Congratulations to this handsome hunk of a man, Delwyn Thornton, of Brandon, Miss., who won a skills contest — gripping, marking, clamping, sawing and drilling — put on by Irwin Tools. As part of his honors, he got to ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Other than enjoying the visual of…
If you already think a remodeling contractor is entitled to an item titled “Markup and Profit” in the bid, you can skip this post. But if you cringe at this concept, and try to negotiate markup and profit out of the bid, keep reading. As far as I can tell, there are three major types…
My heart goes out to the victims of Hurricane Irene. I feel your pain. (And I promise not ask this inane question: Why would you live/rebuild where hurricanes can hit? I’ve been to Vermont. I know why you live there.) Six years ago, when the federal levee system failed in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina,…
I didn't even know how much I loved old covered bridges until I saw this video of one washing away during Hurricane Irene, and I cried! It was built in the 1870s. This is what Kathy's Remodeling Blog is all about, treasuring and restoring our heritage, our past, our history. I can't believe how emotional…
This post ran previously on Kathy’s Remodeling Blog, but it’s good to repeat now, following Hurricane Irene: Just the other day, someone posted a comment on this blog saying his company’s website listed FEMA-approved contractors looking for work. FEMA, as you probably know, is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which steps in after disasters. The…
Who could have predicted this? I'm not referring to radical climate change exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels. Scientists have been telling us about this for decades. There is no real question about this. If you're not into science, however, then the research and conclusions of the vast majority of scientists won't mean much.…
With a hurricane on the way, you have a long list of things you wish you’d done earlier. They include: • Installed some kind of shutters or hurricane-resistant windows • Bought a generator to avoid the long lines at Home Depot or Lowe’s • Bought a small air conditioner and small refrigerator to run off…
In 1948, President Harry Truman wanted to add a balcony on the side of the White House and his detractors were up in arms. “Women especially seem to resent the fact that Mr. Truman is altering the White House a few months before the people are choosing a president,” David Lawrence reported in the Spokane…
Sometimes the remodeling industry seems like the Wild, Wild West. It’s crazy out here! The cast of characters is huge! You’ve got your builders and general contractors and remodeling contractors and architects and designers and engineers and plumbers and roofers and tile setters and butchers and bakers and candlestick makers. Oh wait. Well, anyway, it…
Have you ever driven or walked past a house that was so alluring, so charming, so warmly inviting that you felt an urge to go in and sit a spell? I bet that house had a front porch. I’m convinced that our future as a species would be more hopeful if we all had front…
As you well know, the rich are getting richer and the rest of us are going the other way. The whole economy is rigged that way and you wonder how long it will go on. As our new two-class economy unfolds, it seems disgusting for rich people to flaunt their riches, doesn’t it? So why…
I just can’t get enough of these removable vinyl wall decals. They are made by a lady and her Chinese husband, who is the artist. The little bio on the Etsy website is so endearing: “We are a family run shop,my husband is a chinese artist,he design the graphics,I do some computer work.we are very…