Tip from: Brad Westphall
Be sure that your painter saves you some paint in the cans for touch-ups and duplication later. If your paint is custom then get a copy of the recipe and know what brand of paint your painter used and where he bought it. Use the same brand , quality and finish for
touch ups. Keep the touch up paint in a cool dry place.
Tip From: Brad Westphall
Call your local utility locator service to come out and mark the underground utilities before allowing anyone to dig. Good contractors will do this on their own. Contacting ‘call before you dig’ before work begins prevents your contractor from accidentally digging into and damaging the existing services. If you neglect to have the utilities marked, you could face very large repair bills that the utility companies will require you to pay.
Tip From: Brad Westphall
In general the best return on investment from remodeling comes from kitchen and bathroom work. Don’t skimp in these areas if you want to get the maximum increase in resale value.
Contributed by: Brad Westphall
In order to help avoid cracking when pouring ‘flatwork’ such as sidewalks, driveways and patios, there are a few things that you can do to help minimize the odds of it actually happening. A few of the more common things that can contribute to excessive cracking are improper concrete mix, the concrete has set too long before pouring, loose or unstable soil or ground base on which the concrete will be sitting and excessively high outside temperatures. Make sure that the concrete is poured as soon as possible after the concrete has been mixed properly. You can also continue to wet down the surface of the concrete while it is being ‘finished’ or use a special type of surface oil or retardant that will slow the surface curing process to help avoid surface cracks. I’d say the number one reason for serious cracking (1/8″ or more in width) is due to improper base or correctly compacted soils on which the concrete is being poured. Concrete will settle with time and some reports show that it takes a total of 3-4 weeks before concrete has totally settled and reached its comprehensive strength.
Contributed by: Brad Westphall
Concerning natural solid wood doors, it’s best to get the top and bottom ends of the doors
sealed, stained or painted within 3 days of delivery to the job site. Especially when
there are substantial changes in outside or jobsite temperature and humidity conditions
doors can sometimes bow or twist very slightly which can result in an uneven gap or an
inability for the door to open and close correctly when installed. Manufacturers are often
aware of this when the door is returned as ‘defective’ and will sometimes refuse returns on
this basis. Most of the time the doors will be ok when waiting a week or two before paint
but to be on the safe side pay close attention to the changes in environment while waiting on paint.
Do you have an open high ceiling area in your 2 story residence? Today’s new 2 story home designs often include a high ceiling area towards the front of the house that actually includes an open area large enough to extend the existing 2nd level floor line out and construct an additional living area or bedroom. I personally feel this is one of the best returns on investment that a homeowner can make in today’s market. The cost of new construction for this type of project is about 40-50% less than adding a completely new addition on the outside of the house and the return on the additional square footage is the same. With the right design and necessary structural modifications this can be one of the most useful and profitable decisions a family can make and can translate to what can be a much needed modification to their residence as their family grows or their needs change. Instead of buying a new home, build that equity!