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Each day, you step out into the world from your home. Every evening, you retreat from the world to your home. It’s a sacred place to experience life - during meals, conversations, relaxing times and entertaining.

Your decision to remodel your home is exciting. Making a large or small addition, upgrading your kitchen or improving your bathroom will enhance your living space. By remodeling, you may be adding more room, increasing the value of your home or correcting long-standing issues. And, your initial excitement will carry through your project as your home is transformed.

You desire an enjoyable remodeling experience. A&A Design Build Remodeling utilizes a comprehensive and proven approach to design and install all remodeling projects. You can rely on our remodeling skills, expertise and support before, during and after your project. Remodeling can sometimes pose challenges, so our staff carefully manages each project to provide the best experience.

You cherish lasting craftsmanship, beauty and durability, so your remodeling should be well-worth your investment. With A&A Design Build Remodeling, your pleasure and delight with our projects is our constant focus and clear goal.

We invite you to learn about Our Services and view a small selection of complete home remodeling projects from our Portfolio.

Serving Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Potomac, Rockville, Silver Spring MD, Washington, DC,
Northern VA.

Typical home remodeling projects include:

• Basement refinishing
• Bathroom additions and upgrades
• Attic conversions
• Kitchen remodeling
• Partial and whole house renovations
• Room additions
• Room conversions
• Home offices and studies
• Exercise rooms
• Multi-purpose entertainment rooms

A&A Design Build Remodeling offers complete remodeling services including:

• Project design and planning
• Budget development
• Permits
• Excavation
• Masonry
• Carpentry
• Drywall and plastering
• Cabinetry
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
• Painting
• Roofing
• Handyman services
• And more…

Visit our site to learn more about our services.

 Remodeling For Home Theatre & Entertainment
(Basement Renovations)

One of the biggest trends in improving your home is renovating the basement. New trends in basement living suggests that people are no longer interested in increasing the number of bedrooms in the house or making the basement a complete suite. People are realizing they rarely utilize their guest room and having it made up all year long is wasting the value of this space. Those guest rooms are being converted to upstairs offices makes it easily accessible for nights when they can’t sleep and have to get your idea down.

The new home entertainment centers or multi-media rooms are not like the big screen, projection televisions of even ten years ago. With LCD and liquid crystal technology your basement can be transformed a “multi-media room.” Unlike the old home entertainment room the technology has replaced a lot of the heavy cords with items like s-video plugs and computer switching in the audio-visual system. The new generation of interactive games such as; playing golf with real golf swings means you need a bit more space. The best thing about having this room in the basement is that the sound stays more localized in a basement room. As well, you can sound-insulate the ceiling for better isolation. The non-gamers in your household who want to just read will appreciate this very much.  Basement renovations are an art, learn more!

AA Design Build is a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), an organization dedicated to providing consumers the highest quality of construction, service, and professionalism. NARI also maintains high ethical and financial standards for members which we meet and support. Our vice president, Alex Shekhtman holde the prestigious title of "Certified Remodeler" from the association. Only a very small percentage of remodelers in the country have obtained this distinguished rating from NARI. We are also a member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

The Home Asset Management Plan

The Home Asset Management Plan (HAMP) is a new and unique program that takes a comprehensive view of a customer’s home and property from the top down. HAMP is designed to be a full service program that meets the total needs and desires of a unique segment of the market. The cornerstone of the program is the strong relationship of total trust and confidence our company has earned through past work. The goal of the program is to provide the client with a reliable and trustworthy “partner” or “advisor” for maintaining and enhancing the value of their home, assisting the client in creating a personal vision for their property.

The plan “binds” these three basic components:

• Maintenance – Routine inspections and service focusing on such items as HVAC, lawn maintenance, sprinkler systems, alarm systems, filter changing, energy cost reduction, etc
• Repairs – Small non-recurring maintenance projects such as replacing a window, repairing a door, etc.
• Remodeling and building new structures – This will include full service remodeling of kitchens and baths, room additions, home offices, major renovations, etc., as well as building a guest house, adding a garage, perhaps constructing a vacation home, creating a pool house, adding an outside entertainment area, and other such projects

The plan will contain a list of projects with project schedule and estimated costs that will become the action plan for the next twelve months as well as the planning document for future projects within the next 3 to 5 years. The plan will grow and change over time. It is intended to invite an ongoing interactive dialogue with the client.

   1.What are we offering?

• Trusted advisor in joint collaboration with client to take care of all the facility needs and desires of the client
• Full-service program for client’s property
• Comprehensive plan helping client manifest their vision of home
• Home Asset Management Book - attractive compendium of work and longer-term plan
• Home inventory

   2.Why are we offering the Home Asset Management Plan?

• Client benefits
• Provide on-going reliable and efficient care of their valuable asset, their home and grounds

Encourage client’s realization of their home as a reflection of themselves

• Encourage longer-range planning which can minimize the emotional and financial impact on client
• Relieve client of burden of home care
• Provide a trustworthy partner or advisor for maintaining and enhancing the value of their home
• Provide the assistance they need to create a vision of possibilities
• Create a documented annual plan to preserve and enhance their home
• Just like a family doctor, you become the family contractor
• We become a “single source” home advisor

   3.When is the Home Asset Management Plan advantageous?

• Now: Handle immediate needs to bring property up to a manageable level
• On-going: Handle recurring service needs, provide periodic property assessments and an updated annual plan
• Future: Provide up to three to five year project timeline, to be reviewed and updated annually

   4.How do we deliver the Home Asset Managment Plan?

• By meeting with the client(s) to listen and respond to what they want and need regarding their property.
• By creating a multi-year plan, including short- and long-term projects, that capture the client’s vision, and then executing the plan.
• By providing responsive service and giving the clients a high priority in attending to their building care needs.
• By assigning a HAMP manager to each client, removing the client’s need to know which person in the company to call for what.
• Proactively define short- and long-term projects to meet client’s needs and wants.
• With ongoing client contact instead of waiting for them to call.
• By bundling tasks for efficiency, profitability, and convenience.

   5.Where do we deliver the Home Asset Management Plan?

• In the comfort of our clients’ homes
• Into the fabric of our company, i.e., where each company member is keeping an eye open to potential new clients and to serving
• existing clients even better.

Aging in Place Specialists - CAPS

CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) is a nationally-recognized accreditation earned through the National Association of Home Builders. CAPS certificates are granted to building, remodeling and other professionals who complete an intense, approved training program and are dedicated to serving individuals who wish to remain in their homes as they age.

“Aging in Place” adjustments include both small and large modifications to your home. Small alterations include installing lighting in your closets or a pull-out spray faucet in your kitchen. Larger projects include installing lowered windows or non-slip flooring in various parts of your home.

A&A Design Build Remodeling is very pleased and honored to announce that we have earned CAPS certification and are working with homeowners in Washington, DC and Montgomery County, MD who wish to modify their homes, allowing easier “aging in place.”

Contact us to discuss the changes you’ve been considering for your home. We’ll give you straight answers and a clear path with your next steps.

Additionally, we’ve provided this checklist of “Aging in Place” changes for you to consider:

Exterior

• Low-maintenance exterior (vinyl, brick)
• Low-maintenance shrubs and plants
• Deck, patio or balcony surfaces are no more than ½ inch below interior floor level if made of wood

Overall Floor Plan

• Main living on a single story, including full bath
• No steps between rooms/areas on the same level
• 5-foot by 5-foot clear/turn space in living area, kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom

Hallways

• Minimum of 36 inches wide, wider preferred
• Well lit

Entry

• Accessible path of travel to the home
• At least one no-step entry with a cover
• Sensor light at exterior no-step entry focusing on the front-door lock
• There needs to be 32 inches of clear width, which requires a 36-inch door
• Non-slip flooring in foyer
• Entry door sidelight or high/low peep hole viewer; sidelight should provide both privacy and safety.
• Doorbell in accessible location
• Surface to place packages on when opening door

Thresholds

• Flush preferable
• Exterior maximum of ½ inch beveled
• Interior maximum of ¼ inch

Interior Doors

• There needs to be 32 inches of clear width, which requires a 36-inch door
• Levered door hardware

Windows

• Plenty of windows for natural light
• Lowered windows or taller windows with lower sill height
• Low maintenance exterior and interior finishes
• Easy to operate hardware

Garage or Carport

• Covered carports and boarding spaces
• Wider than average carports to accommodate lifts on vans
• Door heights may need to be 9 feet to accommodate some raised roof vans
• 5-foot minimum access aisle between accessible van and car in garage
• If code requires floor to be several inches below entrance to house for fume protection, can slope entire floor from front to back to eliminate need for ramp or step
• Ramp to doorway if needed
• Handrail if steps

Faucets

• Lever handles or pedal-controlled
• Thermostatic or anti-scald controls
• Pressure balanced faucets

Kitchen and Laundry

Counters

• Wall support and provision for adjustable and/or varied height counters and removable base cabinets
• Upper wall cabinetry – 3 inches lower than conventional height
• Accented stripes on edge of countertops to provide visual orientation to the workspace
• Counter space for dish landing adjacent to or opposite all appliances
• Base cabinet with roll out trays and “Lazy Susans”
• Pull-down shelving
• Glass-front cabinet doors
• Open shelving for easy access to frequently used items

Appliances

• Easy to read controls
• Washing machine and dryer raised 12 to 15 inches above floor
• Front loading laundry machines
• Microwave oven at counter height or in wall
• Side-by-side refrigerator/freezer
• Side-swing or wall oven
• Raised dishwasher with pushbutton controls
• Electric cook top with level burners for safety in transferring between the burners, front controls and downdraft feature to pull heat away from user; light to indicate when surface is hot

Miscellaneous

• 30-inch by 48-inch clear space at appliances or 60-inch diameter clear space for turns
• Multi-level work areas to accommodate cooks of different heights
• Open under-counter seated work areas
• Placement of task lighting in appropriate work areas
• Loop handles for easy grip and pull
• Pull-out spray faucet; levered handles
• In multi-story homes, laundry chute or laundry facilities in master bedroom

Bathroom

• Wall support and provision for adjustable and/or varied height counters and removable base cabinets
• Contrasting color edge border at countertops
• At least one wheelchair maneuverable bath on main level with 60-inch turning radius or acceptable T-turn space and 36-inch by 36-inch or 30-inch by 48-inch clear space
• Bracing in walls around tub, shower, shower seat and toilet for installation of grab bars to support 250 – 300 pounds
• If stand-up shower is used in main bath, it is curb less and minimum of 36 inches wide
• Bathtub – lower for easier access
• Fold down seat in the shower
• Adjustable/ handheld showerheads, 6-foot hose
• Tub/Shower controls offset from center
• Shower stall with built-in antibacterial protection
• Light in shower stall
• Toilet 2 ½ inches higher than standard toilet (17 to 19 inches) or height-adjustable
• Design of the toilet paper holder allows rolls to be changed with one hand
• Wall-hung sink with knee space and panel to protect user from pipes
• Slip-resistant flooring in bathroom and shower

Stairways, Lifts and Elevators

• Adequate hand rails on both sides of stairway, 1 ¼-inch diameter
• Increased visibility of stairs through contrast strip on top and bottom stairs, color contrast between treads and risers on stairs and use of lighting
• Multi-story homes may provide either pre-framed shaft (ie. stacked closets) for future elevator, or stairway width must be minimum of 4 feet to allow space for lift
• Residential elevator or lift

Ramps

• Slope no greater than 1 inch rise for each 12 inches in length, adequate handrails
• 5-foot landing provided at entrance
• 2-inch curbs for safety

Storage

• Adjustable closet rods and shelves
• Lighting in closets
• Easy open doors that do not obstruct access

Electrical, Lighting, Safety and Security

• Light switches by each entrance to halls and rooms
• Light receptacles with at least 2 bulbs in vital places (exits, bathroom)
• Light switches, thermostats and other environmental controls placed in accessible locations no higher than 48 inches from floor
• Electrical outlets 15 inches on center from floor; may need to be closer than 12 feet apart
• Clear access space of 30 inches by 48 inches in front of switches and controls
• Rocker or touch light switches
• Audible and visual strobe light system to indicate when the doorbell, telephone or smoke or CO2 detectors have been activated
• High-tech security/intercom system that can be monitored, with the heating, air conditioning and lighting, from any TV in the house
• Easy-to-see and read thermostats
• Pre-programmed thermostats
• Flashing porch light or 911 switch
• Direct wired to police, fire, and EMS (as option)
• Home wired for security
• Home wired for computers

Flooring

• Smooth, non-glare, slip-resistant surfaces, interior and exterior
• If carpeted, use low (less than ½ inch high pile) density, with firm pad
• Color/texture contrast to indicate change in surface levels

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning

• HVAC should be designed so filters are easily accessible
• Energy efficient units
• Windows that can be opened for cross ventilation, fresh air

Energy Efficient Features

• In-line framing with 2 by 6 studs spaced 24-inch on center
• Air-barrier installation and sealing of duct work with mastic
• Reduced-size air conditioning units with gas furnaces
• Mechanical fresh air ventilation, installation of air returns in all bedrooms and use of carbon monoxide detectors
• Installation of energy efficient windows with Low-E glass

Reduced Maintenance/Convenience Features

• Easy to clean surfaces
• Central vacuum
• Built-in pet feeding system
• Built-in recycling system
• Video phones
• Intercom system

Other Ideas

• Separate apartment for rental income or future caregiver
• Flex room that can used as a nursery or playroom when the children are young and as a home office later; if combined with a full bath, room could also be used for an aging parent/aging in place