OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
Christmas Counter Tops
We are re-tuning a kitchen for a family who just bought this 1960’s rancher. The kitchen was not very old and the cabinets were pretty good, so we decided to work with them. This kitchen tune-up approach is much cheaper than replacing a whole kitchen. Here are some photos of the new counter tops going in. You’ll see some of the challenges we had to work with to get things looking right. […]
At the NSP Event Yesterday
We attended the Neighborhood Stabilization Project (your stimulus dollars at work!) press event yesterday. More NSP news to come.
Mayor Nutter Showing Some Love to The City’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP)
Under this program, the city of Philadelphia will receive $16.8 million from The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to turn vacant, foreclosed properties into owner-occupied homes. Today, Mayor Nutter will be singing the praises of all who contributed to the recent renovation of the city's first NSP-funded property. Details on the NSP, which is managed by the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia, are here. Myers Constructs, Inc. will be renovating houses under this program. Attending today's event will be Dana Priesing, Diane Menke and Tamara Myers.
The Hidden Facets of Bathroom Remodels
I just got off the phone with our lead carpenter who was calling from a job site where we are replacing a powder room and laundry closet combo. He let me know that in the spot where we need to locate the new toilet, we have a floor joist in the way. Here are some photos showing highlights of plumber butchery and carpentry mishaps (by others) we have seen in old houses we work on — just a few examples of the many things we need to fix behind the scenes – and walls! – to make your bathroom work well. […]
Ice Sculptor Roger Wing
Roger Wing competes in the 4th Annual Ice Sculpture Competition in Poznań, Poland. In just eight hours Wing and teammate Kirk 'the Sand Guy' Rademaker created 'Fortune Teller' from one ton of ice. Roger is a friend of Myers Constructs, Inc. and worked with us some years back. Cool fun stuff. For more, visit Wing at his website: rogerwing.com or on Facebook.
The Sexy Side of Home Insulation
This post is a continuation of my blog post about the truly sexy stuff that goes on behind your walls. I’ve been writing about these topics because we have been getting lots of calls from folks who are focused only on the shiny bits of their projects. The fact is, the shiny bits are not where the true value of a project lies, even if they are fun to use. By the time most of our customers call us, they have spent many hours eyeing expensive, flashy items like new kitchen cabinets, high-gloss tile, chrome fixtures, and all the other glitzy things that go into a project. They can even quote the prices and technical features of these items. But the fact is, these are just the cherry on the sundae, the icing on the cake. They are “the fun stuff” that comes at the end of a complicated mix[...]
What to Do with Fido, Kitty and Kids When Work is Scheduled On Your Home
I recently received a call at the office that made by blood pressure shoot through the roof. One of my carpenters called to let me know a customer’s dog had gotten out of the house. YIKES! It wasn’t even his fault. A reporter was coming into the house while people were working there, and when the door opened, the dog ran for it. And you should prepare the best puppy pads for your dogs. While we have it in our contracts that doggies, kitties and kids should be out of the way of the workers, today’s experience made me think it’s worthwhile blogging (repeating to you) about it. […]
The Glam World of General Contracting
Many times on projects, little SNAFU’s happen. It’s my job to handle the SNAFU’s and make sure the customer doesn’t notice or get upset about them. Sometimes the problems that arise are just the nature of the remodeling beast, but sometimes there is someone to blame. When a homeowner hires a general contractor (GC), they are hiring a pro who will handle these SNAFU’s along with managing the project. At our total home reno project in Whitemarsh yesterday, the countertop templater was out to measure for new stone kitchen and bathroom counter tops. Here is a snap of him in action. We’re just doing a kitchen freshening up since the cabinets are fairly new and layout is OK. The scope for this room is new pendant light for eating area, the new countertops, new tile backsplashes, new hardwood floors, new outlets and switches, new appliances, proper vent hood, and new[...]
Drawing on a Grand Scale at the Philadelphia Art Museum
I was out of town when this drawing was lit, but luckily Will Brown did one of his great panoramic shots. The piece, called Fallen Blossoms, was drawn with gunpowder by Cai Guo-Qiang on the front steps of Philadelphia Art Museum on December 11, 2009. It's my understanding that Cai Guo-Qiang grew up in or near a gunpowder factory in China and has incorporated this material into his work. Move your mouse around to direct your own panoramic views.
Lace and Chainlink Fence?
On our way to design meetings, Carolyn and I have been driving by this really great piece melding of lace and chainlink over at the Design Center. Here's the full story. The Philadelphia Inquirer also ran an article.
