According to a 2020 Census, some two-thirds of American households own their own homes. Impressive, to say the least. It makes sense; everybody wants to have a space to call their own. Something they can mold into the perfect living area. There is a saying that with great power comes great ...

Future homeowners often have to face a myriad of problems during the homebuying process. Some are obvious, minor, and relatively easy to overcome. But, there are other, more significant problems that can ruin your entire househunting efforts. And the home structural damage is a leader amongst them. For most, discovering ...

Choosing the right construction company can be a difficult task. There are many variables to consider, and it is up to you as the customer to make sure that you have done your research before committing. If you don't know where to begin, this blog post will provide seven ...

Cleaning and disinfection done right. The outbreak of the pandemic has posed unique challenges that were never seen before and requires property owners and managers to take new precautions to keep residents and staff safe. Although we have found vaccines to contain the spread of the virus, there is still ...

If you are planning to put your property on the market, you would want to increase its resale value first. But this does not necessarily mean undertaking expensive and laborious renovations. There is an easy yet fruitful way of doing so – and that is by using paint. Painting your house ...

The foundation is the most important part of our homes. It is a base for our house, and if not built properly, it can cause many problems, which can result in severe damage to the structure in the long run. When it comes to homes in Florida, there are plenty ...

Originally posted on inspectionsupport.net   Whether it’s a flood, hurricane, or burst pipes, water damage can wreak havoc on a home. Not all water damage is visible at first glance, so home buyers must know what to look for before they purchase a new property. There ...

Here's something not many homeowners know: the average cost of roof replacement can range from $5,000 to $28,000. Considering how costly roof replacement can be, it makes perfect sense to look after your roof accordingly, so it lasts for a very long time.  Just like contractors insurance, roof maintenance is ...

As a contractor, it is essential that you stay on top of the trends while also being up-to-date on new innovations.   If you work on projects that require pipe installation, you want to make sure you have all the necessary knowledge to advise your clients appropriately. This means knowing ...

The footing is the support for the entire structure.  Unless the property is located in a flood zone or in an area know to be problematic, in Florida we typically rely on either 1] SPREAD FOOTINGS and stemwalls, if required, meant to retain and reastrain the soil they contain or 2] ...

When you put a lot of effort into your home interior design, you should consider directing attention to your outdoor space as well. After all, your property exterior can serve numerous functions in elevating your family's overall quality of life.  So, to help you get started on a ...

When renovating their homes, homeowners often have three primary motives. They want to improve the aesthetics of the property, make it more enjoyable, and boost its resale value.They will usually do this by updating the style of the home and expanding the function of its various components. But, there ...

  What is the single update you can make to your home that would result in the most significant increase in the value of the property? Every home-owner wants to know the answer to this question. Given how much you have invested in the property, emotionally and financially, this is ...

More than half of the U.S.’s 100 largest cities now have more renters than buyers, according to Money.com. And this figure is expected to continue rising.  Renting is attractive for several reasons. For one, renting provides a lot of convenience. Because as a renter, Cavalier Estates ...

In Florida, much of our extraordinary real estate growth is tied to the waterfront and the coastal zone homes that line our waterways.  Due to the flood zone regulations born in the 1980s, and growing harsher by the decade - our "conforming structures" are required to be ...

The BUILDER'S LEVEL and TRANSIT are tools that have been in existence for a long time.  The main difference in the two is a LEVEL provides a method of finding a transferrable point of height [ELEVATION] and transferring that point to other locations horizontally [every point you shoot ...

I truly thought this was going to be an interesting article - I was mistaken!   The fortifications specifically mentioned in the article are code required or LARGELY done already, by better builders! Ring shank nails to hold down the roof sheeting - why would anyone NOT use ring shank ...

I found myself engrossed in an article by MSN Money titled "The U.S. is in the top tier of house sizes internationally - and not just because of McMansions".  The article is mildly interesting and quoted some rote statistics like  The average American home is in the 1600...

This article in Sunday's paper describes the tremendous volume of multi-family FRAME construction and it's financial allure.  I argue that this is terribly wrong and extremely shortsighted.  WOOD IS NOT YOUR FRIEND IN FLORIDA!   Take a look at the 3 - 4 story buildings featured in the ...

Like most folks, I was struck by the photo of the heavy construction in this article. As I read the article, I realized how terribly misguided this particular effort is in most cases. It is certainly a misguided effort in this case.  The article quoted $225,000 of work to complete ...

It happened again this week - I saw two projects that were very badly compromised, due to water intrusion.  The fix was both difficult and expensive, which is heartbreaking considering that doing it correctly initially is both cheap and easy. You just have to pay attention to the basics.&...

In construction we are constantly faced with “how to connect [A] to [B]”.  A-to-B could be almost anything and we are ALWAYS faced with using both a material and an attachment method that carries or transfers the intended applied load and does not compromise the material we ...

One of the most serious potential constraints to remodeling is the existing roof framing and what is load bearing! The vast majority of homes built in the past 45 years have roof trusses. Before 1970, both roof trusses and conventional roof framing were used and prior to 1950, almost all homes had ...

I recently spent an enjoyable couple of hours with a very sharp young man who is looking to offer a valuable service to realtors in our area.  We put our heads together and came up with the OFFER OF A LIFETIME, that costs you NOTHING!  It has a ...

Almost everyone likes to save a buck.  Many customers are drawn to the big box store ads showing named brand items at much cheaper prices than licensed tradesmen charge for them.  The two trades that have the hardest sell are PLUMBERS & ELECTRICIANS.  Customers see the advertised ...

All renovations and remodels require that the HIGH POINT of the existing rough floor be located before any meaningful reconstruction is started.  Kitchen renovations/remodels are perhaps the most common residential projects and finding the high spot of the rough floor is absolutely imperative!   Why is locating the ...

Have you ever looked at a finished door and wondered what you COULD NOT SEE?  Typically, people see the door slab, the inside face of the door jamb and the casing - but what lurks beneath? Most interior doors are hung on jambs that are 3/4" thick.  The ...

"As the twig is bent, so grows the tree."  It's an old adage that is particularly on point in construction.  The end product starts with a proper layout - this is 100% true and a constant, whether laying out a skyscraper or a bathroom remodel.   ...

In just this past week I have gone out on two completely unrelated estimates for jobs where owners are trying (pretty much in vain) to solve severe water issues!   To be clear, water intrusion is an issue that contractors must constantly be vigilant about, throughout the entire building process. &...

FEMA has completed their new flood maps and it is only a matter of time until they are implemented.  This, coupled with the Biggerts-Waters Act signed into law in 2012, [whose implementation has been DELAYED after shocking the public] will be the chickens coming home to roost for property owners ...

When designing a home a person is often faced with the need for MORE space in a given room [e.g. the kitchen].  A floor plan is much like a jigsaw puzzle in that you are trying to arrange rooms that flow together and FIT together in a space ...

Volume area rooms (rooms that are 2-stories tall) are very alluring and the open feeling they create is hard to duplicate.  From the scenic overlook to an entry foyer or living room below or a featured musical instrument [piano or harp] viewed from the entry looking up - these ...

In any home, existing or to-be-built, there are areas that are NOT living areas.  [Examples of these are garages, entries, porches, lanais, pools, elevators, etc.].  Each of these has a cost to construct but NONE of them are counted as "built areas" when calculating the "...

EFFICIENT GEOMETRY AND ITS DIRECT EFFECT ON THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION Most people either immediately or eventually ask the question “how much do you charge per square foot”?  Best guess, this their attempt to rationalize construction costs in a manner that sort of reflects the way real ...