Table of Contents November 2007

Features

• 

  After the Fall

  Familiarity breeds confidence, sometimes to a fault, and it was 40 years and tens of thousands of incident-free cuts, into his career that one of Tim Sweeney's most seasoned, carpenters ran his thumb through a table saw.

   
• 

  Remodel for Change

  Flexible design comes from the understanding that homes outlast lifestyles. Family configurations change. Technology changes.

   

Reader Panel

• 

  Safety First

  With all the challenges remodelers face running their businesses, it’s easy to take for granted those parts of the business that seem to take care of themselves. Jobsite safety is one such issue that is commonly overlooked — especially when your field crews are experienced and trusted members of...

   

Other Articles

• 

  After the Fall

  Familiarity breeds confidence, sometimes to a fault, and it was 40 years and tens of thousands of incident-free cuts, into his career that one of Tim Sweeney's most seasoned, carpenters ran his thumb through a table saw.

   
• 

  Remodel for Change

  Flexible design comes from the understanding that homes outlast lifestyles. Family configurations change. Technology changes.

   

View Point

• Rate Cut Only Part of the Solution

  The September 18 cut of a key interest rate should keep the trouble in the subprime lending market from dragging the economy into recession, but experts caution that it is not the cure for the flagging housing market.

   
• 

  Dissecting the Market

  The third-quarter release of a key indicator reveals that remodeling activity was down by 1.4% over the most recent four-quarter period.

   

• Mixed Message

  This year marks the 20th anniversary of REMODELING's Cost vs. Value Report. It began as a way to help our readers answer two important questions on the minds of most remodeling customers: How much will my project cost, and will I get most of my money back if I have to sell?

   

Commentary

Linda Case

• Clean Slate

  With the start of every new year, your P&L goes back to zero. January 1 is always a clean slate, but 2008 looms as a particularly powerful incentive for reviewing your business practices, rethinking your assumptions, and evaluating your personnel. Here's how some remodelers I know plan to confront...

   

Mark Richardson

• Calling All Women

  In remodeling, the stereotype of the male carpenter or tradesman persists. Women in the trades are notable exceptions, so much so that some remodeling companies draw attention to the fact that they have female crew members to demonstrate how progressive the company is.

   

Shawn McCadden

• The Anticipator

  Fans of the old TV show M*A*S*H will remember Radar O'Reilly, the affable young corporal with an almost otherworldly ability to anticipate needs and provide answers before anyone even got around to asking.

   

Guest Columnist

• 

  Booked Out

  As your business grows, you may find you need a full-time bookkeeper. But before you prepare to hire someone to take on the job, consider outsourcing this business function.

   

Your Business

Ways + Means

• People + Skills: Meetings Make it Stick

  It used to be that when Ben Morey, president of Morey Construction in Long Beach, Calif., wanted to share information with his staff, he'd do what many of us do: He'd write a memo.

   

• By Law: Telemarketing Truths

  About 140 million phone numbers are listed on the National Do Not Call (DNC) registry, but confusion remains for telemarketers and consumers, particularly regarding cell phones. Here are the facts:

   

• Real Simple

  Homeowners sometimes complain that their remodeler didn't show up for days at a time and they didn't know why, or that they weren't aware of what they might need to do to facilitate the remodeling process. It all comes down to communication.

   

• Try This at Home

  Michael Carey, owner of Carey Contracting Corp. in Iron Mountain, Mich., says, “We believe we're only here to make a living so we can live life. A solid family life is first.”

   

• An Ideal Employee

  When Michael Wilkinson owned a small remodeling company, he worked, he says, probably 15 hours a day “doing all the work in the field and in the evenings going out on estimates, seeing people, writing up contracts and bids. Eight years of that.”

   

Bottom Line

• Defining Value

  Potential clients are always looking for the highest cost-versus-value ratio on their remodeling projects. You need to be sure that your price meets their idea of value. Include questions on your lead sheet that will help you evaluate a potential client's definition of value.

   

• Finding Funding

  Owner Richard Doyle and his staff of six at Bryce & Doyle, in Rochester, N.Y., have been learning how to improve the company — for free. Doyle found out about a state grant that provides businesses with training funding. “The idea is that if they help a business grow, that business will hire more...

   

Sales + Marketing

• 

  Open House

  After completing a whole-house renovation in an affluent area of north Arlington, Va., Sagatov Associates hosted an open house to share the beauty of the project and meet other potential clients in the area.

   
• 

  The Female Persuasion

  Earlier this year, Kleber and Associates Marketing and Communications, in collaboration with StandPoint Marketing Research, conducted research on the economic power women have acquired in recent years.

   
• 

  Rules of Engagement

  Although it has been in business since 1966, Kerzner Remodeling and Construction still faces stiff competition in the active Oconomowoc, Wis., remodeling market.

   

Field Notes

• 

  New Heights

  According to OSHA, ladders are the No. 1 cause of construction accidents. Having had my own accidents, injuring myself and marring the surfaces of homes, I have put away the ladders in favor of trailer-mounted portable “man lifts” for any work higher than a step ladder.

   
• 

  Mission Control

  Mission control at Mark IV Builders is the production board, a visual representation of all current projects, their supervisors, their schedules and status, and their current to-do items.

   

By Design

• 

  Soldiers, Sailors, Shiners

  My favorite building material may be brick, but like many builders, I don't often have a chance to use it in a way that highlights its inherent qualities and potential. I need to work on that.

   

Tech@Work

• Helping Hand

  Before he began using BuilderHelper.com, a Web-based construction management tool, Cory Hogan admits that his company's scheduling process was “a mess.”

   

Good Form

• 

  Weathering the Storm

  After Hurricane Isabel ripped through the Virginia Peninsula in 2003, employees at R.A. Jones Inc. Building and Remodeling realized that they could do more to be prepared in the event of a major storm.

   

Big50

Close Up

• 

  Profile: Patrick Benkowski

  Since trading the chilly winters of Milwaukee for the hot summers of Arizona, Patrick Benkowski has never looked back. The former owner of Custom Design Associates, and a Big50 in 1991, settled in the booming Phoenix market six years ago. “I loved the Midwest, and my family is back there, but I...

   

Second Look

• 

  Second Look: Mark Labourdette

  When Mark Labourdette was named Big50 in 2001, his company, GGHR Inc., revolved around him. He thought there must be a better way to be in business, without being the business.

   

Solutions

• Solutions: Staying Top-of-Mind

  Distributing gifts to clients...

   

Special Section

Financing

• 

  Second Chance

  As property values fall nationwide and lenders put more scrutiny on borrowers, more of your customers may get turned down for financing from first-tier lenders such as Wells Fargo or Bank of America. But that doesn't have to put them out of the game. Second-tier, or “subprime,” lenders specialize...

   
• 

  Same-as-Cash

  Retailers such as The Home Depot and Best Buy have found deferred-interest “same-as-cash” credit promotions an effective way to increase sales. The store lets the customer walk away with the purchase for no money down, and agrees to not charge interest if they pay in full before an agreed-on...

   
• 

  Custom Fit

  Most contractors find that people who finance home improvements tend to spend more than those who pay cash. Contractors who understand the various types of credit products and know how to present them will be more likely to lead the customer to make the decision to finance.

   

• Home Improvement Financing

  Special Section on offering financing: Offering financing might be just the thing to give you the edge over all of the other companies competing for homeowners' business.

   

K+B

Design Clinic

• Universal Call

  The Universal Design Alliance (UDA), in Suwanee, Ga., is a nonprofit group committed to raising awareness and expanding knowledge of universal design.

   
• 

  Forward Cooking

  The kitchen in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Innoventions pavilion envisions what the future kitchen will be like. The 100,000-square-foot pavilion at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is an interactive environment providing hands-on exhibits.

   

Spec Book

• 

  Bath Lighting

  Different lighting options for the bathroom.

   

Replacement

Windows

• 

  This Old Thing?

  Recreating the craftsmanship of the past is always a challenge for remodelers with clients who want to preserve the traditional feel of an older home. Windows are an especially tricky area. The look of historic windows can be critical to the character of an older home, but preserving or replicating...

   

Products

Trends

• 

  Color That Cooks

  Avocado green may be out, but homeowners are again considering appliance color options far beyond “biscuit.”

   
• 

  Waste Not

  Many men are reclaiming their homes' dens, garages, and basements as “man caves” where testosterone rules. And what fixture is better suited to defining the man cave than the urinal?

   
• 

  Now and Later

  Remodeling is a sign that a home isn't meeting its owners' current needs. But, that doesn't mean the design update ends when those particular needs are met.

   

In Focus

• 

  Gypsum, Backerboard, & Underlayments

  Manufactured with the maker's TemShield mold-protection system, ComfortGuard interior gypsum board features a mold- and water-resistant core and facers, independently tested against ASTM mold-resistance standards.

   
• 

  Holiday Gift Guide: Treats, Toys, Messenger Bag, and more

  As you get ready to close the books on 2007, take the opportunity to thank your staff and clients for another successful year in business. For the crewmembers who went above and beyond, or the homeowners who made you happy to head to the jobsite each day, check out these holiday-season gift...

   
• 

  Remodelers Need the Tools to Make the Vision a Reality

  After homeowners choose the finishes and fixtures they want for their updated homes, it's up to remodelers to make the vision a reality. Having a set of professional fastening tools is essential. And, of course, we can't overlook the importance of saws in the construction equation. From slicing to...

   

First Look

• 

  First Look: Custom Built Railing, Products and more

  The newest products for the remodeling market...

   

Other Articles

• 

  Protect the Net

  Remodelers around the country are finding the current economic climate difficult at best; most are scrambling to find ways to maintain what they had previously thought was secure — their net profit.