Perhaps you’ve heard this quip when a spacecraft is launched: “There goes the lowest bid.” In my mind, trying to get the lowest bid for a remodeling project is just as foolish. And a lot of contractors agree with me. Gayler Construction explains very clearly how buying remodeling services is not even remotely like buying a…
More than 95% of consumer products marketed as “green,” including all toys surveyed, make misleading or inaccurate claims, says a report today. The number of products claiming to be green increased 73% since 2009, according to a survey by TerraChoice,an Ottawa-based marketing firm owned mostly by Underwriters Laboratory of Canada. The UL network does independent…
If you live in a house older than 1978, there’s a chance it contains paint with lead in it. Now don’t freak out. Even though lead when ingested or inhaled can cause brain damage, the paint itself is not dangerous unless it’s chipping off or is turned into dust by sanding and cutting. In a…
Own an older home? Beginning April 22, only contractors who have been trained in safe handling of lead-contaminated paint dust can legally work on your home. And that’s a good thing for you. If you’ve been keeping up with contractor-type news, you know that contractors are not happy at all with a soon-to-be enforced EPA…
Planning to remodel? Unless your home is fairly new, only renovators certified to handle lead will soon be legally allowed to do the work. The problem: Many are not yet ready. The EPA is slated to enact a rule April 22 that will require remodelers who work on homes built before 1978, when lead paint…
By Kathy Price-Robinson for DIY Life: Lately, when Louisiana residents like myself see New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton on TV, it’s usually not in reference to the Saints’ first-ever trip to the Super Bowl February 7. Rather, in numerous ad spots, Payton can be seen discussing tainted drywall from China that was used in…
Saints coach Sean Payton is the lead plaintiff in a 591-page class action lawsuit against Knauf Plasterboard Tainjin Co. Ltd., a Chinese company that manufactured drywall that is believed to be corroding homes and making people sick. The suit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New Orleans on behalf of people with this particular…
An unlicensed Napa (Calif.) contractor has been ordered to pay full restitution to three customers he defrauded or he faces a six-year prison term, the Contractors State Licensing Board said this week. Ronald Russell Clawson, 27, pleaded no contest in Napa County Superior Court last week to elder abuse, identity theft, grand theft and fraudulent…
Home repair contractor Kaile Warren had a rags-to-riches story that was enviable. The former homeless home improver credits "divine intervention" with giving him the idea for a home improvement company and brand name that would ultimately place him on a national stage that included appearances on Oprah, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the…
A recent article on Bankrate.com, nicely written by Margarette Burnette, lists four steps to make sure you don't end up with a nightmare remodeling story to share at dinner parties. Sure, a nightmare remodel makes for some lively minutes of banter. But really, in the end, you want a successful remodel. If you need something…