exported in ten formats including Line drawing/sketch render, Watercolor render, and Ray Trace render. Chief Architect is perfect for professional interior designers as well as interior design enthusiasts. It’s a paid and professional software which can be used to create finishes and a unique style.

18. Sweet Home 3D (free)

Sweet Home 3D// sweethome3d.com

Sweet Home 3D allows you to draw the plan of your home in 2D then furnish and decorate and watch the results in 3D. It also lets you download your finished designs. With Sweet Home 3D, you can draw rooms and walls from scratch or import existing images from your own gallery or from the internet and then work with them.

This software can be used online or downloaded on your computer. While most interior design software programs that offer advanced features are paid, Sweet Home 3D is completely free. It’s packed with so many options that will inspire great ideas and allow you to build something special.

19. Cylindo (free demo and paid)

Cylindo// cylindo.com

Cylindo is a 3D home interior design software which enables users to make floor plans and then add furniture to the rooms. Its focus is specifically furniture. It allows users to integrate different kinds of furniture in floor plans such that they can get a clear picture of how the furniture would look in a room.

Cylindo works with a number of furniture companies and design companies so your able to realistically visualize the product in comparison with the room design and see whether it fits what you’re looking for. This software is important because no one wants to buy furniture and then find out later that it isn’t a good fit for their home. Cylindo offers users a free trial and after it ends you’ll to pay a fee to access the software again.

20. Live Interior 3D (free)

Live Interior 3D// brothersoft.com

Live Interior is a free interior design CAD software which offers users a catalog of over 1500 materials to experiment with. It was built to accommodate both professionals and amateurs, featuring a quick and easy to use interface.

Live Interior allows you to create a 2D floor plan, which you can then decorate with your desired furniture, paint color, fabrics, and textures. You can even fine-tune the lighting of your space. When you feel like you’re satisfied with your design, you can render it in 3D or a virtual walkthrough and then take photorealistic images of the design from different angles.

21. Infurnia (paid)

Infurnia// nfurnia.com

Infurnia is a cloud-based software which can be operated online and offline. It offers users all the basic features of any interior design software (3D catalog, visual walkthrough, photorealistic images and sharing, and importing images for use) in combination with extra features such as VR rendering, catalog management, and project management.

The catalog management tool allows you to craft your own library of hardware, accessories, materials, wallpaper, appliances, and furniture. Project management enables a team of people working together on a project to define project stages and also track progress from their different accounts. The moment changes a made to the central account, the changes are instantly reflected in the accounts of designers associated with the project.

22. Home Styler (free and paid)

Home Styler// instructables.com

Home Styler is an easy to operate interior design software that is web-based. There is absolutely nominstallation required. All you need is an up-to-date web browser to start using it. Home Styler was createdmwith a professional interface and functions, although you don’t have to be a professional to use it, even firstmtime designers can learn how to operate it in no time.

It supports 2D and 3D, the 360-degree view, snapshots, and the 3D visual walkthrough. Home Styler alsomoffers over 10,000 items in its catalog and all the furniture available are real-life products. Home Styler has amfree version and a paid pro version.

23. SketchUp (free and paid)

SketchUp// sketchup.com

SketchUp has three versions, SketchUp free (offered free and web-based), SketchUp Make (downloadable version of SketchUp free), and SketchUp Pro (paid). SketchUp Pro is popular among many prominentmprofessional interior designers like Joanna Gaines from HGTV’s Fixer Upper. The program is so powerfulmand in-depth you will want to first make use of the video tutorials.

SketchUp Pro is sought by many professionals because of its supreme features, usability, and functions. With SketchUp Pro, you don’t just draw a plan, you can measure every detail of the home, the rooms, the decor, the furniture, the cabinetry, and other items.

The level of detail in SketchUp Pro is unmatched. However, all this great stuff comes at a cost, you’ll have to pay a good price for it but if you’re a professional and have many projects to work on. It’s definitely worth every penny you’ll spend on it.

24. HGTV Design Software (paid)

HGTV Design Software// pinterest.com

HGTV is a big name in the home design industry so it’s not surprising that they have their own home design software. HGTV interior design software comes with over 1500 items including furniture, windows, doors, appliances, lighting fixtures, kitchen cabinets, all for you to experiment with.

It offers you both a 2D and 3D perspective. Immediately you change something in 2D, the changes are reflected in the 3D version. HGTV comes with a collection of how-to videos to kickstart your learning process.

And when you complete a design, you can take photorealistic pictures that show the design during any time of the day, the technology even adds shadows, light, and reflections. You can also record a 3D virtual tour of the space. And if you’re feeling stuck and not quite sure where to start from, try using one of the many sample model templates. They’ll definitely give you the much-needed inspiration.

25. MyVirtualHome (free and paid)

MyVirtualHome// myvirtualhome.en.downloadastro.com

MyVirtualHome offers you all the features you will need to plan, design, and furnish your dream home and ultimately communicate your ideas to your contractor. MyVirtualHome has been tried and tested in Australia and now it offers a global edition.

A few of MyVirtualHome’s exceptional features include; animation, this feature gives the design a pretty impressive lived-in feel, it allows you to open and close doors, switch on the air conditioner, turn on the lights, and even fill cupboards.

It’s Games based. Because most of MyVirtualHome’s software engineers started out as game designers, MyVirtualHome has a couple of features inspired by gaming, it features keyboard commands and intuitive
controls common in gaming.

You can even customize your virtual walkthrough role, setting the pace, height, head bonce, all to give you a much more realistic feel of the home. MyVirtualHome also offers free program updates.

26. Roomstyler (free)

Roomstyler// download.cnet.com

Formerly My Deco 3D Room Planner, Roomstyler is one of the most popular interior design software programs. It’s more than just a program, it’s a community of interior design enthusiasts. Roomstyler runs in a web browser. It offers users a catalog of more than 120,000 real items from name brands including IKEA, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Moooi among others.

There are links to product price if you want to buy a specific product. Roomstyler allows members to display their finished designs and other members of the community can like and/or comment on them. Roomstyler also organizes theme contests where members are challenged to come up with their own designs following the theme.

There’s also a feature which allows members to curate items they would use in interior design, these galleries
are called moodboards, and members can view moodboards by other members.

27. Opun Planner (free)

Opun Planner// topbestalternatives.com

Opun Planner is a free online home interior design software program. It features a gallery of different rooms of the house (bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen) that you can edit to your own specific color schemes, textures, and patterns.

You can design rooms from scratch or pick a design by one of the other users and edit it. When you’re done designing, you can save and print out your design. Opun planner is very easy to use, no complicated details or features. It also offers how-to videos to give you a quick heads up on how best you can make use of all the features and functions.

28. IKEA Home Planning Software (free)

IKEA Home Planning Software// ikea-home-planner.en.softonic.com

IKEA is a global brand of home interior products. It’s interior design software allows you to experiment with their products and see how they would fit into any room of your home. The software allows you to create a floor plan specific to the actual measurements of your real life space. This ensures that the furniture you pick
will fit your space in case you decide to make a purchase.

Aside from that, IKEA also keeps a tally of how much the products you have chosen in your design cost, both specific prices and the overall cost. You can view your design in both 2D and 3D. Additionally, IKEA is completely free to use.

29. dmLights 3D Homeplanner (free)

dmLights 3D Homeplanner// dmlights.com

dmLights 3D Homeplanner interior design software is by the home lighting and electrical company dmLights. It offers a variety of options when it comes to crafting top-notch home interior designs. When you decide to use dmLights 3D Homeplanner, you’re presented with a vast catalog of furniture, lights, wallpaper, paint colors, and many other items to use in your design.

dmLights features light settings that allow you to adjust the light in your 3D design so it looks more realistic. You can take HD photos of the 3D design, the camera can be moved around throughout the room to take pictures in different positions and angles, simply drag and click. Furthermore, the software enables you to upload your own photos or art to use as wall decoration.

30. Floor Planner (free demo and paid)

Floor Planner// apkpure.com

Floor Planner allows you a free trial to decide if it features all you need for your design. If you decide it’s
good enough and subscribe for a fee. You’ll get a very interactive interface that will have you creating designs quickly.

Floor Planner offers over 150,000 3D models including furniture, doors, windows, cabinets and much more. When you’re finished with your design, you can share it with your friends, family or clients via social media. Floor Planner is a web-based software but you can download the app.

31. 3D Architect Home Designer Floor Plan Software (paid)

3D Architect Home Designer Floor Plan Software// 3darchitectsoftware.com

3D Architect offers you over 8000 different types of objects to manipulate while designing your desired space. For example, it has very many different kinds of stairs that you can adjust in so many ways to get something close to your home design if you’re in the process of remodeling.

You can create designs from the ground up and then experiment with the different items available. All items come in a variety of colors, textures, and sizes. The software also allows you to create a close-to-reality lighting setting which includes shadows and reflections. And after you’re done working on your design, you can use the 3D visual walkthrough to get a lived-in feel of your space.

32. pCon Planner (free and paid)

pCon Planner// malavida.com

pCon Planner is a very fine software program. This software program allows you to create professional 3D layouts and bring all your ideas to life. With pCon Planner, let your imagination run wild, design spaces from scratch and after, share them with friends, family or clients.

pCon Planner includes the option of loading an existing plan and editing it according to your vision. After, you can generate professional images of your designs. pCon Planner comes in two versions, pCon Planner free and pCon Planner Pro, which is paid.

This software is quick to learn and easy to use. It has a professional look and just this alone could inspire great ideas in you that could go on to become professional designs.

33. DreamPlan (free and paid)

DreamPlan// dreamplan-home-design-software.en.softonic.com

DreamPlan is an interior design software program with two versions, a free version and a paid version. It has an extensive menu of features including; building floor plans or importing your own floor plans, custom setting textures, colors, furniture, appliances, and other decorations, switching between blueprint, 2D, and 3D view modes. With an easy to operate interface, DreamPlan allows you to create and design home spaces like a professional.

The post 33 Best Online Interior Design Software Programs (Free & Paid) appeared first on Home Improvementer.

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When you’re renovating an old house, you might encounter old flooring that needs to be removed. Linoleum is just one type of of such floorings. Well, dismantling something is definitely easier than building it, but old linoleum flooring can be dangerous to remove without proper protection. Join us as we speak about properly removing the old linoleum.

Precautionary Measures

Do not clean the floor with sandpaper. Do not scrape or drill it with a drill or jackhammer. Do not attempt to crack, pulverize or split the existing flooring, its felt base or substrate, or any bitum-base glutinous mixtures. These products can contain asbestos fibers or crystalline silica (quartz). Try not to inhale any dust emitted by the flooring base, as contracting asbestos may lead to severe respiratory diseases and increase the risk of developing lung cancer. If you are not sure that the material is asbestos-free, consider it dangerous.

General Rules for Linoleum Flooring Removal

Follow a common set of instuctions while adhering to the recommended rules on removing old linoleum;

• Do not remove the existing flooring unless there is a dire need;
• Use a vacuum cleaner outfitted with removable HEPA filter, dust bag and metallic floor nozzle. Do not use any brushes;
• Use cleaning solutions when removing the roll-based floorings. Do not remove them without liquid cleaning solutions;
• Any felt base must be removed with special cleaning solution;
• Tiles must be humidified before you’ll attempt to remove them (unless you’re going to use heat during the removal process);
• All materials must be placed inside firm, impenetrable packets at least 6 mm thick, or inside hermetic containers. It must then be moved to a dump authorized to store such materials.

Alternatives to Removing Existing Linoleum Flooring

As a rule of thumb, you should only remove the existing flooring if there is no other choice. You should usually consider the following alternatives:

• Lay new floor upon the existing single-layer elastic flooring;
• Fill the embossed ornament of existing flooring with special leveling solution (residential buildings only);
• Lay the new flooring on special wooden lags with a recommended screed.

If you plan to install new elastic flooring, tile or roll floor upon existing elastic flooring, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s manual. It should contain the instructions on preparing the old flooring for installing new surface upon it. Remove the wax and other protective surfaces with wet method only.

Removing the Flooring Rolls

What you’ll need:

• A pair of protective gloves and glasses;
• Wall or floor scraper with fixated blade;
• Universal knife or pelican knife;
• Vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, replaceable dust bag and metallic nozzle allowing for wet cleaning;
• Portable container type sprayer;
• Large, durable and impenetrable bags;
• Liquid detergent containing anionic, non-ionic and amphoteric surfactanta;
• Earth leakage circuit breaker for vaccum and any other appliances.

Removing Well-Fixated Rolls of Linoleum Flooring

1. Take away all furniture and appliances from the operating area;
2. Remove all jumpers, edges and fretwork from walls, doorways and other places;
3. Prepare the detergent solution (100 to 120 grams of detergent per 1 litre of water) and pour it in portable sprayer;
4. Clean the entire floor using a HEPA vacuum with metallic nozzle before removing the flooring;
5. Make several parallel cuts in the upper layer of flooring. They should be around 10-20 cm away from each other and around a half of roll thick.
6. Remove the worn-out layer. One worker should start working in the farthest point from entrance, removing the base from worn-out layer. Another worker should constantly spray the detergent solution to avoid the dust from getting up in the air. If the procedure is done correctly, the felt left on the floor and the rear side of the roll stripe will be completely hide. Do not remove the surface from more than three stripes in a row. Stand only on untouched flooring or clear floor. Avoid standing on felt. Remove the base from the cut pieces of linoleum by coiling the rolls on a core that allows you to control the coiling angle and create the balanced tension. Tie up or coil the extracted material and put it in a firm, impenetrable bag or container for further recycling.
7. Remove and hermetize each following stripe. Try to avoid the exposed felt. You will have to wash or ditch the work shoes as soon as you leave the work zone. Seal the filled bags carefully and be sure to put an asbestos hazard label upon them.
8. The remains of upper or lower layer can sometimes stick to the substrate. It can be remediated by scraping the layers in the opposite direction. Scraper with rigidly fixed blade will help you removing or peeling them down;
9. Wet peeling of the felt remains:
   • Peel off the remaining felt after removing three patches of flooring. To do this, pour the remaining felt with special liquid detergent solution and wait for a few minutes until the felt is completely soaked with the solution;
   • Stand on remaining flooring, not on a felt. Peel off the wet felt with special scraper;
   • If the liquid detergent solution did not soal the felt completely, if the felt has dried up or if you found dry felt while scraping, pour the detergent solution over it again. Place the removed wet felt into the hermetic seal or impenetrable bag immediately;
   • As soon as the floor sector is exposed, clean it with a HEPA vacuum with a metallic nozzle;
   • Repeat the procedure while removing further patches of linoleum;
   • Do the same until the entire floor is clear. Tightly seal the bags and prepare them for recycling;
   • As soon as the entire flooring is removed, dry it up and clean it with the vacuum;
   • Used HEPA filters and trash bags must be recycled separately as stated in manufacturer’s manual;
   • Your floor is now ready for the new flooring to be laid.

The post How to Remove Old Linoleum appeared first on Home Improvementer.

Designing a bathroom requires a special approach. While suitable for some other projects, excessive details may spoil the result here. For modern bathrooms, minimalist design is a must.

Contemporary bathroom design is not limited by colors or textures. Professional engineers should help you create your dream bathroom by demarcating the room’s space, thus creating a comfortable environment.

Any design begins with defining a base style you’ll be working on. We’ve collected some trending designs so that you’ll know what can you work with.

You can create unusual design and transform your bathroom into a full-fledged relaxation zone provided you have enough free space. Don’t overcrowd the free space with excessive amounts of vanity in this case; opt for the necessary basics and nothing else.

Large planning allows you to install the bathtub in an extraordinary location. It can be placed right in the middle of the room, while the sink and the toilet will be placed farther away from human’s eye.

Contemporary bathroom design allows for multiple lighting sources. LED and spot lighting are the main light sources here, allowing you to make the bathroom sleeker and lighter. Effective lighting will zone the entire interior, and the room won’t look too dull.

Another interesting design solution is to do a full-fledged zoning of a bathroom, allowing you to visually demarcate the borders between the room’s functional zones. It can be done with lighting or some subtle painting changes.

Modern design languages prefer light tones and a lot of lighting. This is especially useful for smaller bathrooms, as it helps you to visually increase its size. By the way, if you need to visually enlarge your small bathroom or closet, we have a very nice guide on how to do it.

One of the most popular interior design languages these days is Scandy. Inspired by Scandinavian minimalism, it strives to reach a perfect combination of simplicity and natural beauty. It is also a very environmentally-friendly design language, only using renewable natural materials.

Flooring is yet another important aspect of bathroom design. A proper floor will augment the design choices you or your designer have made. The following picture shows a perfect minimalist bathroom utilizing the grey tile flooring. Tiles are not the only choice – in fact, you could find better, more durable and affordable options such as linoleum. Our guide on using linoleum in bathrooms has all the details – come check it out if you’re interested!

The post Top 10 Designs for Contemporary Bathroom in 2017 appeared first on Home Improvementer.

Last year, the solar power had outrun coal and became the fastest-growing energy last year. That’s according to research data provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The main contributing factors are lowe pricing and better government policies, encouraging both residential and commercial users to switch from conventional power sources, like coal, to solar energy. China has been one of the largest contributors to the booming solar power sector, with almost a half of all new worldwide solar panel installations coming from this country.

The experts are now expecting a “new era” in solar photovoltaics (PV). They anticipate a considerable growth of solar PV capacity – in fact, it should be even higher than any other renewable technology – by around 2022. The IEA admitted to underestimating the speed of green energy growth rate. Many countries and their pro-solar policies will contribute to the boom in the coming years – India alone, for example, is expected to double its energy capacity by 2022, overtaking the entire European Union.

Even though the industry is on the rise, there are some troublesome tensions that may suppress the prograss. President Trump’s pledge to bring the dying coal industry to life may endanger the American solar power market. It is currently ranked second-largest in the world, and should Trump’s plans come into motion, the entire industry might slow down. In addition, the US International Trade Commission plans to install tariffs on solar panel imports from China, as the regulatory agency is afraid that the Chinese produce may negatively affect American manufacturers. However, the forecast remains bright, at least for now.

As you can see, there’s no better moment to join the solar revolution than now. If you’re interested, find out if you can install solar system in your apartment and how to find a reputable installer.

The post Solar power outruns coal, becomes the fastest-growing source of global energy appeared first on Home Improvementer.

Solar power becomes more and more popular source of electricity. To accommodate the growing demands, more and more crews appear at local and global markets, offering their services with installation and configuration of solar panels. However, some of them can not only fail to do their job, but leave you with huge damages altogether.

Correctly installed solar panels not only break your roof warranty, but even defend it from various damage sources. Proper solar grid can protect the roof even from a hailstorm, leaving the owners’ property pretty much unscathed. When something goes wrong, however, not only the panels provide no protection at all, but they also can damage the roof on their own.

Along with solar equipment quality and system warranties, installers’ technical expertise is one of the most important factors affecting the reliability of your system. They all tend to vary from installer to installer, so you must ensure to find the best specialist possible. Better spend a few extra dollars now rather than lose thousands on further repairs. We’re very lucky to have multiple highly-reputable and trustworthy companies across the US that provide the solar system installation services. So, we’ve gathered a few things you should look for when looking for a contractor for your solar system installation:

Make sure your installer has a NABCEP certification

NABCEP stands for North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. Quite naturally, the list of “Energy Practitioners” also includes solar PV technicians. In order to get the certificate, a technician must have pre-existing solar system deployment experience and pass a writing test. The certificate alone does not guarantee the perfect work quality, but it at the very least ensures that the practicioner has at least some level of knowledge and experience. The best available options is to either have a NABCEP certified professional oversee the process or even do it himself.

The installation company must have a good reputation

An installer with a successful track record will usually ensure a successful installation and trouble-free use of a system. The best way for you to find a reputable installer is to ask a friend or acquaintance with a solar system, if you have one.

Another option to assess a company is to use an online consumer review website. You’ll find many of them on the Internet, so there’s really no need to highlight any of them.

One more sign of quality is that the installer does his job himself rather than outsource it. It’s not like we’re discouraging you from working with companies which outsource their labor, but quality of their installation tends to be a little bit unpredictable.

Look for best possible options

We think you won’t have problems looking for a reputable solar company – nowadays you could find at least two of them in most areas. Try milking them for multiple bids – in the end you might get better product quality with lower out-of-pocket cost. Let’s have an example here – most installers use a one-size-fits-all approach to the system design, but you can find a company that would be ready to customize the installation with your needs, goals and the property in mind. If the process is complicated, finding an installer with the best available equipment and installation approach is a must.

If you need help with comparisons, try using EnergySage. The site has secured a Department of Energy funding, providing a range of online resources and tools that help consumers researching and shopping for solar systems. You could also try UnderstandSolar – another service that links the shoppers to the best installers in their area for personalized estimates. Maybe you’ll need additional solar panels ofr a backup converter? Speak with different installers to find the best options and equipment choice.

Find a comprehensive warranty for the entire system

Different equipment types come with their own warranties on top of the installer warranty. As investing into solar power will be a very expensive expenditure, it would only be wise to obtain an additional warranty.

Warranties from installers usually vary in duration, but the most popular ones last from one to ten years, depending on type of works and the installer itself. Plus, the manufacturer warrantees the equipment. The panels have both the equipment and power performance guarantee for energy production; they usually last for 5-10 or more years. Other components, such as inverter, may have a very short warranty, not exceeding a year or two. Before you sign the contract with your installer, learn all available information about all devices you’re buying, including the warranty.

Time to wait before installation

Due to booming popularity of solar energy in recent years, most installers are falling behind when it comes to installation schedules. Chances are you’ll have to wait for months before your installer will be able to come to you, let alone to install the actual system. If you’re not exactly patient, ask about the installer’s schedule before signing any papers.

As you probably know, going solar grants you a 30% federal tax credit. However, the solar system installation timing might affect the time you’ll need before using the tax credit greatly. The earlier in the year you install solar system, the better.

The post How to Find a Proper Solar Panel Installer appeared first on Home Improvementer.

US Department of Energy has announced that utility-grade solar panels now cost as much as they would have had to cost in 2020, essentially hitting the 2020 solar power cost estimates even faster than predicted. Utility-grade power now costs approximately $1 per watt expressed in total install cost, and while the commercial and residential panels are not as cheap, they will reach that milestone too, eventually. According to Department’s data, the price of solar power in commercial and residential sectors are approximately at 85% of the way towards the 2020 affordability goal.

The Department of Energy had established the SunShot Initiative, a program meant to lower the solar power cost to $1/kWt by the end of this decade. It seems like the Department has succeeded, albeit there are a few caveats.

First, the price goal was reached in Kansas City, Missouri, a so-called “middle ground” between the places where solar power is cheap (like Phoenix, Arizona) and the most expensive locations to install solar panels (like New York City).

Second, as we’ve already stated, this price goal only concerns utility-grade solar power. While the commercial and residential solar installations have also dropped in price, they will need to become approximately 15% cheaper to reach the SunShot Initiative goals.

However, the cost data does not take into account any applicable tax credits. Additional research from National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that the utility-grade solar system installation costs have dropped 29% over the first quarter of 2017.

What’s next for the SunShot Initiative? The initiative will now focus on reaching the same price goals for commercial and residential solar power installations. Plus, the department will now focus on improving the reliability of solar systems rather than solely lowering its cost. The 2021-2030 goals will include better reliability, resilience and larger storage.

The post Solar Energy Is Now as Cheap as It Should Have Been in 2020 appeared first on Home Improvementer.

What’s the best material to lay on garage floor? Apparently, 2 pence coins are the new trend – at least for a single British family living in Pensford, Somerset. Dominic Lowe, 55, and his son John, 25, came up to a pretty ingenuous and stylish idea to decorate their garage.

Father and son started working on a beautiful mosaic made of copper coins after Dominic has seen a Facebook post about this design choice. The family decided it would be a perfect way to make something unique out of their newly built garage. Their project is far from completion, at least for now – they have only laid 17,000 out of 33,700 coins.

The family used Coke to polish the coins. They are then placed on glued floor, creating a beautiful copper floor that covers an area of 5 on 5 meters.

Father and son have been polishing some of the coins, while leaving some of them dull on purpose. This creates a two-tone effect, allowing the family to make a beautiful pattern inside the garage. When evening comes, the setting sun shines through the windows, bouncing off the metal. And the best part here is that the final project cost won’t be more than £670… at least for the 2 pence coins part.

The men spend around ten hours a week bending everything over and laying down the coins. Dominic soaks a handful of coins in a bowl of Coca-Cola, then washes them all off under tap water and dries them down with a towel. As the coins become ready, he sticks them to the floor with glue.

John has helped Dominic collect coins, while his younger sister Katie spent some time preparing the floor for the restyling. When all coins will be laid, Dominic plans to put an additional lacquer layer over the shiny ones so that they won’t tarnish over time.

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Flooring manufacturer Mohawk Group has unveiled Topography, a new collection of modular carpets designated for commercial use. The new collection was unveiled during NeoCon 2017, ab American design exposition and conference for commercial interior vendors.

The firm currently manufactures a wide range of floorings and other materials. Mohawk owns 31 plants in Georgia, each producing various flooring materials: commercial carpet, commercial carpet tile, carpet fiber and yarns, cushions and various rugs. Plus, Mohawk has a range of resilient flooring materials. The company also produces residential flooring.
Mohawk has spent around $850 million around the world this year, with more than half of this amount having been spent in North America. According to Brian Carson, President of Flooring – North America at Mohawk, Mohawk will invest a similar amount of money next year. One of Mohawk’s core strategies is manufacturing the produce in local markets for local buyers. It served Mohawk well, and the company expects to utilize it in the future. The company, however, is not out of ideas and will continue improving its products and create more value.

What’s more interesting is that Carson noted how the skills required to work in the plants. They now include computer expertise, enginerring and other STEM-related skills. All the operators had become line technicians, and they now must think about the general process integration. Plus, they should all be aware of how all things should work together. This challenge makes the work even more interesting.

Last year, Mohawk invested in new design center for the commercial and hospitality teams working for the company. Called “The Light Lab”, the 33,000 square foot facility is located in Dalton. It offers a full surround 360 degree views of the surroundings, incorporating reclaimed and responsibly sourced material. The building started in 1960s – back then, it was intended to be an HQ building for World Carpet. Savannah College of Art and Design students contributed to the interior design, and now all members of Mohawk hospitality and commercial design teams will be able to enjoy the beauty of Light Lab.

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