The remodeling trend homeowners can't see: Upgrading what's behind the walls

kAmp 9@>6VD 286 C6G62=D 4CF4:2= :?7@C>2E:@? E92E :D @7E6? ?@E G:D:3=6 E@ E96 ?2<65 6J6] %96 :?E6C:@C >2J C67=64E E96 =2E6DE 56D:8? EC6?5D[ 3FE F?56C?62E9 E96 7=@@C 2?5 369:?5 E96 H2==D[ E96C6 >2J 36 `hc_D :?7C2DECF4EFC6 E92E 42?’E <66A FA H:E9 >@56C? 56>2?5D @C E92E :D?’E FA E@ >@56C? 4@56D]k^Am

kAm%96 A:A6D[ H:C:?8[ :?DF=2E:@?[ 2?5 @E96C 9:556? 6=6>6?ED @7 2 9@>6 5:4E2E6 9@H 4@>7@CE23=6[ D276[ 2?5 7F?4E:@?2= 2 9@FD6 766=D]k^Am

kAm(:E9 E96 >65:2? 286 @7 @H?6C\@44FA:65 9@>6D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?293]@C8^3=@8^a_ae^_b^9@H\@=5\:D\E@52JD\9@FD:?8\DE@4<QmC6249:?8 ca J62CD @=5k^2m[ 9@>6@H?6CD 7246 2 5:776C6?E <:?5 @7 C6>@56=:?8j @?6 E92E 8@6D 369:?5 E96 H2==D]k^Am

k7:8FC6mk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^:>286D]DE24<6C]4@>^H^`ag_^:>286D^DE@C:6D^a_ae^_h^ab^r|z0baa``fg]A?8Q 2=ElQp? :?7@8C2A9:4 567:?:?8 A=F>3:?8[ 6=64EC:42=[ 2?5 w'pr U2>Aj :?DF=2E:@? FA8C256D]Q DEJ=6lQH:5E9i `__TQ ^mk7:842AE:@?mr|z r@?DECF4E:@?k^7:842AE:@?mk^7:8FC6m

k9bmk3C ^m%96 &A8C256D q69:?5 E96 (2==Dk^9bm

kAm%96C6 2C6 76H E9:?8D E92E 92G6 2D >F49 :>A24E @? 9@>6@H?6CD 2D 2 9@>6’D A=F>3:?8[ 6=64EC:42=[ 962E:?8[ 2?5 w'pr DJDE6>D] (96? AC@A6C=J 56D:8?65[ >2:?E2:?65[ 2?5 FA8C2565[ E96D6 DJDE6>D 42? 6?DFC6 E92E 2? @=56C 9@>6 >66ED >@56C? DE2?52C5D @7 4@>7@CE 2?5 677:4:6?4J]k^Am

kAm(96? E96 DJDE6>D 2C6 A@@C=J 56D:8?65[ ?68=64E65[ @C 52>2865[ D6C:@FD AC@3=6>D 42? 2C:D6] %96D6 :DDF6D 42? 27764E 2 3C2?5 ?6H 9@FD6[ 3FE :? 2? @=56C 9@>6 E96J E6?5 E@ 4@>A@F?5] |@=5[ H2E6C 52>286[ D@2C:?8 6?6C8J 3:==D[ 2?5 :?256BF2E6 962E:?8 @C 4@@=:?8 2C6 D@>6 @7 E96 :DDF6D 9@>6@H?6CD >2J 7246 H96? E96 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 369:?5 E96 H2==D 368:? E@ 72:=]k^Am

kAm|@C6@G6C[ E96 56>2?5D @7 >@56C? =:76 W962GJ 6=64EC@?:4D[ C6>@E6 H@C<[ 9:89\5C2H 2AA=:2?46D[ 2?5 64@\4@?D4:@FD =:G:?8X C6BF:C6 FA\E@\52E6 369:?5\E96\H2==D DJDE6>D] %92E :D H9J A=F>3:?8[ 6=64EC:42=[ 2?5 C@@7:?8 2C6 2>@?8 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9:D@=59@FD6]4@>^9@>6\7:?2?46D^9@>6\C6?@G2E:@?\EC6?5DRiOiE6IEl(92ETa_xDTa_E96Ta_|@DETa_r@>>@?Ta_%JA6Ta_@7Ta_w@>6Ta_#6?@G2E:@?Qm`_ >@DE 4@>>@? 9@>6 C6?@G2E:@? AC@;64EDk^2m E@52J]k^Am

k9bm(92E |@56C? w@>6@H?6CD u@4FD ~?k^9bm

kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4><4@?DECF4E:@?:?4]4@>^Qmr|z r@?DECF4E:@?k^2m[ 2 %2>A2 q2J <:E496? 2?5 32E9C@@> C6>@56=:?8 4@>A2?J[ 9@>6@H?6CD 2C6 :?4C62D:?8=J C64@8?:K:?8 E92E >@56C? 56>2?5D 42? AFE 2 DEC2:? @? @=56C A=F>3:?8 2?5 6=64EC:42= DJDE6>D] p8:?8 962E:?8 2?5 4@@=:?8 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 42? 2=D@ 5C:G6 FA 6?6C8J 4@DED[ AC@>AE:?8 >2?J C6?@G2E:@? AC@;64ED E@ 255C6DD 3@E9 H92E’D G:D:3=6 2?5 H92E’D 369:?5 E96 H2==D]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m!=F>3:?8 &A8C256D (@CE9 E96 x?G6DE>6?Ek^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm|@56C? 9@>6D 92G6 >@C6 2AA=:2?46D 2?5 7:IEFC6D E92E 56A6?5 @? 2 C6=:23=6 H2E6C 56=:G6CJ 2?5 5C2:?286 DJDE6>] q6EH66? 9:89\677:4:6?4J 5:D9H2D96CD[ DE62> D9@H6CD[ 2?5 H9@=6\9@>6 9F>:5:7:6CD E92E >2J CF? D:>F=E2?6@FD=J[ C6D:56?E:2= A=F>3:?8 ?665D 9:896C 5J?2>:4 H2E6C AC6DDFC6[ AC@A6C=J D:K65 DFAA=J =:?6D[ 2?5 >@56C?:K65 5C2:?286]k^Am

kAm%@ <66A FA H:E9 E96 56>2?5[ @?6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E96DACF46]4@>^36DE\9@>6\C6?@D\J@F==\FD6\6G6CJ\52J\``gaghbbRiOiE6IEl!=F>3:?8Ta_u:IEFC6DQm>2;@C 2?5 6DD6?E:2= A=F>3:?8 FA8C256k^2m :D C6A=24:?8 @=5 4@AA6C @C 82=G2?:K65 DE66= =:?6D WAC@?6 E@ A:?9@=6 =62<D[ 4@CC@D:@?[ 2?5 D42=6 3F:=5FAX H:E9 4C@DD\=:?<65 A@=J6E9J=6?6 W!t)X] !t) @776CD 9:896C 7=@H C2E6D[ C6D:DED 7C66K6\3FCDE:?8[ 2?5 2==@HD A=F>36CD E@ 9@>6\CF? :?5:G:5F2= =:?6D 5:C64E=J E@ 9:89\56>2?5 7:IEFC6D]k^Am

kAmr@?46C?D 23@FE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?C54]@C8^DE@C:6D^2>6C:42D\72:=:?8\5C:?<:?8\H2E6C\DJDE6>Qm>F?:4:A2= H2E6C BF2=:EJk^2m[ >:4C@A=2DE:4D[ 49=@C:?6 E2DE6[ 2?5 92C5 H2E6C >:?6C2= 3F:=5FA 92G6 2=D@ =65 9@>6@H?6CD E@ 2D< 23@FE :?=:?6 >F=E:\DE286 7:=EC2E:@? @C C6G6CD6 @D>@D:D W#~X DJDE6>D]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mt=64EC:42= &A8C256D E92E z66A r@DED s@H?k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAmp? @=56C 6=64EC:42= DJDE6> >2J ?@E 36 23=6 E@ 92?5=6 4FCC6?E 6=64EC:42= 56>2?5D[ H9:49 >2J EFC? :E :?E@ 2 D276EJ C:D<]k^Am

kAmu@C :?DE2?46[ DE2?52C5 `__\2>A A2?6=D 42??@E D276=J 92?5=6 E96 4@>3:?65 5C2H @7 962E AF>AD[ :?5F4E:@? 4@@<E@AD[ t' 492C86CD[ 2?5 >F=E:\DE2E:@? 9@>6 @77:46D] %96C67@C6[ 9@>6@H?6CD :?E6C6DE65 :? FA8C25:?8 2 <:E496?[ 32D6>6?E[ @C 6G6? 9@>6 @77:46 >FDE 7:CDE 4@?D:56C FA8C25:?8 E@ 2 a__\2>A @C c__\2>A D6CG:46]k^Am

kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?642?6E]@C8^E@A:4D^4@56D2?5DE2?52C5D^E96\?64Qm}2E:@?2= t=64EC:42= r@56k^2m[ >@56C? 9@>6D ?665 565:42E65 9:89\5C2H 4:C4F:ED 7@C DA64:7:4 2AA=:2?46D 2?5 6=64EC:42= DJDE6>D[ DF49 2D 2 {6G6= a t' 492C8:?8 DE2E:@?[ 2? :?5F4E:@? C2?86[ @C 962E AF>A 6BF:A>6?E] t249 FD6D A@H6C 5:776C6?E=J 2?5 2E 9:89 :?E6?D:EJ[ D@ D92C:?8 2 4:C4F:E 4@F=5 42FD6 4@?DE2?E 3C62<6C EC:AA:?8 @C 52?86C@FD E96C>2= 3F:=5FA :? E96 H:C6D]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mw'pr 2?5 w62E:?8 &A8C256D E@ r@?D:56Ck^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm%C25:E:@?2= 7FC?246^pr 4@>3@D E6?5 E@ 4C62E6 D6G6C6 :?5@@C E6>A6C2EFC6 DH:?8D[ 4@=5 @C 9@E DA@ED E9C@F89@FE E96 9@FD6[ 2?5 A@@C 9F>:5:EJ 4@?EC@= 5FC:?8 DF>>6C >@?E9D]k^Am

kAmt=64EC:4 2:C\D@FC46 962E AF>AD[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ 2C6 6?6C8J\677:4:6?E 2?5 56=:G6C 3@E9 46?EC2= 962E:?8 2?5 46?EC2= 4@@=:?8 E9C@F89 E96 D2>6 >6492?:42= DJDE6>] |2?J 9@>6@H?6CD AC676C E96D6 W962E AF>AD 92G6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^C>:]@C8^C6D@FC46D^EC24<:?8\E96\962E\AF>A\H2E6C\962E6C\>2C<6E\:?\E96\F?:E65\DE2E6D^Qm@FED@=5 EC25:E:@?2= 82D 7FC?246D ?2E:@?H:56k^2m 2??F2==J D:?46 a_a`X]k^Am

kAmp?@E96C 4@>>@? EC6?5 :?G@=G:?8 E96 DA246 369:?5 E96 H2==D :D DAC2J 7@2> 2?5 3=@H\:? :?DF=2E:@?] !C@A6C :?DF=2E:@? :>AC@G6D 2 9@>6VD E96C>2= 677:4:6?4J 2?5 A9JD:42= 4@>7@CE :?5@@CD 5FC:?8 E96 H:?E6C 2?5 DF>>6C >@?E9D]k^Am

k9bmq69:?5 E96 (2==D &A8C256D |2<6 $6?D6k^9bm

kAm%9@F89 ?@E 2D G:D:3=6 2D 2 3C2?5 ?6H >2C3=6 4@F?E6CE@A @C 2 C6>@56=65 32E9C@@>[ FA8C256D E@ E96 DJDE6>D E92E <66A E96 9@FD6 4@>7@CE23=6 2C6 2 H:D6 564:D:@?] x?G6DE>6?ED :? A=F>3:?8[ 6=64EC:42=[ 2?5 962E:?8^4@@=:?8 DJDE6>D :>AC@G6 :?5@@C DA246[ C65F46 6?6C8J 3:==D[ 2?5 <66A E96 9@FD6 D276]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4><4@?DECF4E:@?:?4]4@>^E96\C6>@56=:?8\EC6?5\9@>6@H?6CD\42?E\D66\FA8C25:?8\H92ED\369:?5\E96\H2==D^Qmk6>m%9:D DE@CJk^6>mk^2m k6>mH2D AC@5F465 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4><4@?DECF4E:@?:?4]4@>^Qmk6>mr|z r@?DECF4E:@?k^6>mk^2m k6>m2?5 C6G:6H65 2?5 5:DEC:3FE65 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9F3D]=2^"_b<=8$#_Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk6>m$E24<6Ck^6>mk^2m]k^Am