OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
Time for a Home Checkup!
Just like you need to go to the dentist for regular routine maintenance, your home needs ongoing T.L.C. to keep it looking and feeling well. And just like delaying medical checkups, if you put it off these maintenance checks, your house will surely suffer for it in the long run. We have been in business a long time, and we find that some folks simply don’t know where to get started with their routine maintenance plan. Luckily, we do! We offer the following programs to keep your home healthy, energy-efficient and in good order between larger projects. And we work with you to establish a schedule for prioritizing these tasks. Base-Line Maintenance Every home requires annual base-line maintenance. This includes everything from cleaning gutters and touching up varnish, paint and caulking, to power cleaning and oiling decks. We can also fix minor items like sticky door locks and broken screens.[...]
Out of a Box Flooring
Most home owners are familiar with the various advertisements for what we call "Out of a Box Hardwood Flooring." These are pre finished flooring products that come in a cardboard box. You can typically find these at your local Big Box outlet as well as at flooring showrooms. There are many types of hardwood flooring that come in a box, and some you should avoid. Typically these products are selected because the buyers see they are less expensive than site finished locally sourced hardwood flooring. But use caution when you consider using these products in your own home. Hardwood flooring that comes in a box will have been dried and finished somewhere else, maybe even in a far away tropical country. This means it's not going to have the same humidity content as your home. This can lead to warping or shrinking once it's installed. You can see in the[...]
Saving Old Doors
These doors were first hung on this fine center city row house when Abraham Lincoln was president! The wonderful old masonry in front has been stuccoed over unfortunately, probably in the 1980's. Now the city's Historic Bureau sees to it that historical details on older homes are preserved. That is why these home owners have hired our company to help repair their masonry, windows and these doors. Chris has removed this pair of doors to our shop for carpentry repair. In the mean time while they get "some lovin" from Chris, he has installed this pre hung door and plywood wall. Stay tuned for the big reveal when these fine old doors and the rest of the project are complete, probably by end of June.
Why Lead Safety Matters
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its first fine against a contractor in violation of the agency's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) lead-safety regulations. Read the article here. The penalty for this contractor, based in Rockland, Maine, may run upwards of $150,000, according to some estimates. Acting on an anonymous tip, the EPA concluded that the contractor failed to follow lead-safe work practices during the renovation of an 1852 multi-unit residential property where six children lived. The allegations include failure to do all of the following: train employees in RRP practices post warning signs in the work area cover the ground in the work area with plastic sheeting to collect lead paint debris contain waste to prevent the release of dust and debris prohibit use of machines that remove lead-based paint through high speed operation without HEPA exhaust controls and establish and maintain records necessary to demonstrate compliance[...]
The Man Cave Evolves
On a recent trip to a local design center, we met with an audio visual pro in a room that in the 1990s would have been called a "man cave." My, how times have changed. This AV pro said that fully 50% of his buyers are women now, and the man cave has evolved accordingly. This shift in buying population came with the economic downturn over the past three years, when family budgets for non-essentials were steadily shrinking. Now, discretionary spending decisions are made by both people in a couple, and the women want a say in what this traditional "man space" looks like. Here are some of the features of these kinder, gentler, family spaces: No more macho black leather recliners with mega screens and surround-sound giant speakers on view. Now, these rooms are multi-functioning family rooms with discrete and hide-away sound and visual systems. Screens roll up and[...]
“Saving a Few Bucks” Can Cost You More
Over the course of many years in business, we’ve had many customers who look for ways to save money on their home-improvement projects. One way they attempt to do this is by purchasing appliances directly from a supplier’s showroom instead of paying a professional to manage these purchases for them. Obviously, contractors mark up appliances over cost to pay for the time it takes to do this task. Sounds like a reasonable enough idea, at first blush. The problem is that, while appliances look self contained and simple on a showroom floor, in reality, they are not either of these things — and neither is the delivery process. Most people do not know what it is like to self-manage a purchase like this. This is a part-time job during a renovation project, and it takes both time and skill to do well. Here is what the process is like on[...]
What a Difference a Door Can Make
Many times, a small change to a home can make a huge improvement. In the case of this city home on a very old alley-sized street, we changed a whole lot of what is inside. But from the street, all you can see is the change we made to the front door. The “before” photo shows that it used to have a solid slab door with bland and broken knobs and locks. This was not an original door. There was nothing nice or welcoming about it. It also leaked horribly. The “after” photo shows the pre-hung walnut door and new brass hardware we installed. It’s not an expensive door, by any means. We also installed some puck lighting at the top of the jamb at the transom window. Now, when guests visit or the homeowners come home, they are greeted by a warm, well-lit, shiny new door that says “Welcome[...]
Fit and Finish
Being in the design to build business, I have a keen eye for when construction or design is not done “right.” This means that I catch a lot of details that most homeowners don't. For example, I can see when a run of cabinets is out of level or square by even a small fraction of an inch. It’s also very clear to me when sections of wall are not square. To illustrate, I’ll share an example here of what I call “Fit and Finish.” Today, I visited a home that is less than 10 years old and located in a fairly pricey neighborhood. The people who live in this home have great style and taste, and they keep their home spotlessly clean. I love that. But I get so mad when I see how this newer home, like many others in its age range, are detailed. Disclaimer: I have[...]
Notes from 2011 KBIS – Las Vegas
I was chatting with some folks while waiting in line at the 2011 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, and was asked why I came all the way from Philadelphia for this event. Without hesitation, I said it was because it's a unique opportunity to meet directly with the representatives of products that we already know and specify, find out what’s new, get to know their product lines better, and see the products in action. It’s also a chance to find and vet out new vendors, or even find out if we want to re-introduce some products that we have not used in a while. And it's also a chance to see who is coming to the table with sustainable solutions and see if their definition gels with our approach. See who is meeting the challenge of meshing GOOD DESIGN and FUNCTION, especially in the area of universal[...]
Thanks to Remodeling Magazine …
... for featuring Myers Constructs in a recent article about video marketing. Article here.
