OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
Personalization: Every Home Tells a Story
When we work with homeowners in the design phase of a home improvement project, we ask about them about how they live their lives and how they use their rooms. We inquire about their hobbies and the attributes of a home that are really important to them, and we actively listen to their answers. We do this because we want their homes to tell a special story about their lives, interests, and personalities. We then help them prioritize their product and design decisions based on what they have told us. This is, after all, the project they’ve saved for and dreamed about for years. The right choices to tell a homeowner’s story never lie in builder-grade solutions or cookie-cutter renovations that look just like their neighbors’ homes. This photo shows a recent kitchen renovation we did for a couple in Center City. In our initial discussions for this replica watches[...]
Trust: The Cornerstone of the Contractor-Homeowner Relationship
A female homeowner recently confided in me that she is uncomfortable with allowing male contractors she doesn’t know into her house when she’s home alone or with her young children. “I personally get creeped out by it,” she explained. “Trust is everything, in that respect.” I don’t think this is an uncommon sentiment because it is one we’ve heard many times before. After all, these contractors interact with homeowners’ families, children, pets, and personal spaces and items during a home-renovation project. People want to know that the companies they hire will treat them and their belongings with respect. […]
Examples of Unsafe Renos We See
Many homeowners have no idea that their kitchen or bathroom is a dangerous place — and could even potentially kill them or their loved ones. But we see bad renovations that create serious fire hazards quite often. Typically, what we find is that the finishes look just fine, but behind the scenes, there is danger lurking from lazy building practices. To understand this point, take a look at this photo of a kitchen we’re currently renovating. This is an example of dangerous and illegal electrical work. This outlet is not a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, even though it is within 3 feet of a sink and dishwasher. We also think the range outlet was jumped to serve a light fixture in the basement, which is an illegal junction. The range should have its own circuit, instead of sharing it with lighting. You can also see in the photo that the[...]
NARI: Ethics and Standards
Did you know that in order to be a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Myers Constructs has to agree to a code of ethics, submit our certificates of insurances, and conform to standards in advertising to ensure we don’t misrepresent what we are selling? In fact, the NARI website outlines its Code of Ethics as follows… Each member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry is pledged to observe high standards of honesty, integrity and responsibility in the conduct of business by: Promoting in good faith only those products and services which are known to be functionally and economically sound, and which are known to be consistent with objective standards of health and safety. […]
NARI Meeting Update
Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Spring Business Meeting of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) held in Jersey City, NJ. At this meeting, some of the top leaders in the remodeling industry discussed how to improve their roles as professional leaders, and they also had an opportunity to celebrate their professional successes. I'm happy to report that all of the meetings I attended had clear agendas and came in ON time and ON budget! It was exciting to be among peers discussing common issues and concerns, meet professionals from companies both larger and smaller than Myers Constructs, and find a generous spirit of knowledge across the board. NARI is a professional organization that sets standards of practice and ethics in the remodeling industry, and provides educational opportunities and certifications for its members. Myers Constructs, Inc., is a proud NARI member, and I received my[...]
Construction Details that Fail
On my recent warm getaway to Florida’s Amelia Island, I noticed some exterior elements that had not been well detailed on the house where we stayed. As you can see from the images, poorly executed details will fail. They can then become home to other residents you may not want in your home -- like termites, carpenter ants, mold, mildew and, of course, little lizards! This house was well designed and built in the late 1970s. Most of the building technology in the house still worked well for being of that vintage. But this house was a rental, so the maintenance and repairs done on it were of the lowest quality and price. Note the following "fails": - The flashing on the new roof wasn’t installed well, so the painter had to over-caulk it. - The newer fascia board replacements were too thin and of cheap, knotted materials,[...]
The Training Center Mentions Myers Constructs, Inc.
At our company we believe in continuing education for everyone. For the past year Tamara Myers and I have been attending sales training classes at The Training Center. They were kind enough to publish our story about why we decided to take the classes. It's too bad they deleted our "Borg" reference (wink).
Curating: New Look, Old Feel
Sometimes, we get called in to design a job in an older home with particular style design features that have worked for decades and still look great, but are just worn out. That was the case on this Mount Airy project, where we were asked to provide tune-ups for three 90-year-old bathrooms. Where another contractor may have come in with something off the shelf from a home center, we scoured our sources for fixtures that would look like the original 1920s items did back when they were new. Of course, we had to gut the rooms and replace all of the old wiring and plumbing, insulate and level the floors, retile, and repaint to make it look like it was always there. Some of the details in this bathroom were to find a modern replacement for the original, sleek porcelain 1920s bathtub, new replacement subway tile, new 1-inch[...]
Passive Protection
Here are a few snaps of the small house we stayed in on our recent Florida trip to Amelia Island. You can see these are very efficient, small houses with very large ventilation chimneys at the tops of their roofs. These houses sported many very large glass windows and doors that looked out onto the sunny, lush golf course. Their interior plans were logical and spacious. Total interior space was around 1,100 square feet with a 2-bed, 2-bath layout. The small, enclosed patio had a small shed perfect for storing garbage and recycling, yard tools or bicycles. While this small house had been maintained over the years, it was ready for a modern makeover. Both bathrooms and the kitchen were old and builder grade. A more efficient HVAC system, modern double-paned insulated windows and doors were needed to make the house more energy efficient. Solar panels running electric[...]
It’s Spring … Time to Check Your Seams
The layers of snow have melted, and the ground is beginning to thaw. The seemingly endless winter has finally loosened its grip -- but not before doing some damage to the exterior seals of your home. The time to take inventory of what needs fixing is now, when these fixes are easy and inexpensive to make. They may cost a lot more later, when serious damage has occurred. Caulk, just like paint, deteriorates from harsh weather, temperatures, and UV exposure. Therefore, although most homeowners don't give it much thought, it must be maintained annually. Where to begin? Take a look at the seals around windows and doors, and at the siding of your home. You want to see tight seams between door trim and the siding, the window or door and their stops, window sills, thresholds, cracks in siding concrete pads or mortar ... the replica watches list[...]
