Our Neighbor's House

2011-10-07T14:38:00.000-04:00

Faulty Slate Installations

It can be an expensive surprise for homeowners to find faulty slate installations, especially after moving into a new house. Occasionally, we will find one or two mistakes in new slate roofs. Rarely, will mistakes be found on older slate roofs. Usually, when doing an inspection of an older slate roof, some of the fundamentals don't need to be checked. Had these fundamentals been violated, the roof wouldn't have lasted. On newer slate roofs, the fundamentals should be checked.

Fundamentals

Install a cant strip of the same thickness of the slate. (For further reading, see "The Slate Book," page 108, by Stearns, Stearns, and Meyer, 1998).
Use the correct exposure for the size of slate AND roof pitch. (For further reading, see "The Slate Roof Bible," page 198, by Joe Jenkins. 1997) or find a copy of the NSA (National Slate Association) Installation Guide
Install the first row of the Starter Course chamfered side down and be careful of the sidelap.

For further reading about inspecting slate roofs, slate roof jargon and installation and repair problems,

see, Buying and Maintaining a Slate Roof, by David Robinson

Below are a few pictures of some of the fundamentals violated on a lower sloped porch roof.

Also See:

Our Neighbor's House: Installing Slate Roofs: from http://www.slateservice.com A new slate roof is a big investment. Whether you are reslating an addition, or installing slate on your ...

"Green" Countertops

2010-12-17T14:29:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Moffatt

We all know that going “Green” is popular in many aspects of daily living. For countertops, the Green products are generally expensive and don’t perform as well as granite or quartz countertops. This discourages many customers from making a decision to buy. However, within the Green family, Eco by Cosentino is the most affordable and least “fussy” material available. ECO™ by Cosentino is a durable surface made of 75% recycled content composed of post-industrial or post-consumer materials and is bound by an environmentally friendly resin which comes in part from corn oil. ECO is non-porous, never needs sealing and is scratch and stain resistant---not scratch and stain proof, but scratch and stain resistant.

ECO is composed of:

mirrors salvaged from houses, building and factories;
glass from windshields, windows and bottles;
granulated glass from consumer recycling practices;
porcelain from china, tiles, sinks, toilets and ECO by Cosentino elements

ECO uses products that have reached the end of their lifecycle - this means materials being used in ECO cannot be incorporated in to any other industrial product that would otherwise collect in landfills.

Learn more about Eco at www.ecobycosentino.com. If you are into “Green” products, Eco can be the right product at the right price.

Amazing, But True?

2010-11-23T15:13:00.001-05:00

I recently heard on the radio that "Company X's" gutter covers will prevent ice damming, and the subsequent damage to homes caused by ice damming! Amazing! Several years back, I went to a remodeling show at the Baltimore Convention Center and the most prevalent vendors were gutter cover companies. Around every corner was a tube dripping water down a mock-up roof and over a new-fangled gutter cover into a reservoir. Step right up folks and watch the leaves slide right off the gutter! Get your perforated aluminum right here! Protection from clogged gutters is big business. During the show, I believe the figure I heard was hundreds of millions of dollars annually in installed sales.

With limitless potential customers, covering gutters is a lucrative business, and it's not surprising to hear some tall claims. The most common claim is (and I say this in a generic way) "never clean your gutters again," or something to that effect. In my own experience, I have never seen a product that completely keeps out the debris. It seems that the main problem of these systems is the failure to keep out small debris. Small particles can easily enter the gutter and build-up inside the gutter forming a thick muck leading to clogged gutters. This was also the finding of Tim Carter, from "Ask the Builder." Tim wrote a series of articles and performed some tests of his own. See his article: "Gutter Guards, Do they Really Work?" From his own tests and experience, Tim prefers gutter covers with very small perforations, mesh or possibly even micro-screens. Whatever system is installed, plan on disassembling portions of the system after two years to flush out the debris so it does not build-up.

Back to ice damming. From my previous article: Winter Snow Storms Can Wreak Havoc on Roofs I discussed the fact that thirty-two inches of snow on your roof can weigh over fifty-five pounds per square foot depending on the density of the snow. This mass of heavy ice and snow, whether stationary, moving slowly or moving quickly down a roof, is very destructive and a relatively thin layer of aluminum over the gutters will do nothing to add protection the roof or prevent ice damming or the results thereof. Perhaps the only true solution to ice damming is Joe Jenkin's Snow Apron shown in the video below.

In this video, Joe shows how he has removed the first 36" of slate roofing, and installed copper pans. These pans, once soldered, form a fully supported, monolithic sheet that is impervious to ice, snow and water.

If we could eliminate ice damming and subsequent damage from ice damming by installing a thin sheet of aluminum over our gutters, that would truly be amazing.

This house on the left has a damaged aluminum gutter cover at the bottom of the valley. It also has a damaged drip edge. This white gutter cover is installed under the slates.

This massive gutter cover below was damaged and pulled out during the snow storm.

These two photos above show another house with damage from ice damming, including a damaged gutter cover, paint and woodwork. Below: more damaged gutter covers and gutter.

This gutter cover is visually obtrusive. It really stands out on the roof. When you look up at your house, the first thing that catches your eye should not be your gutter covers.

Not only do gutter covers not prevent ice damming and the damage from ice damming, some covers can actually cause damage to the roof.

These gutter covers are attached to the roof between the first slate (starter) and first row of slate. These slates have snapped in two as a result of the bend in the gutter covers not being installed at the correct angle. Another common problem is that the installers will screw directly through the roofing material. With slates, which are not self sealing, this will leave an avenue for water infiltration.There is definitely a need for gutter covers. The risk to life and limb climbing ladders twice a year to clean the gutters is significant. When finding a solution to your gutter problems, don't believe everything that you read.

Suggestions for choosing covers:

Small Perforations
Should not interfere with the roofing material
Use quality materials like aluminum, steel or copper
Portions should easily disassemble for future cleaning of gutter
Not visibly obtrusive

There are many systems out there. One that I have seen and used is Leaf Relief, which conforms to the suggestions.

Velux Redesigns Skylights

2010-10-28T08:28:00.001-04:00

Velux offers sleek new designs and great features. Velux offers manually venting, electrically venting, and fixed units. Sun shades and blinds are also available. These skylights can be installed on tile, slate and shingle roofs. Velux also offers curb mounted skylights for flat roofs. Have an old "bubble skylight?" Velux can make a custom unit to replace that old bubble.

Velux Skylight Video

Get Estimate

Signs of Recent Damage

2010-09-01T15:52:00.002-04:00

Signs of recent damage. Occaisionally, I'll be on a job that involves an insurance claim relating to a leak. Usually, normal wear and tear wont be covered by insurance. It may seem obvious, but if the leak is in the field of slate, new damage can often be determined by the presence of small chips of slate (not always though).

These small chips will wash away with the rain. Larger chips and pieces will hang around and eventually end up in the gutter. So, if there is every a question of whether some damage is old or new, look for small chips of slate around the problem. This picture shows tree damage and there are lots of small pieces.

The kind of damage shown in the picture is usually caused by falling tree limbs, falling snow and ice and people.

For other information on slate roofing, visit: Slate Roofing

Low Maintenance and Highly Detailed

2010-08-05T21:24:00.006-04:00

One of the main problems with trying to make an old house low maintenance is losing those details which

make an old house special. Most pre-war homes have a lot of architectural details in the eaves of the home, including highly detailed beadboard soffits and special rake molding.

Typically, if no or low maintenance is the goal, these details go out the window. Rake molding is often covered by a piece of coil stock bent on an angle to cover up the molding and rake board leading to a dull and dumbed down exterior! Aluminum soffit panels are usually installed and have no interest.

But several products have come along in recent years that can give a house traditional details and still be maintenance free.

Among this new generation of products are ACCM's Presige line of aluminum moldings, Certainteed's beaded soffit panels, and a full line of rot resitant moldings from Azek. Making cornices and moldings out of metal or long lasting materials is nothing new, but its nice to see a modern twist on an old idea.

For more exterior remodeling, visit: Exterior Restoration Services

Products:

Rake Metal ACCM Prestige V:

http://americancolonialcrown.com/index.html

Molding, Azek AZM287:

http://www.azek.com/azek-moulding/

Soffit Beaded Triple 2":

http://www.certainteed.com/products/vinyl-siding/soffit/310365

How to Install a Beadboard Porch Ceiling | Step-by-Step | Porch | This Old House - Introduction

2010-07-16T21:54:00.002-04:00

How to Install a Beadboard Porch Ceiling | Step-by-Step | Porch | This Old House - Introduction

Porch Restoration Services

Creating Major Impact in a Small Bath

2010-07-16T21:52:00.003-04:00

Creating Major Impact in a Small Bath

Bathroom Remodeling

Making a Kitchen That Lasts | Simple Kitchen Design, Timeless Style | Photos | Kitchens | This Old House

2010-07-16T21:50:00.002-04:00

Making a Kitchen That Lasts | Simple Kitchen Design, Timeless Style | Photos | Kitchens | This Old House

Kitchen Remodeling

Winter Snow Storms Can Wreak Havoc on Roofs

2010-02-08T12:55:00.003-05:00

Winter snows can cause lots of damage to your roof. As snow accumulates on the roof, damage can occur in many forms. The first type of damage can occur from the shear weight of the snow sitting on the roof and in the gutters. Not all snow is the same. The water content in heavy wet snow will be much greater than dry light snow. One cubic foot of heavy wet snow can weigh up to 20.81 pounds. That's twelve inches of snow. Keep adding snow, and we can see how quickly the weight can add up. Thirty-two inches of snow on your roof can weigh over fifty-five pounds. Excessive weight can lead to structural failure. It is no wonder that we see roof failures after major snow storms. But these types of structural failures are most often seen on commercial buildings with flat or low sloped roofing. Some of the worst collapses occurred where a winter storm was followed by a heavy rain some days later. The rain simply has no place to go. This happened in Frederick, MD with the collapse of the roof on the Leggett department store after the winter storm of 1997. Signs of structural problems can be seen by bowing roof rafters or sagging roofs. An engineer should be consulted when excessive bowing or sagging is encountered.

A more common type of damage from snow storms is cosmetic damage, including damage to individual shingles or slate, damage to gutters and fascia that has been ripped from the home. As the snow melts each day, some of the water re-freezes at night. As this cycle continues, ice can accumulate in valleys, gutters and at the eaves of the roof.
Picture showing cosmetic storm damage where the gutters and fascia were torn off, and slates were damaged.

This freeze-thaw cycle is the cause of most of the cosmetic damage we see each year. Ice will expand in the gutters and cause seams to fail and the weight can bend and break the brackets holding the gutters to the home. Down spouts can split especially as water freezes in the down spout. As ice builds up in the gutters, down spouts and eaves, there is no where for the melting ice and snow to go. Some of the water will back up under the roofing material and show up inside as a leak. This condition is well known as an ice dam. Unfortunately, while an ice dam is occurring, there really isn't a safe way to stop it. Damage can be minimized if access to the eaves in the attic is easy, but often, the underside edge of the roof is very difficult to reach from inside the attic. In some cases, once all of the snow and ice is gone, there maybe no indication on the roof surface that there was ever a problem. But more often, there will be damage to the roof surface, slate, snow guards, gutters and fascia. At this point, one can plan to minimize future ice dams.
Minimizing Ice Dams:

Increase Attic Insulation Above Heated Spaces
Increase Ventilation in the Eaves including Soffit Vents
Add a Layer of Ice and Water Shield above the Gutter Line
Include a Well Thought Out Snow Guard System
Consider a Snow Melt System

We often try to solve the problem while its happening, meaning we find ourselves or our neighbors climbing onto roofs in very dangerous conditions. Nobody wants water dripping into their homes. I know from personal experience what a disaster it may seem like while the problem is occurring. But I can assure you, drywall, paint, carpeting and other damage is a lot easier to repair than the physical trama that can occur from fall from a ladder or a roof. If water is dripping through your drywall or plaster, take a screwdriver and poke holes near each of the leaks. This will allow the water to flow out and it can then be collected in buckets. More importantly the holes will help prevent the water from accumulating in the ceiling and causing the plaster or sheetrock from collapsing. Of course, shut the breaker off to any light fixture that is leaking water.

19 Month Update*Gerber Ultra Dual Flush Toilet

2009-12-16T14:14:00.001-05:00

December 16, 2009

Gerber Ultra Dual Flush 1.1/1.6

I first installed this toilet in May of 2008 in my powder room on my first floor for my family of five. This it the bathroom that my family uses the most. The interesting thing that has happened it that my children will go to the powder room and use the Gerber toilet even if they are on the second floor or in the basement (where other toilets are available). If we are coming home from dinner or being out, my kids will "call" the powder room.

I was initially concerned with the more complicated flushing system and whether it would hold up. The flushing system has held up great. There have only been one or two minor issues where the tank didn't recharge, but jiggling the handle solved that.

The other maybe not so surprising thing we've found is, while the toilet has two flush modes, one for solids-- 1.6 gallons and one for liquid 1.1 gallons, the 1.1 gallon flush is more than adequate for most solids...I wont go into detail, but this toilet has some flushing power.

I give this 4.5 out of 5 stars!

New Kohler Flipside Handshower

2009-12-16T13:55:00.002-05:00

Okay, call me nutty for writing about a hand shower, but here it is... We recently picked up a case of these at a kitchen and bath show for our customers. Of course, being the guy that I am, I needed to test this out before we installed one in a customer's home.

A shower head is kind of a personal thing -- I mean, you use it everyday so it might as well give you a great showering experience, or at least more than a ho-hum showering experience. Of course, I was skeptical that it was going to make any difference in my showering experience whether I continued to use my junky old four position personal shower head I bought from a big box store, or this new Flipside showerhead from Kohler. My old shower head had four positions, none of which were very invigorating or exciting -- especially the pulse or message jets that lack the umph to make your back feel better. In this time of low flow fixtures, I figured the new shower would be more of the same...just okay.

I replaced my existing hand shower in all of about five minutes with the new Flipside. I think it took me longer to walk down stairs to get a wrench than it did to unscrew the old hand shower, tape the fitting and screw on the new shower head. My wife was the first to use it the next day and she gave it a pretty strong endorsement saying the "Koverage" setting was almost like a steam shower and she didn't have to turn up the hot so much.

Hmm, still skeptical, I found she was right, (don't tell her I said that). This new shower blew away our old shower head. It was a much broader and stronger spray that also created more mist. I messed with the other settings briefly, but I found a new highlight to my morning in the "Koverage" setting. Hey, plus Kohler's Flipside webpage is pretty cool.

I give it four out of five stars ****

Flipside™02 handshower

- K-17492 $107 in polished chrome from Kohler.

Opening Up for Better Traffic Flow | A Kitchen Up Opens for Better Flow | Photos | Kitchens | This Old House

2009-11-25T12:43:00.001-05:00

Opening Up for Better Traffic Flow | A Kitchen Up Opens for Better Flow | Photos | Kitchens | This Old House

The Brighter Side of Remodeling

2009-11-25T12:38:00.002-05:00

by Clyde Thomson

So, you love your neighborhood, you love your house, but you need more room, or your kitchen was modeled from the set of Leave it to Beaver. (I know, I know, avacado appliances and burnt orange walls are coming back). Do you move? No, remodel! When you remodel, it is the ultimate gesture or act of recycling. In essence, what you are doing is recognizing that your house has not outlived its usefulness to you or your family. You don’t take your aging dog to the pound when she can no longer fetch, do you? No, you buy her a bright new collar and a new water dish. So do not put your house out of its misery either. After all, you love your house with all of its special quirks and creaks.

But you have heard horror stories about remodeling projects gone awry and you know you do not want to go through that experience. Let’s face it, no large remodeling project is a walk in the park and we have got to break some two by fours if were are going to tear-out your old kitchen. The dust, the displacement of your belongings, the gaping hole where your kitchen once stood, are all dis-concerting. The end product however, always overshadows any difficulties or inconveniences caused by the construction process. Few events in life are as satisfying as walking into your newly completed addition for the first time, or the complements you receive during your first dinner party after your new kitchen is installed.

The inconveniences begin to fade and the joys of your new living space take over your entire countenance as you begin to sing for the first time in the shower of your new master bathroom. I am not suggesting that you and your family are going to go running and singing through a meadow in springtime singing like Julie Andrews in Sound of Music. I am suggesting that a remodeling project, done by a professional company, is always a rewarding and satisfying experience even if the process is stressful.

Buying Price or Paying the Price

2009-11-11T14:10:00.003-05:00

Controlling your crisis:

After your last remodeling project, did you and your spouse find yourself expressing sentiments such as, “yes we lived through it,” or “Tom became like one of the family over the past six months, let’s take him to Martha’s Vineyard with us this summer.” Or even “Aaaaah!” It is the nature of remodeling projects that they are inherently controlled crises. The awareness of one’s surroundings, sanity and sensitivity increase dramatically when strangers are invited into one’s sanctuary to first lay waste and destruction, and then to rebuild better than before. Whom are you going to invite over for your next controlled crisis? As children, in continuing the time-honored tradition of the sleep-over, we invite our best friends to lay awake nearby and speculate about everything and lay partial waste to the family room or basement (even without tearing down any load bearing walls). Does the contractor that you hire share the same vision and goals as you do? The contractor/customer relationship will become sour if both parties do not share a similar goal and vision. Professional contractors who are established, successful, and have been around awhile, can consistently meet the customer’s expectations.

Buying price or paying the price?

If you are buying price, whether you know it or not, you have lowered the expectations of the job and are aiming for disaster. In residential work, the low- bid contractor’s goal and vision are often different from the customers, especially if the bid seems so low that it must be too good to be true. It is a fact that most contractors are in the business to make a profit and leave their customers satisfied. Often, the low bidder does not “see” the customers vision of the project and as a result, fails to satisfy the customer. Some typical scenarios of accepting the low bid are: the contractor shows up the first week, collects a down payment check and disappears for three weeks; or, disappears entirely; or, comes back and takes six months to complete your addition for which you paid twenty-five thousand and any experienced contractor should charge $45,000.00. The twenty-five thousand dollar question: why did the contractor leave so soon after starting the job? Answer: to finish a previous project which he could not continue without your down payment check.

This is not a condemnation of contractors who fall into this trap. These contractors are well meaning and conscientious and will probably complete the work and are only victims of inexperience. How much does the customer really pay? Has someone proven how stress is related to aging? Perhaps a couple of years off the old life depending on one’s temperament - a far greater price!

Different Jobs

One frustration we constantly face is bidding on a job, not getting it because we are perceived as “too expensive,” and looking at the job later only to discover the job is vastly different from what we were asked to bid on. Sure, our price could have been a lot lower if we had used vinyl windows instead of wood, inexpensive home center fixtures and no Italian tile. This could be labeled - the “false vision syndrome,” when we are lead to provide a price on a project not within the customer’s budget and not given the opportunity to bid on the “true” project.

Hackneyed Expression - You get what you pay for.

We are often told that our prices are high and we are generally perceived as expensive. One can only imagine our relief in finding out we are not the low bidders on the $150,000 renovation job. Let someone else sour the customer / contractor relationship.

A few suggestions:

1. If most of the bids received are beyond the budget, scale back the job.

2. Hire a contractor licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission - remember, even a peephole installer must be licensed in Maryland. Don’t just take it for granted their license number is displayed on their contract or leader head, verify the license on-line. I’ve heard of people displaying expired or false license numbers.

3. Despite the price, always choose a professional company with a track record of delivering quality projects, efficiently, which meet customer expectations.

4. Get a recommendation from a friend or neighbor and ask to see the project.

5. Does your contractor sell and still wear a tool belt? In other words, if your contractor is physically building the jobs that he or she sells, then that should set off bells and whistles in your mind -- unless your job is the only one under way. There are a few who can do it, and I salute them. However, it would take Superman or Wonderwoman to sell, manage a business and construct the jobs. That is how most people start in this business. Those who are finally able to put down the tool belt for the calculator and a sample book are the ones who succeed.

Finally, the most important suggestion is simply to use common sense when selecting a contractor and mind your cliches.

How to Drain Pipes for the Winter | Video | Plumbing | This Old House

2009-11-04T17:41:00.001-05:00

How to Drain Pipes for the Winter | Video | Plumbing | This Old House

Green Philosophy

2009-11-04T09:23:00.002-05:00

by Mary Mosner

Consider your house as being your outer skin - it mediates between us and the world; it is a vital organ that needs nurturing in order to live.? - Bill Hutchins, Helicon Works

We can help guide you towards the conscientious selection of the following items:

Examples of Energy Efficiency -

• Fixtures: We can direct you towards a wide range of water saving bathroom and kitchen fixtures, as well as whole house filtration systems.

• Lighting:

• Heating: Warmly Yours offers energy efficient radiant floor heat.

• Windows : Pella and Marvin both offer fantastic insulating value while still honoring the historic codes of the area neighborhoods.

Examples of Interior Finishes

• Flooring: Specifying such products as Bamboo flooring, Cork, and Marmoleum, can help you add “green value” to your home. We also use a product called “GreenWood” which is an engineered wood product whose entire core is made from recycled, plantation grown, hardwood.

• Tiles: We can steer you towards tiles that use recycled content, as well as companies that use green practices in their manufacturing processes. For example, we frequently use Florida Tile

“Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility uses the latest technology to reduce our energy usage in making our tiles. Our factory is closed loop, recycling materials and water back into our products. Tiles that can't be sold are donated to charity where they can be used to better underprivileged communities both here and abroad. We allow our customers to send back pallets for re-use, and our cardboard, wood, and plastic packaging is recycled as well. These projects are all part of Florida Tile CARES (Creating A Responsible Environmental Strategy).”

• Countertops: Silestone has recycled content in their countertops, some colors as much as 90%, Eco by Cosentino, Icestone, Alkemi

• Kitchen and Bath Cabinets: UltraCraft was awarded the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) Certification by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association in 2008. Through their manufacturing processes, they are helping to protect the environment and producing environmentally responsible cabinets. They also use “EVRPanels” environmentally responsible particleboard to construct their cabinet boxes, containing 100% recycled and recovered wood waste or fiver generated from wood residue, including sawdust and shavings. Additionally, this type of particleboard’s emission level is 0.1 pars per million.

Greenworks Cabinetry is also one of the few dedicated green cabinet manufactureres in the United States. They have worked hard to ensure their cabinetry will not only conserve forest resorces, but also improve your indoor air quality. Greenworks’ green credentials are ratified by the fact that tey can contribute to creidt points under the US Green Building Council Cerifcation Program (USGBC-LEED)

Additionally, we partner with local companies like Second Chance and The Loading Dock which take donations of architectural elements such as moldings, panels, as well as kitchen cabinets and appliances for reuse in other projects.

New Book

2009-07-27T15:19:00.005-04:00

If you are in the neighborhood, you can always come by and pick up a copy from our offices in Roland Park and save on shipping.

There are few reliable sources on slate roofing practices. Hopefully, this will be considered one of them. This book was written with the focus maintaining old slate roofs, especially with new homeowner's, or homeowner's unfamiliar with slate roofs. Contractors and real estate agents may also find this information useful. Contractor's involved with renovations that include renovating old houses can use this book to help monitor the quality of their subcontractors working on slate roofs. Real estate agents can use this information to help advise their clients.

I have been working on and inspecting slate roofs since 1989. I have attended numerous seminars on historic and slate roofing, and I conducted slate roofing seminars for local neighborhood associations and historic commissions.

I am indebted to Joe Jenkins, author of the "Slate Roof Bible" for his input on this book. Check back soon for a link to purchase your copy.

Property Owner's Benefit from Energy Star Roofing Programs

2009-07-15T14:12:00.001-04:00

Energy Star, the popular program of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy's includes many roofing choices. Both residential and commercial property owner's can benefit from Energy Star approved products. But what does Energy Star have to do with roofing? The roof can be a great source of heat gain for any building. By using highly reflective roofing products, cooling costs can be reduced for the building. In fact, according to Energy Star's website, some roofing materials can reduce the roof surface temperatures by 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A "cool roof" can reduce the cooling requirements of an air conditioning system by up to fifteen percent. A cool roof, proper attic ventilation and insulation, combined can create ideal conditions for lowering heating and air conditioning costs. Products that qualify for the energy tax credit differ for residential and commercial properties. Homeowners can use products such as metal roofing and light colored asphalt shingles. Commercial properties can use highly reflective single ply membranes such as TPO thermoplastict polyolefin and coatings such as Acrymax AF-130. But even if your roof doesn't qualify for the tax credit, you can still enjoy the benefits of highly reflective roofing material. For instance, if you own a row home with a flat roof, chances are you may have a black hot asphalt built built up roof. Replacing this roof or coating this roof with a highly reflective product will have immediate benefits. To learn more about Energy Star home improvements, visi; energystar.gov. When considering tax credits, please consult your tax advisor. "ENERGY STAR qualified roof products must meet minimum initial and aged solar reflectance values." (Energystar.gov)

Open House Fundraiser for The Roland Park Fire House

2009-06-02T13:52:00.001-04:00

On Friday June 5th, from 5-8pm, Thomson Remodeling will be hosting an open house featuring wine generously donated by Wells Discount Liquors, lite fare and comradery!! Have some fun, visit with friends and raise money for the Roland Park Fire House "Home for Heroes Campaign," sponsored by the Roland Park Civic League http://www.rolandpark.org/

Admission is free to all. Bring the kids & you can walk home!!! We will be accepting donations for the Roland Park Fire House.

The Rain Just Keeps Coming

2009-05-07T14:14:00.001-04:00

Out door projects are stacking up and the grass just gets longer and longer. The drought may be over soon. All this rain is revealing something that was hidden or forgotten during this past drought – we as homeowners may be behind on our exterior maintenance. Some of us didn’t even know we were behind! Water related problems my lie dormant during a drought, but when the rain comes, grab the tarps and buckets.

Some of the immediate problems we’ve seen have been related to the roof and gutter. I’ve seen some pretty minor leaks in ceilings lately, but I also seen some significant water damage. Over time, the water infiltration can lead to more serious problems, including rotting wood and the dreaded “M” word – mold!! Failed or leaking gutters can contribute to foundation problems and leaky basements.

With all of the rain, it may be time to catch up on roof leaks, gutter problems, porch repair and other exterior maintenance like shutter replacement.

Where To Put Your Money In This Economic Downturn

2009-02-26T12:51:00.002-05:00

You’ve heard the old adage, “buy low, sell high.” And you can probably think back to golden opportunities that were missed like getting into that certain stock when it was low. Well, now may be the time to apply that fundamental. Invest in your house. No, I don’t mean put your money in your mattress or between the floorboards. I mean, invest in walls, floors, fixtures, roof, kitchens, baths, etc.

Over the last five years, we would receive notifications on a monthly basis from our suppliers about price increases for most of the materials that we use. Materials prices were out of control. After the commodities bubble burst, and petroleum prices plunged, material prices have stopped increasing so dramatically. There were other factors that affected specific materials like plywood. Supply not keeping up with demand, and The Department of Defense purchasing large quantities of plywood for Iraq and the Middle East, drove plywood prices higher. But with less demand and the anticipated draw down of troops in the Middle East, these prices will ease back. Prices almost never return to what they were prior to the event that caused them to increase in the first place, once the event or crisis is over. Copper prices had skyrocketed, but they’ve returned almost to what they were before the run up. Close, but not quite. But lower copper prices should result in lower subcontractor cost for copper piping for plumbers and copper wiring for electricians.

The other major cost element in any project is labor. When you hire a socially responsible contractor, you are most likely hiring a contractor that provides healthcare coverage to its employees. For instance, Thomson Remodeling Company, believes that offering health care coverage to its employees is a vital element in keeping good people. So, health care is one component of the labor figure. In a similar manner as the material increases, we would receive annual increases in health care coverage costs. Unfortunately, there is no end in site to the continued health care cost increases. Another significant (seriously major) component of labor is worker’s compensation premiums. Fortunately, for many contractors, these figures are probably lower than in previous years as work loads decrease. Work loads decrease and transportation costs decrease as well. Just as lower fuel costs help lower material costs, lower fuel costs also help lower the cost of getting our workers to and from job sites.

There is a perception out there that nobody’s lending money. But the truth is, people with good credit should be able to get low interest money.

All of these factors help drive down the cost of home improvements. Quite a few of our customers have recognized this and have not given into the “sky is falling” mentality that seems to be so prevalent. You may have been wondering, “is anyone else having work done?” The answer is yes! And since houses aren’t selling at the pace they were, I think people are more apt to stay in their existing home. To this end, people are performing several types of home improvements. There is the one camp of people who are fixing things that are broken or doing repairs that have been “neglected” such as roof repairs, siding repairs and porch restoration. And there is the other camp, who are making their homes more liveable and enjoyable with new kitchens, additions and bathrooms.

The return on your investment in your home is not measured just by an appraisal or bank statement. If you plan on staying in your home, as most of us are, the return on your investment in your home is your satisfaction and enjoyment of your new kitchen or bathroom. Are housing prices down? Yes. Is the value of your home ever going to reach zero? Unlikely. Can an investment in a stock, bank or 401K go to zero? Possibly. I’ve had a few stocks that might as well be zero. In fact, there are a few mutual funds that I’ve had where I’d be better off if had just put the money in a new kitchen. At least I could enjoy a new kitchen, aahhh granite and stainless. Yes, you could put your money in your mattress, but be careful. A friend of our family was given a couch by her dead brother’s wife. When she was moving the sofa into the room, she heard something thumping around inside the sofa. She reached in the sofa and pulled out $3,000 in cash. Her brother was socking his money away in the couch. She gave the money to her sister-in-law. But to think that sofa could easily have gone to the dump or Good will, and if he had put the money in the stock market, she’d have pulled out a ball of lint. Don’t sock your money away in your sofa. So, before the next great commodity and labor price run up, make an investment in your home that you and your family can enjoy. Buy low and some day, you will sell high.

Where To Put Your Money In This Economic Downturn

2009-02-26T12:51:00.000-05:00

Thomson Remodeling Offers a Variety of Services

2008-12-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

Sounds like an odd combination and many customers don't realize the scope of what we do. But when Clyde Thomson started Thomson Remodeling over twenty-five years ago, traditional building methods and older homes were his focus. Most of the homes that we work on are over sixty years old, but may are over a hundred years old and many of the homes that we work on have slate roofs.

But don't fear that a slate roofer is going to install your kitchen, or that one of our master carpenters is going to work on your slate roof. We have separate expert crews who specialize in their own respective area. Our crews work directly for us as employees. We don't pay them under the table or hire sub contractors from another state who cannot speak english.

Our focus has always been older homes and traditional materials and this has been beneficial to us and our customers. Our carpenters can build an addition using traditional materials, install a bathroom and kitchen, and then our slate roofers can put a slate roof on it. There's no need for us to go out-of-house. We can ensure the quality of the job from top to bottom. If you have any project in mind, large or small, give us a call and talk to one of our experts.

(410) 889-7391

Thomson Remodeling Increases Buying Power

2008-07-02T10:07:00.000-04:00

Last year, Thomson Remodeling Company joined Bath and Kitchen Buying Group, BKBG. This move will make us more competitive on all fronts, giving us the buying power of a much larger company. As a small, family run corporation, we don’t have the leverage to negotiate the terms we could if we were a larger national chain. BKBG has also given us the advantage of buying directly from many manufacturers opening up new product lines to our customers

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Where To Put Your Money In This Economic Downturn

Where To Put Your Money In This Economic Downturn

Thomson Remodeling Offers a Variety of Services

Thomson Remodeling Increases Buying Power

19 Month Update*Gerber Ultra Dual Flush Toilet