Heartlands Building Company

Follow the attached link for an important article and video about deck safety awareness. There are downloadable deck evaluation form and consumer checklist included. If you are unsure about what to look for or find an issue you have a question about, feel free to contact Heartlands and we'll take a look and make a recommendation. Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial weekend! http://nadra.org/consumers/deck_safety_month.html?cmpid=email_RCL120523004&utm_source=QUR+Remodelers+Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RCL120523004

Did you know this is National Small Business Week? Small businesses are a vital part of this country and collectively account for more than half of all the jobs in the United States. So, support small businesses in your area. Heartlands is a small business that can make a big difference in your home and lifestyle. Call us at 636-728-0003!

The short answer is sometimes. Reviews on websites are a great tool, but how reliable are they? I’ve certainly considered the product reviews before making a purchase on Amazon.com and restaurant reviews on yelp.com, but I always read more than one. Every person’s expectations, requirements and opinions are subjective. When it comes to contractors, getting an assurance of trustworthiness is especially important because you are asking them to come into your home, and in some cases, affect its very structure. While you might find it helpful to consider online reviews of contractors, a better choice would be to ask neighbors and friends. Any time you can see and touch the final product, you are further ahead than if you just looked at photos and testimonials online. If your neighbor gets a new deck and you really like it, ask them for the name of the company that designed and built it. If you go to a party and it’s held in a beautiful screen room, ask the host who designed and built it.

Like decking and all materials used for outdoor projects, ceiling materials need to be prepared for changes in temperature and moisture and in some cases exposure to the sun. The ceilings we install in our outdoor rooms are usually white vinyl bead board, grooved Douglas fir, or grooved cedar. While not affected by direct sunlight, a ceiling is subject to temperature swings and changes in humidity so we prepare our wood ceiling materials prior to installation. First, we use a pressure washer and a detergent to clean the wood. Then, after they dry, we stain each piece, careful to cover the sides as well as the face, followed by a poly coating to seal. Lastly, we install the pieces over OSB which is mounted to the trusses before adding the insulation. The insulation prevents too much heat build up in the warmer months and the stained sides prevent the look of lines created by unstained edges on the wood when the colder air causes the wood to contract. When finished, the re

Don’t just take our word for it, check out what Angie’s List has to say about talking to references: http://www.angieslist.com/articles/9-questions-ask-contractors-references.htm by Joshua Palmer Checking a contractor's references is an essential step before making any home improvement hiring decision. But looking over a list of a contractor's references and their project portfolio is just the start. If you really want to get the scoop on whether or not a contractor is the right fit for your home improvement project, make it a point to contact former customers and ask them some of the following questions. 1. What kind of work did the contractor do for you? Was the contractor hired to provide a large-scale remodeling or improvement project, or a smaller one? What was your overall goal for the project? 2. Did you have a clear idea of what the contractor was going to do? Did the contractor provide adequate written detail in the contract including important detai

This is photo is pretty funny, but the story behind it is actually very practical. When the homeowner decided to replace his deck, he didn’t want to have to replace his hot tub and he certainly didn’t want to move it. After the old deck was demolished, the support holding the hot tub was left standing. The homeowner put up a ladder and climbed to his hot tub. His son then removed the ladder and snapped the photo, then returned the ladder so his father could get back down. The new deck would have the hot tub situated in a different spot than it had been so its support was built along with the supports for the rest of the deck. Then, the hot tub was moved from old to new supports before the new deck was built around it. This is an example of how careful planning can reduce costs and provide a practical solution.