OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
The Green Movement: A Holistic Approach
Going green. You hear it everywhere these days. It’s become the catchphrase of the moment. And while the sentiment behind the movement is a vitally important one, going green is not a quick fix, “strap-on” kind of strategy, as many homeowners and some contractors think it is. We integrate green into everything we do as we run a small business and work on people’s homes. […]
A Helpline for Homebuyers
We often get phone calls from folks who are have recently purchased an older home and want to make some renovations or upgrades to it. Typical homes in our area – Philadelphia and its surrounds – are 50 to 100 years old. These home buyers usually love the character of their older home. We do, too. After delving deeper into the situation, we often find that the buyers’ real estate agent gave them advice about what certain repairs or renovations for their home would cost, and they purchased it with these cost expectations in mind. Unfortunately, most realtors do not know the true costs for renovations, and they end up giving flawed information, as a result. We don’t fault them, really. It’s not their job to know this information. As you know, buying a home is one of the most expensive purchases you will make in your lifetime. But[...]
Myers Constructs in The Philadelphia Inquirer!
Check out one of our recent renovations profiled yesterday in The Inquirer's Haven section. Here's the link.
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. […]
