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Tuesday, 09 February 2010 |
As we await the big storm headed this way, remodeling might not be at the top of your mind. Understandably, you are probably thinking about shoveling mountains of snow and the transportation obstacles to deal with over the next couple of days.
If on the other hand, while you are enjoying mugs of hot chocolate, your favorite movie and time with your family, you begin to consider the 'remodeling' possibilities--please consider this:
Remodeling your home will bring decisions you'll need to make. One will be deciding if you want to hire a professional to help you. If your project is more DIY than you are up for, and you plan to hire someone, you should only consider a company that possesses a license to do home improvement work in the State of Maryland. Even persons selling home improvements are required to be licensed. Homeowners hiring unlicensed contractors have no protection with the Guaranty Fund.
Doing improvements without a license is also a criminal offense. So, keep this in mind--individuals not complying with this basic necessity, probably aren't carrying liability insurance. Of course, you should ask to see liability and workers compensation insurance certificates from even licensed companies. If the company you hire has employees, you'll want to be sure they are covered by workers compensation in case of injury. Otherwise, you may risk paying for someone's medical care if they are injured at your home.
This is basic, yet still good stuff to be aware of.
Enjoy the snow,
Joanne
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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 |
Last July I wrote a post about a book I was reading titled Service Included, by Phoebe Damrosch. It was completely unrelated to the remodeling industry. The author was once a dedicated Captain at Per Se in NY. Her subject, 'service' is very near and dear to me.
Personally, I like great service. I am quick to recognize an over the top effort to deliver remarkable service. I go out of my way to tell stories about any remarkable service I have enjoyed. Given my admission, it would be understandable that I spend a great deal of my time focused on the WOW for our homeowner clients. There are a minimum of expectations which come along with every remodeling project. These minimum expectations are a given and one would expect a professional company to build plumb walls and to code, and complete a remodeling project in the time promised.
As I read Damrosch's book, I remembering thinking "I know we get it and we are on the right path." As happy as I am to receive great service, I am even happier to be a part of Villa Builders and making these personally shared stories possible.
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Tuesday, 26 January 2010 |
A Severna Park resident had an energy audit completed for her home in late November and shared her experience with me.
My first question was to gain an understanding about what were her reasons for doing the audit. There were several motivating factors. She had concerns about whether or not her home had the recommended insulation, especially in the attic. She was also frustrated with high electrical bills, and wanted to reduce her home's impact on the environment where feasibly possible. To read the complete Q&A click here.
I also chatted with Adam Levitt, President of Pro Energy Consultants the company that completed this homeowner's energy audit. I asked him what were the top sources for energy loss in homes. He explained there were three he saw most frequently. The first is lack of air sealing along the sill plate. He also commonly finds unsealed duct work. The third source of energy loss comes often from deficiency of insulation in the attic.
Adam hears many different reasons why homeowners are considering an energy audit. Sometimes homeowners are frustrated with a room(s) feeling cold and/or drafty, and high utility bills. Now and then, homeowners may even have concerns about their home's air quality. Either because the air is smelling badly or they are experiencing allergy and/or some kind other respiratory problems.
The most surprising thing for the homeowner was not being told she must replace all of her windows. Instead, she was advised to improve the insulation in her attic, and fix a number of small air leaks in other areas of her home. Even though Adam did not put window replacement at the top of her 'to do' list, she will consider replacing them next year.
If you have questions or comments, please email me at
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Thanks for reading,
Joanne
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