OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
EPA Busts RRP Illegal Contractor
Under the EPA/RRP regulations, all contractors MUST inform their customers of the risks for lead exposure. Contractors must also maintain on file records showing that their customers and tenants have been informed. Here is what happens if they do not follow the regs. The story here
What Can You Learn From a Brick?
The brick is an iconic building element to those of us who live on the East Coast, where old cities are built from millions and millions of red bricks. Therefore, a brick seems like a good place to start when considering what it costs the environment to build a house. In fact, readers may remember an article previously posted on our fake Rolex website, entitled “New Construction Pollutes!” In that post, we asked folks to speculate about the size of the carbon footprint made by the bricks used to build an average-sized Philadelphia rowhome. We explained that to make just one brick, 1.4 pounds of carbon is burned and released into the atmosphere. […]
Chaka Fattah and NASA Chief Technologist Visit West Philly Hybrid X Team
Our company has been very excited to watch the incredible successes of the West Philadelphia High School "X Team" as they take on other competitors with very deep pockets and many years experience for the coveted "X Prize" for high efficiency vehicles. In fact high end Tesla Autos recently dropped out of the competition, perhaps because they couldn't compete against the West Philly High School team! We are excited to see our local congressional representative Chaka Fattah also supports these kids. We would like to see Philadelphia as a city get behind these kids and others in our city who are also passionate about learning. City kids get a bad rap when it comes to their performance in school. The West Philly High "X Team" is proof that urban kids want to learn. The are smart, hard working, successful people. And our company supports the notion that "learning with your[...]
Photo Tour: A Trip To The Stone Yard
Many folks who have renovated their kitchen or bathroom are familiar with stone showrooms. That’s where they go to select the stone product to be used in their project. Because of what I do for a living, I get to peek behind the fancy showroom into the work areas of the fabricator. It’s a very dangerous place. You’ll notice the heavy stone slabs are strapped tightly to their frames so they don’t fall over. […]
We Toured Post Greens’ Skinny House Project
Last Friday, Tamara and I were invited out by Chuck Weiss, project manager for Post Green, to check out their Skinny House Project. You can learn more about that project here: Skinny House We are really excited by Post Green’s innovative build process and we look forward to learning more from them. Their main approach to their home efficiency ratings (which are very high!) is a focus on air sealing. […]
Because Your Home Should Fit How You Live
Very few of us live in homes that were custom built for us. But this doesn’t mean your home shouldn’t fit how you want to live. Your home can be tailored to fit your needs. Our family stayed home this Memorial Day weekend. How wonderful it was to do so! We like to cook, have cocktails on the patio, and enjoy the views out of our windows into our yard. We have ample room to entertain and relax, and the house is easy to keep clean, so we don’t worry if friends come over with pets or children. […]
Road Trip Checklist
Heading out for a Memorial Day Weekend getaway? Don’t miss these last-minute house-prepping tips to take the stress out of your vacation. · Make arrangements for pets. If you are using a pet-walking service, be sure they are certified with a professional organization like pro pet sitters · Unplug small appliances or charging devices. These can use energy even when not in use. We call them vampires. […]
In the News
Diane Menke quoted in Inc. Magazine; Drive Blog Loyalty by The Internet Strategist Maisha Walker Diane says, "I love reading Maisha's Helpful tips for small business on the use of social media. There is a lot to know and learn. Maisha makes it simple for non tech people like me. Inc. Magazine has been a real help to our small business as we strengthen and grow it. Thanks to Inc. Magazine and Maisha Walker!"
Signs of an Organized Worksite
Chris, one of our lead carpenters, is temporarily off this job site, where we are renovating a few bathrooms. We have to wait a few days for glass and stone to be delivered, and I was on site today to meet the templaters from these two suppliers while Chris was on a small window replacement project in town. I wanted to share with you what an organized job site looks like: The job site is left clean. […]
Something Old, Something New… Something Blue
We are completing a renovation project consisting of three older bathrooms in this 1920’s Mount Airy Stone Twin. We installed this Forbo Marmoleum sheet goods floor in the powder room and the third-floor bathrooms. The color is #3182 Lapponia. Marmoleum linoleum is a green product that's been around a long, long time! It has a jute backing, and the sheeting is made from linseed oil, cork and sawdust plus coloring. The color goes all the way through, so it will wear a long time. The linseed oil oxidizes, which means this flooring repels germs! I used to do oil painting restoration, and oxidized linseed oil was one of the hardest substances we ran into. You can see that we salvaged the original nickel and glass towel bars, too! The bars are made of 1-inch round glass rods.
