When hiring a local company to do work on your home, be sure to verify that the company has proper insurance coverage to handle any problems that may occur during the repairs and improvements done by the contractors. Many will assume that if the contractor is licensed with the State of California than they must have insurance. That is not exactly true. The licensing Board will require Bond Insurance and workers compensation insurance if the company have employees. There are not any Liability Insurance requirements required to maintain a general contractor's license or … (71 comments)
I have been on the run trying to keep up with the calls from water related damages this week. It is what I do as a contractor but the volume can be overwhelming at times. There is not usually any warning because they are emergencies. On each of these calls, it was stressed that one thing is most important right now, Get the area Dry First!
When it comes to doing repairs on apartments and residential homes, sometimes it help to have some additional information at hand. Some repairs can best be estimated if the original building plans are available to review. I needed to see what the wall detail was like, without the plans I would have to either guess or cut open a hole to explore. Having the Building Plans will help the contractor to better estimate the cost of repairs. … (20 comments)
When it comes to doing repairs on apartments and residential homes, sometimes it help to have some additional information at hand. Some repairs can best be estimated if the original building plans are available to review. I needed to see what the wall detail was like, without the plans I would have to either guess or cut open a hole to explore. Having the Building Plans will help the contractor to better estimate the cost of repairs. … (20 comments)
I'm sure this is something that we have all seen ourselves; that ugly patch that just draws our attention. We know that it is important to fix the plumbing, electrical or anything else behind the surface, we don't want to shortcut on those repairs. Once all that is done, let's make that patch look like new. … (35 comments)
There is a drain pipe leak under this kitchen sink in Rocklin, CA - inside the wall. While this may not be the best spot to work on the leak, it needs to be done today. The leaking pipe is effecting two other units in the apartment community. The tenants have been notified, the drain pipe repair starts this morning in Rocklin, CA
Working around the holidays can be tough for a number of reasons. When working inside a home we have to be concerned about the homeowners schedule. It's the holidays, they may be expecting guests or hosting a party. The last thing that we want to be is “in the way”, but the work has to be done. If it weren't urgent, we would have held back in getting started. We finished the texture on a small repair that will be painted tomorrow morning in Sacramento. It will … (8 comments)
All this rain in the Sacramento Region is a good thing in so many ways. The drought is not over, we need a whole lot more of this before that can change. The rains do bring surprises that have gone unnoticed for years. In the years when the rain is just enough to start getting into spaces and create the early deterioration of the wood. Perhaps the water proofing or flashing was no longer working as it originally was intended. Once the rains start coming heavily, these problems that have been … (17 comments)
One of the most frustrating things that happens when doing repairs in an apartment community is that the tenants aren't always ready and respectful of the contractors time. So if there is something that needs to be done inside someones unit that is not an emergency, generally a 24 hour notice is necessary to enter the unit. I work regularly under this type of scheduling.
As you may guess, it can be a bit tricky in maintaining a productive schedule when others are involved. Most people … (19 comments)
We try to get to many of the properties to clear the gutters before the major rain season. That has been interesting in the drought years! :) The idea is the get the months of debris out so that the water can flow freely during the heavy rains. There can be some problems though.
Not all of the leaves have fallen from the trees and will be falling and clogging downspouts despite the cleaning. Of course the initial cleaning will reveal rusty parts, loose gutters, and … (17 comments)
A Short Week, Emergencies Grow in Urgency. Be respectful!
As we move into the holidays, we get to experience the joy and love of family and friends. Many of us get the opportunity to both travel to other homes as well as play host to visitors ourselves. There can be some stress involved with all this merriment. It has been our experience that the emergency calls that we get during the holiday season can be the most stressful for the client and us. For the client, it is a matter of having a problem with the guests … (10 comments)
Now That Things Are In Place, Let's Get It Closed Up.
Sometimes you just have to open things up to see the whole picture before the repairs can be done. One example of when there is a problem under the kitchen sink. With the counter and cabinets removed, it is a lot easier to get in and do the repairs. Imagine working on this inside a base cabinet and all the other distractions. … (7 comments)
I have done dry rot repair throughout California and have used many methods to detect and find dry rot and water damage in buildings. One of the best methods in getting an early indication of the amount of rotted wood that may be in sight may be poking around with a finger. Wood soft enough to crush with such a small amount of force would require some further investigation.
Do you have areas where the wood is soft enough that you can find it … (11 comments)
There are many things that a contractor must take into consideration when repairing plumbing drain leaks. A contractor who repairs plumbing drains will likely come across areas of repair as well as areas of potential problems.
When repairing a drain line, installing a new disposal, or installing a new bathtub there is a need to look beyond the immediate area of repair. There may not be a problem with the existing drains beyond where the new work is located but that may change. A lot can happen to … (12 comments)
Those that work around the kitchen sink get a better understanding of how some of the features in the kitchen works. As a contractor in Sacramento, remodeling kitchens, adding appliances, and repairing homes; I get to see some things that I take for granted. When asked a question, I am reminded that not all that I do is really understood by the client. I had a homeowner ask me what does the dishwasher air gap do when it is working correctly. I never really thought about it but I know now what … (14 comments)
Remodel Contractor Can Bring Design Changes to Your Older Home in Sacramento
I got a chance to look at a home remodel in the Land Park Area of Sacramento. The home was built back in the 60’s and still had many of the fixtures, appliances, and furniture; it was definitely a step back into a slightly different way doing things. Check out this power outlet installed right in the counter backsplash, and this was before the required GFCI outlets that we have today!
Repairing the Wood Portion of a Concrete Deck in Sacramento
You don’t have to be an expert to understand that two short boards are not as strong as one long board. Strength can be added with the proper fasteners but it is usually best to replace the whole post if it is damaged. I came upon this interesting repair yesterday, the bracket was added so that the bottom portion could be replaced without having to deal with the top deck. This all sounds great in theory but there are many problems here, and not just the … (6 comments)
I was asked to come look at a home remodel that was just purchased in the Pocket area of Sacramento. I'm excited for a couple of reasons. As a general contractor in Sacramento it is always nice to be able to bring all of my experience into a large project. I do a variety of jobs every day, but bringing it all to the same project is best. The new owners are already thinking that most of the interior needs to be renovated. At the top of the list in this Pocket Area … (8 comments)
I am a contractor that works on older homes and apartments in the Sacramento area from time to time. I get to repair some things that you may not see everyday. Older homes will often have some modern changes that doesn't quite fit, not the same texture or even a slightly different size. I ran across this thermostat yesterday that didn't quite fit between the two door frames. So I wondered which came first, the thermostat or the door framing? They both are outdated. It's safe to say that this is not original work. … (9 comments)
We had an Sacramento apartment community emergency plumbing repair in of the units today. The water could not be shut off to the unit because the main shutoff was frozen open, the main valve would not shut off. Until this could be fixed no other repairs could begin.
It had the opportunity to use fittings manufactured by SharkBite. The benefit of these fitting is that you do not need to have dry copper pipes to make the connections. We needed that today, so we did. It is an amazing product that can … (8 comments)
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