Diamond Certified Blog

A few weeks ago, I was walking down my street and stopped to talk with a neighbor. She was deeply worried. She just learned she was being sued by someone claiming they had been injured after tripping on a cracked portion of the sidewalk in front of her home. I looked at the sidewalk and saw that the county had placed some orange markers on either side of the cracked portion. This news was puzzling to me. The crack wasn’t especially large and had been there for years. It also made me think about all the cracked concrete in my backyard where someone could easily trip. I decided to learn more about homeowner liability regarding sidewalks and what options exist for concrete repair.  Read more

Spring is in full swing and summer is just around the corner. If you want to be ready for fun in the sun, you’ll need to get the ball rolling on your backyard building projects. Whether you’re installing a patio or a pool, you can benefit from Helpful Expertise® provided by industry professionals. We talked to six Diamond Certified Expert Contributors to gain insight on various aspects of backyard building. Read more

Earlier this month, we published the 2021 Diamond Certified Directory. Issued in nine regional editions, it features full-page profiles of Diamond Certified companies throughout the Greater Bay Area. In addition, each directory includes a section that features helpful consumer tips provided by owners and managers of local Diamond Certified companies. To give you a sample, we’ve assembled the following compilation of expert tips gathered from the different directory editions in print. Read more

When it comes to spring cleaning, few homeowners think about their plumbing systems. However, along with repainting, carpet cleaning and window washing, this is a good time to inspect and maintain the crucial plumbing fixtures in your home. Fortunately, all these tasks are relatively quick and easy to perform. Here’s your plumbing system “spring cleaning” list. Read more

Delivering feedback to a company is like landing an airplane on an old runway—it can be bumpy or smooth depending on how much work has been put into maintaining the area. Without the proper approach, asking a company if you can give some feedback can prompt a defensiveness that redirects your desired change into the weeds.

Unfortunately, some people’s definition of “feedback” is simply venting without consideration of the receiver’s good intentions. On the other hand, accurate and timely consumer feedback can be a company’s free ticket to a competitive advantage in the market. Here are some tips for ensuring the feedback you provide for a company reflects your desire to be a valuable consumer. Read more

During the shelter-in-place orders, so many of us are spending more time at home than ever before. This has brought on a home improvement and decorating boom, along with another rather mixed blessing: the opportunity to uncover hidden problems. In my case, it was a slow water leak from a skylight.

For months, I’ve been ignoring some cracks and small bubbles in my bathroom ceiling near the skylight. After one of the recent rainstorms, the problem became more noticeable. I decided to poke a broom handle around the area and it was spongy. As my husband and I tore out the ceiling, we discovered mold in an area that extended several feet in all directions. Read more

Like all plants, trees have basic nutritional and maintenance needs that must be met in order for them to thrive. However, meeting these needs isn’t as simple as it often seems, which is why property owners need to follow proper protocol when caring for their trees. To learn about this in greater detail, we’re joined by seven Diamond Certified Expert Contributors in the tree service industry. Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted work, life and study patterns for many families in the Bay Area, prompting people to reevaluate their living spaces. Some have decided to search for larger homes in the suburbs or rural areas, while others have decided to leave the region altogether. With real estate remaining an essential business throughout the pandemic, the industry adapted quickly to its new circumstances. In this article, we’ll examine what the real estate market looks like in 2021. Read more

Collecting multiple bids for a home improvement project isn’t just about price shopping; it’s about ensuring every step of your project is handled as efficiently as possible. Here are the top reasons for getting at least three bids on your project:

1. You’ll learn a lot by talking to professionals ahead of time. This extra information will allow you to test what you know and don’t know about your planning, your budget and what’s included with the bid.

2. Before making a hiring decision, you want to be absolutely confident in your choice. Ultimately, the contractor you hire will leave a distinct mark on your life by creating a system that meets a purpose and lends value that can’t simply be returned or rejected if you don’t like it. Read more

Spring is here, and you know what that means: it’s time for spring cleaning! While this vernal ritual is a great way to get a fresh start on the season, it can be an overwhelming undertaking, especially if you’re unsure where to begin. To help you spring into action, we’ve outlined five potential starting points. Read more