Reliable Remodeler Blog » Roofing

Nail gun safety for homeowner-remodelers

woodrow — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:15:32 +0000

The most-famous motto for all contractors and DIY handymen/women is “measure twice, cut once”. I’d prefer to move the phrase, “work safe, work smart” to the top of the slogan list. A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cites 37,000 emergency room visits a year to treat catastrophic injuries caused by nail [...]

Nail gun safety for homeowner-remodelers is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Last chance for tax rebates on energy efficient home improvements

woodrow — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:11:06 +0000

Homeowners have until December 31 to buy materials and install energy efficient home improvements under the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Provisions of the bill, an extension of previous tax credits, mandate that you buy only ENERGY STAR-compliant biomass stoves, heat and air conditioning units, insulation, roofing, water heaters, [...]

Last chance for tax rebates on energy efficient home improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

In the pink: Home improvement tools for women

woodrow — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:35:13 +0000

Out here in the West, it’s not uncommon to see a woman with a work belt going into the hardware store. My friend Sally thinks nothing about scaling a ladder to repair the roofs on her rentals. She’s as adept in operating a table saw as she is in handling a garden spade. Unfortunately, the [...]

In the pink: Home improvement tools for women is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Preventing home improvement tool injuries

woodrow — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:49:14 +0000

The difference between completing a home improvement project with pride or ending up in an emergency room with a severed hand can be the variance of a single millimeter and a half-second of time. Motorized saws cut extremely well, and most don’t distinguish sheet metal from a forearm. Nail guns shoot right where they’re aimed, [...]

Preventing home improvement tool injuries is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Swamp cooler fall maintenance, simplified

woodrow — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:32:42 +0000

When my family moved to the San Fernando Valley in the late 1950s, most homes came outfitted with evaporative swamp coolers. I remember that they worked fairly well until August and September when temperatures soared over 90 degrees. Then, it seemed, all that the cooler did was burn energy pumping water around the pads while [...]

Swamp cooler fall maintenance, simplified is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Getting real about right-sized home improvements

woodrow — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:06:52 +0000

As the housing market continues to limp along, and as people downsize home improvement plans to simple tinkering, it’s wise to think in terms of not letting things go to pot around the property. Even when home construction began to dive five years ago, home remodeling kept going – and even briefly picked up steam as [...]

Getting real about right-sized home improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Red flags for buyers: poor home maintenance

woodrow — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 06:27:53 +0000

Do you think your home will catch the eye of a potential buyer in a challenging real estate market? Look again. Even if you’ve put money into home improvements in energy efficiency, plumbing, landscaping and fresh paint, your inattention to routine maintenance across the board can send out red flags to home shoppers. Real estate [...]

Red flags for buyers: poor home maintenance is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Don’t let winter stand between you and home improvements

woodrow — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:41:21 +0000

In the heart of winter, it can be easy to let go of your commitment to fix up your home. There are some advantages to doing home improvement projects in the winter; your contractor may have more time for you and may charge less as the company appreciates the work. And if you’re housebound, it’s a [...]

Don’t let winter stand between you and home improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Catch That Secret Energy Thief: Your Attic Door

woodrow — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:27:46 +0000

You know that convenient, pull-down door in your closet that leads up to the attic? It’s also a convenient passageway for energy. In the summer, you lose cool air from your home through the hatch (sometimes called a scuttle hole), where it’s vented into the greater outdoors. In winter, the attic door is a causeway, [...]

Catch That Secret Energy Thief: Your Attic Door is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

What’s New in Roofing Options?

woodrow — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 22:20:20 +0000

Across the lower tier of the United States, older homes and newer homes built to the Spanish colonial theme use terra cotta or concrete tiles. In the north, you’ll find era homes with natural slate or wood shake roofs. No matter where you live, the time may come to put up a new roof. Before leaping [...]

What’s New in Roofing Options? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Time Running Out on Energy Efficiency Tax Credits

woodrow — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:12:13 +0000

On midnight December 31, 2010, the Federal tax credit program on renewable energy improvement projects for your home expires. Under the provisions, homeowners can receive Federal income tax credit up to 30 percent of the cost of materials up to $1,500 per appliance or energy efficiency system that you install in your permanent residence. New [...]

Time Running Out on Energy Efficiency Tax Credits is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Avoiding the Latest Contractor Scams

woodrow — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:54:15 +0000

Every few months another national website, blog, or home improvement site comes up with suggestions for avoiding consumer scams from unlicensed or unscrupulous contractors. These days, most legitimate contractors are delighted to get work, but there are the exceptions who don’t plan on doing much, if anything, except running with your money. This week, Investopedia writer [...]

Avoiding the Latest Contractor Scams is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Winter Home Troubles Are Only a Storm Away

woodrow — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:43:57 +0000

Summer may seem a long time away from the grim, damaging effects of winter. But don’t let the long dry days of summer and the leaning shadows of autumn lull you to sleep. The storms are coming! As an Alabama home inspector recently remarked to Consumer Reports, “If there are 10 things that can go [...]

Winter Home Troubles Are Only a Storm Away is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

The New Solar Tiles Are Hot

woodrow — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:33:25 +0000

Eventually it may be so easy to collect solar energy that homeowners will find it second nature. Dow Chemical has plans to develop and sell solar shingles, roofing materials that have embedded photovoltaic materials. That’s especially good news to homeowners who live in communities where subdivision or neighborhood caveats forbid the use of the current [...]

The New Solar Tiles Are Hot is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Getting the Green Light on Sustainability

woodrow — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:29:28 +0000

Builder Magazine recently declared that while it’s difficult to predict, the future is already here. The magazine interviewed a wide range of construction experts, green and sustainable authorities, and Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) architects to take a wide look at where we’re all headed. According to Builder, there are predictable trends that [...]

Getting the Green Light on Sustainability is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.