Welcome

by on January 16, 2010

Finding the wrong contractor can end up costing you thousands and that is the truth.

Hello Everyone,

My name is Jim and I have been in the contractor builders industry for over 10 years.  Though updating and remodeling can be an exciting and fun investment that will give you years of pleasure and increase the value of your home , finding a good contractor can be a difficult and challenging process if you do not know what to look out for.

Articles By Experts
I have gathered some of the leading experts in the industry to write advice columns  on our site. I will dig deep into the world of home remodeling  and teach you steps that will enable you to protect yourself and your investment from scams,bad contractors and bad craftsmanship.

Avoid Contractor Scams
I have seen some wonderful work by qualified skilled contractors and builders who do all the right things and add tremendous value to peoples homes. On the other hand though I have seen some horrible contractors who have scammed or ripped off unsuspecting consumers out of their hard earned money and left them without a functional home. I will show you how to avoid some of these big mistakes and how to take measures to ensure that you hire a qualified contractor to get the job done right and professionally.

Remodeling Ideas and Project Knowledge
If you are thinking about starting a new home project or just need advice on what a project entails then we have a great section of articles for you too. We will show you what are some best practices that you should follow when doing a home project. From kitchens, baths,carpet cleaning,house cleaning,windows, basements,roofs and everything in between we will help you decide how to safely and properly go about finding a qualified contractor and what you need to make your home jump in value.

Find a Local Top Rated Contractor
If you are looking for a qualified contractor please be sure to follow our links below. These companies offer you a great service in which they match local rated contractors where they have checked their references, licensing,insurance and backgrounds. They have already done some of the most difficult  parts when finding a contractor.  All you have to do is fill out a form and they will contact 4 qualified contractors to contact you about your home improvement project. Always be sure to follow the basic best practices when communicating with a contractor.

Five Star Services

Calfinder.com get bids from qualifying contractors.

Find a contractor for your next Additions or Remodeling projects. Contractors.com a great website and service of course free

Service Magic The industry leader in home service contractors

Find thousands of unbiased ratings on services for home improvements, car repairs, and more. Try Angie’s List. Not free but deserves mentioning for their unbiased reviews of contractors.

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Why Retaining Walls Fail

by on January 27, 2010

There is a high prominence of retaining walls fail far before they should. Generally these problems go unnoticed and are accounted for as the aging of the landscape project or an ‘act of god.’   One of the greatest contributors to these common problems happens to be water. Water is an extraordinary element that has immense power when pushed to its limits.

Retaining walls are meant to retain, so why do they fall over? Well we all know about erosion, the fact that gravity and wind naturally push soils and sediments from their source and deposit it somewhere else, typically downhill. One might think erosion is what causes failure; oddly enough erosion is only a minor factor in the failure of retaining walls. The main player in failure of retaining walls happens to be water. Water has a property called ‘Hydrostatic pressure.’ This is the force exerted by water while it is at rest. If you can imagine a huge tank with paper thin walls filled with water. It would extremely hard to press your fist into the paper walls even though they were paper thin because of the pressure the water exerts when it is at rest. In this situation the paper thin walls must be able to overcome the hydrostatic pressure of the water.

How does this apply to retaining walls?  Well the purpose of retaining walls is to retain dirt and earth but in the process they also end up retaining water.  When it rains water flows into the ground and the earth retains the water, this is called groundwater. Groundwater like dirt flows with gravity, therefore when reaching a retaining wall water tends to backup behind the wall. Just like in the example above, water exerts hydrostatic pressure on the retaining wall, just as it did on the paper thin walls of the tank.  Sometimes when a retaining wall is not engineered and built correctly hydrostatic pressure can overcome the strength of the wall and that is often when retaining walls fail. If built correctly a retaining wall should be able to direct the water down through drainage gravel behind the wall and into a drainage pipe under the wall and dispose of the water.  This functionally reduces the hydrostatic pressure on the wall.

When diving into a retaining wall project there are a lot more things to think about than retaining the soil and building a wall. Factors such as soil type also play into a strong retaining wall; if the soil drains slower then more drainage is needed to reduce the hydrostatic pressure. Most of the functional part of a retaining wall is actually contained behind the wall out of sight. Always build to industry standards or consult the manufacturers recommended installation procedure unless the wall needs engineering in which case you will build to the engineer’s specifications.

The article was brought to you by Merlin Construction. Merlin Construction is a Toronto Landscape Contractor.


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Exterior Wall Cladding – Water Penetration

January 27, 2010

By Alan Trauger
The exterior walls of buildings provide comfortable and healthy indoor environments, needed to protect us from outdoor climate change. Most serious wall problems are related to water in one way or another. Buildings need to be efficient, durable, and economical with regard to investment, operation, and maintenance costs. Increasing focus on sustainability, design, [...]

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Exterior Wall Cladding – Most Popular Types

January 27, 2010

By Alan Trauger
The exterior wall surface of a building form the skin of the building. These surfaces or building components are commonly referred to as cladding. The purpose of the wall cladding coverings is to provide the building with a weather resistant exterior envelope. The exterior building envelope should be designed and constructed to prevent [...]

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Insulating Concrete Forms

January 27, 2010

By Alan Trauger
This type of exterior wall system is becoming more popular due to the surge in green building construction. The first patent for the application of an ICF was registered in the 1960’s. Insulating concrete forms or molds have built-in insulation for accepting reinforced concrete. ICF’s are stay-in-place polystyrene forms that have proven to [...]

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Window Wellness – When to Replace

January 27, 2010

By Alan Trauger
Replacing the windows in your home is one of the best improvements that can be done. Windows give your home a face lift and add value at the same time. They make your house more secure, more energy efficient, easier to care for, and more visually appealing. They influence the environment in your [...]

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Use of Infrared Thermography in Testing Building Envelopes

January 27, 2010

By Alan Trauger
Moisture in building materials can destroy structural integrity and nurture mold. The first step in moisture problem remediation is to quickly and accurately locate and remove sources of moisture. Infrared cameras instantly show you what’s wet and what’s dry. IR can instantly find the ultimate source with little or no physical disassembly of [...]

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Engineered Hardwood Flooring – How to Select It For Your Needs

January 27, 2010

By Alan Trauger
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Engineered hardwood flooring is a product made of a core of hardwood, plywood, or high density fiber and a top layer of hardwood veneer that is glued on the top surface of the core. It is available in almost any hardwood species. The product has the natural characteristics of the selected [...]

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Fiber Cement Siding – What You Need to Know

January 27, 2010

By Alan Trauger
Fiber-Cement Siding is termite resistant, durable, non-combustible, easy to install and finish, moisture resistant, and typically carry 50 year manufacturer’s warranties. Fiber cement siding has the appearance of wood siding but it is lower priced and has lower maintenance costs than wood siding. Fiber cement siding is manufactured by many large building materials [...]

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Durable Housing Concepts

January 27, 2010

By Alan Trauger
Initial thoughts may seem straightforward with a straightforward answer: durable housing is tough; its vertical and horizontal surfaces resist deterioration from weathering and use. It could be theorized that durable housing would possess three qualities.
Firmness – it is well built of solid materials.
Utility – it is useful and comfortable to its inhabitants over [...]

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