Home Improvements Do's/Don'ts - BBB Before selecting a remodeling contractor, you should carefully plan your project from start to finish. For example, if your project involves a room addition, determine exactly what your needs are, how the room is to be used, and what you want the completed job to look like. It is a good idea to coordinate your color schemes and draw a simple floor plan using miniature tables and chairs to lay out the room arrangement. Be specific in explaining to the contractor what you want, and be sure to approve any architectural plans that are involved in the remodeling job before the contractor begins the work. It is extremely important to compare costs before making a financial commitment toward any home improvement project. You should solicit at least two or three bids from prospective contractors—bids based upon the same building specifications, materials, labor, and time needed to complete the project. Another important matter to consider before hiring a contractor deals with insurance.
Cons. Reports: How to Choose a contractor Last reviewed: June 2009 Call the Better Business Bureau or a local consumer-affairs agency for complaint histories of the contractors you're considering. One or two gripes shouldn't necessarily induce you to look elsewhere. But be wary of a contractor with more problems than that. Licensing won't guarantee success, but it indicates a degree of professionalism and suggests that the contractor is committed to his or her job. When checking references, ask whether the contractor is insured and, if applicable, licensed to do the work. No matter how you find potential contractors, be sure to ask for a list of previous customers; then call them or, better yet, visit their homes to look at the work. Would you hire this contractor again? You might also ask the contractor for a list of his or her building-material suppliers. Do you need a general contractor? Typically, if your job requires more than three subcontractors, a general contractor may be a good idea. Evaluating bids Know your plans.
Remodeling safety How to keep your family out of danger during a remodel Last reviewed: March 2009 Lumber, cinder blocks, dirt piles, and holes. These tips will help keep your family safe—and your project running smoothly. Keep children safe Home-remodeling expert Danny Lipford, owner of Lipford Construction in Mobile, Ala., knows how attractive construction areas are to young children. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) recommends designating an area away from the work site for play and toy storage. Communication with the pros is also very important. Lipford recommends that parents introduce kids to the project foreman, especially if they are at home while parents are at work. Be sure to find out when large equipment or orders of building materials are being brought on site. Your contractors are not baby-sitters, says Everett Collier, president of NARI. Control hazardous materials Before your project starts, be aware of potentially toxic materials on the job site. Protect your pets
Tools for hiring a handyman The Web opens the door to more choices, but careful screening is the key to success Last reviewed: March 2009 If Mae West were around today and in need of some help at her home, it's entirely likely the legendary quotation attributed to her would now read, "A good handyman is hard to find" And she'd be right. But even with this proliferation of Web resources, hiring the right professional isn't a snap. Even when people hire someone in whom they have faith, the results often belie their expectations. We're not sure whether Mae West ever found the man she was looking for, but there are several steps you can take to ensure that you find and hire a handyman who'll do right by you. And now, on to Step 1: Create a project list.
Remodeling Complaints: Consumer Reports Last reviewed: August 2010 The economic downturn has meant an upturn in contractor quality. "As the industry has pulled back, only the best of the best in communities have survived," says Craig Smith, CEO of ServiceMagic.com, which connects consumers with contractors, architects, plumbers, and other home-service pros. But even good pros can give clients headaches, and vice versa. Homeowners sound off General contractors were significantly more aggravating than subcontractors such as plumbers, electricians, and painters, though not quite as annoying as the cable or satellite guy, according to a nationally representative survey of 913 homeowners conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Contractors' pet peeves "Kids and pets," says Michael Hydeck, president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Keeping the peace Miscommunication and mismatched expectations are the cause of most of those problems. Once the work gets under way, keep in touch every day.
Home repairs you shouldn't ignore Use our expert advice to stop trouble in its tracks Last reviewed: June 2009 This article is the archived version of a report that appeared in June 2009 Consumer Reports magazine. You might be tempted to put off fixing your home until the economy rebounds. Rebuild the patio? Sure, right after your 401(k) rallies. The trouble signs are easy to spot, provided you know what to look for. 1. "If there are 10 things that can go wrong with a house, 15 of them have to do with water," says Bill Loden, a Madison, Ala., home inspector. The soil around the foundation should slope away from the house at least 1 inch per foot for 6 feet or more. 2. Roofs are the most vulnerable to water infiltration, given their exposure to the elements and the laws of gravity. Siding is also susceptible to leaks, especially where it meets windows and doors. 3. Once termites infiltrate a home, they can bore through the structure in a few short years. 4. Even houses in arid climates aren't immune. 5. More red flags
Repair or replace it?: Home improvement product repair, repair costs. You're hosting Thanksgiving but it's your range that's taking a holiday. Do you call for repair or scramble for a replacement? To help you make the right decision, as part of the Annual Product Reliability Survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, we asked 13,477 subscribers to share their experiences with 20,613 broken products. Our repair-or-replace timelines, which draw on the experiences of all those thousands of subscribers, can help you decide. A few highlights: If your appliance is eight or more years old, usually it makes sense to buy a new one. Although most readers' appliances weren't under warranty when they broke, if your equipment still is, you'll probably need to call a factory-authorized repair shop. If your large appliance is out of warranty, call an independent contractor. CR's Take Close to 3,102 readers told us about experiences with 4,585 broken products. • A third of survey respondents didn't seek repairs or quit along the way.
How To Use SketchUp's "Photo Match" Feature to Efficiently Design Remodeling Projects September 7th, 2011 in Blogs SketchUp bookcase model superimposed over a digital photograph See how importing digital photos into SketchUp can jump-start the design process and aid bidding and selling your next built-in cabinet project. If you can show your clients exactly what a built-in project will look like before you get started on construction, you have a much better chance of making them happy. Think Before you Shoot. A few things to think about before you take the photo you'll import: Consider the best vantage point when you take your digital photo. Capture 3 useable "axis" lines in the photo by including straight lines such as corners, doors and window trim. Be sure to take a few key measurements from the physical space so you have them as reference to properly "scale" your photograph to the SketchUp model you create. A Bit of Magic: Importing the Photo. Once you have the digital photo you want to use, park it where you can find it on your hard drive. Creating Your Built-in Model.
Cheat Sheet for SketchUp: a Quick-Start Guide for 3D Modeling March 29th, 2011 in Blogs X-Ray Specs (as in SPECificationS) The Best Drawn Plans... Typically, working out a project design can be a cumbersome process. Cheat Sheet for SketchUp Users. Any new iPod, cell phone, Blu-Ray player or other electronic device comes with a "Quick Start Guide". Quick Start Guide Page One: Viewing a 3D Model The first "page" of this video quick-start guide shows some very basic yet useful mouse operations for viewing a 3-D model. Quick Start Guide Page Two: Model Manipulation Well, if you're still with me, here's a few more things you can do to explore the design and construction of Justin's compilation of reader's suggestions for the design of the Ultimate Miter-Saw Stand. The Complete, In Depth, User's Manual for SketchUp in Seventeen Foreign Language Translations... ... is not included here.
How to Prevent Termites: Pretreat Without Harsh Chemicals October 17th, 2011 in Blogs Video Length: 7:28 Produced by: Matt Risinger My company does about 50% of our work doing whole house remodels & 50% doing new construction builds. to view this article and over a thousand more How to Soundproof a Bedroom using Green Glue & Double Sheetrock April 19th, 2011 in Blogs Video Length: 10:49 Produced by: Matt Risinger I think that the issues of noise as it relates to our homes is a topic of vital interest and nearly every project I've worked on in the last few years has done some type of special sound proofing. Every time I talk about soundproofing in my video blog it always generates interest so I think we'll be hearing alot about building quiet homes in the coming few years (not just media rooms either). Sound-blocking drywall I've had great success with Quietrock in past projects because it's an off the shelf project that makes soundproofing relatively simple. A more affordable soundproofing option Regarding the cost factor, I wanted to find some alternatives to Quietrock and I found a product called Green Glue. to view this article and over a thousand more
Tips on painting your home Tools You Really Need to Maintain Your Home Tony Cenicola/The New York Times From left: a Dewalt cordless drill, a hammer with hickory handle, a Bosch jigsaw, a single-edge pull saw and a ratcheting multi-bit screwdriver. I have a full-time job and a similarly situated wife, four children, two dogs, one cat, various subordinate pets (fish, gecko), a tower of unread books and hobbies that purr at me when I have a free moment. I also have a 40-year-old, 2,000-square-foot colonial-style home that creaks, leaks and breaks frequently, and because this place protects my family and welcomes my friends, I oblige. I tackle these jobs with a collection of tools that has diminished in stunning lockstep with my children’s ability to reach the toolbox. Recently, I decided to give my toolbox a makeover, and assembled what I’ll call my tool committee. They didn’t agree on everything, but there was near consensus on the major stuff. To start off, you need a hammer. A screwdriver purchase can be even more nuanced, if you let it happen. Mr.
As Remodeling Rebounds, Some Caveats for the Homeowner Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Customers at a Home Depot store in Los Angeles. Any homeowner planning a sizable renovation should hire a contractor, for efficiency and safety, insurers say. Bucks Have you had any experience with a renovation that resulted in damage to your house? A recent report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at predicted that remodeling would rebound strongly this year after a three-year downturn. Kermit Baker, director of the remodeling futures program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies, said that remodeling nationwide was likely to remain strong as homeowners who put off maintenance and improvement projects began to spend more freely again. But as the market for renovations picks up, it may be a good time to consider the problems that could arise — beyond the obvious ones of cost overruns and bathroom vanities that do not fit. A group of leading insurers said renovations are a constant source of large claims on homeowners’ policies. WHY THE REBOUND?