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!
design to build
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:
Photo Tour: A Trip To The Stone Yard
Many folks who have renovated their kitchen or bathroom are familiar with stone showrooms. That’s where they go to select the stone product to be used in their project.
Because of what I do for a living, I get to peek behind the fancy showroom into the work areas of the fabricator. It’s a very dangerous place. You’ll notice the heavy stone slabs are strapped tightly to their frames so they don’t fall over.
Because Your Home Should Fit How You Live
Very few of us live in homes that were custom built for us. But this doesn’t mean your home shouldn’t fit how you want to live. Your home can be tailored to fit your needs.
Our family stayed home this Memorial Day weekend. How wonderful it was to do so! We like to cook, have cocktails on the patio, and enjoy the views out of our windows into our yard. We have ample room to entertain and relax, and the house is easy to keep clean, so we don’t worry if friends come over with pets or children.
In the News
Diane Menke quoted in Inc. Magazine;
Drive Blog Loyalty by The Internet Strategist Maisha Walker
Diane says, “I love reading Maisha’s Helpful tips for small business on the use of social media. There is a lot to know and learn. Maisha makes it simple for non tech people like me. Inc. Magazine has been a real help to our small business as we strengthen and grow it. Thanks to Inc. Magazine and Maisha Walker!”
Making Home Renovations Sing
A great renovation project is like an orchestra concert. It is a connected series of activities performed by a skilled team working in unison — not a haphazard series of tasks performed by individual players. And the best results happen when all members of the team know a good deal about what the other members are doing.
First and foremost, the designer of a project needs to understand the jobs of the carpenters, painters and other subcontractors to know where to put the framing in a room to get the proper finish at the end of the job. For example, a room framed to be 6′ long instead of 6′ 3″ might not give the best tile or cabinet layouts. So the designer should work with the room and product sizes to get the best results for the finished materials.
In the Beginning: The Starting Point for Every Renovation Project
Yesterday, my neighbor asked me about her kitchen. She explained that she hates the one she has, and she was obviously anxious about getting it renovated. But she was completely confused about how to get started or even identify what sort of renovation she wants. She made the mistake that many people do: jumping right into thoughts about cabinets, layouts and other fixtures. I told her what I tell all of our clients — these items are really just a distraction when you are starting to think about your projects. The features come much later during the design phase.
At our company, we do dozens of renovation projects every year, so understanding where to start is second nature for our team. But that means that we sometimes forget to put ourselves in the shoes of people like my neighbor. She really needs some information to help her figure out how to get started.
Here is a simple breakdown of the first three important steps:
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 skyrocketed – in fact, some rates are predicted to rise by as much as 70%!
So what’s an energy consumer to do? As a result of loosened restrictions, there are many companies that will now be able to supply your electricity through the infrastructure supplied by your current utility company. Start shopping now for a competitive electricity supplier to try to minimize the hit you’ll take. To find a list of suppliers in your area, visit The Public Utility Commission’s website You can also take steps to minimize your electricity usage – including installing proper insulation and energy-efficient windows, doors, appliances and lightbulbs, keeping your thermostat at a moderate setting, and unplugging small appliances and turning off lights when not in use.
Production Meetings Keep Our Crews on Track
Myers Constructs, Inc., does things differently than other folks in remodeling and renovations: We run an organized business. One way we keep things organized is with meetings.
Each Monday at 7:30 a.m., everyone involved in production at our company meets at our office. At this meeting, we look at the next several weeks of projects. We discuss what company resources are needed where and when. Notes for several projects running at the same time are made on our office white board, office calendars and the field crew’s work calendars. Our field crews then work from these. This is the same meeting where the field crews hand in their time sheets and other paperwork they are responsible for.
At these weekly meetings, we also discuss any issues or problems we have encountered. A big part of what we all do is problem solving. We have a lot of experience doing it, and we enjoy the process. Knowing this allows our customers — homeowners like you — to relax.
Our Design to Build™ system works to take the chaos out of your renovation projects. We’d rather not get up at “0′dark-hundred” to get to an early meeting on a Monday. But that’s what it takes to make a project run smoothly.