ConstructionDeal.com Update

It's official.

We have a winner in our $200 gift card contest from Home Depot Rental Center.

Cindy Choyke of Warren, Michigan, is our winner!

Cindy and her fiance are working on finishing their basement.

She submitted a few photos of their basement as it stands. She also described her plans:

"We would like to finish our basement by adding drywall because the basement walls look bad, add drop ceilings and paint the basement floor with basement paint. We also want to put moldings around the whole basement after we paint the drywall. My fiance' will be using all his Dewalt tools to complete this project. We are hoping to have this project completed sometime this summer but with our upcoming wedding, money will be tight so it might have to put off until the fall."

We can't help her complete everything, but we have FedEx'd her gift card out to her. $200 can help with tool rental and supplies so they can complete their basement renovation!

Congratulations, Cindy! Send us your "after" pictures of your basement remodeling project and we'll show them here!

If you need tool rental for your DIY project, go to Home Depot and check out their tool rental services. Got a project that's too big for you to handle? Why not submit your details to ConstructionDeal.com. We'll match you with local service pros and contractors in your area. You'll get multiple quotes, which will help save you money. And contractors call you, which will save you time.

Keep an eye on our blog for more giveaways and contests! Thanks to all who participated!

Labels: Win a Renovation Contest

Don’t let this happen to you this summer as you enjoy grilling with friends and family. Our graphic artist at ConstructionDeal.com has a devastating version of a BBQ she doesn’t wish on anyone.

Last summer, Heidi and her roommate invited a few friends over to their condo for a late-afternoon BBQ. At one point, the men were outside grilling and smoking cigars on the deck while the women were inside making the salads. While the meat and portobellos finished grilling, everyone headed inside to prepare plates and start feasting. About 4 minutes later, they heard fire truck sirens and realized they could smell smoke but didn’t concern themselves with it. As the sirens got progressively louder, they all looked outside and saw that the deck was a huge orange fireball!

Everyone started yelling, someone grabbed a fire extinguisher... but even after 4 extinguishers and several attempts, the flames were unaffected. Seconds later, the firemen burst in and ran to the deck and quickly got the situation under control.

Later, the firefighters were able to figure out how the fire started. It appears that a cigar, which wasn't completely extinguished, rolled out of the ashtray and ignited a nearby, full charcoal bag - hence why the fire was so massive and escalated so quickly. The fire damage included half of the deck, part of the neighbor’s deck, as well as the awning and a portion of the roof. The firemen had to cut through the walls to make sure the fire wasn’t smoldering inside the structure.

Before they could begin the repairs, they needed to figure out if their insurance or Home Owner's Association would cover the damages. Their insurance believed it was the responsibility of the HOA but the HOA thought the opposite, so it took nearly a year to resolve the situation.

Once the insurance issues were resolved, they hired a contractor to handle all the repairs. Heidi learned much from the experience and now stresses the importance of knowing where your fire extinguishers are and making sure your smoke detectors are in working order.

She recommends knowing what your insurance will cover and if you have a Home Owner's Association, to know what they will cover so you're not in the dark about responsibility. Finally, please don’t put out cigars or cigarettes anywhere near a charcoal bag!

Have a happy, safe and fun Fourth of July!

Keep Us In Mind
If you have any... problems during your holiday celebrations, we can help you find quality fire and smoke damage repair pros. It's a free services - just tell us about your damage restoration project and we'll match you to local contractors. There's no obligation to hire anyone, but it's a fast and easy way to connect with service professionals in your area.

Labels: burned deck, Fire Safety

These People Should Have Went to ConstructionDeal.com

Labels: construction disaster, construction mishaps, ConstructionDeal.com, video pick

1. Put Your Flag Up
Give Old Glory some fresh air this July 4th and put up a flag holder on the house.

2. Clean the Pool
Know one wants to go swimming in a green pool! Get out your bathing suit, pool brushes and chlorine and get ready to have a pool party.

3. Dust of the Grill
Even though your barbeque tastes so good you might want to clean that grimy grill.

4. Get Out The Paint
Stop procrastinating and take advantage of the long weekend to get some house painting done. When you’re finished you’re guaranteed a big bang.

5. Recycle!
Now that the fun is over and you have a large trash can of glass bottles and other recyclable items. Head down to your local recycling facility and cash in…

The Fourth of July is supposed to be enjoyable. We BBQ food, swim, enjoy the sun and gather together with our family and friends. But with all the joys of the holiday comes potential safety hazards, so be sure to take extra precautions and be safe.

Labels: 4th of july, ConstructionDeal.com, fourth of july, home improvements

Ready to Go Green? Start with Your Green Lawn
Nearly 20% of all waste in an average landfill is yard waste. If you're throwing away your grass clippings, you're missing out on a valuable resource.

Your yard produces about 200 pounds of grass clippings each year. Consider using those clippings as fertilizer for your yards, as compost in your pile, or mulch for your garden.

Mulching Power
You can use your mulching mower, if you have one, to accomplish all this. If you don't have a mulching mower, you have options. Raise the setting on your mower and cut the grass more often, leaving the smaller clippings on your lawn. You could also borrow a neighbor's mulching mower, but that can get old in a hurry. Finally, you could save your longer clippings and create a compost pile. Grass is mostly water and breaks down quickly.

The best part, it means less work for you! You'll avoid carrying heavy bags or cans of dead grass to your curb each week. And you'll have a beautiful, lush lawn that will be the envy of the neighborhood.

Then you'll have a great excuse to pass this tip on to your neighbors.

Tips for Great Grass Maintenance:

• Make sure your blade is sharp. Your lawn mower blade may be dull after years of use. If the blade is sharp, you'll keep your grass healthier because it doesn't chew up the grass. Damaged grass is more prone to disease and other problems

• Depending on your type of grass, keep the blades between 2 and half and 3 and a half inches. The shorter it is, the more water you'll need to keep it healthy and alive. You can raise the height of your mower and cut more often, but you'll water less - saving you money.
  

• Look for organic fertilizers and herbicides. They are biodegradable and safer for family, friends, and pets. Check the contents and read the instructions carefully.
  

Labels: Green Tips

Sure we all know the economy is down and a chunk of our 401Ks have vanished into thin air. Money is tight. But that nasty master bathroom from 1977 keeps calling your name...

What to do?

Typically the average cost to remodel a bath is over twelve thousand (and by over, I mean it can easily exceed 20K) but there are solutions to bring those costs down, to maybe even less than $5,000... it may involve giving up some weekends - can't say I didn't warn you.

Save On Your Bathroom Remodeling Project!
There are many paths to cutting expenses when you renovate your bathroom.

• Do some of the demolition work yourself. Remove the old flooring, cabinets, toilet, or nasty wallpaper and save a few dollars that a bathroom renovation contractor would charge
  
• Don't touch the plumbing or walls
• Don't buy the most expensive fixtures or appliances (do you really need that jacuzzi tub with all ten jet settings?) and using that money for new flooring or sleek countertops.
  
• If you're handy, you can even do some of the tiling, painting, and other detailed work yourself, which will really cut down on the labor expenses.
  

Don't Just Renovate - Decorate!
Yes, you can completely gut your bathroom and start from scratch. But if you really have no budget, consider just changing out a few inexpensive items. Painting the room is great start. Other simple changes include new window curtains, new towel racks and soft lighting to freshen the room.

Okay so I've convinced you its possible. Its even affordable. Now here are some hot ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
Hot Trends in Bathroom Remodeling for 2009

• Wall-Hung Cabinets - especially with clear doors are in. Who doesn't love the increased storage or display space??

• Concrete Floors. I know, I know - sounds boring and strange but its actually cheap and will last through all the water exposure and you can paint it or stain it any color you want! Radiant floor heating can be added underneath to keep that concrete warm in the winter

• Bright Fiberglass or Clear Sinks. To be more exact, floating sinks, sinks that are above the counter, are all the rage. It can give the room an elegant and artsy feel.

• Combining Materials - such as glass or chrome or stone or wood - in the same room! Take this idea further and instead of the dated tile detailing, create a mosaic border of different materials (child broke your favorite china plate and haven't had the heart to throw it out - recycle!).

• CoLoRs - everyone is adding bolder splashes of color. Of course white will always be common and there is the good ol' standby of natural tones but it's fun to pick a color and design around it. Paint the walls, paint the cabinets or other fixtures or even bring in a bold patterned rug to spice up the room.
  

Hopefully these tips will help you save money and spice up that old, ugly bathroom you've been avoiding.

Talk to a local bathroom remodeling company in your area. They may have even more ideas and designs for you to try. We can even help you get 4 quotes from local bathroom contractors today - just submit your project idea and they'll call you. It's fast, easy and free to find service pros at ConstructionDeal.com.

We help you get your project done!

Labels: Bathroom Remodeling, bathroom trends, cheap bathroom remodeling tips