OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
Carpentry At The Car Show!
Over the past weekend I attended the Rhinebeck Car Show. There we saw many cars with beautiful wooden elements. I thought some of our readers would enjoy viewing the great carpentry on view. You'll see a couple of nifty work trucks as well.
Tamara Myers On The Radio
Click on the link to hear Tamara on the radio discussing the new EPA/RRP lead paint regulations, and see how a radio show is made! The hosts are a husband and wife team. It's cute how they smile at each other. My Fix It Up Life
Greening Your Home: Ask the Experts
Today and tomorrow, Tamara and D. Hassen Saker, owner of Organic Home LLC, will be at Bloomingdale’s chatting with eco-conscious shoppers about important strategies for greening their homes and lifestyles. Don’t miss these “Greening Your Home: Ask the Experts” events and your chance to ask questions and receive valuable advice pertaining to your own home. Thursday, April 29th – Bloomingdale’s, Willow Grove Park Mall 2400 West Moreland Park Road Willow Grove, PA 19090 11 am – 2 pm Willow Grove: Cosmetics Dept., Level 1 Friday, April 30th – Bloomingdale’s, The Court at King of Prussia 2 Rt. 202 North 660 West DeKalb Pike King of Prussia, PA 19406 11 am – 2 pm King of Prussia: Housewares, Level 3.
Going Green at Bloomie’s
At month’s end, you can find Tamara and D. Hassen Saker, owner of Organic Home LLC, at Bloomingdale’s chatting with eco-conscious shoppers about important strategies for greening their homes and lifestyles. Don’t miss these “Greening Your Home: Ask the Experts” events and your chance to ask questions and receive valuable advice pertaining to your own home. Thursday, April 29th – Bloomingdale’s, Willow Grove Park Mall 2400 West Moreland Park Road Willow Grove, PA 19090 11 am - 2 pm in the Cosmetics Dept. on Level 1 Friday, April 30th – Bloomingdale’s, The Court at King of Prussia 2 Rt. 202 North 660 West DeKalb Pike King of Prussia, PA 19406 11 am - 2 pm in the Housewares Dept. on Level 3
Energy Rate Caps Expiring: How Prepared Are You?
There’s good news and bad news when it comes to electricity consumption in Pennsylvania. The good news is the rates that electricity suppliers could charge you have been capped since 1996 as part of Pennsylvania’s “Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act.” The bad news is those caps have already expired – or will do so by year’s end – across the state. Those markets that have already become “uncapped” include those served by UGI Utilities Inc., Pike County Light & Power Company, Citizens Electric of Lewisburg, Wellsboro Electric Company, Duquesne Light Company, Pennsylvania Power Company and PPL Electric Utilities Inc. The remainder – areas served by West Penn Power Company, Pennsylvania Electric Company, Metropolitan Edison Company and PECO – will expire on 12/31/10. In some cases, consumers have found that their rates have gone down after the caps came off, but in the majority of cases, the costs have[...]
Dumpster Makes a Handy Work Shop
I caught Chris B using his dumpster as a tile backer board cutting area yesterday. Nice way to keep the dust under control! I imagine the broom is in there to get the cement crumbs out of the way. They make a terrible noise on the steel floors of the dumpster!
Easy DIY Projects #2: Fire Prevention
Regular readers will remember my blog post “Where There is Smoke, There is Fire.” Here is the link In that post, the problem of dryer vent fires was discussed. These fires are very common and easy enough to prevent. So easy, in fact, that I, too, had neglected to do the necessary maintenance at my house that would help prevent such a fire. It occurred to me recently that I hadn't checked on how much lint was built up in my ducting. (That reminds me of the movie Brazil, when they asked, “How are your ducts?”) Here are the steps involved. The whole process should take about 30 minutes or less: Pull the dryer away from the wall and disconnect the vent hose. Look inside the vent hose, and also inspect the area where it connects to the dryer outlet and to the outlet that goes to the[...]
The Rule of 10,000
Image: SolarNavigator.net In Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Outliers," he explains that to be good at anything, you have to put in at least 10,000 hours doing it. Outliers Seasoned general contractors (GCs) know this to be true. During the course of their careers, GCs typically put in many years of 12-hour days learning their craft. You'll find that most GCs have at least a few gray hairs to show for all this hard work. I call these pros "silverbacks," which is also the nickname for the leaders in bands of gorillas. It's important for you, the homeowner, to know that an experienced construction pro is going to be able to manage your project better than the younger average Joe. They are also going to do a much better job than you, should you be tempted into thinking that taking on their role on a project would be fun or economical. How[...]
Hitting the Airwaves
Our own Tamara Myers will be interviewed about lead safety by MyFixItUpLife, a live home-improvement radio show on WCHE 1520AM. Check out her interview on Thursday, April 22, starting at 1 pm, and again on Saturday, April 24, at noon.
Home Energy Audits – Part I
As you may already know, we supply home energy auditing for our customers, usually as part of larger home-renovation projects. It’s with these larger projects that we attend to enough area of the home to really affect the home’s total energy performance. But even with smaller projects, energy efficiency is top of mind during design and construction. As part of the home efficiency testing, auditors get a look at past utility bills and existing appliances, and they test the tightness of the home. They should also test for indoor home air safety, including C02 and other toxins. We find that drafty windows and doors, uninsulated spaces in walls, and breaks in the vapor barrier or thermal envelope of the home are the usual sources of air leaks. And air leaks are very costly because they cause you to use more energy keeping your home comfortable in hot or cold weather.[...]
