the Artisan Builders Workshop

Renovations from Heart to Home

2012-01-19T07:38:00.002-05:00

The process of renovating a home, depending on the size of the project, can be an intimidating project. Even small repairs sometimes can lead to big stress if we're not comfortable having strangers in our home. It's important to ensure a comfort level with your builder that reduces the worry and stress during your renovations so that not only is the completed project beautiful, but

Heart-Centered Holidays

2011-12-07T08:22:00.001-05:00

As the days of December darken into winter, holidays ignite magic into our hearts, creating light to find our way. Be it Christmas, the Solstice festivals, Hanukah or Kwanzaa, the time is of celebration and gratitude for all the gifts material and metaphysical that we have received. Tinsel and glitter, red cheeks and candles, song and festivities create sparkling energy. We eat

Split Down the Middle

2011-11-10T09:58:00.003-05:00

Just like life, comparisons of Fixed Price and Cost Plus contracts have no either/or equation. Without advantages and disadvantages to both, the argument would have been put to rest a long time ago. It does not have to go on forever, however, when a little creativity and education can lead to solutions that combine the best of both. Contracts are fear based and only

For What it Costs

2011-11-02T09:31:00.000-04:00

Time and material, or cost-plus contracts, first appear to homeowners as a blank check for disaster when contemplating a remodel. Unknown conditions and unscrupulous reputations create boogies that make any Halloween night seem tame. As part of the decision or after deciding on a builder, the next important bullet point is the type of agreement that will set the tone

Fixed Costs

2011-10-12T12:00:00.002-04:00

A major decision for home owners before embarking on a renovation is whether to agree on a fixed price with a contractor or build the project on a straight cost basis. The question, in one form or another, has been around as long as carpenters have been competing for work. A fixed price or lump sum contract is when the builder estimates all costs, allows for contingencies and

Nailed Down

2011-10-07T13:52:00.000-04:00

For most projects, the most important and over-looked tool is the contract. Large or small, a clear agreement in writing and with signatures can avoid more damage ultimately than the shoddiest roof. During the courting period and initial stages of projects, everyone is on their best behavior and words, far more than actions, are setting the tone. Purposes are aligned and the satisfactory

Of Pounds and Ounces

2011-09-28T18:52:00.000-04:00

Once the project has been designed and contracted, the final preparation is mostly physical. A plan to manage life in the midst of construction chaos can make all the difference in the success of the renovation. Although it is possible to remain on the premises during construction, a whole-house makeover by its very name suggests it is best to find another place to stay. When the roof is

Orange Apples

2011-09-20T11:24:00.000-04:00

If we could just imagine our best dream home and blink it into being, life might be wonderful, but a significant segment of our workforce would need to learn another occupation. In the natural order of things, the planning stage of a renovation, often rushed, is just the start of a process, long or short, that can result in a home full of frustration or a work of joy, depending on how the

4 Ways to a Successful Renovation

2011-09-16T18:28:00.002-04:00

Stress in the renovation of a home--no matter the size of the project--is inevitable. At some point, feelings of invasion are sure to develop and sleep is lost to nights of fear that the construction will never end. The pre-construction phase is the most important because decisions made in advance can create a project that runs much more smoothly. While there is no specific formula, the larger

Whole Life Make-over

2011-09-13T09:10:00.007-04:00

No matter the degree of our comfort level, the world has become an unsettled place. Riots and revolutions, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, tornados and economic collapses can be seen as the apocalyptic precursors predicted and parodied to culminate in 2012.The housing market that has been blamed for much of the downturn of the last few years still struggles to come back and is forever radically

How to Grow Your Own Home

2011-09-12T10:51:00.007-04:00

Three and a half years ago, in a commitment to honor my passion for writing as well as run a construction business, I started this blog as a tool to market. Rumors surged on the internet that thousands of clicks could generate income as well as clients. It helped that some basic education about the working reality of the industry (kitchens are not renovated in a week!) could be useful. Simple

Heating Basics 104

2008-10-19T08:23:00.005-04:00

Hot Water HeatMore often than not, my experience points to hot water base board being the choice of heat most commonly made in homes, compared to hot air, wood stoves, and fireplaces.The warmth is delivered by moving the heated water through a network of pipes around the house, usually divided into separate zones on each floor. Radiating outwards from the water into the air in each room, the heat

Confessions of a Sub-Primer

2008-10-04T09:23:00.001-04:00

I am a contributor to the sub-prime fiasco.So much blame for the current economic crisis is placed on the shoulders of the mortgages made to people with less than stellar credit desperate to buy homes they could not afford. The rising rate of defaults on these so-called predator loans, it is explained, has shaken confidence around the world, and the entire economic system is on the verge of

Heating Basics 103

2008-10-03T10:50:00.001-04:00

Air Ducts & furnacesIf you know the feeling of damp shivering chilled to the bone cold, and you want to come into a house and be embraced like a mother wrapping a sick child in a blanket, then forced –air heat is the one to choose. Turn up the thermostat, stand on the grate and the warmth surrounds your chill and smothers it. Forced air systems are easily recognized in a basement

Heating Basics 102

2008-09-23T10:26:00.011-04:00

Hearth & HomeHeating your own home is all about comfort. The goal is to efficiently create warmth, with minimum effort and cost, to enable easily living the rest of your life (obtaining food in all forms) while winter rages outside.Fireplaces satisfy that basic urge to bring the flame into the home, creating the direct warmth on the face and the extended, rubbing hands around a campfire feel. The

Heating Basics 101

2008-09-21T09:20:00.014-04:00

3 Ways to Heat Your HomeThe high cost of heat and the number of calls for help with weatherization invites a few basic lessons on the subject of creating efficient comfort in colder climates.This week, a friend called complaining of cold feet. With rolls of fiberglass insulation laying in the basement since purchasing the house, it was only logical for her to finally take the time to hang it

Just Another Season

2008-09-06T09:15:00.005-04:00

The New Year really begins in the Fall.With the start of school is also the approach of winter. Settled back into a home after a summer of outdoor play and travel, the approach of winter looms. Like squirrels gathering nuts, people prepare for the long, cold days ahead.Conventional wisdom may say that Spring is a carpenter’s busiest season, but my experience has consistently logged the longest

For the Sake of Fun

2008-07-18T08:56:00.007-04:00

So focused on my other blog, I recognize and acknowledge my lack of attention here. In actuality, while absorbed in the lofty thoughts of heart by night, my days have been methodically constructed around carpentry projects, hour by hour, just doing the work. In completing projects with my own dirty and recalloused hands, I better understand my problems when at the lead of a much larger business.

2008-05-25T08:19:00.000-04:00

On every construction site, a little Grace should fall

Open or Closed Doors

2008-05-23T08:05:00.005-04:00

As long as there is work to be done (and there always will be, remembering that shelter is a basic necessity), people will have to consider the difference s between Fixed Price and Cost Plus contracts.The first is exactly as it implies: the contractor commits to a scope of work for a specific dollar amount and completes it, no matter the cost to him. Cost Plus (also known as “Labor and Materials”

For Better or Worse

2008-05-10T09:01:00.003-04:00

Once the scope has been established and the cost estimated, a contract must be written for the work. Many builders use—and often lawyers require—the standard AIA contract of many many pages. In my mind it really has too much verbiage and “boiler plate” legal phrases to have much bearing on your basic residential kitchen remodel. A good contract can have a load of line items to define schedule,

Estimating

2008-04-27T10:29:00.007-04:00

Back at home, the office, or the Home Office, it is important to set aside time without disturbance to estimate the project at hand. Careful consideration of all the details is required. An interruption could change a decimal point and make the difference between profit or loss, or getting the job at all.As many ways as there are to build a house, there could be methods and styles for

First Visit

2008-04-04T17:43:00.007-04:00

Considering that a simple bath renovation can be $20,000 and a whole-house make-over ten times that amount, it is amazing how little time and money people have to make such a large decision. In actuality, the first visit can decide everything for the builder, including not being invited to return. Amazingly also, often the most basic courtesies can be overlooked, or worse, ignored completely. I

First Contact

2008-03-16T19:04:00.007-04:00

It starts with a phone call, any time of day, sometimes on the weekend, even in the middle of the night. Listening is extremely important because an enormous amount of information is available beyond the dialogue. Speaking is equally important because at any moment, for any reason, the prospective client may decide to break off, declining your services. Admittedly, for me, that first

Dollars & Sense

2008-03-10T10:22:00.010-04:00

My first few jobs in Oregon 30 years ago, I attacked with all the fervor of today’s recyclers. > We drove 100 miles to retrieve truckloads of used boards for a weathered look on the interior. I always checked the scrap pile for short pieces before cutting a long one. I pulled nails out of old lumber, bent them straight, and drove them into new homes again. There was no name for it then; just