a little about scheduling

In this day and age it is often the case that we get immediate gratification.

But in the world of construction this is not always the case.

If you choose to work with a company that runs a crew, they can often get onto your project quickly. The downside to working with this type of company is that you might not get the quality you expect or want.

On the other hand if you choose to work with a company in which the owners are doing the actual work, in most cases you will get exception quality, but on the downside they cannot easily get onto projects at a drop of a hat.

The decision is ultimately yours to make and should be based on what is most important to you, getting the job done to higher standards, or getting the job done faster.

One other thing to keep in mind when getting on a contractors schedule is that deposits or down payments should never exceed 10% of the contract price of $1,000, whichever is less.

Wallpaper removal tips

You never know until you start if it will come off easily or not. Sometimes each wall in a room will remove differently.

The issue comes down to how well the walls where prepared prior to installation. If they were primed then this will make the wallcovering removal an easier.

Removal is often times easier when the paper is on plaster walls as opposed to drywall. It is a real problem if the wallcovering is installed over drywall which has not been primed. In this case the wallcovering is pretty much sucked into the paper of the drywall and removal destroys the drywall.

The first thing you want to do is try dry stripping the wallpaper. Most times the face paper will come off leaving the backing, but getting the face paper off is a great first step.

If the face paper does not remove easily then it is best to start soaking the wallpaper with a remover solution like Dif wallpaper remover solution by Zinsser.

If the solution works then the wallcovering will come off easily. If not it now comes down to time and effort. Sometime a razor knife is needed to really scrap it off, other times a broad knife will work fine.

Whatever you do, be patient, take your time, use brut force, and get that paper off.

paint color

Painting is the least expensive remodel you can do. And color is the easiest way to, create a mood, add interest, create a focal point, accentuate architectural details, and express yourself.

It is great to collect paint chips when planning a room, but hold off making final choices until you've developed an overall room scheme. Paint is available in literally an infinite array of colors and is the most versatile element of your room decor, the easiest to change, and the least expensive. Get ideas but make the final decision after rugs, wallpaper, and fabrics are finalized.

When you go shopping, you'll need to refer to your fabric, carpet, tile, wallpaper, and trim samples constantly. If you cannot bring samples of these with you then bring the samples of the colors they are (they can be on paper). Be sure to take everything with you wherever you go. No telling where you might see something wonderful.

You'll find clues about the underlying tones of different shades of a color on a full sample strip of coordinated colors. Even if you're not even considering using a darker tone, look at all the colors carefully. Decide if the family of colors is the direction you're headed with your color selection. If you don’t like the entire strip then there is a chance you will not like living with one of the colors from that strip.

We work with the Dunn-Edwards Perfect Palette system and paints. There employees in the stores to help you and on-line tools, making color selection a little easier.

Three Basics

When hiring someone to work at your home or business there are three things we highly recommend:

1. Interview the prospective company directly. A referral is a great recommendation, but talking to the company directly prior to having anyone come over gives you a good sense about the company and how they work. Ask lots of questions, don’t commit immediately, and don’t be afraid to call back or email further questions you may have.

2. Make sure they are licensed with the State and check the license number. Each state is different, and here in California you can easily check on a license number, we have a link for you in our links section. In California the Contractors License Board is part of the Consumer Protection Agency, so you know it is a process which has been put in place to protect you.

3. Get it in writing. Even if you are having a small amount of work done, which does not require a contract, get it in writing. It can be as simple as what the scope of work will be in an email. You want to make sure you understand what work is being done and how payments are expected. In California any work over $499 must be contracted for and your contract should be detailed.

Start your project out on the right path.