Water Is A Damaging Source For Your Home’s Exterior

Fall is here and that means Old Man Winter is just around the corner bringing harsh elements to the outside of your home. Maintaining your home’s exterior is one sure way of avoiding possible further damage to your home that could seep into the inside and cost you more money in the future.

This homeowner noticed some leakage inside near the upstairs window.  The first thought was maybe it was a faulty window, or that it was installed in properly. But after that was ruled out, we did further  exploring and discovered that the original siding was not installed correctly and there were areas where rain water was seeping in and running down into the window inside. This caused the siding to become completely wet and rotted after many years. If this had been ignored much longer the threat of mold certainly would have come into play. We removed the old siding, belly band, etc. and installed new sheathing, Tyvek moisture house wrap, siding, flashing, and heavy duty caulking. It’s pretty air tight now.  

Water is a damaging source for your home’s exterior. Before the big rains hit, it may be a good idea to take a good look at the outside of your home for potential hazards. Your home maintenance plan should include caulking up all the possible seams and places where old caulk may have shrunk or cracked after years of exposure. Get your gutters cleaned for free water flow, check your door thresholds for dry rot, and areas in your yard that may have bad elevation problems creating water flowing back towards your house.  Fix potential problems ahead of time and you can settle in for the Winter knowing your home is safely protected keeping you warm and dry.

No Job Too Small

When we say “no job too small” we mean it…

Okay, we couldn’t resist saying it because of this great shot of our lead carpenter up inside a laundry shoot. Over the summer one of our clients wanted her laundry shoot modified and Chris was just the right size to get up inside and install the new shaft

Teresa's New Bathroom

 Meet Teresa, a beautiful 15 year old high school student. Teresa’s parents contracted Revive to remodel a bathroom to accommodate her special needs. You see, Teresa is confined to a wheelchair, but that doesn’t stop her remarkable willing spirit. Day one she was the first to throw a hammer into the sheetrock to begin demo. Throughout the remodel Teresa was involved in the process as we placed the vanity height, sink, and faucets to fit her needs, created a curb less shower with temperature controlled valves, and sloped the floor for easier access into the bathroom and the newly opened closet.

We can say that it was Teresa who inspired us to create a space in which she could be more independent. How fitting to our tag line “Remodeling That Revives The Value Of Your Life At Home“. It truly was our privilege in getting to know Teresa and her wonderful family.



 

Pricing Isn’t Everything

Everyone’s looking for a bargain right? And we’re no exception as we want to save money whenever we can also, just like our clients when looking at remodeling or repair costs. Recently we learned a valuable lesson, we should practice what we often preach, pricing isn’t everything when it comes to your home‘s upgrades.

At the end of 2009 we had to replace our gas furnace and heat pump. We did our due diligence and got a few bids. The costs were high, but there was one smaller company that was offering a greatly reduced price and of course we were excited to save a lot of money. We checked out the company with the CCB and everything appeared to on the up and up. In hindsight, there were some red flags we should have paid more attention to. First, the company’s owner asked for a portion of the down payment in cash (umm?), and when asked if he was pulling a permit he said he wasn’t, but we could get it ourselves. So we did, figuring he was trying to save us some money instead paying him to do it.

The equipment was installed and we were happy to have new “efficient” HVAC units and blowing heat into the house. But as soon as that 25 degree weather hit, we noticed the gas furnace was intermittently blowing cold air into the house. We had the installer come out several times to see what the problem was and he deducted it might be a manufacturer’s issue. He was suppose to have them contact us, but we never heard back. The weather warmed up and we didn’t seem to be having the issues of the cold air again. Life happened and we moved on.

With the below 30 degree weather we discovered, with frustration, it would take all day for the house to reach 70 degrees. Hence, we called a different heating company in to problem shoot. The technician said the furnace’s configuration had restricted air flow which caused the unit to overheat and then blow cold air. There was our “aha” moment. The initial installation was incorrect and now to correct it (cuz we like heat) we get to fork out a chunk of more money to fix what should have been done right in the first place. So much for saving money. And this correction is the best fix economically, our other option? To pull the whole unit out and start new… no thanks.

So, lessen learned. Lower pricing isn’t everything, it just may mean more costs in the future.