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!
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.
Myers Constructs, Inc., will be on hand at The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia’s 2010 Old House Fair on Saturday, April 3rd, at the Germantown Friends School, located at 31 W. Coulter St., in Philadelphia. (Hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.)
At 1:00 p.m., Myers Constructs, Inc.’s recent customer, Caroline West, will receive a Homeowner Award.
At 2:00 p.m., Tamara Myers, LEED AP and window expert, will host ”Refurbish, Renovate, Replace: A Look at Historic Window Projects,” a presentation on window renovations that preserve the historical integrity of an older home while providing energy savings.
Admission fees for the 2010 Old House Fair are as follows: $10 for general admission, $5 for Preservation Alliance members, and free for children under 18. Contact Amy McCollum, Old House Fair Co-Coordinator, at amy@preservationalliance.com or 215.546.1146 x7.
I’ve received some flak recently from purveyors of vinyl siding. Those of you who follow my blog know I hate vinyl siding. It poisons people when it’s made, and when you’re done with it, you have to send it to the dump because it’s not recycled. Furthermore, while it’s on your house, you are deluded into thinking you have a “no-maintenance exterior.” I hate to shatter the illusion, but that simply doesn’t exist.
My house is a 1957 split level. Originally, it had wood siding on it. Some areas were in a board and baton style, and other areas were long lengths of pretty cedar siding with an eight-inch reveal. What’s more, the patterns of the original siding highlighted the low-slung style of this house.
We love our customers. So many of them are really interesting people.
We are renovating three 80 year old bathrooms in this large Mount Airy stone home. Inside the house has many interesting treasures, some of which we had to move so they would not be damaged during construction. I’ll show you just a few slides of some of their wonderful collection of objects.
Our Project is on/in Mid Atlantic Construction!
The Award Winning Fleisher Project Photo Gallery was accepted. You can view it here:
Fleisher Photos
This project entailed repairing and replacing 83 wooden windows – most of which were nearly a century old – with the goals of maintaining the historical integrity of the buildings, achieving energy efficiencies, and providing a safer and more secure environment for the 17,000 people who visit Fleisher throughout the year. Click here for details on this project.
Some folks don’t know what a residential general contractor (GC) does.
The great Tom Silva on “This Old House” says it best: “A GC is a lot like a baseball coach. He or she puts the right player in the right position at the right time.” A great GC will also make sure that you are getting the best quality for your money and the right solution for a particular problem your home is having.
We meet folks who have put off a major renovation, sometimes for perhaps too long. They are suffering!
We sympathize because we know these projects are expensive. After all, you saved and waited, and then called us, which we are thrilled about!
You know “When It’s Time” when:
… It looks like this:
… It’s to the point where it can’t be cleaned any longer.
… You have more than one or two layers of materials on the walls, floors, counters, cabinets.
… Only one burner works on the range, or other similar malfunctions occur with the equipment.
… The fridge uses more energy than all the other appliances in your kitchen put together.
… The room doesn’t work for you anymore, even though you can still make toast.
… The layout is bad.
… There isn’t any countertop.
… You hate using the room.
As you already know, Myers Constructs, Inc., can assist you with a full spectrum of design-to-build services, taking your project from concept through to completion. But what you may not know is that we can also assist with interior design and decorating – the finishing touches of your project.
Typically, we finish a project, leaving it freshly painted, and you have a new room to decorate.