Framing a home or building can be described as the skeleton of the structure that sits on top of the foundation. (see picture to the left) Wood or metal studs are used to make the the structure of the frame. All interior walls, exterior walls, ceiling rafters, door and window openings are all cut … Read more
Frequently Asked Questions
A building setback or building setback line on a survey, site plan or plat in regards to land development is the distance the building is setback from a street, alley, property line or road. Building setbacks are set up by land developers and local Planning and Zoning Offices and are different for every subdivision. If … Read more
What is a joist? A joist, in construction, architecture and engineering, can be defined as one of the horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall, wall to beam, or beam to beam to support a ceiling, roof structure, or sub-floor. An easy way identify them is to go up in your attic and … Read more
Yes they do! There is no such thing as a “seamless gutter.” Think about it. When a gutter makes a turn around a corner, there is going to be a seam there. There is also a seam at each end of the gutter and at each outlet tube. These are all potential areas for the … Read more
Yes you can, but be careful if you are a do-it-yourselfer. If your wallpaper is peeling, you may want to use some wallpaper adhesive and stick it back to the wall. If you don’t, your newly painted walls will continue to peel as the the wallpaper gets older. After you have glued back the wallpaper, … Read more
I’m sure you have watched one of those home improvement shows and thought to yourself: “wow…..that was really easy!” Well, there are a lot of behind the scenes drama and problems that are not shown. The truth is that while they might show a kitchen renovation budget of $5,000, what they don’t tell you is … Read more
The purpose of a flat roof in residential construction was to save on construction costs. Flat roofing materials are cheaper than other roofing materials such as asphalt shingles, metal roofing, wood shakes, tile roofs, etc. Flat roofing allows for a variety of options when it comes to making use of the flat area. Air conditioning … Read more
The answer is not quite that simple. If you reduce the square footage of your home, it will appraise for less. The same could apply for downsizing from a 4 bedroom home to a 3 bedroom home. I have clients that had a 4 bedroom house, but the bedrooms were too small so they had … Read more
We all know that asbestos is a dangerous substance when inhaled, but how can we identify it in a home or building? Most asbestos materials cannot be identified just by looking at it. Asbestos can easily be identified by a trained professional using a special microscope or you can order an Asbestos Test Kit and … Read more
Cracked tile or grout can be frustrating and an eye sore to any home owner,but is an easy fix. The source of the problem could a few things. Knock on the tile where the grout is cracking. Does it sound hollow? If so, the tile has either come loose from its bond with the thinset … Read more
The fascia of a home is the end cap that hides the rafters that support the roof. Rain gutters are attached to the fascia, but an easier way to describe where the fascia is located is to say that it is what the Christmas lights are attached to. The fascia can be made up of … Read more
Great question and one that I get weekly. You can achieve great success by doing both, but the question is going to be: what can you afford? Staining or painting the cabinets can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $4,000 (if you hire a professional) depending on the amount of cabinets you are painting. You can … Read more