OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
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[...]
Update “His and Hers Art Studio”
The roof is on and the electrical rough in is happening. The block and stucco work is closing up. You can see that at this stage of a project things start to look very logical and pleasing.
DIY? Better Think Twice
As a professional design build remodeler, I have seen a lot of do-it-yourselfers (DIY) over the years. In fact, when I was a little girl, I helped my dad, who was a handy home repair guy. He couldn’t keep fresh oil in or useful tires on his cars, but he could tile, paint, renovate a bathroom, and do plumbing work. I remember when he and my grandfather had me on the peak of the roof when I was 8 years old. I was literally scared stiff when my grandfather, a member in the German carpenters’ guild, saw my pale face and suggested my dad get me off the roof “aber schnell” (but fast)! […]
His and Hers Art Studio; Project Update
Now that the ice and snow have receded, lots of progress is happening at our His and Hers Art Studio Project. January was very tough on the masons who had to try to work between snow and ice storms creating new window and door openings, create new roof lines, and to shore up walls! Now that the masons have blocked everything out, the framers have been fast at work framing up roofing and setting the window and door framing. They've also begun framing the interior wall structure which will hold insulation and OSB for the final wall finish. The home owners will use this space as painting studios. So they will need to hang their canvases on the walls while they are working on them. It's very common for painters wot work on the walls and they typically prefer plywood or OSB to drywall which doesn't have much[...]
Coats, Mittens and Boots … Oh My!
Getting the family in and out of the door in the winter -- without making the house a wet and cluttered mess -- can be a real challenge. The solution? An organized approach. At our house, we have a conveniently heated hard-wearing tiled floor in the entryway, which features a seating area and a place to hang things. Here, we can take off wet shoes and boots and hang up our soggy coats. We have a rattan basket to hold gloves, hats and scarves. And we have a wire egg basket for dog leashes and toys. None of these things are expensive to install. They just require good planning and space use. That is what design to build is all about.
Home Maintenance Tip: Air Leaks
This is the best time of year to locate air leaks in your older home. You will know you have them if you can feel drafts, or if your heater is working too hard. Many people who live in older homes accept the discomfort of leaky windows and doors as "just the way it is" when, in reality, the fixes are very easy and inexpensive to make. Start by taking a quick tour of your house and identifying the leaks and cold rooms; make a list of those you find. The typical areas of air leaks are any penetration in the "skin" of your home. That could mean a window or door, or a pipe or wire penetrating your home's walls. Then, tackle your list one leak at a time to reduce energy use and heating/cooling bills and increase the comfort of your home. Often, simple chores like[...]
