landmark associate home additions contracting

Why is the RIGHT Team Important? Two Words: Time and Money

by Tips for Homeowners

Last week I was a guest on Boston’s Real Estate Radio where I was joined by owner/principal architect Graham Ruggie of Janez Design and Jodi Swartz owner and kitchen/bathroom designer of KitchenVisions. On the show we discussed how working with a team of experts is the key to a successful project.

Most people don’t do a major remodel very often. For some, remodels are inspired by buying a “fixer-upper.”  Or perhaps your family has expanded and, because you love your neighborhood and don’t want to move, your home now needs to adjust to meet your needs. For others remodeling projects may spring from ice, water, or fire damage as a result of a fire or a harsh winter. Whatever the reason, choosing the right team to accomplish your goals is critical to saving you time and money.

TIME

Additions and major renovations aren’t always as simple as calling your local contractor and describing what you’d like done.  Often you need an architect who can ensure that structural requirements are being met and that, aesthetically, an addition blends seamlessly with the existing home. Kitchen and bathroom renovations, the most popular remodeling projects, often benefit from including a specialized designer from the beginning who can reimagine your space, maximize storage, and find the best materials for your budget.

When you are considering your project, start with a trusted professional and ask them who else should be included to make it a successful. For example, if you start with an architect and include a contractor in the discussions early on in the design phase, the architect is more likely to design a home that you can actually afford to build. Architects don’t necessarily know what it will cost for a contractor to build their designs, nor will they know what finishes you’ll choose, so including a contractor before the design goes too far is critical.

If your project doesn’t require an architect, a designer may shorten the project timeline considerably because you won’t be searching for materials.  More importantly, they’ll have ideas that you won’t have thought of that will result in a more functional kitchen, bathroom or addition.

MONEY

The right combination of experts also save you money. How? First and foremost, they can often foresee problems before they arise. Contractors often know generally what they’ll find behind walls and under floors. If water damage or worse, mold, is found behind the walls, a reputable contractor will know how to handle the problem with the least impact on your budget. If a granite counter breaks during the installation your kitchen designer will have the resources to fix the problem and keep the project moving.

Landmark was once hired by a woman who thought she had started in the right place – with a local architect. Designs went back and forth and, after nine months, she invited me to look at the job. It turns out that the designs that had taken so long to develop weren’t anywhere near complete enough for construction to begin. The homeowner was back at square one. Listen in to see how we handled the project and how having the right team on your side are the key to a successful project.

man on laptop

Why Can’t I Find a Contractor?

by Property ManagersTips for Homeowners

Hiring a contractor should be easy. Find someone your friends or family have used, get a quote, and get the job on their schedule. But it’s not that easy nowadays. The winter of 2015 has gone down in the record books.  Suddenly, your go-to contractor isn’t available, or won’t call you back, or is booked six month out. But with another winter right around the corner, waiting that long to get your project done just isn’t going to work.

Tony Chiarelli, President of Landmark Associates, was recently interviewed on Boston’s Real Estate Radio show.  He had great insight into what’s happening in the construction industry right now.  Click here to tune in to listen!

ice dams lead to water damage

Recovering from Water/Ice Damage

by RoofingTips for Homeowners
Tony Chiarelli tours a home with water damage in multiple rooms.

This winter was awful – I think we can all agree on that. Ice dams became a problem for many homeowners and condo managers that have never dealt with these issues before.

Sometimes homeowners are tempted to simply cover up the damage with a stain blocker and paint rather than open up the walls. However, if the water hasn’t properly dried up behind those walls, mold can grow. If you have carpet, it’s also important to pull up a part of the flooring to see if it’s still wet underneath. Even if the carpet feels dry, mold can grow on the tack strips that hold it down.

Need to see some evidence? We recently worked on a home where ice dams and water had come in in multiple locations. Take a look at the video to see what we found when we started opening up the walls.

the danger of ice dams

Buyer Beware: Don’t fall for gimmicks to prevent ice dams

by RoofingTips for Homeowners
Ice dams form as water under the “snow blanket” melts and refreezes at the edge of the room. Ice can then push its way up under the roof shingles.

As this year’s historic storms subside and homeowners across the region deal with the damage caused by massive ice dams, many will be looking for preventative measures to keep ice dams from forming in the future. I’ve investigated hundreds of cases of ice dams during my 25 years in the construction industry and, unfortunately, I’ve seen homeowners fall for sham solutions to keep ice dams from returning year after year.

Prevent Ice Dams with a COOL ROOF

Ice dams can’t form if the roof is the same temperature as the eaves. It’s important to hire a trusted contractor who can look at the entire home, understand the factors involved in why ice dams formed, and offer smart solutions to prevent them from recurring.

The truth is, there’s no single solution for ice dams. Some contractors and salespeople will try and convince homeowners that they offer the solution – whether it be a new product, covered gutters, heat cables, or even a whole new roof. As an example, we are currently working with a homeowner who was told that she’d never have ice dams again if she installed covered, seamless, gutters. Despite this ‘investment’ her home sustained a lot of water damage this year from the ice dams that formed in spite of the new gutters. Another homeowner was told that a new roof would be the answer. Thousands of dollars have been spent on new roofs and gutters, but the ice is still forming and the water is still getting inside and causing damage.

Ice Dam Solutions

When analyzing a home, here is what a good general contractor should be looking for:

  1. Insulation. Some homes may not have enough insulation. Or perhaps heat is escaping through recessed lighting or electrical fixtures which create “holes” in the insulation. The goal is to keep heat from escaping from the home and allow the roof to remain cool.
  2. Ventilation. Ice dams can’t form if you have a COLD roof. If your attic isn’t properly ventilated, allowing heat to escape and let cooler air in, the snow will melt from underneath the snow blanket and ice dams will form when the liquid meets the freezing temperature at the bottom. Ridge vents in combination with soffit vents allow cool air to circulate under the roof.
  3. Cover hatches and whole-home fans. Attic access hatches and fans in the ceiling can be a large source of heat loss. Covers, made from foil-lined foam board, are available to keep them covered and prevent heat from escaping.
  4. Heat cables. Sometimes strung in a zip-zag pattern across the bottom few feet of the roof, or placed directly in the gutters and downspouts, heat cables warm the roof or gutter assembly to keep the water flowing. However, this solution may only create channels in the ice dams as they form. Again, in order to prevent ice dams from forming, we need to get to the source of why they are forming.

After the contractor has made a thorough analysis of the home, they can create a course of action – which will most likely involve several recommendations. We don’t want homeowners to fall for scam solutions and waste money. Rather, we want them to make informed decisions that keep their homes dry and free of ice and water damage.

Tony Chiarelli Boston Real Estate Radio

Ice Dams: Why they form and how to prevent them

by RoofingTips for Homeowners

I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on Real Estate Radio, heard up and down the East Coast on WBZ-AM, NewsRadio 1030. We spent some time talking about ice dams – seems like everyone is talking about ice dams recently!  I know many friends and clients who are dealing with ice on their roofs and desperately trying to keep water from backing up into their homes.

During this episode, Real Estate Radio Hosts Rick and Ali, and I talk about how ice dams form and the many ways to try and remove them from your roof.  Take a listen and see if we can help you. Whatever you decide to do about ice dams, make sure you stay safe.  You may be able to safely use a snow rake, but don’t just get on the roof and start chipping away at the ice. Hire a professional to remove ice safely.

Click here to listen

Live on the air at WBZ NewsRadio.
insurance claims fire restoration

Avoiding Holiday Hazards: Simple Ways to Prevent Home Fires

by Tips for HomeownersUncategorized

At Landmark, we do a lot of restoration contracting after fires – rebuilding rooms, or even entire homes, after the devastation occurs. It’s the one area of our business that I’d actually prefer to see decrease. So many fires would have been easily preventable!

Landmark Associates was called in to rebuild this home after a damaging fire.

With the holidays upon us, there are actually even more fire safety hazards right in our living rooms. If you have a Christmas tree, one of the best things you can do is keep it watered. A well-hydrated evergreen is harder to burn, and burns more slowly, than a dried-out tree. In fact, the National Fire Prevention Association shows us just how quickly that dried out bundle of branches can turn into an inferno – check out this video.

So maybe you’re thinking that was an obvious tip – well here’s one I didn’t know about until recently. I try and remember to test my smoke alarms every year and change the batteries. Nothing is more important than making sure your family gets out of the home quickly in case there is a fire. We need to make sure those alarms are going to blare! But what I didn’t realize is that the 9 volt batteries that power those smoke detectors can be a hazard themselves. Left out of their packaging in a drawer, 9 volt batteries that come into contact with metal can start a fire. Check out this news report.

All of us at Landmark Associates wish you a very Happy, AND SAFE, Holiday!

For more fire safety tips, please check out the American Red Cross web site.

winter water damage

Tips for Winterizing Your Home on Real Estate Radio

by Tips for Homeowners

I recently had the opportunity to be on Real Estate Radio, broadcast throughout New England on WBZ Radio, AM 1030. What a great experience! I was specifically able to share with listeners key “Dos and Don’ts” on getting their homes prepared for winter including:

  • DO: Clean out those gutters! Remember that year when everyone had ice dams? Don’t let that be you. Clean the gutters of pine needles, leaves and sticks so that water can flow freely as it moves off the house. Otherwise, it may pool, build up as the temperatures drop below freezing – and then you have the perfect recipe for ice dams.
  • DON’T: Keep old space heaters. If you need a space heater, be sure it’s at least only a couple of years old. Too many fires start as a result of space heaters.
  • DO: Check weather stripping on windows, doors and even electrical outlets for air leaks and get those sealed up before the worst of the weather sets in.
  • DON’T: Lower your heat too much if you’re going on vacation. Avoid burst pipes by keeping your home at least 60 degrees – even while you’re away.
  • DO: Make sure you’ve turned off the water spigots inside AND out. Turn the water off along the pipe, then go outside and open up the spigot before winter.

Interested in hearing more? Check out this video of my Real Estate Radio appearance!