Protecting Interior Surfaces While Painting
When you’re painting it’s inevitable that the excess paint on your brush or roller will come off in places that you don’t want it to. These are some reminders...
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Recent Blog Posts
Design Layouts for Energy Efficient Homes
There are a lot more options available today in regards to energy efficient homes. Breakthroughs in energy efficient windows and doors, appliances, and...
Chimney Cleaning for the DIYer
Chimney Sweeps are just as important now as they were back in their heyday. The old-fashioned, tried and true method of cleaning out your chimney hasn’t...
Repairing Rotted Window Sills
Window sills take quite a beating. Constant exposure to the sun, rain and ice can take a toll, especially when water finds its way beneath the layer of paint...
Siding: Clean, Paint or Replace?
Due to age, environmental conditions or bad weather, the siding we put on our homes will eventually need attention. It’s true that proper maintenance will go a...
Deck Building & Mold Prevention
Of course, homeowners bear the greatest burden for keeping new decks free from mold, but there are some things a builder can do: Gap the decking properly...
20-Year-Old Decks: Repair or Replace?
The rails jiggle, the nails are popping, and Dad just limped in with a splinter. Softwood decks can last a long time, depending on how well they’re built, but...
Turn Old Decks Into New Decks
Last spring a customer who Dennis Schaefer had built a cedar deck for during the '90s called to say he'd noticed some rot and thought that maybe the deck...
4 Tips for Complex Roofing Projects
The challenges that accompany every remodeling project are multiplied when it comes to homeowner association remodels. And when working on projects of immense...
Efficient Deck Building
If you’re not familiar with the Fast-Cheap-Good project triangle, you should be. That’s because it’s a great tool—applicable to virtually any line of...
Home Maintenance Tips for the First-time Buyer
With first-time homebuyers, there is no shortage of one thing: excitement. That’s a good thing, because that excitement is fuel for all of the many things that...
Advantages of Storm Doors
A storm door can stop the harsh natural elements of the weather from damaging your main door and save you money on your energy bills. Storm doors are not...
7 Innovative Ways to Add Windows into Home Remodels
It helps a living space feel more expansive and can also improve the mood of the occupants.Adding windows or patio doors into a home can be more than just...
Breathing Easy: An Introduction to Healthy Homes
Imagine you use a vacuum-seal bag to store your winter clothes during the spring and summer. Your clothes are tightly packed in a waterproof, dustproof package...
Managing Interior Painting Projects: A Top 10 List of Best Practices
If you are a remodeler or builder, and include painting in the scope of your work, use these considerations from a painting contractor to help make this phase...
General Woodworking Knowledge
Woodworking encompasses an incredibly wide spectrum. This includes anything from making knickknacks and birdhouses, to building heirloom furniture and ornate...
6 Trends for Kitchen and Bath Spaces
Aside from equipment breakdowns, few phrases are more likely to provoke a kitchen or bath remodel than the phrase “this looks dated.” Styles and tastes evolve...
Five Home Improvement Trends To Watch In 2019
Do you follow the home improvement industry? If so, the Home Improvement Research Institute thinks you should pay attention to these key trends in 2019. The...
Sell More Jobs by Getting the Most Out of Your Just-Finished Work
Ask any remodeler to tell you the best source for their leads and the answer is always “referrals” and “word of mouth.” A referral is a proactive suggestion...
Keeping your Ducts in Order
A common complaint by homeowners who use a forced hot air heating system is that there can be a lot of dust build up. Of course, that is why filters are used...
How to Repair Your Wood Siding
Wood siding, for all of its classic elegance and historical significance, can require a lot of upkeep. Beyond the usual scraping and painting, there will be...
Home Energy Savings Checklist
Energy prices seem to be rising every year. Furthermore, the impact of energy consumption has lasting effects on the environment. Though there’s not much we...
End of Season Checklist for your Deck or Patio
It’s been a great summer and you’ve been enjoying your patio or deck as much as humanly possible, right? Well, remember early this spring when you opened up...
Home Builder Marketing: Beyond The Business Card
With no model homes to show or an in-house sales team to troll for new business, custom home builders rely on reputation to sell themselves to prospective...
Gardening With Kids
Gardening is a great hobby for all ages, and the younger kids start gardening, the better the chance they will develop a lifelong love of outdoor activities...