Hathaway Renovations

Looking for an honest, hard working contractor who works with you, not against you?  Well, you've come to the right place.  Hathaway Renovations has been satisfying clients and making their dream projects come true since 1992, and we'd love for your project to be next!

What We Do

     Hello.  My name is John Hathaway, and as the owner of Hathaway Renovations I'd like to welcome you to our site.  A site that has been 18 years in the making!  I've been in this business long enough to know what my clients want from a contractor, and that most often just boils down to honesty.  Honesty is the cement that holds a job together from the first phone call to the last sweep of a broom.  Without it, any job and client relationship is doomed to fail or worse.  I've been building solid relationships with my clients since I first started in 1992, and it shows based on the fact that many of these same clients call me back project after project and pass my name on to their friends and relatives.  That is my only advertising, next to my truck, and it has kept me busy enough throughout my career.  I treat every project, big or small, with the same focus and attention to detail, knowing full well that my clients put their faith and trust in me to do just that.  I do my best to fulfill their expectations and often exceed them. 

     The purpose of this website is not just to look for new clients, but also to provide information, answer questions related to the Building Industry, and/or help guide anyone in a jam.  Be sure to read the "What's On My Mind" segment where I will keep you informed on good and bad contracting practices and other areas of interest, often with amusing anecdotes.  I  will also upload  photos of work that we are doing which will show projects from start to finish in order to provide insight, in case anyone is contemplating a similar project.

     So, take a tour of the site and check back often. Send an e-mail if there's something you'd like to know.  We also have a page on Facebook, which is updated often.  Hopefully you'll agree that at Hathaway Renovations, we really do work with you, not against you.

     Visit our services page to see the what we've been up to lately.

     I also recently completed renovating a Queen Anne Victorian in Stratford, NH. It's now a vacation rental that sleeps 20 and is great for family reunions. For more info, please visit our sister site at www.hathawaysofstratford.com

 What's On  My Mind...

Kitchen Countertop Choices

     So you're looking at your kitchen and thinking: boy, I hate my kitchen,  a statement that I'm sure echoes through many a household.  It is most often the lament of many a wife and the phrase that sends a husband scrambling to get back into his "man cave" for safety.  Yes, kitchen remodels can be costly, but they don't necessarily have to break the bank either.  There are many ways to dress up a kitchen without gutting the entire room.  It can be as simple as repainting or adding/switching out the hardware. Even a new tile backsplash can change things dramatically, or maybe some new lighting.

     Well, it's a start, but maybe that's not enough.  Okay,  let's assume that your cabinets are in relatively good shape and don't need to be replaced.  Refacing is an option, but basically, refacing is a bandaid, plain and simple. Your doors get replaced, but as far as the cabinet frames, pieces of veneer matching the doors get glued to them.  The biggest complaint I hear about this method is that eventually, they begin to peel, and that you can't always get the company who installed to come back.  Obviously, this method is attractive to customers who don't want a big mess or can't afford to rip everything out.  It's really not as cheap as you would think, though.  New cabinets can cost thousands, but so does refacing.  I guess you're kind of paying for less inconvenience.  In the end, though, even refacing can't solve your problems -if you hate your countertops...

     Yes, I can see you nodding your head in aggreement.  Go ahead, yell it out loud.  I HATE MY COUNTERTOPS!  Feel better?  Probably not, because they have not magically disappeared and are still sitting there, those dull laminate utilitarian throwbacks to the seventies, when they were actually regarded as an upgrade.  Wow... that's uhh..really sad...

     Well, the good news is that pricing has dropped considerably for  much of the countertop industry, especially the higher end stuff.  Granite, considered to be the king of all countertops, for example, is actually less now than it was years ago, but that was another place and time when we all had money to burn ( yeah...right...) and the economy wasn't in shambles.

     If granite is not in your budget, there are many other non-laminate choices out there, including some that have the look and feel of granite, but cost less.  One choice in particular is Quartz.  A natural stone product, the main difference is the more uniformity of the particular "pattern".  What this means is that  "seaming" with Quartz is easier for the fabricator and creates less waste, which you would be paying for with a granite slab with a more complex pattern of veining.  Quartz is actually stronger than granite as well, since the amount of quartz material in any stone top is what gives it it's strength.  A quartz top can have as much as 90% of this material, while a granite top can have as little as 20%.  A huge difference.

     Silestone is another product with the look of stone.  For a non-stone look but solid surface nonetheless, Corian might be a good match for you.  It does not have the show stopping look of glossy granite, but it can be virtually seamless and is repairable, if necessary, by a professional installer.  Scratches can also be removed with some light sanding, as the material goes all the way through. 

     Laminates still make up about 30% of the market,  and can be made to look more like their solid surface competitors.  Other materials taking up  smaller portions of the market include marble, recycled glass, tile, concrete, soapstone, and stainless steel.

      All tops have pros and cons, so often it just boils down to budget and/or aesthetics.  Take a look at the options at a local dealer one day when you have a chance.  You might be surprised and find that new counters are more affordable than you think, and maybe hubby won't have to go back into hibernation.  Good Luck

Questions?  send me an e-mail from the Contact Us   page.