How to Find a Reputable Home Improvement Company

Many homeowners have spent the spring and the summer months repairing and restoring any areas that may have been damaged by the harsh seasonal weather conditions. It is common for people to begin planning on the home improvement projects when the spring is around the corner.Find a good contractor that you can trust to replace your windows, to build your swimming pool or to freshen the interior of your home. Here are some of the tips when you are deciding on whom to hire for your home improvement needs.

 

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DO SOME RESEARCH

Be sure to ask your friends and family members for any recommendations that they may have but it is important to note that you should not rely solely on the recommendations. Make sure you get references that have had similar work done that you may be looking to accomplish. Check the businesses out before you rely on the references. Check any references from the Internet and call them up to see if they are satisfied and if they would want to hire the businesses again. If they say yes then view the projects.

CHECK FOR CREDENTIALS

The contractor in the home improvement companies should be able to provide any credentials. They should be members of a professional association, have a business license and insurance. Be sure to verify the information that they may bring to you so that you are able to know if they are valid. Some of the trades need to have a competency license so as to be able to operate for example the electricians or the plumbers and others.

COMPARE THE COSTS FROM THE DIFFERENT HOME IMPROVEMENT COMPANIES

Make sure you are specific on what you want the home improvement company to do for you. Seek two or three bids from the prospective contractors and they should be based on the same specifications. Do not just jump for the lowest bid. The prices may differ due to various things. It may be due to the differences in the quality of materials or the amount of workmanship of the job and may more. Discuss all this bids with the contractor.

GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING

Make sure that everything that has been promised i.e. the completion date, the type of materials, the work hours or the payment schedule is included in the written contract. A contract should have the contractor’s full name, the address, the telephone number and any appropriate licenses that are involved in the process. There should be nothing left blank and dif there is no applicable answer then write N/A. Get yourself the contract copy when you have signed.

GET THE REQUIRED PERMIT

If you need a building permit then this is the first step you should take. The permits are generally for any plumbing, structural and electrical work. Any contractors from the home improvement companies that say they will save you money by helping you avoid the required permits should be avoided. Permits are to assist protect you from any shoddy work.

IF THEY PRESSURE YOU FOR AN IMMEDIATE DECISION

Well any reputable professionals will know that you will require time to make your own decision. This time you can use to check for the references, get any estimates from other home improvement companies, check their licenses and verify the company’s reputation and experiences. If they pressure you to make an instant decision then they might be hiding something that they do not want you to dig out before you pay them for your contract.

A fishy home improvement company may also ask to be paid up front for the job or demand to be paid in cash and not cheque. Never pay for any contract job before it has even been started. All payments should be made of either cheque or credit so that there is proof of payment in the future. It is however common for a company to request for a deposit and even larger projects may include an interim payment as the work proceeds.

Visit the home improvement company website so that you can know more about them. Be sure to visit them in their offices and inspect how they work. Check their previous projects before so that you are able to gauge how well they will be able to cater for your home improvement needs.

Written by Mike Wolfe of Mike Wolfe Construction. Mike and his crew offer the best service for home improvement in Columbia,MO.

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How Do You Know That Solar Power For Schools And Non-Profits Is Right For You?

When you’re looking at your green energy considerations, there are a lot of things that you will want to consider in the process. Is it the right sort of change for you to make is probably the first thing on your mind, right? That will take answering some questions for you to get exactly what you need and what you’re looking for. Let’s take a closer look at the questions that you’ll need to think about before you make the commitment to solar power.

What are the specific concerns of the site that you will be using solar power at? Every building and location is different than the next, and because of that, it can be incredibly important for you to try and figure out what challenges that you may have to face at the site that you’re getting solar power at. Are there a lot of trees that could block the panels? Will you have to make significant changes to update the current system that you have in place? Are you going to have to worry about how many different changes may occur at that point? Is it going to be more of a hassle and how much is it going to end up costing in order to make those changes?

 

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Sun-Bug-Solar  is a good example of a company that specializes in addressing many of these practical concerns. You want to find a company that will come and look at your site and help you to determine how to overcome those issues.

How much in savings are you going to be able to get? This is another big deal that a lot of people ask about when they are starting to get into the world of solar power for schools and non-profits. Money can be a big barrier to entry when it comes to solar power, but the good news is, there are resources that make it a lot easier for you to get past that.

The government knows that the costs can get high if you are switching to solar energy, so they provide a number of different tax rebates, discounts, and other incentives that can help to make it much less of a financial burden. Your company can help you to look at all of the options that you have for rebates and give you an idea as to how much you will get back once you make the decision to switch to solar power.

What options do you have when it comes to putting in the appropriate solar energy technologies? There are a lot of different technologies out there that are related to solar power. The most common is, of course, the solar panel system, but there are a lot of others that you may encounter as well. Some of them cost more than others, and you will have the ability to shop around and choose which one is going to meet your needs.

The company that you choose to work with should have all of the options for you, and, like SunBug Solar, they should be able to recommend which ones are going to be the best for your budget, for the area that you’re located in, and everything else that you may have to take care of. The options are wider than ever, so you can feel confident in whatever it is that you choose for your organization.

Is it going to take away from the appearance of your organization’s site? If you run an organization that focuses on beauty or art, or you just want to make sure that it’s not going to end up being an eyesore when people come and visit, you are likely worried about how the solar panels will look. That’s why it’s important that you work with a company, like ours, that can help you to get a solar power setup that looks as nicely as it works.

It can take a little bit of effort to be able to do this, but we will make sure that you don’t have to worry about the appearance at all. As we mentioned above, there are so many different options that you have to choose from that you don’t have to settle for something that is going to make your space look less attractive. The choices are many and you can get something that matches your style and mission, you just have to look around a bit and learn how to adapt it to whatever it is that you’re doing with your overall aesthetic.

Are there going to be any problems because of the weather in your area? This is the last thing that a company like ours is going to be able to help you with. The weather in the area that you live in can play a big factor in whether or not solar power for schools and nonprofits is going to be an option.

Clouds on an occasional basis aren’t that big of a deal – the way that solar power works, it takes the power from the sun and stores some of it so that it can be used when there is cloud cover. But, if there are a lot of days with clouds or there are other issues that need to be taken care of. When we come out to your site and look around, we will make sure that these won’t be issues and we will give you some advice on how you can adapt to a hybrid system if it may be a problem.

These are all important questions for you to explore and think about, and there are a lot of things that you’re going to have to do in order to make sure that you’ve got what you need in order to thrive with solar power. By doing research and understanding what you are getting into, you will be a lot more prepared when it comes to setting up a system that is going to be beneficial for the environment and for your school or nonprofit.

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Infographic: Child Friendly Floor Space

Creating a Child Friendly Floor Space by The Rug Seller

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Common Symptoms of Problems In Your Electric Hot Water System

Unfortunately, there are a number of problems that can affect your electric hot water system over its lifetime. Poorly maintained heaters, heavy usage during the winter and even hard water will all take a toll on the performance and reliability of your system. In this article, we have outlined some of the more common symptoms that indicate you may have a problem along with what could be causing them and some ideas for fixing the issue.

The water is intermittent or failing to reach your desired temperature

▪       Heating Elements – If you are experiencing a constant supply of tepid water, you might have a problem with your upper heating element. If you are experiencing a short supply of hot, you might have a problem with your lower element. Cleaning will be able to remove scale and sediment that has accumulated, but it may not be enough if there is a lot of buildup.

▪       Water Usage – Other possibilities for this problem could include how much water you’re using or an old/inadequately sized system. If your heater was installed a number of years ago or you have no idea when it was installed (eek!), it’s a good idea to upgrade to a new, high efficiency model. This will also provide you with energy savings.

There is no hot water

▪       Faulty Electrics – Many people find that a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse is generally behind this problem. It should also be noted, however, that a faulty thermostat or heating element could also be at fault. If resetting the circuit breaker and fuses doesn’t solve the issue, you should contact a professional for a thorough inspection.

▪       Connections – A crossed connection could also be responsible for the lack of water supply. In this case, we recommend turning off the water supply from your heater. If cold comes out when you subsequently open a hot tap, then you know there is a crossed connection. You will need a professional to help you rectify this issue.

The heater or plumbing has started to make odd noises

▪       Sediment – If you’re hearing rumbling or popping noises, these can be attributed to a buildup of sediment in the bottom of the tank. This can actually lead to overheating (boiling) of the water. A professional will be able to flush the tank and this will (usually) solve the problem. If it continues, there may be something more serious going on.

▪       Scale – If you’re hearing a high pitched screeching sound, it could be indicating that you have a buildup of scale on the heating element. You should also be noticing a decrease in the performance of your heater if this is the case. Cleaning the element or replacing it completely is often the best way to rectify this problem.

If your home electric hot water system is experiencing one of the above problems, we hope that our suggestions and recommendations have enabled you to rectify the problem (or, at least, pinpoint what is causing it). If you are unable to fix the issue yourself, it is essential that you contact an expert as soon as possible; allowing a problem to continue can cause even more damage, which will end up costing you even more money.

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