Hurricane Season - 5 Steps to being prepared

Today is the start of Hurricane Season that has been predicted to be busier than usual. Based on the ocean temperatures and the changing weather conditions, they might just be right this year. With that in mind, below is our 5 steps to being prepared. If you happen to own pets, we added an additional bonus step just for them. While this list is geared for those faced with hurricane evacuations, this is a good list for anyone that may be in areas that maybe affected by ea

September and Early Fall Maintenance Checklist

Summer is slowly winding down; the dog days of August are quickly going to fade into a distant memory as the leaves start changing. The kids are back in school, which gives you some time to make sure that your home is ready for the winter. Why worry about it, fall doesn't officially start until the 22nd right? Well starting next month, you are probably going to end up wanting to use your heater for the first time this season when the Average Minimum Temperature at night

There’s no such thing as a free lunch – Roofing

Knock, knock – Hello? Hi, I’m Mike & we were just looking at your neighbors’ roof and thought we spotted some damage to yours, would you mind if we performed a free roof inspection? It will only take a few minutes, you see we do lots of insurance repair jobs and most of the time we can get you a completely new roof and it won’t even cost you a cent. Really, why that sounds great. (Man, this must be my lucky day)… What’s even better is we have contrac

Renovations & Insurance - What is covered & what isn't

The idea that an article like this was needed was made abundantly clear to me on a recent project I completed. This project required us to completely remove and reframe an existing roof, while leaving the existing walls & floors untouched. During the consultation phase of this project, we covered all the normal items like material choices, options, budget, contractors insurance, the necessity of them reviewing their insurance policy, etc... They were quite shocked on

25 Conservation Tips & Tricks

In our last article, “Energy Efficiency vs. Conservation – what is the real issue?” we covered plenty of the issues that involve your actual house while it is being worked on. While we have also had several articles on making your house more energy efficient, money saving tips & tricks, air sealing, green cleaning, and many others, we have not had an article on just conservation. In order to rectify that, and seeing everyone likes top ten articles, etc... we wo

Energy Efficiency vs. Conservation – what is the real issue?

I have to admit, I was originally confused by some of the attitudes or opinions given about those in the Energy Efficiency fields. I grant you that there are quite a few individuals in the green community that are five cans shy of a six pack, but the following quotes come from some of the “respected” experts. One of my favorite quotes is, “What an awesome presentation! I called Energy Efficiency fanatics "the Sith Lords of Green building"!” Another one is, “T

Designing your Dream Kitchen – One common mistake you can easily avoid

Wow, what in the world is that? Well, before we get to that, I would like to first thank Bill Conley from Northwest Kitchen & Bath in Tacoma Washington for allowing us to repost these pictures. These are pictures he took at a homeowner’s house that wanted a new kitchen. She had apparently spent a lot of time reading articles on kitchen design and she followed one of the best pieces of advice we can give anyone – create a mock up. I have to admit, I am impressed b

Tag Archives: FAQ's

Weatherization Program: A primer on the Weatherization Assistance Program

By Sean | Published: February 5, 2010

In Alabama and many of the other southern states, January brought with it some of the coldest weather in some 20 odd years. With the cold weather, many of us also got an additional nasty shock when we opened up our electric &/or gas bills. For those that had not kept up with the maintenance
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Posted in Goverment Programs | Also tagged FAQ's, Weatherization | 7 Comments

LEAD FAQ’s – To Test or Not to Test – that is the question

By Sean | Published: December 20, 2009

As the property owner you have a question you should seriously consider, due to the increased costs of the EPA’s RRP rules, should I get my house or areas that are being worked on tested for lead, or should everyone just assume lead is present and proceed accordingly? In order to start answering that question,
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Posted in EPA Lead Regulations | Also tagged Certified Lead Renovator, EPA RRP Rule, FAQ's, Lead FAQ's, Lead Regulations | 7 Comments

Insurance Claim FAQ’s

By Sean | Published: June 12, 2009

FAQ's on Tree Damage, Full Replacement Value Policies, I found the contractor I want - but the insurance company wants me to get 3 estimates?
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Posted in General Articles | Also tagged FAQ's, Insurance Claims Process | Leave a comment

Who & what is NARI and this Code of Ethics you mention?

By Sean | Published: November 27, 2008

The goal of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is to help homeowners find the right professional partner to do their remodeling. Whether it is updating a kitchen to make it more efficient, turning an ordinary bathroom into a haven of rest and relaxation, or adding a room to meet the needs of a growing family, NARI wants each homeowner to get the maximum value or enjoyment for the dollars they invest in their remodeling.

Posted in General Articles | Also tagged Code of Ethics, FAQ's, NARI | Leave a comment

What is Green Building?

By Sean | Published: November 3, 2008

It seems like everywhere you turn - people are talking about building or remodeling green. Well what is it exactly?
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Posted in Green Building / Sustainable Common Sense Building & Remodeling | Also tagged Building Green, Common Sense Building, FAQ's, Sustainable Common Sense Building & Remodeling | 1 Comment