OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
A Serendipitous Find at The Philadelphia Home Show
At the Home Show last week, we saw some nice, new products, including energy-efficient heating plants. These new hot water boiler systems can make hot water for heat and for domestic use, they are smaller than what you have now, and they are 95% or more efficient! We also found that one of the window suppliers we use offers a 10-year warranty on its product! This was news to us -- and good news, at that -- since a set of their doors we installed seven years ago has water-damage issues. We have contacted their offices to see about getting the prob fixed!
Unsafe Decks: Things to Look For
I looked at a home for sale yesterday. The door to the deck off the kitchen was marked with a “Do Not Enter” sign, and “DANGER” was written large on that sign. The deck and under it looked like this. Can you see why this deck is unsafe? Keep in mind dozens of people are killed in the US each and hundreds injured year by unsafe decks! In general because it is a structural renovation, decks are not a homeowner DIY project and they do require permits and inspections. […]
How to Get Started in This Business
While walking to the Philadelphia Home Show, Tamara took me into the AIA building one block away on Arch St. to look at their bookstore. I was more interested in the cute display they had set up highlighting children’s building blocks. Did you know these were first developed by Friedrich Froebel (best trampoline 1782-1852) the same man who came up with the Kindergarten concept? The little exhibition has examples of playing blocks of many kinds. See if you can find blocks you played with as a child. There are three low-level play areas where children and their parents can play with blocks together. You can see the model of the city, also in this room, is also made of blocks!
Buying a Home? Don’t Forget to Factor in a Renovation Budget.
A couple of weeks ago, we blogged about our home-buyer consulting service, “Helpline for Home Buyers.” Yesterday, I got a call from a first-time home buyer who was considering buying one of two homes. She wanted to know a little about our services and how we might help her. In her case, since no offer had yet been made or accepted, I suggested that she get some free online remodeling cost information to arm herself with useful general information. I directed her to “Remodeling Magazine’s” website and their annual “Cost vs. Value Report.” That’s a great place to get good information about what typical remodeling projects will cost. […]
A Site Built Cabinet
This is what one looks like before its installed. You can see the pink area of the kids bathroom where our crew will be installing it. The funny little shelves will be removed and the whole space here filled with proper storage. We'll bring the outlet that was there into the cabinet. Our carpenters build these site built cabinet elements on site using table and chop saws. They use MDF or plywood for the case and poplar for the face frame. So the quality of materials is very good. The poplar doors are made for us by a local cabinet shop since fancier cabinet making tools are needed for these. A site built cabinet is a nice solution to finding a great fitting cabinet at a good price. A stock built unit wouldn't look as good or be of the same quality. A custom cabinet shop built one[...]
Small Business Strategic Planning Workshop We Will Be Attending
At Myers Constructs, Inc., we believe a business that is healthy can do a better job for its customers, employees and community. This is one of the core values of our company. Everyone here works toward the goal of making our small business a healthy, long-lived one, so it can serve everyone it touches better. In February, Tamara Myers and Diane Menke will attend a series of Small Business Strategic Planning Workshops presented by the Wharton Small Business Development Center. Check in with our website as we give updates on what new business strategies we will be developing.
Tamara and Diane Will Be Attending a Seminar Presented by the Energy Coordinating Agency
Myers Constructs, Inc. is a Philadelphia certified Woman Business Enterprise and member of The Green Building Council, and our fearless leader, Tamara Myers, is a LEED AP. As part of our planned participation as a general contractor in the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority's (RDA) Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), we have been invited to attend a training seminar hosted by the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA). The date of the seminar is Friday, Jan. 22, 2010. The session will discuss current NSP requirements for its targeted projects, how to evaluate, and RDA's review process.
Tamara and Diane Will Be Attending the Philadelphia Home Show
The Philadelphia Home Show is coming to town. Every year, we take a look to see what's happening at our city's huge home show. It's right across the street from the famous Reading Terminal Market and just around the block from the RDA, NSP, ECA workshop we will be attending Friday AM. (Spooky how you start to use lots of acronyms when you work with government agencies.) Look for us at the show, and let's have coffee!
When It Comes to Interior Home Maintenance, There’s No Such Thing as a Free Pass
I’m always surprised when I see stuff in people’s homes that tells me they are not maintaining them. What’s most surprising is that, many times, they are very simple things to take care of. Last time, I wrote a little bit about the myth of the maintenance-free exterior. This post will be about the interior of our homes and some typical simple things we should all do to maintain them. […]
The Glam World of Property Development: Water Damage Woes
Part Two of an Occasional Series Water damage. While those two words can strike fear in the hearts of average homeowners, they can be a welcome message for property developers. While many buyers would walk away from a deal on a home with water stains or active leaks, if you are a developer or first-time homebuyer with the right know-how, you can cash in on this type of property. But only if you proceed with caution! Here is a gallery of snaps of water damage I took at a recent initial property walkthrough . You can see from the photos that there are some buckled floorboards, dead plaster, third floor ceiling damage from the roof, and second floor paint blowing off of ceilings. This is a scary house for most homebuyers. But let’s look closer. We need to know what caused the areas of water damage so we can[...]
