Diamond Certified Blog

“Radical gratitude is about cultivating the ability to hold a paradox. We can both feel the deep pain of grief, loss, and tragedy and be grateful for the ways in which such experiences crack us open, shatter the illusions of the ego, and wake us up to the truth of being.” —Lissa Rankin, M.D.

It’s November and we’re thinking about gratitude, even more so than usual this time of year. In the last few months, we witnessed a seemingly endless series of natural disasters, from hurricanes and earthquakes to devastating fires right here in the Bay Area. Recovery will take time, patience and resources. It’s all hands on deck for those who have been immediately affected by disaster and those on the periphery who want to help. Read more

Earlier this week, we posted an article featuring expert advice on choosing and installing new windows. One aspect mentioned was selecting new window frames, which can be a surprisingly difficult task given the many options available. To gain further insight on how to choose window frames, watch this video by Diamond Certified Expert Contributor John Gorman of Save Energy Company.

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History

In the 1990s, many industry leaders in the heating and air conditioning field noticed a problem. Equipment manufacturers were producing more advanced machines, but clients were frequently dissatisfied with them. Companies were spending more resources on customer service, recurring callbacks and handling costly returns. Manufacturers and contractors realized the technicians working on these systems often didn’t have the necessary education or training to service them properly. To address this problem, the Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) formed North American Technician Excellence (NATE), a nonprofit certification program for technicians working in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR). Read more

Congratulations to the Houston Astros for winning the 2017 World Series—their first championship in franchise history! It was an exciting series and Game 7 was no exception, especially since two of our Diamond Certified Resource television commercials ran during the broadcast: one in the bottom of the fourth inning and one in the bottom of the sixth inning. Read more

The recent wildfires destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in Northern California and left others in need of urgent repairs. With their lives upended, many residents are looking to start over and return to their former routines as quickly as possible. But those rebuilding after the wildfires need to move cautiously, as conditions are ripe for contractor scams. Unfortunately, history has shown that after a catastrophe, there are many bad actors ready and willing to take advantage of the vulnerable.

Contractors (especially good ones) are in high demand following a disaster. At the same time, there’s a lot of money available to the construction industry due to payouts from insurance policies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Read more

This summer, my husband and I had a flooring problem in our home. We have a rolling desk chair that was scratching the engineered hardwood flooring in a downstairs office, so we placed an area rug near the desk. However, the rug was too thick to move the chair back and forth easily. The next thing we tried was a plastic floor mat on top of the area rug. That solution kind of worked, but it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing. It bugged me every time I walked by the desk.

Finally, I decided to get some expert help from my local Diamond Certified flooring store. They recommended buying a commercial-quality remnant and having it cut to fit the area around the desk. Read more

It’s a dark night.

You’re in your living room, binge-watching the new season of “Stranger Things,” when you notice a shrill whistling sound coming from somewhere inside the house. You pause the show and get up to investigate.

Walking into the hall, you’re struck by a sudden chill in the air, which causes you to emit an involuntary shiver. You draw your arms inward and follow the whistling sound to your bedroom, but just as you open the door, it stops. You enter the still room and scan for any unusual signs. Read more

Earlier this week, we posted an article featuring expert tips on designing and building a paving stone feature. One of the aspects covered was technical considerations for installation, such as soil engineering and proper drainage. To gain further insight into what’s entailed, watch this informative video by Diamond Certified Expert Contributor Hayley Johnson, owner of The Legacy Paver Group.

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One of the biggest trends in hardscaping is the use of paving stones to build features like patios, driveways and walkways. Unlike a single, uniform concrete slab, a paving stone installation is assembled mosaic-style with multiple small stones or “pavers.” This method of hardscape construction offers several advantages over that of poured concrete, from a wider variety of design options to a more resilient final product. To learn more, we’ve asked six Diamond Certified Expert Contributors to take us through the consecutive phases of paving stone installation. Read more

One woman’s thoughts on what to pack in an emergency

by Joy Lanzaro, Director, Mediation and Compliance

Few of us have ever witnessed fire damage to residential and commercial structures like we’ve seen in the North Bay over the past few days. Many of us are experiencing a combination of emotions as a result, and anxiety is running high. One way to be prepared and manage anxiety is to put together a “Go Bag” just in case you need to quickly evacuate. My Go Bag is tiny because I’m single—one dog, no kids. Nearly all of my financial and insurance business is transacted online, so that eliminates some documentation. Read more