Love that wonderful old coffee table, chair or other natural wood furniture piece but not the damage done by years of loving use? A little patience and some time you can easily fix minor damage; we do suggest for valuable antiques or major damage you search out a professional. 

For minor scratches along the edge or corner of a piece, simply clean thoroughly with a mild soap or Murphy’s oil mixed with water, then use a felt-tip touch up pen in the correct tone to fill in, and finally apply a coat of paste wax to the area and adjacent area to provide an even sheen. 

For more major damage, like a gouge or a major scratch you will want to first gather all the materials you will need for the fix: 

Mild dishwashing soap, or Murphy’s oil, and water 
600 grit sand paper (may not be necessary depending on the damage) 
Wax stick that matches the finish color (you may need to use more than one to get the match perfect) 
Credit card 
Piece of paper bag around a flat block 

Thoroughly clean the area you will be working, be sure to remove any dust, dirt, wax or other build up. You may need to sand lightly the damaged area and just a little beyond to provide a nice smooth service, especially if there are any raised damaged areas. Once the area is properly prepped rub your wax stick over the damage until it is slightly over filled. Use the edge of your credit card to scrape away any excess wax, the surface should be level with the surrounding area. Then use a piece of brown paper bag wrapped around a flat block to be sure the surface and surrounding surface is truly void of any excess wax. Apply paste wax over the entire surface you have been working on to provide a nice even sheen. 

When in doubt don't forget a well established carpenter or master carpenter is your best option!

The storms they are a coming, are you ready? Do you know how to protect your home from wind, ice and snow damage? With a few simple steps you can potentially save yourself a lot of time and aggravation, not to mention money.

 

What to be concerned about:

Interior damage can be caused by leaky roofs or even broken pipes.

Exterior damage can be caused by heavy snow and ice, high winds or even tree limbs.

 

To prepare your home for the winter season:

• Trim back any tree limbs or branches that may cause damage or break during a heavy snow or wind storm.
• Clean our all gutters and down spouts to ensure melting ice and snow will drain quickly away from the structure.
• Turn off all water to any exterior faucets, sprinkler systems, etc and drain any residual water
• Cover all exposed exterior water pipes with insulation or special foam housings
• Insulate your water heater and water pipes especially any that may run under the structure
• Know where your main water cut-off valve is just in case you have a problem

During the winter season:

• Remove snow and ice from your roof regularly, try not to let it get above a foot (depending on the construction of the roof). If you can not safely access your roof a contractor can often assist, and is licensed and insured to do so.
• If icicles are hanging from your roof/gutters don't break them off unless you are sure they will not cause physical damage to your home, if you are not sure use a de-icer product to assist in the decomposition
• In extreme cold keep a faucet open just enough for a slow drip to prevent your pipes from freezing
• Maintain a high enough temperature inside the home to help prevent pipes from freezing (there are different thoughts on this generally 55 is acceptable)
• Opening cabinets that contain water pipes so they get the heat is helpful as well, ie under your sink, the laundry room, etc.

Keep in mind if you do experience damage your best option for quick quality repairs is a local licensed contractor. Also keep in mind if there is an insurance claim involved most likely the insurer will require a licensed contractor do the work not sure how to find a great contractor, check out our prior blog post.

“Catch a Contractor” if you haven’t seen this Spike TV show you have probably heard of it; don’t let this happen to you! Follow these steps to find the right contractor. One well known contractor once said “People shop for cars more carefully then they shop for contractors.” Think about that quote, picking the wrong contractor could not only make your life a living hell but could put you and your family in danger. A well respected architect offered that you never hire a friend and you think twice before hiring a relative. 

First how do you find a good contractor, start with word of mouth individuals close to you may have had similar work done and can point you in the right direction. Now-a-days people do a lot of research online, this may be a good place to start but don’t rely too heavily on these as they can be manipulated, options of this sort include Yelp and Angie’s List. 

You will want to reach out to those you are interested in for a list of references. Do phone interviews, ask specific questions especially how many projects like yours have then done, can they provide financial references as well as job references. Check with your local building inspector and Better Business Bureau to make sure the contractor has a good reputation. 

Once you get a good sense of who you enjoyed talking to on the phone, meet with them in person at the job location. Flush out if they are easy to talk to, are they listening to you or talking over you. Do they seem to understand the direction you are going with the project maybe offering up information you had not even considered. Remember communication will be key if you hire them, you want someone you can work with especially if they will be inside your home. 

Ask for information about recent projects and older projects, be sure to visit the locations (get permission from the owner first) to see the actual work as a lot can be hidden or touched up in photos, and the older projects will show how well the work has held up. Try to visit a job in process to see if they really are as “clean” as they say. Talk to the owner are they happy with the contractor even under the duress of the work. Don’t be afraid to ask if there were any cost over-runs or timing issues. Pay close attention to their body language and what they are saying, try to flush out if they avoiding any questions or if they really felt the contractor did a great job. 

Depending on the extent of the work to be performed full plans may be required, a conscientious contractor will request a these plans before bidding. Provide all the contractors you wish to get bids from the same plans so you are comparing apples to apples. Make sure all the bids are presented the same, ask for a breakdown of materials and labor so you can easily see any glaring differences. 

Part of the bidding process should be a payment plan based on the work, never pay the full amount up front. Most payment schedules are 10% up front, then 3-25% payments at set job completion points and the final 10% due when all are in agreement the work has been fully completed. Any potential cost-over runs should be discussed prior to the purchase ie the hardware you chose for your kitchen cabinets is no longer available a slightly more expensive one is, this should be documented and the additional cost noted in the next payment. 

Price should never be your guide when choosing a contractor, it is suggested you toss out immediately any extremely low bid or overly high bid. Then look at who you felt most comfortable with, and whose work you liked the best, this may not be the least expensive but may make the difference between a pleasant experience and a harrowing one. 

Finally, get it all down in writing. Sign an official contract, make sure you have copies of all the documentation required to do your job from liens to permits to copies of the contractors insurance. Good luck, though you shouldn’t need it with the right contractor on the job. 

Kitchen cabinets, such a benign subject, or so you might think, but in reality choosing the right cabinet for your kitchen can create a kitchen you can’t wait to use or create a fear factor reaction every time you enter. Here are five tried and true items to consider before your final decision.

The material, solid wood is still the top choice for kitchens, but other materials like metal, thermofoil, stainless steel, and melamine are readily available. When deciding on the material to use consider longevity for both durability and likeability. If you choose a material that cannot be updated or changed like stainless steel then that is what you will have until you tear them out, however hardwoods can be stained or painted to provide a completely different look as your tastes change.

The style of the door is important, there is a style for every taste from ultra-modern to highly detailed old world to no doors at all. Any door with more detail will cost more and require more work to clean and maintain but this should not stop you if this is the look you are going for, remember you want something that makes you want to use the room not run from it.

Mounting your chosen door, may not seem important but the mounting can add or detract from the look you are wanting to achieve. Regular overlay shows the entire frame of the door and is the standard in most homes today. For a more modern clean look you may want to choose a full overlay which will hide the cabinets behind the doors and only the door seams will be visible. Inset doors are very rare, these are laid inside the frame.

The finish will help meld the material with your overall look and can be as simple as a light stain or even natural for wood to complicated finishes like distressed or glazed. Keep in mind lighter finishes hide dirt better than darker finishes, just as less gloss hides finger prints better than a high gloss.

Handles, knobs and even the hinges can impact the final product. You can completely change the look of any cabinet by simply changing the look of the hardware, taking a cabinet from traditional to country or contemporary to ultra-modern. Think about ease of use too, you don’t want to have to work to open that drawer or cabinet.

Don’t let the process of picking our your new cabinets or even updating an existing set overwhelm you, a good general contractor or remodeler can walk you through the process and provide examples and suggestions.