Proper Drainage Requires a Good Slope in Sacramento
I got an opportunity to look at a home in the Arden area of Sacramento that has experienced poor drainage in the past. Water around the home had nowhere to go so it would just puddle up near the perimeter of the home. This can be a problem. running a hose down the drain line created flooding long before reaching the front of the building. Because of the grade of the lot the back yard cannot be raised and the front yard is relatively flat all the way … (18 comments)
Kerrie La Guardia has arranged a Springtime MeetUp Invitation for you! Check out her latest Springtime MeetUp post and ask yourself – Can I host? We can think of reasons why we can’t host an ActiveRain MeetUp:
I’ve never done it before I don’t have the time I don’t think anyone will come That’s not my style Blah, Blah, Blah…
Why not give it a shot? You may find that it is a wonderful experience! There are many ways in which to do it, just check out what others have … (23 comments)
I was hoping to get a quick home inspection checklist printed for a friend of mine who is buying a condo. So I Googled it and the #1 result was our very own Elizabeth Weintraub. Being from Sacramento herself, Google recognized her proximity to me, and the matching keywords. The link was to an article in About.com, here is Elizabeth’s Home Inspection Checklist link. Just another reminder that this does work for local results to general topics. … (4 comments)
The idea of having black mold brings terror to the minds of many. I have had frantic calls from residents and homeowners that believe that they will die if they have mold. Seriously, molds are not all that uncommon in any Sacramento home to some extent. Without getting too deep into the topic, let’s make a few things a little clearer. Most molds are not deadly to the average healthy human. There are some that are worse than others, the color is not the important thing. If you have some discoloration cause from … (41 comments)
We have all seen the ugly broken concrete curbs in Sacramento parking lots and apartment communities in our home towns. When the curbs are in good shape and working properly; nobody seems to notice. But once they start looking broken and falling apart, everyone seem to notice.
The concrete curbs can also be a risk for liability and injury. Curbing tends to be in locations that are walked around regularly. Repairing the curbs can help eliminate the potential loss from an accident in Sacramento.
Can you move our apartment monument sign? We have been asked for a price to move an apartment monument sign in Sacramento, they aren’t looking to move it very far either. However, even the slightest change can trigger many thoughts in the mind of a general contractor considering the move. Here are a few that quickly came up.
Concrete slab base – We will not be able to move the existing concrete slab that the signage sits on currently, a new pad will need to be poured. Electrical lines – There are lights on the monument, … (37 comments)
I have told this story on many occasions because the job was a real challenge on many levels and the circumstances barely believable. The part that I save until the end, I will state first – I never met this guy! The final cost was approximately $180,000.00 and I never saw the guy and rarely even talked to him. The guy called me one day stating he got my name as a reliable general contractor who could help him with his problem. I knew the person he mentioned but … (34 comments)
I don’t know what it is but there is something about knowing a little about bed bugs that makes me always check for them. During a recent overnight trip, I made certain that I looked in the common hiding places for these little bugs. Luckily, I did not find any and I was able to sleep soundly. … (20 comments)
Older homes in Sacramento have a character that is not often found in the newer construction. When looking to purchase a home, you may be faced with some decisions about what to do with a home in Sacramento that is 50 years old. These decisions will involve costs of improvements, return on investment, and personal preferences.
Before you make an offer on an older home, you may want to have a conversation with both your Real Estate Agent and a General Contractor to see if … (31 comments)
What is the deal with these leaks happening in the kitchen ceiling?
There aren’t a whole bunch of people who can handle the idea of water leaking into the kitchen through the ceiling. Two story building do have leaks that damage the unit or room below. That’s just the way water damage happens; if there is plumbing drains or water supply lines in the ceiling, it may leak. You may need the help of a qualified general contractor. Leaks don’t just occur in the ceiling, it can happen anywhere that there is a plumbing line. Walls, floors, … (20 comments)
Water is dripping through my kitchen ceiling, Can you fix it?
One of the best things about being a general contractor in Sacramento who specializes in water damage and dry rot repairs is that I get all kind of calls from homeowners and property manager in need of repair. The calls can vary greatly and sometimes challenging. The good thing is that anything can be repaired.
Yesterday I had gotten a call from a property manager who was in need of some help. The first thing that she tells me is that the 4 foot kitchen light … (82 comments)
Trenching around large tree? Remember to contact a tree expert.
I was asked to install some exterior lighting around some trees at an apartment community in Sacramento. This is not always as easy as it may sound. Some trees need more attention than others. The lighting for these trees need to be close enough to the tree so that it can shine up the tree to eliminate it at night. This will certainly has a stunning effect as you drive down the road. The problem arises when it comes to digging the trench for the electrical … (10 comments)
You don’t see the sprayed on acoustical ceilings in the newer homes built in the Sacramento area any more. Years ago, this product was used to deaden the sounds in the home; that’s why it is called an acoustical ceiling, it keep reduces the acoustics in the room. It also adds some texture to the ceiling surfaces to break things up.
There are many reasons why this is no longer used. It’s hard to keep clean – Dust and webs are hard to remove. To paint the … (29 comments)
Sometimes when a contractor walks into a new kitchen home improvement project, he can’t help but say “Let’s replace the whole thing.” It’s not to get more work than necessary, it just makes sense.
I ran into two strange things after getting a call for repair in Sacramento this week. The first was the use of 5/8” drywall to all exterior eaves and ceilings throughout an apartment community. The undersides of the eaves on all the buildings were closed with drywall; it is not exposed to water so I guess it was okay 25 years ago. I’ve never seen this before so I’ve never looked it up to see if it meets the current building codes. This same thing is used in the covered … (9 comments)
As a general contractor working in the Sacramento area, I get put into some awkward positions sometimes. When working on apartment buildings there is sometimes a conflict with the residents because of the work that I need to do. One of the conflicts that I have dealt with recently is satellite dishes installed on apartment buildings. Often the wood trim board that the dish is mounted to has rotted and is in need of replacement. Removal of the dish is required to get to the damaged wood … (12 comments)
Tromler Construction is a General Construction Company in Sacramento that does its share of shower wall replacements. The replacing of shower walls comes as a result of damage to the walls or surfaces behind it. this water damage can reveal some previous damage. Recently, we removed the tub / shower walls in an apartment unit, we could see that the repairs had been done a few times in the past. We know that from looking at the adhesives used and the size of the perimeter of the walls. It … (5 comments)
It was determined that the kitchen drain line was clogged in the two inch drain pipe. When the sink or dishwasher was used the water would not flow through the drain. Attempts to clear the blockage were futile using a plumber’s snake. A camera was used to find the blockage which gave us an approximate location – under the concrete slab, just in front of the sink base cabinet. The drain camera showed signs of a tree root inside the pipe, the plan was to … (26 comments)
One of the most common areas of exterior water damage to wood trim occurs when a horizontal piece of wood is nailed to a wood surface. On many two-story buildings in Sacramento there is a horizontal board that divides the upper and lower story; this is sometimes referred to as a “belly band”. It doesn’t really serve a structural need; it just helps break up the wall aesthetically. We find that this board, the belly band, in need of replacing on a regular basis. Whenever you connect a … (43 comments)
I spent the better part of a day, finding and repairing a hidden drain pipe leak in Sacramento. After cleaning up the mess and moisture damaged materials, we ran a dehumidifier and fans all night. Things were ready to patch up today and once I got
to the point where I needed to prepare for texture, all the surrounding surfaces had to be covered.
Preparing the area for texture can take a while, the air that flows through the gun can blow the plastic … (18 comments)
Service Area
•Acampo, CA
•Amador City, CA
•Angels Camp, CA
•Antelope, CA
•Auburn, CA
•Avery, CA
•Cameron Park, CA
•Campo Seco, CA
•Carmichael, CA
•Cedar Ridge, CA
•Ceres, CA
•Citrus Heights, CA
•Clarksburg, CA
•Colfax, CA
•Davis, CA
•Diamond Springs, CA
•Dixon, CA
•El Dorado Hills, CA
•Elk Grove, CA
•Elverta, CA
•Emigrant Gap, CA
•Escalon, CA
•Esparto, CA
•Fair Oaks, CA
•Fairfield, CA
•Folsom, CA
•French Camp, CA
•Galt, CA
•Georgetown, CA
•Gold River, CA
•Granite Bay, CA
•Grass Valley, CA
•Herald, CA
•Hood, CA
•Ione, CA
•Isleton, CA
•Jackson, CA
•Jamestown, CA
•Keyes, CA
•Knights Landing, CA
•Lathrop, CA
•Lincoln, CA
•Linden, CA
•Live Oak, CA
•Lodi, CA
•Loomis, CA
•Manteca, CA
•Marysville, CA
•Mather, CA
•Modesto, CA
•Newcastle, CA
•North Highlands, CA
•Nut Tree, CA
•Oakdale, CA
•Olivehurst, CA
•Orangevale, CA
•Penryn, CA
•Placerville, CA
•Rancho Cordova, CA
•Rancho Murieta, CA
•Rescue, CA
•Rio Linda, CA
•Rio Vista, CA
•Ripon, CA
•Rocklin, CA
•Roseville, CA
•Sacramento, CA
•San Francisco, CA
•Shingle Springs, CA
•Sonora, CA
•Stockton, CA
•Sutter Creek, CA
•Sutter, CA
•Thornton, CA
•Tracy, CA
•Tuolumne, CA
•Turlock, CA
•Twain Harte, CA
•Twin Bridges, CA
•Vacaville, CA
•Victor, CA
•Walnut Grove, CA
•West Sacramento, CA
•Wilton, CA
•Winters, CA
•Woodland, CA
•Yolo, CA
•Yuba City, CA
•Zamora, CA
;)
;)
;)
