Many people make the mistake of storing their firewood outside directly up against their house. John Kunkel, owner of Termite Police, a Diamond Certified company, says that’s the worst place to put it. Termites are attracted to any kind of wood, and can easily move from the firewood right into your siding or foundation from that woodpile. It’s much better to store your wood away from the house, perhaps in a shed.

Here’s another tip from Mr. Kunkel. If you live in an old house, and you set firewood down on the hardwood floors, beetles might move right in with the wood. Once these beetles start feasting on your floors, you will need professional help to eliminate them. Read more

Here’s How I Did It.

How often do you hear about kitchen remodels costing less than someone expected? Maybe never?

I can proudly say that I came in $15,000 under budget. For one thing, my starting budget was realistic. For another, I hired a contractor who understood my goals and objectives, and we had excellent communication.

Here are some other key things that helped me manage costs:

1) I set up a separate checking account for the kitchen project so I could keep track of the money I was spending every step of the way.
2) Whenever possible, I reused existing materials. For example, the contractor re-installed my old disposer and molding. Read more

 Guest Expert Michael McCutcheon, owner of McCutcheon Construction, tells us about less costly ways to cool your house on hot days.
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Air conditioning is still the best way to cool a building during hot weather, although in very dry climates, one can use evaporative coolers (“swamp coolers”) instead, which use the cooling effect of evaporating water. While they consume some water, they use less energy. They also don’t reduce humidity, and don’t work in humid climate zones since the evaporative effect is so much less in a humid atmosphere.

Presuming you’re in the mixed climate of the Bay Area and need Air Conditioning (as opposed to evaporative cooling), as with any energy device, Read more

These kinds of questions come up all the time when you’re managing a household. Do I need to buy new tires yet? Should we replace the furnace now, or can we wait another year? And the latest one, do I have to remove the stump under my house? I called a Diamond Certified company for the answer, John Kunkel, owner of Termite Police.

This pest control expert explained that you no longer have to excavate the stumps. It’s better to treat the stump with chemicals that poison termites. The termites ingest the poison, carry it back to the colonies, and that eliminates the problem.

So when you have a question and you need an expert answer and some help, Read more

One of the Diamond Certified company owners, John Gorman from the Save Energy Company in Petaluma, is today’s guest blogger. I like what he has to say about asking for a “ballpark figure” on windows.
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I recently got off the phone with a potential client who at one point during our conversation had asked me, “So how much are replacement windows going to cost? Just a ballpark figure.” I know that he was anxious about the cost and standing in his shoes I can completely understand, but I had to tell him, “Honestly, it’s so hard to say.”

Because window replacement jobs or any other construction related project is so site-specific, Read more

You don’t hear this too often. “What could I have done differently, if anything, to win your business?”

The owner of a kitchen cabinet showroom sincerely wanted to know why I had purchased cabinets elsewhere. I had visited there weeks before while putting together a plan for my kitchen. I returned to his store to buy countertops because he was knowledgeable and friendly, AND not pushy. I wanted to give him at least some of my business.

I explained that my contractor and I had decided to go with custom cabinets instead, for a variety of reasons. He told me that asking that question repeatedly and listening to customers’ answers helped him improve his service. Read more

I wanted three estimates for new kitchen countertops. I knew the dimensions, the color and the type of material I wanted. Should have been an easy process, right?

For the first estimate, I made an appointment with a specific salesman at the showroom. I waited 30 minutes while he was with another client, but when I wasn’t even acknowledged I walked out the door.

I faxed the second estimate request as a different salesman at a different store advised. Several days have gone by and I am still waiting for a response.

The third company stood out because they’re right on top of things. I faxed the information; the lead estimator called for more clarification on the backsplash, Read more