Remodeling articles from October 2005

Remodeling archives from October 2005

Devastation and change.(ViewPoint: FirstWord)
October 1, 2005... Watching television coverage of the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina put a desperate face on the folksy phrase "Come hell or high water." In Gulfport, Biloxi, and other towns along the Mississippi and Alabama coast, a 30-foot storm surge...

Taking issue.(ViewPoint: CallBack)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... In many areas of the country, big box stores are resisted because of the impact they have on small businesses. So why are we supposed to be excited about corporate America further invading our industry, about us being the next course on the...

Construction industry at the eye of Katrina's aftermath: the biggest storm in U.S. history damaged hundreds of thousands of structures.(ViewPoint: News+Notes)
October 1, 2005... It's a storm that no one will ever forget, and its effects will be felt for years to come. Hurricane Katrina briefly hit south Florida before flitting across the Gulf of Mexico. The storm made landfall on August 29, battering Alabama and...

Preventive medicine: don't let job cost overruns kill your remodeling company.(Commentary)
October 1, 2005... A critical benchmark of good financial health is keeping your actual job costs within 2% of projected job costs. This requires the close cooperation of all departments and the willingness to follow these essential guidelines: FINANCIAL ...

Big box: friend or foe? It's easy to bash the big boxes, but there are some real benefits to working with them.(Commentary)
October 1, 2005... Who would have thought, l0 years ago, that the largest "Do-It-Yourself" supplier would become the largest supplier to the professional segment of the remodeling market. Many remodelers can't imagine doing business with an organization like The...

The turnaround: a fresh pair of eyes from an experienced insider can help you see your way forward.(Commentary)
October 1, 2005... Having a mentor is one of the best learning methods. Recently, I had the opportunity to have a knowledgeable insider view my business and suggest changes that would lead to the longevity and prosperity of my company. Morey Construction is...

Healthy rewards.(YourBusiness: Ways+Means)
October 1, 2005... Just 3 of the Fisher Group's 16 employees were on the company's Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance plan. "Nobody participated except the older people in the company because rates were so high," says Eileen Cross, office manager at the...

Numbers game.(YourBusiness: Ways+Means)
October 1, 2005... The Federal Trade Commission's national Do Not Call Registry went into effect October 2003 (and many states have their own registries). Anyone soliciting by phone should be aware of the rules: Even if a person is on the DNC list, you may call...

Easy answers.(YourBusiness: Ways+Means)
October 1, 2005... Everyone wants to know what the client is thinking before, during, and after the project. Often. post-project responses are slow in coming or, worse, customer satisfaction surveys are never even mailed out. When Allison Quinn started keeping...

Follow your heart.(Work+Life)
October 1, 2005... Q: I have been given the opportunity to take on a high-profile remodel, but I am concerned about my ability to get along with this potential client. Is there anything extra I should do to ensure that the job goes smoothly? A: Whenever you...

Dealing with a crisis.(People+Skills)
October 1, 2005... When Jim D'Alessio, president of James P. D'Alessio, Inc., in Brentwood, N.H., lost his battle with esophageal cancer earlier this year, his employees were heartbroken. They felt sorrow for the loss of a wonderful person and a top business...

Removing a hat: hiring a full-time controller can relieve the company owner of financial tasks.(YourBusiness: BottomLine)
October 1, 2005... Like most remodelers, Steve Ramaekers wears a lot of hats. The president of Mainstreet Restorations & Remodeling in Birmingham, Mich., not only runs the company and handles sales, he makes coffee and runs to the store when necessary. But since...

When and how to hire a controller.(YourBusiness: BottomLine)
October 1, 2005... There's no mandatory size past which you must have a controller, but a good time to consider hiring one is when you hit about $1.5 million in sales, suggests Steve Ramaekers, of Mainstreet Restorations & Remodeling. Jason Larson of Lars...

Tracking allowances.(YourBusiness: BottomLine)
October 1, 2005... The Artisans Group in Olympia, Wash., uses allowances for most of the products and materials used for its projects--one project could have as many as 25 or more allowances. To track these allowances, the company created a simple Excel...

Holiday greetings that are not out of the box.(YourBusiness: Sales+Marketing)
October 1, 2005... This holiday season, your prospects and clients are more likely to be thinking about gift buying and get-togethers than about remodeling projects. A friendly holiday greeting can pre-empt seasonal slumps by generating inside work and handyman...

Who's your client? A revealing strategy.(YourBusiness: Sales+Marketing)
October 1, 2005... Remodelers like to mist their instincts when it comes to clients. "I'm a natural salesman," many say. "I know how to work with people. I know how to handle them when they get mad." But people skills are often more science than art--when the...

First impressions with a multiethnic prospect.(SALES SCHOOL 101)
October 1, 2005... Statistically speaking your next prospect is likely to be non-white, non-U.S. born, and/or more fluent in a language other than English. According to the National Association of Realtors, 60% of all home buyers and 40% of first-time home buyers...

Keeping subs on the grade.(YourBusiness: FieldNotes)
October 1, 2005... Eren Design & Construction values its loyal trade contractors and wants to value them even more. Last year, the Tucson, Ariz., company implemented a formal rating system for its plumbers, electricians, painters, granite contractors, and other...

Making safety a team effort: safety regs can be daunting, but it pays to be proactive.(YourBusiness: FieldNotes)
October 1, 2005... Teamwork is a big part of the culture at Mark IV Builders. It's everyone's responsibility to work together and participate in company operations, even when doing so extends beyond normal job descriptions. With that thought in mind, one of...

Replacing lost jobs.(YourBusiness: FieldNotes)
October 1, 2005... Hurricane Katrina displaced some 1 million people from their jobs in New Orleans. coastal Mississippi. and Alabama. The devastation was worst in areas populated by a workforce serving largely local economies--including remodeling--that, for the...

Rerouting recruitment.(YourBusiness: FieldNotes)
October 1, 2005... Jeff Winn has a simple time- and money-saving strategy for recruiting and retaining field staff: he lets his bilingual lead carpenter, Steve Heredia, do the hiring. It's a logical fit, notes Winn, president of Big Sky Construction, San Jose,...

Brackets and beams add character.(YourBusiness: ByDesign)
October 1, 2005... Brackets are a great way of adding character and charm to an addition or even a porch. To put in brackets that look right, you need to remember their original structural purpose, even if yours are just decorative. Historically, the bracket...

Light touch.(YourBusiness: ByDesign)
October 1, 2005... As with many designs, the fence designed by architect Robert Cole, came about not in response to a problem but rather to the client's wants and needs and the limits imposed by county ordinances. In this case, the client--who Cole says has a...

3-D impact.(YourBusiness: ByDesign)
October 1, 2005... As every designer knows, clients often have trouble visualizing space and the ways in which it might change during a remodel. Drawings help, as do massing models, but for Dean Brenneman of Brenneman and Pagenstecher in Kensington, Md., 3-D is...

Green geometry: designing with passive solar principles in mind.(YourBusiness: ByDesign)
October 1, 2005... If the sun arcs to 35 degrees above the horizon at noon on December 21 and your living room windows face south, how much do you pay for heat that month? The question might sound hopelessly inscrutable, but not to Washington, D.C.-based designer...

Push paper--away.(YourBusiness: Tech@Work)
October 1, 2005... The paperless office may never happen, but it's worth at least making the effort to cut back. Paper eats revenue; using it means taking a longer time to move information and, in many cases, people cannot literally all be on the same page at the...

Bulletproofing your setup.(YourBusiness: Tech@Work)
October 1, 2005... The more you depend on technology, the more important it is that your systems stay up and running. Recently, in this column, I talked about safeguarding your data with a basic maintenance and backup routine, but what about protecting the...

Grading the trades.(YourBusiness: GoodForm)
October 1, 2005... Working with subcontractors is one of the great challenges in remodeling, and failing to set standards for trades is where many remodelers go wrong. "We decided to make clear what our expectations are," says Janice Donald, CEO of Eren Design...

Profile: Gary Stebnitz.(Big50: CloseUp)
October 1, 2005... When it comes to remodeling your home, a neighbor's good word has more influence than a roomful of Madison Avenue copywriters and K Street lobbyists combined. This is especially true in rural areas and vacation destinations, when out-of-town...

Second look: Wayne Magee.(Big50: CloseUp)
October 1, 2005... Wayne Magee of Magee Construction in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has seen a slow and steady rise in business over the past eight years since being named Big50. The key to his success, Magee says, has been that he is "not afraid of change and [is] able...

How do you charge for change orders?(Big50: FaceOff)
October 1, 2005... We do almost every job as fixed price because, quite frankly, I think that doing time-and-materials work is just a way to lose money. --Alan Hanbury Jr., CGR, CAPS CLIENT REWARDS It hasn't been difficult for me to sell fixed price...

Getting paid on time: how and when do you communicate the payment schedule to your clients?(Q+A)
October 1, 2005... STEVE MABE Stephen L. Mabe Building Winston Salem, N.C. Big50 1990 Some potential customers need to hear about the payment schedule information at our initial meeting. However, we usually discuss the payment schedule after we...

Reading list: what business books are Big50 remodelers reading?(Big50: Live+Learn)
October 1, 2005... Laura Ferrell Woodenwings Builders Palo Alto, Calif. Big50 2002 The best book I have read about marketing and business is Building a Business the Buddhist Way, by Geri Larkin. Even if you're not interested in Buddhism, the...

Looking in: the bottom line on hardwood floors.(Big50: Live+Learn)
October 1, 2005... Milos Jiricko, an engineer by training, has seen both sides of the building business, first as owner of a hardwood flooring subcontracting business and now as owner of Matrix Development, a design/build company in Silver Spring, Md. He also...

Duplex vision: A-Team Construction helps a Los Angeles homeowner find balance.(Remodeling: Before+After)
October 1, 2005... When Leanna Sun bought her tiny, rundown duplex in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles, it did seem like a miracle. As a divorced room who was between jobs, Sun's prospects of homeownership had seemed bleak until she finally found the fight...

On message: Walt Stoeppelwerth has spent his entire career helping remodelers, builders, and home inspectors improve their systems and increase profits. His business revolves around assisting small contractors and elevating professionalism and education in the industry.(Lifetime Achievement Award 2005)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2005... For his unswerving commitment, tireless research, and generosity, REMODELING magazine awards Walt Stoeppelwerth its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2005. Who is Walt Stoeppelwerth? Remodeler and consultant Shawn McCadden calls him "the...

Schedules happen: staying on track when the unexpected is the norm.
October 1, 2005... In a perfect world, the weather would be clear and sunny 24/7. Subcontractors would be as dependable as Swiss trains. And creating foolproof schedules would be a cinch. In the real world, unexpected snags and the ensuing delays are the...

3 under 30: young remodelers are challenging conventions.
October 1, 2005... CREATIVITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE Michael Anschel President, Otogawa-Anschel Minneapolis Born January 2, 1974 (now 31 years old) Michael Anschel is a remodeler of the new school: a self-taught, award-winning designer who...

Brand aid: logo shmogo. Branding is more than a visual; back up your promises for long-term market memory.
October 1, 2005... What the remodeler said: "Clients want our commitment to quality workmanship." What the clients said: "They cleaned, swept, and vacuumed the jobsite. They didn't swear. We felt like we could leave our 10-year-old at home with them if we needed...

Revisions of home: three lessons in the 20th-century American house.
October 1, 2005... Out of the millions of houses built in the United States from the early 1900s through the 1970s, the vast majority qualify as a classic builder-driven house type. American foursquares dominated the outskirts of cities in the late 1800s and...

Thinking ahead.(Kitchen+Bath: Management)
October 1, 2005... When William J. Patrick renovated a 100-year-old building to create new office space for his Lancaster, Pa., remodeling company, he had the future in mind. Not only was the office going to house his company's day-to-day operations, Patrick also...

Kitchen and bath report.(Kitchen+Bath: Management)
October 1, 2005... According to "The Kitchen & Bath Consumer Speaks Out" report from the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) commissioned by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), a majority of homeowners who remodeled their kitchen or bathroom...

Kitchen ideas.(Kitchen+Bath: Management)
October 1, 2005... Kitchens For the Rest of Us: From the Kitchen You Have to the Kitchen You Love" by Peter Lemos helps homeowners design dream kitchens on a sensible budget. The book features 250 color images that include before and after photographs of...

Customized one week bath.(Kitchen+Bath: Management)
October 1, 2005... When a salesperson from Tarzana, Calif.-based One Week Bath visits potential clients, they lay out the choices--4 styles of cabinets, 10 finishes, several solid surfaces--as well as the parameters--no structural work, no moving of plumbing or...

Remodeling survey.(Kitchen+Bath: Management)
October 1, 2005... In a recent Survey.com/eBay study of 1,000 women who have remodeled, almost half (45%) said that they found staying within budget to be the most difficult part of the home remodeling process--even harder than finding the right contractor (10%)....

Showers and tubs.(Kitchen+Bath: SpecBook)
October 1, 2005... Homeowners want to step into a new world when they walk into their bathrooms these days, and manufacturers are quite happy to oblige them with an astounding array of product offerings. Whether it's an energizing shower or a relaxing whirlpool...

Building a deck service: selling decks to home builders begins with savvy marketing.(Replacement: Decks)
October 1, 2005... Production builders don't always want to bother with decks--at least not elaborate ones," says Mike French, owner of Virginia Decking & Remodeling of Fredericksburg, Va. "If they offer them at all, it's a plain-Jane rectangle, and it's not...

Straight up: when owners want to supply materials, be clear about the consequences.(Replacement: Siding)
October 1, 2005... It happens all the time with siding, cabinets, decking, flooring, almost anything: A homeowner sees a flyer advertising special pricing in a local newspaper and wants to buy the material for a remodeling project himself. "It makes things...

Shine on.(Products: Trends)
October 1, 2005... Tastes in cabinetry styles are heading downtown. Uprooted baby boomers and the emerging Generation X market are increasing the demand for sleek, modern doors and unique glossy finishes. Both groups are making a shift toward more European...

Cool cooking.(Products: Trends)
October 1, 2005... Induction technology, long preferred by professional chefs, is once again auditioning for a starring role in the American home kitchen. Diva de Provence, a French manufacturer that has made induction products in Europe since the early 1990s, is...

Success with excess.(Products: Trends)
October 1, 2005... Alcoa has taken the custom color concept--a mainstay in the paint industry for years--and applied it to siding. Its DreamColor concept offers 700 standard colors, with custom colors also available. Standard color selections range from...

Set and run.(Products: Reader'sChoice)
October 1, 2005... Cutting repair time from a couple of days to a couple of hours can mean getting to more profitable jobs faster. Steve Klitsch likes Sheetrock's Easy Sand joint compounds because they set so quickly--from 10 minutes to a few hours, depending on...

Win-win deal.(Products: Reader'sChoice)
October 1, 2005... Remodeling in Florida means complying with the strictest codes in the country for wind-borne debris and wind loading. Ben De Prenger of John Kiernan Construction has no worries about compliance because he installs PGT's WinGuard...

Attaching deck ledgers: taller ledgers and proper flashing can prevent debris collection and deck rot.(Products: OnTheJob)
October 1, 2005... It is common building practice to use flashing to keep moisture from getting between the house and the ledger. The Uniform Building Code requires flashing, and many contractors meet the requirement by installing an L-shaped piece of metal. The...

Home theater: clients no longer have to leave their homes to get to the theater.(Products: InFocus)
October 1, 2005... With ticket prices getting more and more outrageous and the wait time for movies to be released on DVD getting ever shorter, it's no surprise that more people are investing in home theaters. Whether they want an all-out "theater" room with...

Sto Corp.(Moisture Barriers & Mold Prevention)
October 1, 2005... Lotusan exterior wall coating is inspired by the microstructure of the lotus leaf, which stays clean and dry after rainfall. The coating is highly water- and dirt-repellent, the maker says, as well as mildew-, algae-, and mold-resistant. It can...

Grace.(Moisture Barriers & Mold Prevention)
October 1, 2005... Designed to prevent leaks at the lower comers of windows, VYCORners are prefabricated plastic comers that create a waterproof joint without the need for intricate detailing. They fit any window design and are easy to install, the maker says....

Temple-Inland.(Moisture Barriers & Mold Prevention)
October 1, 2005... Offered in two thicknesses and several widths, StructGuard TS structural sheathing features the TemShield mold protection system, which fights mold development to ASTM standards, the maker says. The sheathing can be scored and cut using...

Georgia-Pacific.(Moisture Barriers & Mold Prevention)
October 1, 2005... DensArmor Plus gypsum wallboard is made with glass mat facings, rather than paper, making it highly resistant to mold, the maker says. Designed for use on moisture-prone interior walls, it scores, cuts, and fastens like traditional gypsum...

The chimney pot shoppe.(Fireplaces: Warm up to these new options for the hearth)
October 1, 2005... Victorian chimney pots are handcrafted in terra-cotta and kiln fired. They increase the height of the chimney, thereby helping to increase the updraft through it, while adding a decorative touch to the roofline. The pots are easy to install,...

Heat-N-Glo.(Fireplaces: Warm up to these new options for the hearth.)
October 1, 2005... Contemporary design distinguishes the Soho gas fireplace, part of the Modern Collection. Its compact, shallow design allows it to fit into a variety of settings, while accent lighting and electric embers make it a centerpiece even when it's not...

Lopi.(Fireplaces: Warm up to these new options for the hearth.)
October 1, 2005... The Hearthview Gas fireplace boasts 864 square inches of glass for a stunning view. It has a heating capacity of up to 1,400 square feet and a BTU range of 5,200 to 31,000. Several options are available, including decorative grilles and faces,...

Dimplex.(Fireplaces: Warm up to these new options for the hearth.)
October 1, 2005... The Purifire air treatment system is now available on select Electraflame electric fireplaces. The system uses an electro-statically charged allergen reduction filter that traps dust, spores, pollen, mold, and other particles. It circulates and...

Napoleon.(Fireplaces: Warm up to these new options for the hearth.)
October 1, 2005... The Madison's old-world look belies its up-to-date technology. Its 43,000 BTUs provide excellent heating efficiency, allowing a 50% turn-down rate, the maker says. The fireplace comes with a remote control, a cast iron grate and andirons, a...

Moberg.(Fireplaces: Warm up to these new options for the hearth.)
October 1, 2005... Beauty meets function in the Georgian Series grating. The system's gas line is embedded in the antiqued, heavy steel cradle. Three separately controlled burners are hidden within the grating and the simulated coal bed, creating the illusion of...

Central Fireplace.(Fireplaces: Warm up to these new options for the hearth.)
October 1, 2005... The high-efficiency CF-22 DVI operates with or without electricity, making it a good backup heat option. It features heavy-gauge steel construction and an adjustable BTU range. An adjustable flame and blower fan make it easy to control the...

Lennox.(Fireplaces: Warm up to these new options for the hearth.)
October 1, 2005... The Villa Vista is the company's largest EPA II-approved fireplace to date. The wood-burning fireplace heats up to 2,500 square feet with a 70,000-BTU catalytic combustion burner that's highly efficient, the maker says. Its single-pane door is...

Bosch.(Products: FirstLook: The newest products for the remodeling market.)
October 1, 2005... The PGL gas cooktop has five burners with a large center wok element that can accommodate a 14-inch skillet. Its dual-flame power burner provides better heat distribution for more even cooking results, says the maker, and its 15,000 BTU output...

Pittsburgh Corning.(Products: FirstLook: The newest products for the remodeling market.)
October 1, 2005... Available in 78 sizes, the LightWise aluminum-clad wood window promises easy installation and good looks. The window features 2-inch glass blocks housed in a pine interior frame; the exterior comes in a variety of colors. Built-in nailing fins...

Starrett.(Products: FirstLook: The newest products for the remodeling market.)
October 1, 2005... Specially designed for laying out the two most common roofing shingles, RT1-25 roofing tape features a custom blade with two scales. The black print scale is ruled for 5-inch spacing (traditional or three-tab shingles), while the red print...

Stow.(Products: FirstLook: The newest products for the remodeling market.)
October 1, 2005... Powered by a 0.75-horsepower fan-cooled capacitor-start motor, the Floor Covering Scraper removes direct glue-down carpet, hardwood flooring, linoleum, non-slip floor coverings, vinyl tile, and any other adhesive, cement, or mastic, the maker...

Ready Products.(Products: FirstLook: The newest products for the remodeling market.)
October 1, 2005... The Ready Tools line of self-storing tools includes the Retract-A-Bit screwdriver in standard-, mini-, and hex-head configurations, and the Ready Ratchet in 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch standard or metric configurations. The screwdriver's bits can be...

Milgard.(Products: FirstLook: The newest products for the remodeling market.)
October 1, 2005... Offered in both the Ultra and WoodClad fiberglass lines, French doors provide a consistent look in sliding glass, outswing, and inswing styles. The door systems are available in two-, three-, and four-panel models and feature stainless steel...

The Foundry.(Products: FirstLook: The newest products for the remodeling market.)
October 1, 2005... The company's line of vinyl siding elements is certified by the Vinyl Siding Institute and is designed to look like authentic handcrafted cedar. Each piece is hand-formed using unique molds patterned from rough-hewn cedar siding elements. The...

Oneida Vac.(Products: FirstLook)
October 1, 2005... The dust containment system for hardwood floor sanders promises superior efficiency and cleanliness. Cyclone separators attach to the floor sander and separate the dust out of the air stream using centrifugal force and gravity. Dust goes into a...

The 2005 New Product Pavilion showcase.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
October 1, 2005... There's no better place for remodelers, custom builders, residential architects, and designers to meet face to face than the Remodeling Show. The 200S Remodeling Show returns to the Baltimore Convention Center with the top-notch line-up of...

A trend indeed: plot monthly volume and profit figures to get a picture of which way your company is headed.(LastWord: BenchMark)
October 1, 2005... A benchmark is like a line in the sand against which we measure ourselves. But comparing actual performance with a benchmark is a static measurement. Unless we've reached the goal, we have no idea whether we're moving closer to it or further...