Reliable Remodeler Blog » repair

Is it time for a garage-door tune up?

woodrow — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:15:13 +0000

Of all the doors or gates to your home, your garage door and opener probably experience the greatest amount of wear and tear during a year of ordinary use. Imagine how many times that door has opened in the last 365 days; how many round trips have you made to work, school or the local [...]

Is it time for a garage-door tune up? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Pile carpet repair made simple

woodrow — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:57:03 +0000

You’re not really a perfectionist, you just can’t stand that torn, burned, ripped or stained section of pile carpet right in the middle of your living room. Even if you’ve performed routine carpet care and maintenance you can still end up with a damaged piece. What you need to do now is cut out the [...]

Pile carpet repair made simple is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Get out your caulking gun before summer is out

woodrow — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:20:43 +0000

OK, gunslingers, it’s time to draw your caulking gun before the bad boys of winter settle in to ravage the homestead. Kidding aside, caulking and sealing is a home improvement project that fits the schedule between barbecues and beach trips. You’ll gain a lot of protection for your home with just a little time and [...]

Get out your caulking gun before summer is out is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Improvement projects to consider during the housing crisis

woodrow — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:20:45 +0000

It comes as no real surprise to those of us who own homes that today’s housing crisis—which began in 2006—has now officially been called the worst since the Great Depression. According to CNBC, prices have plummeted by 33 percent, some three percent deeper than the plunge in the late 1920s. Foreclosures continue to depress housing [...]

Improvement projects to consider during the housing crisis is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Termites: repairing pest damage in the winter

woodrow — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:49:09 +0000

There are winter home improvement projects that take into consideration the down-time many contractors experience through the winter months. That means hardly any lag time between when homeowners make appointment calls and when the work gets done. It can be especially prudent to schedule routine, but absolutely necessary, home maintenance projects, even if the money [...]

Termites: repairing pest damage in the winter is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Remodeling Ahead of the Upturn

woodrow — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 23:08:22 +0000

Is this really the time to repair your home with an eye toward the market? During the downturn of the economy, many homeowners embarked on remodeling projects as it seemed impossible to put their home on sale. Now, at least one prognosticator seems to think the turnaround is imminent next year. Does that mean it’s [...]

Remodeling Ahead of the Upturn is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Fix That Buzzing Light Bulb or Dimmer Switch

woodrow — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:03:58 +0000

As much as we appreciate dimmer switches, they can make low-quality light bulbs flicker and buzz when you turn down the juice. Often the problem is with the bulb and you just need to swap it out for one with a heavier filament. I’d suggest switching to a newer, energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb. Or [...]

Fix That Buzzing Light Bulb or Dimmer Switch is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Beware Failing Appliances and Suspicious Plumbers

woodrow — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:59:39 +0000

You’d think that torrential rain gathering in clogged gutters or burst frozen pipes are the largest cause of water damage in the home. Not so, says a vice president at Safeco Insurance in Seattle. Two-thirds of water damage, according to Safeco’s Jim Swegle, is caused by faulty plumbing. The balance? Household appliance failure. SmartMoney Magazine says [...]

Beware Failing Appliances and Suspicious Plumbers 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.

Energy Efficiency in the Laundry Room

woodrow — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:37:16 +0000

Unless you ship your bedding, towels, and clothing items off to the dry cleaners, you’re going to have to use water in your laundry room. If you’re an energy and water-conscious consumer, there are ways to reduce your water use and still come out clean in the end. First, if your water bills are excessively [...]

Energy Efficiency in the Laundry Room is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Openness and Natural Woods for the Hopper House

woodrow — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:52:52 +0000

After Hollywood actor and director Dennis Hopper passed away this May after a long bout with cancer, his house went on sale. The Hopper compound–located on Indiana Avenue in Venice, CA–includes the main house, guest cottage, and a trio of two-story condominiums and it’s for sale at $6.245 million. Hopper, who had been a serious student [...]

Openness and Natural Woods for the Hopper House is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Do You Need Weatherstripping in the Summer?

woodrow — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:02:42 +0000

I’m often surprised when homeowners think of weatherstripping as a winter-only project. With some 30 percent of your energy costs pegged to heat–and cold air–leaks at home, you’d think more people would consider adding or replacing weatherstripping to preserve that valuable cool air in your home come summertime. The U.S. Department of Energy has an excellent [...]

Do You Need Weatherstripping in the Summer? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Installing a Laminate Kitchen Floor

woodrow — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:43:47 +0000

I’ve seen so many laminate floors in kitchens and baths lately that it seems an obvious choice for many people. Putting down laminate flooring is so much easier than a hardwood floor because the sections snap or glue together. A floating floor, laminate installs directly over your current kitchen floor. Your first step is to calculate square [...]

Installing a Laminate Kitchen Floor is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Can We Save Old American Homes?

woodrow — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:05:43 +0000

Preservationists, ecologists, and homeowners of architectural era homes trying to meet their utility bills wonder if the costs of retrofitting a tired lady outstrip the value of completing the project. In response, the government provides subsidies for restoration, tax and financial incentives, and Property Assessed Clean Energy bonds. Maintaining aesthetics without gutting the architecture—and [...]

Can We Save Old American Homes? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Reminder on Lead Paint Law and Remodeling

woodrow — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:59:16 +0000

If you’re a contractor, you probably already know about the new requirements when you’re remodeling or renovating around lead paint. Homeowners working on their own residences are not bound by the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) law that goes into effect April 22, 2010. The law requires renovation contractors, painters, and maintenance workers in multi-family housing, [...]

Reminder on Lead Paint Law and Remodeling is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.