Diamond Certified Blog

Earlier this week, we published an article containing expert tips about kitchen remodeling and the process involved. To learn more about kitchen remodeling, watch this related video featuring Ric Plummer of Ric’s Kitchen and Bath Showroom.

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A kitchen remodeling project is an exciting venture, but as most homeowners soon discover, the actual process can be dauntingly complex. To ease your apprehension about starting your own kitchen remodel, we’ve asked our Diamond Certified Expert Contributors to break down the essential aspects of the process and provide some helpful insights. Read more

Back in 2011, Chris Bjorklund, the Savvy Consumer, wrote the original version of this article. Kitchens have changed since then, but the sentiment is timeless: for those of us who live in the Bay Area, there simply isn’t room for space wasters in the kitchen. With that, read on to learn how to replace those space wasters with space savers.

Out: Kitchen desks

In her original post, Chris mentioned that the only family member to ever use her kitchen desk was the dog. Even in 2011, laptops and cellular devices were making traditional desks obsolete. Read more

The hassles and headaches of dealing with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has become a trope of American comedy. But like all comedy, it’s based on a nugget of truth. Often, a trip to the DMV really does mean long lines, crowded waiting areas and labyrinthine paperwork requirements. Unfortunately, navigating this bureaucracy is necessary any time you need to renew your driver’s license, buy or sell your car, or have a problem with your vehicle’s registration. Read more

(L to R): Maria Onrubia, Mari K. Patrick, Suzanne Carroll (as Santa), James Florence, Char Leary, and everyone else at American Ratings Corporation wishes you and yours the happiest of holidays! See you next year!

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In addition to being top rated for quality and customer satisfaction, Diamond Certified companies are known for providing Helpful Expertise®. This is especially true for companies whose owners and managers have become Diamond Certified Expert Contributors by sharing their industry expertise via articles and videos on the Diamond Certified website. In 2018, the number of Diamond Certified Expert Contributors continued to grow, bringing another abundant harvest of Helpful Expertise®. In this post, we’ve published a handful of highlights from this year’s Expert tips. Read more

California takes air quality seriously, which is why all vehicles in the state (even hybrids) are required to pass regular smog tests. California’s emissions standards are some of the strictest in the country, and about 10 percent of vehicles fail. If you’ve been driving your car for years, it can be a shock when your vehicle suddenly doesn’t pass its smog test. But don’t despair—this is an opportunity to improve your car and make sure it’s not contributing excessive pollution to the environment. Read more

If you’re planning to travel and stay with family or friends during the holidays, it’s important to take proactive steps to safeguard your home in your absence. Consider the following tips: Read more

During the month of November and the Thanksgiving season, most of us are more focused than usual on the gift of gratitude. But given the positive impact of gratitude on others, perhaps we should think about ways to express our gratitude throughout the year.

I started reflecting on that the other day after listening to my voicemail. A local framing store manager called to let me know that my two paintings were ready to be picked up. Then, he added something extra—he said he sincerely appreciated my continued business, which meant a lot to him. Read more

Hosting a big holiday get-together can be great. Surrounded by family members, friends and neighbors (and maybe their kids and pets, too), you can create a sense of comradery and memories that last a lifetime. But once the sofa bed is folded away and the last load of pots and pans runs through the dishwasher, reality sets in. Hosting for the holidays has turned your house completely upside-down.

Now it’s time to clean up, recover and get your home back to normal. Let’s look at some ways to restore order after hosting for the holidays.

Cleaning Hardwood Floors

During your holiday celebration, your hardwood floors probably endured much more foot traffic than usual. Read more