OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
Chestnut Hill Kitchen/Powder Room Reno
Today, we are beginning the construction portion of a small kitchen and powder room renovation in Chestnut Hill. This cute, Tudor-style twin is home to two adults, two kids, and a senior-age dog. The kitchen was no longer functioning well for this family. Here is their wish list: Better flow/space function/circulation Better/more prep area New location for the fridge, which is currently in the unheated shed area out back Better storage Better work surfaces Better kitchen efficiency Open plan kitchen/dining room to engage the whole family Better venting of cooking area Better lighting A more discreet powder room Better pantry use Staging area for lunch boxes, keys and things that need charging Better organization of the many doors in the room that access powder room, pantry and basement Stay tuned for updates on how this project is coming along!
A Stylish DIY Project
Many people think of furnishing their home as a single expedition to a big-name supplier where they can buy a “set” of furniture to fill their rooms. They plop down their credit card and call their room “done.” […]
The Heat Wave and Your Home
Temperatures of 100-plus degrees hit the Philadelphia area this week — and they’re only predicted to cool slightly in the days ahead. Not surprising for this region during the dog days of July. Nevertheless, conditions like these test not only our bodies’ ability to regulate temperature, but also our homes’ ability to do the same. So, just how energy-efficient is your house’s cooling system? Here are some symptoms of poor performance to look for: […]
Dueling Dishwashers
We like these dishwashers because they are water and energy efficient. There is only one moving part to fix if it breaks, and that's the size of a tennis ball. Maggie likes tennis balls!
Thanks to Elfant Wissahikon Realtors!
Thanks to Elfant Wissahickon Realtors! We are happy to announce a new website cross-linking relationship with Elfant Wissahickon Realty . You can find us on their site under the tabs “home buying” and “related resources.” We really appreciate this endorsement from a company we know well and respect. We have bought and sold many properties with them, and our experience has always been wonderful. Thanks, again, to Elfant Wissahickon for their endorsement of Myers Constructs.
How Do You Know It’s Time? Part 3
Last week, we got a call from a woman who said her house felt too small now that her son had become a teen, and she was also dissatisfied with the outside of her home, but she wasn’t sure how to fix those problems. A quick Zillow search told us that this woman’s neighbors all had 4-bedroom homes with 2-3 bathrooms, while she was living in a 3-bedroom, 1-bath house. The “bird’s eye” view of her neighborhood told us that most of her neighbors had put additions on their homes to increase their size, and their homes were now worth 1/3 more than her house, even in this time of conservative appraisals. We find that this is a common problem facing homeowners: […]
Unforeseen Conditions
Many a customer will ask us what “unforeseen conditions” means. They ask because “unforeseen conditions” are explained in our contracts as something that can cause a “change order extra” to take place -- and no one wants to spend money on something they don’t understand. On this project, our plumbers encountered a cracked bend in the soil line. Here are some snaps of the problem: You can see the old rusted pipes are in the basement ready to go to the scrapper. The new pipe is on site waiting for the change order extra to be approved. One snap shows the cracked bend where the toilet sits. The bend is in the bathroom floor under your toilet. You can see the large ugly hole in the living room wall the plumbers had to make to get at the pipe. The last image is from the bathroom looking down[...]
Blogging and the Brand Connection
Our company has recently been exploring cross-blogging opportunities, and we’ve had some success doing so. In fact, just this morning, we sent off a draft of a blog we will be sharing with a local landscape designer for her e-newsletter. Throughout this process, some issues have arisen -- mostly relating to protecting and enhancing our brand strength/recognition. There were times, for instance, when we passed on an opportunity to participate in another company’s blog because the inviting party did not understand our message/brand. Some of those sites were just collecting other bloggers in the field of remodeling, and they didn't have any real connection to what we do. One example was a "Do It Yourself" website that helps homeowners do their own home remodeling. That's just not our message. It's not what we sell. Another example was a blogger who wanted to post what we felt was a sexist message.[...]
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. […]
