OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
How To; Plumb, Level, Square
Here is an example of one way to get an old rolling floor level. This is a kitchen we are doing in Queen Village, an area of South Philadelphia. It's in a very old 19th Century building, probably once a small factory, which was turned into a home in the 1970's. This is the new light cement product subfloor with imbedded electric radiant heat. It was just poured and as you can see its very wet still. Once set, we will install beautiful limestone tile on this surface. It will be nice and warm on the feet when it's done, and this heating system is very efficient! The old floor was out of level by 3+ inches on a few places. The boxes you see are just temporary protection for the HVAC outlets in the floor. These will be removed once the liquid floor leveling product sets.
Seen on Bells Mill Road This Morning….
The drivers were very courteous, and stopped to let the procession by:
Older Homes – More Energy Efficient Than You Think
Older homes tend to get a bad rap for being energy inefficient. The truth is, many older homes have built-in energy-efficient systems that a homeowner should learn to use and, if possible, enhance. Here are some fake rolex examples of what I mean: A stone or brick home with thick walls will retain heat in the winter and cool in the summer by way of its mass. Often, the older home will also have small windows on the third floor or attic. These are meant not only to allow light into the house, but also to allow hot air out in summer. Opening these small windows creates negative pressure inside the house, which then draws cool air from the basement. This is natural cooling at work. That’s because a basement’s mean temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees in summer. Utilizing this cooling air convection, combined with the[...]
Taking Control of Your Home Reno Experience
When our company begins any new home renovation project with a client, I ask the homeowners what kind of remodeling experience they want to have. They always look at me blankly in response. Whether they’re planning major home overhauls or making minor improvements, they seem to think their renovation experience is out of their hands. They couldn’t be more wrong. […]
So Much Nicer than Vinyl Siding
I snapped these lovely examples of wooden siding in the Finger Lakes of NY this summer. You can't get these beautiful shadowlines in vinyl siding. Even in simple white paint schemes, these home exteriors are very attractive and a delight on the eyes. The siding you see here is well over 100 years old, still looking beautiful!
Working in Small Houses is Tough
When we come to work on your home, we will need a lot of space to stage materials and tools. Here are a couple of photos to show you what I mean; This is just the set up for the electricians who are in the basement installing a new electrical panel and service in this 1200 sf city home. On the second floor, […]
1960’s Ranch Update
We recently did a project for a couple with two young children who were looking to downsize from their old, Victorian Chestnut Hill home. They wanted to move to a home that was located in a great public school system and had lower maintenance costs than their old house. But they knew they would miss many of the comforts of their large, old home. So they called our designers in to help come up with a plan that would bring more comfort and style to their serviceable but not very stylish 1960s “new” ranch home. At the top of the agenda for this couple was a proper master bedroom suite. The existing master bathroom had a small bathroom with a shower, but not much style. The bedroom was not very private from the rest of the bedrooms on the floor, and there was a serious shortage of closet[...]
Special Reasons to Think Windows and Doors!
Winter is right around the corner ... now is the time to think windows! In addition to energy tax credits that are currently in place, you can save up to $550 with a mail-in Live Smart Rebate when you replace your old windows or patio doors with select Weather Shield® products with Zo-e-shield® glazing before 12/31/10. And, when you purchase a window-replacement project worth at least $10,000 from Myers Constructs (choose from select brands available), you'll receive a complimentary home BPI energy-efficiency audit (value: $500). This test will identify areas within your home that may be causing you to spend more than you need to on your monthly utility bills. Call us at 215.438.6696 for details on how to qualify for these exciting offers.
More Logical Storage: You Know You Need It
On every one of our renovation projects, we make sure to factor in lots of logical storage. Typically, people don't pay attention to closets and storage areas unless they're done exceptionally poorly or extraordinarily well. Here are some of results of well designed, logical storage: guests arrive and know where their coats go kids know where to put their toys, shoes and backpacks your keys and briefcase have a place to be so you can find them in the mornings your bathrooms and bedrooms are no longer cluttered with clothing and personal products you can always find the dog's leash you have a dedicated area for storing party supplies, such as paper products, cutlery, and beverage glasses and bottles items like cookbooks and audio equipment are neatly organized and ready for use sports equipment and bicycles do not clutter your entryway Because it makes sense in the room, because it[...]
What an Expert Looks Like: 10,000 hours
This past Friday, I spent time with our plumber in a small mechanical room on one of our projects. We were trying to figure out why we were not getting water pressure into the house from the main water line out on the street. I sat on a small step ladder and chatted with him while he replaced the main valve on the water line. That’s the valve right before the water meter. It’s where you go to turn off all of the water going into the house when you have a leak. This valve was more than 50 years old. Though the valve looked OK, he figured it was the first and cheapest section to look at as the source of the water pressure problem. Once we’d agreed to an approach to the problem, we started talking about business, and life, in general. […]
