Home improvement

Although a major home improvement can prove to be a rewarding project, it can also turn your life upside down if you are not prepared. I’ve heard of some worst case scenarios involving people who have lost their homes because they got in over their heads and others who ended up with incomplete project nightmares that cost them thousands of dollars to correct.

Following is a list of the top ten mistakes homeowners make when undertaking home improvement projects and tips on how to avoid them:

1. References. Do enough research and background checking to satisfy you. Walk away if the contractor is not willing to provide references from former clients. Do an online search of the contractor’s business and personal name. Check with local courts for judgments filed against them and with the Better Business Bureau for any consumer complaints. Look at previous work completed (in person). Check with material suppliers since a good contractor will have a long-standing relationship with suppliers. Contact other contractors who have worked with them before. Check their credit standing – contractors with bad credit are often disorganized and don’t manage their business well. Inquire about insurance, workers compensation and licensing.

2. Project management. You need one person to help you manage your project. Most issues occur when inexperienced homeowners try to manage their own project. A project manager is a single point of contact between the homeowner and other contractors and is responsible for scheduling and workflow.

3. Contracts. Make sure your contract is solid. As obvious as this may sound, failure to get a contract or signing an incomplete contract is one of the most common mistakes. Put all the details in writing – never take someone’s word for it. Following are items that should be included in the contract: (1) the full name of the company and the person you are doing business with and their contact information, (2) an addendum consisting of the complete set of plans, (3) an addendum consisting of the materials to be used, (4) the price of the goods or services, (5) the manner and terms of payment, (6) a description of the work to be performed, (7) a start date and an estimated completion date, (8) a default clause in the event either party defaults that specifies how damages will be calculated, (9) warranties and (10) signatures.

4. Warranties. Make sure you receive a warranty with detailed terms and conditions. Don’t accept a contract that simply states that all work is guaranteed. There is often confusion as to who is responsible for the warranty. Get the following in writing: (1) Who is backing the warranty? (2) What is covered and what is not covered? (3) How long is the warranty valid for? (4) What can void the warranty? (5) What is the process for placing a warranty claim?

5. Changes. During the project, you may change your mind on certain design aspects which may require more or less work from contractors. It is critical to document every change order and note the exact cost or savings. Changes should be signed and dated by all parties.

6. Plans. Get a clear description on what will be done, how it will be done and the materials to be used. For smaller projects, contractors can draw up plans. For larger and more complicated projects, find a qualified designer or architect. And, for example, if load-bearing walls will be altered, find an engineer to review the structural side of the plans.

7. Costs. Estimating costs tends to be a big problem because people do not make realistic comparisons. Homeowners may hire the contractor with the lowest price but that price may turn out to be much higher in the end. “Allowance items” tend to be the main culprit in estimating costs. For example, contractors may give you allowances for flooring, lighting or hardware that are artificially low. The bid looks enticing until you examine it closely. Request a line item for straight costs on materials and labor since some contractors mark up materials and labor so they can make a profit on it. Ask the contractor to pass along costs to you and to add a line item for their fee. This creates a more clear and honest assessment of the job.

8. Financing and payments. Before signing the contract, figure out how you are going to pay for your home improvement project. Make sure you maintain control of the money – don’t let your project manager or contractor control the money. This sounds obvious but many homeowners allow contractors to make draws on construction accounts only to realize that the draws were not used for the intended purpose. What does this mean? It means your contractor scored a new truck, you’re out of money and the project is incomplete. Tips: (1) don’t pay a lot of money up front, (2) pay when materials are delivered, (3) pay when work begins and (4) pay as work progresses. Pay only after work and materials are inspected and approved.

9. Inspections. Don’t wait until your home improvement project is almost complete to do the inspection. Plan phased inspections along the way so work doesn’t need to be re-done. Don’t rely on city and county building inspectors to protect you since the codes they enforce don’t guarantee quality (and they often miss things too!). Before paying for work, hire an independent inspector to do periodic phase inspections.

10. Materials. Stick with products that are tried and true. This rule especially holds true when it comes to windows, doors, framing materials, roofing products, concrete coverings, epoxy floors, plumbing, light fixtures and electronics. You don’t want to be the guinea pig that test runs the supposed latest and greatest new products or materials only to find out that these items don’t last or turn out to be fire hazards!

By: Hilary Basile

Opportunity and danger are two sides of the same coin. Home improvement projects offer the opportunity to enjoy your home and to increase its value. Such projects; however, present the danger of personal injury, property damage, and unexpected expense if the work contains construction defects. Here are some steps you should take to maximize the opportunity and minimize the danger of home improvement projects. This article addresses common construction defects in exterior projects involving gas pipes and electrical wires. Related articles cover other construction defects.

1. Do your homework. People research many major purchases; but they spend thousands of dollars on home improvements with little or no research about avoiding construction defects or about hiring a qualified and reliable contractor. Information that can help homeowners is available from many sources. Books explain basic construction and building code concepts in plain language. Manufacturer’s installation instructions for many products are available on the internet. This does not mean that you need to become a construction expert before you embark on a home improvement project. You can and should; however, become educated so that you can recognize common construction defects. Being able to recognize construction defects puts the contractor on notice that you are an informed consumer.

2. Use only licensed and experienced contractors. Verify the status of the contractor’s license and whether any complaints have been filed against the contractor. Complaints against a contractor are not always a deal killer, but they are a red flag that requires more investigation. Obtain references from the contractor and contact them. Use at least one reference from a project completed over one year ago to help you determine the contractor’s response to warranty issues.

3. Obtain a building permit, if required. A building permit is usually required if new electrical circuits, water pipes, or gas pipes are installed or if there are significant additions or changes to any of these systems. A permit is usually required when adding to or making structural changes to a building. A permit is an inexpensive way to get inspections of the work by a qualified third party. It may also reduce your potential liability if a problem occurs. The contractor should obtain the permit. If the contractor is reluctant to obtain a permit, this is a red flag. The contractor may not be licensed to do the work, or he may have other problems that you may want to know about.

4. Look for common construction defects. Here are some examples of common construction defects in exterior home improvement projects.

Failure to bury gas pipes and electrical wires at required depth. Digging around buried gas pipes and electrical wires can damage them and cause gas leaks and electrical shocks. Bury most gas pipes at least twelve inches below the finished dirt level. Bury electrical wires at least twelve inches if the wires are ground fault circuit protected. Bury wires enclosed in metal conduit at least six inches. Bury most other electrical wires at least eighteen inches.

Failure to place electrical receptacles on a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) circuit when required. This is an electrical shock hazard. Place all exterior receptacles and all receptacles in garages on a GFCI protected circuit.

Failure to properly install and protect electrical wires. This is an electrical shock hazard if the wires become loose or damaged. Place most exposed and accessible electrical wires in approved conduit. Place electrical connections and wire splices in a covered electrical junction box. Electrical wires that are installed outdoors or that are buried must be approved for these uses.

Failure to protect gas pipes from corrosion. Corroded gas pipes can leak. Protect gas pipes against corrosion when they are in contact with the ground and when they are in contact with masonry and concrete. The gray paint on gas pipes around gas meters and pipe wrap tape are common corrosion protection methods.

Failure to properly install gas appliance flexible connectors. This is a gas leak hazard. Flexible connectors are the yellow (one common color) flexible tubes that you see between the rigid gas pipe and a gas water heater. These connectors are intended to connect one rigid gas pipe to one gas appliance. You should be able to move the connector at least two inches at the center of the connector. A connector that cannot be moved and is too tight strains gas connections at the pipe and at the appliance. The connector should not have a bend with a radius smaller than 1 ? inches. A tight radius bend can weaken the connector and reduce gas flow.

Seize the opportunity to beautify and improve your home; but be aware of the dangers that such projects present and empower yourself to avoid these dangers.

By: Bruce A. Barker

If you’ve moved into a new home, or new neighbors have moved into a home next door, you may be finding that things are no longer as quiet as you would like them to be. You can’t rebuild your home from the ground up with soundproof construction, but you can use some after-the-fact soundproof construction materials to insulate the rooms in it from the noisy surroundings. Depending on the seriousness of your noise problem, you can expect to shell out from less than $100 to thousands of dollars.

Windows Could Be The Key

The thousands of dollars in soundproof construction expenses will only happen if your situation is so bothersome that you decide to soundproof everything in a home–floors and ceilings, doors, and windows. But here’s a tip: start with your windows, if your noise problem is coming from outside your house. You can install soundproof windows using your existing window framing, and immediately eliminate as much as 95% of the problem.

If you just want soundproof construction which will keep noise from one part of your home from disturbing those in another part, consider soundproofing your doors. But don’t immediately run to the home improvement store and bring home the heaviest soundproof door you can find. Because soundproof doors are so heavy, your room’s existing framing may not be sturdy enough to handle one.

Heading for the home improvement store to first get some door seals and applying them is the best way to begin. The price of door seals will be a small fraction of that of soundproof doors, and while they might not completely deaden the noise getting into the room, they may do a good enough job to keep its occupants happy. And your room’s framing can remain as it is.

Floors Before Ceilings

If you’re considering soundproof construction to solve au upstairs/downstairs noise issue, soundproofing your downstairs ceilings or upstairs floors, or both, will take care of it. The easiest solution in terms of labor logistics is to add a layer of sound-dampening insulation to the upstairs floors; and it might be all you need to do. But performing some soundproof construction on your downstairs ceiling as well will ensure that the problem is fixed for good.

To add a finishing touch to all you heavy soundproof construction efforts, you can give your home’s interior a coat of soundproof paint. It will not only help deaden any sound traveling through thin walls; it will provide an insulating factor.

Save money by starting small with your soundproof construction and adding only what you need to until your home’s noise level is acceptable again. And do some comparison shopping online; you’ll be amazed both at the wide variety of soundproof construction options now available, and the wide range in their pricing!

By: David Faulkner

If you have been thinking about home improvements for upgrading or remodeling your home, you can qualify to receive a home improvement grant to cover your costs. Through various agencies both government and private funds have been allocated for home repairs, upgrades to green ecologically improved appliances and remodeling to meet the requirements.

The added advantage is that these home improvement grants do not require a background history of your credit rating, no collateral, and they don’t require a proof of income because they are provided by governmental agencies at local and state levels. There are numerous private organizations that have millions of dollars of grant aid available that get a tax rebate on providing these funds.

Once you are approved for the grant, you never have to pay it back. Any tax paying citizen over the age of 18 years can freely apply for multiple grants and keep the cash but all you need to do is to use the money for the reason it was allocated like fixing your house, for instance.

To give a wider coverage, there are numerous home grant programs to suit your project such as making your home accessible to special needs, or extending and adding a room. Other grants can be obtained to make your home energy-efficient. From new home owner grants to home improvement grants, there are a variety of options available that can benefit you.

Any tax payer over the age of 18 is eligible to search government and private grants database to suit your home improvement grants that may even run into thousands of dollars, interest and tax free that don’t have to be repaid. The private organizations that give out grants account for billions of dollars every year, so fill out the application and get your home improvement grants processed right away.

By: Sarah A. Baker

Those about to embark on a new construction or home improvement project may be able to claim thousands of dollars in free grant money to pay for many of these expenses. These construction and home repair grants are available through local government agencies and private organizations that benefit from tax incentives by providing you with the cash you need.

Home improvement grants can help you pay for drawing up plans to expand your home, update your house with energy efficient equipment, or pay for materials. Labor costs may also be covered by the grants you may be eligible to receive.

Local and state governments tend to be the agencies that support home improvement grants, as they benefit directly from your home improvement and construction projects. As homes are repaired, expanded or rehabilitated, the government can assess the property at a higher value. As a result, the property values of the neighborhood increase and higher property taxes can be collected. In the end, by providing cash incentives to home owners, the government benefits as well.

Government home improvement and construction grants may also be offered in particular neighborhoods as a way to encourage people to gentrify or improve low-income neighborhoods. Billions of dollars is spent every year in community development, but most people are unaware that that these funds can be obtained for their personal use.

Those interested in seeing if they qualify to receive home improvement grants can do so by simply applying for this free grant money. By searching the database for the available grants in your area, you can quickly see how much money is available and who qualifies to receive these funds. As a result of submitting a application, individuals may receive thousands of dollars that can be used to improve the functionality and appearance of your home.

Once obtained, these grant funds never have to be paid back. The applicant should closely review the terms of the program to clearly understand what the money can and can’t be used for, as each grant program has different restrictions. However, most grant applications do not require a credit check, down payment or any kind of collateral. Simply find out if you are eligible to receive free government money today but submitting your grant application.

By: Sarah Beckham

This isn’t like shopping in a grocery store or purchasing things from your local mall. You usually only have one shot at this and if you’re wrong, it could cost you thousands of dollars. Let me see if I can help you find the right home improvement contractor the first time.

Try to avoid hiring large companies who use unskilled professionals. This is more common than you think in the home improvement and home repair business. These companies usually pay low wages to stay in business, because their overhead and advertising expenses are enormous.

I also don’t recommend using online construction referral companies, because their fees can be outrageous and eventually become financial burdens to contractors who use their services. You might not be charged a fee for using their services, but the contractors are. Don’t forget, nothing is free and when you sign up for their free services, without understanding how that company makes money, you could easily find yourself paying for these expenses, as the contractor passes them on to you.

Feel free to ask your friends for referrals, look through the Yellow Pages, newspapers and other local advertising to find a few home improvement contractors. Now for the hard part, have at least three of these contractors but preferably more, look at your home improvement project.

You’re going to be asking them questions about the project and if you’re not comfortable with their answers, they’re out. Find out how many years of experience the people have that will be working on your project and last but not least, if you’re not comfortable with the contractor don’t hire them.

If you notice, I didn’t say anything about the price of the home improvement project. I’m not talking about how to get the lowest price, I’m trying to show you how to find a good home improvements contractor. Most first rate home improvement contractors are not going to give you the lowest price.

If you’re truly looking for the lowest price, you’re probably not going to find the most qualified contractor. Keep this in mind, when making your decisions about which contractor to use for your project.

By: Greg Vandenberge