четверг, 27 января 2011 г.

Home-my-Home

Home-my-Home


Домашние контракторы Reno, котор нужно во избежание: исчезая контрактор

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 09:00 AM PST

Today’s guest post is from our friends at ServiceMagic, a company concerned with connecting homeowners to reputable, professional installers across North America.

This post is the first in a series of posts about the various kind of shady, shifty contractors out there who are in it for their own benefit, and not for yours. This week, we feature that shady contractor who’s moves are very mysterious indeed, especially after you’ve given him/her money for “supplies” …

***

You hear a knock at the door and when you answer there stands an eager man asking for five minutes of your time. He inquires if you need home repairs or updates, and before you can say no, he points to your fallen gutter and the windows you bought back in the 1900's.

You hesitate and say, "Oh gosh, it's on our to-do list, but we aren't interested in repairing or replacing them right now."

The handyman persists, selling you on the importance of curbside appeal and lists off other repairs he can do around the house. Several minutes later, you finally agree to have him fix a few small things. He happily agrees, and says work has been slow, so he needs the money upfront to grab supplies. You oblige thinking he needs the work, so it couldn't hurt right?

Wrong.

You have just met the Disappearing Contractor and he's not running off to get supplies with your money. He's running off to the next town with your money. It's important to note that not all traveling handymen are scam artists, but you should always be wary of contractors who go door to door, peddling their services.

To avoid being scammed by the Disappearing Contractor, here is a quick set of guidelines to follow to ensure your contractor is a keeper:

  • Scrutinize any potential contractor who might perform home improvement services for you—especially those who knock on your door and "just happen to be in the neighborhood." Trust your gut feeling first and foremost – if you feel uncomfortable, don't allow them inside.
  • Always demand to see proof of their permanent business address, proper identification and appropriate licensing and insurance BEFORE letting anyone into your home. A reputable contractor will have this information with them, especially when cold calling your home.
  • Work out the details of the payment amount(s), payment schedule, and the scope of work (the details of what work is to be completed) before any money is exchanged and before work begins.
  • Get everything in writing. Asking for a written estimate might discourage a con artist. Any reputable home improvement professional understands that they are competing for your business and should be happy to give you a written estimate. This is a great way to judge the differences in professionalism and cost.
  • Get a second opinion. Whether you get a knock on the door from a traveling handyman or choose one out of the phone book, getting a second opinion is a great idea. Compare pricing and just as importantly, how you get along with the contractor as a whole.

***

ServiceMagic is the nation’s leading website connecting consumers with prescreened, customer-rated service professionals, for free.

Visit ServiceMagic.com to find reliable service professionals in your area, and follow Service Magic on Facebook and @ServiceaMagic on Twitter for home improvement news and DIY tips.

Cheers,

Rob.

Home Reno Contractors To Avoid: the Disappearing Contractor is a post from: BuildDirect. We cover a variety of home improvement products including laminate flooring, hardwood floors, bamboo flooring, tile, decking and more. We also offer a wide range of info on interior design, housing trends, home how to, green building and living, and more.

Related posts:

  1. 21 Questions To Ask When Choosing a Home Repair or Remodeling Contractor
  2. How To Find The Best and Most Trusted Contractors For Your Home Improvement Job
  3. 5 Questions to Ask Your Home Builder

10 горячих новых приборов кухни

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 03:56 AM PST

Kitchen essentials mean different things to different home cooks. Some can’t survive without their nifty home appliances, while others are just lost without their classic mortar and pestle. Regardless of your cooking style however, having a few cutting edge kitchen creations makes your kitchen just that much more functional and user friendly. Here’s our list of 10 fun and functional items for the modern kitchen:

Tersano Lotus LBU100 Sanitizing System

Take a step towards healthier living! This amazing Sanitizing System lets you turn on your faucet and treat your home to an effective sanitizer that safely wipes out germs, odors, stains, mold, mildew and pesticides — all without chemicals. Lotus infuses ordinary tap water with ozone which has been proven to kill 99.9 percent of germs on any surface it contacts. MSRP: $159.00
Microplane 2-Sided Box Grater

Incorporating four of Microplane’s American-made precision cutting blades in one easy-to-use tool, this sleek box grater handles everything from vegetables and citrus to hard cheeses and chocolate. This model also comes with a protective slider. MSRP: $12.95

Joy of Cooking 75th Anniversary Edition

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No matter how cutting-edge your kitchen may be, it’s still always good to have a classic around. No other cookbook has enjoyed greater fanfare than Joy and having just been re-released in 2006, this is one updated classic that every kitchen needs. MSRP: $22.15

Pascal Hands-Free Faucet by Brizo

No more sticky fingers! Designed for the cooking enthusiast, Pascal brings a new level of convenience and safety to the kitchen. A built-in motion sensor provides hands-free functionality, allowing you to activate water flow without touching the faucet, while the touch-sensitive spout and handle activates water flow with just a light touch. MSRP: $1,200

My Weigh Uber Deluxe 6000 Kitchen Scale

Modern kitchens are also health-conscious spaces and a good scale will keep food portions reasonable for fit and healthy homeowners. The Uber Deluxe 6000 is a sleek design with a flat, easy-to-clean surface and “touch technology” means never having to fiddle with buttons. MSRP: $25.00

Taylor Professional Digital Thermometer/Timer with Probe

This thermometer with probe allows you to gauge the internal temperature of whatever you’re cooking without opening the oven door, which is convenient and saves energy (as well as saving your face from a blast of heat!). It also has a timer so you can be reminded when it’s time to go check for doneness. MSRP: $30.00

ICEBOX FlipScreen

Don’t limit your kitchen amusement to an old clock radio or a bulky television set that takes up valuable counter space. Retain the classic look of your kitchen with the sleek iCEBOX FlipScreen, which fits neatly under standard kitchen cabinets, and its pivoting 12.1-inch LCD monitor can flip out of the way. With the iCEBOX, you can watch television, browse the Internet, play DVDs or CDs, check your e-mail, and monitor other areas of your home, all from the convenience of your kitchen. MSRP: $2,299.

Immersion Blender by KitchenAid

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For those of you that like to do things “your way,” the KitchenAid Immersion Blender is a match. With a powerful motor, variable speeds and 8″ immersion, you can blend from the top down and to your preferred consistency. The sharp, stainless steel blade powers through a wide variety of ingredients and blends both cold and hot liquids and looks good doing it. MSRP: $69.99

Calphalon Tri Ply Copper Cookware

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This set is a wonderful acquisition or gift for gourmet cooks who are just as concerned with the appearance of their cookware as they are with its performance. The set includes all the necessary pieces for a complete kitchen: 8-inch and 10-inch omelet pans, a 3-quart covered sauté pan, a 6-quart covered saucepot, and 1-1/2- and 2-1/2-quart covered saucepans. MSRP: $449.95

Precision Series Gas Self-Clean Range by Capital Cooking

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Definitely the next wave of indoor cooking appliances, this specialty-range by Capital Cooking provides five burners-including a central wok burner that burns at 25,000 BTU. Another fantastic feature is the Moto-Rotis, the first motorized rotisserie system in a pro-style oven. All this with a sleek design! MSRP:$6,702.

We want to hear from you: Would you use any of these appliances in your kitchen?

Showerhead Moen Rainshower

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 12:55 AM PST

Это летающая тарелка? Оно определенно смогл пройти для одного если повышено и на расстояние. Showerhead дождя Moen исправленный скоростью красивейшая конструкция которая немедленно будет centerpiece любой ванны. Showerhead огромн и подачу можно контролировать для того чтобы выпустить rinse дождя или собственн-надутый брызг. Эта модель нет не расклассифицированное watersense а только отпуски 2.5 gpm (9.5 Л/МИН) максимального.

Дом Techie искусства мечт

Posted: 26 Jan 2011 02:47 PM PST

Когда Praveen двинуло в нейтральный пуст-шифер его квартиры в SoMa, Сан-Франциско, он немедленно увидел потребность для цвета. Используя его влюбленность рационализаторства, он создал сплавливание искусства, основных цвета и технологии. И как много гениальных волн рационализаторства, искра Praveen сперва зрения начала с покупкой яркого красного занавеса- ливня прагматической которая начала основание для его просто и смелейшей цветовой схемы. Praveen было вначале слабонервно о его выборе цвета желтой и красной, но велемудро держало цветы внутри то узкое окно, и работало с и через ими. Как художественное произведение, каждый предмет мебели spans много жанров (и даже поколения), и вытягиван совместно его определенным вкусом в одно кохезионное астетическое. Сильные линии и сплошные цвета определяют космос, визуально сломанный вверх касаниями черноты здесь «и маленького rococo там для того чтобы согласовать место,» по мере того как Praveen говорит. Одна из его любимейших частей включает его желтый стол, и он любит красные и белые кресла. Красивейший баланс был добавлен невозможностью покрыть его стены в ярких оттенках как well-instead краски (которому его содержатель не позволяет), он добавил шипучки цвета и изощренного playfulness повсюду с его художественным произведением. С его смелейшей индивидуальностью, Praveen создавало космос который был описан как как детсад, так и как возмужалый космос. Praveen любит то. И поделом: космос успешно и шикарная и полная потеха. Источник: Терапия квартиры

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