Updating Rock and Brick Walls in Your Home

So you fell in love with the “bones” of your new-to-you home… not so much the 70s décor. As you renovate your new found treasure, it’s easy enough to replace wood paneling with sheetrock. And, while it’s not easy, scraping a popcorn ceiling is doable.

And you love the full rock wall inside your sunroom. Or the all brick fireplace. Well, “love” is a strong word. Maybe it’s more likely that you love the idea of it, but the deep red color of those bricks certainly dates the room.

There are a few easy fixes here – they might even be easier than you expect – where you can change the appearance of your interior rock and brick surfaces while maintaining their integrity, emphasizing their beauty, and not getting all Italian-villa-exposed-brick-cheesy.

Painting

The obvious answer to changing the appearance of interior stone or brick, shy of doing a complete demo and starting over, is to paint it. But this approach only has appeal with certain décor choices. It’s a very pristine look and works well with a modern design. 

Painting brick is fairly simple and shouldn’t take more than a day if you’re working on an interior space. Keep in mind that, depending on the color you go with, painting stone or brick may require a primer.

Whitewashing

If you’d like to keep the natural integrity of the stone or brick – maintaining a rustic look, but without the stark contrast to the rest of the room – then whitewashing the stone may be a great option. All you need to do is:

• Take a before picture of the stone or brick
• Clean the stone with a wet cloth
• Place a splash guard over the floor b/c there will probably be dripping
• Water down the paint of choice in a bucket of 1:1 ratio paint and water
• With a cloth or sponge, soak up some of the water mixture and  ring it out tow where it’s wet but not dripping
• Rub the watered down paint on the brick surface until covered

Allow each coat to dry and then take another picture. Compare it to your before picture because the changes you see with the naked eye will be subtle, so the pictures will help you to determine if you want to apply another coat or not. Continue to apply coats until you reach your desired muted tone to fit the design of the room.

If you’re unsure how to get the look you desire, or want some other ideas on how to deal with an unsightly stone or brick wall or fireplace, HA Construction is happy to come take a look and help brainstorm with you. Our expertise may come in handy in helping you to think outside the box. 

Here Fishy, Fishy | Best Ways to Display Your Home Aquarium

Are you a fish lover? I don’t mean tilapia on tasty fish tacos. I mean the kind you could just stare at for hours as they swim and scuttle around an aquarium. There is something rather soothing about the rhythmic to-and-fro of anything from little guppies to puffer fish in clear water among decorative stones and “sunken treasures.”

There are a number of options for displaying your aquarium, big or small. What it really depends on is how much of a feature you want it to be in your home, and whether you go with salt water or fresh water creatures.

Salt vs. Fresh Water

Let’s start there. And I’m going to be honest right from the start: salt water aquariums are significantly more expensive to establish and maintain than fresh water aquariums. The fish and other water creatures cost more, and you need live algae and plants to help keep a saltwater tank clean. You need sand as opposed to rock and not only do the sides of the tank need to be cleaned, but the sand does too. In fact, with a larger saltwater aquarium, you’re better off hiring a professional to come clean it once a month so that you know it’s done correctly and regularly.

That isn’t to say that saltwater aquariums aren’t worth the expense; they are certainly more colorful and more beautiful than a fresh water aquarium, which often requires brightly colored rocks and other accidents to give some punch to the duller colors of most fresh water fish.  

There are, of course, exceptions to the dull tones of freshwater fish, such as brightly colored goldfish, bettas (be careful what you pair these aggressive buggers with – especially avoiding other bettas), mollies and discus, to name a few.  An added benefit to a freshwater tank is that they’re easier to clean, especially if you also use a filter. The fish are significantly cheaper (which means they’re easier to replace too).

Where to Display Your Aquarium

So, we’re going to sort of skip right over the small 10 gallon tanks that go on a counter somewhere. They don’t add anything drastic to your home décor and are often there for the sake of having fish (a noble cause indeed). But when you get into the big kahuna that becomes the centerpiece of your living room, there are a few things to consider.

If you plan to do a built in tank – such as built into a wall or around a fireplace as pictured here – you have to make feeding and cleaning easily accessible. If you read the link above, you’ll see that a saltwater tank requires at least 15 minutes a day of maintenance – so you need daily access to your swimming pets.  A cabinet disguised as a wall that gives you access to the top of the tank is a good idea.

As you look at your aquarium location, keep these factors in mind:

• Keep it away from windows, especially those facing the east or west. Sunlight is the leading cause in algae growth, so if you want to minimize it, no tank by the window.
• Avoid placing an aquarium near a door; the sudden movement may not stir you up, but the vibration can scare and cause stress on your fish.
• Large vents, radiators, or air conditioners can change the temperature of the water in your tank, which is something you want to keep relatively the same at all times to keep your fish healthy.
• Use a stand, table, built into the wall, whatever you desire, but don’t put a fish tank directly on the floor.

There are a lot of options depending on what you want and where you want the aquarium to be. HA Construction can certainly help in that design, and work together with your “fish guy” to showcase your fish in the ideal location of your home. 

Meet Jeremy | The New Guy

Jeremy started working for HA Construction in March of this year. While he may be the newbie of the crew, we see him sticking around for awhile.

Jeremy moved from Florida to the Springfield area in August of 2014 to be closer to his parents. His dad was injured in an accident, so Jeremy brought his daughter to the area to be closer to her grandparents. He discovered the job opening with HA Construction and the rest, we hope, is history in the making.

“I do whatever they ask,” he says of his work for the company.  “We’ve done a wide variety since I’ve been here: hung ceilings, worked on some floors, poured concrete, hauled bricks…” But Jeremy likes the diversity of work and the opportunity to show his skills in several areas. His background is in framing, and he’s working in construction off and on for the last decade.

“I’ve worked for a few different people. Andy here has a good heart. I think he cares and he wants to do a good job. He’s definitely involved and it’s been a joy to work for him so far. Some places it’s a number syndrome where you’re just a person coming in to work – I’ve worked in other places where you go to talk to someone and they don’t even know your name. But when Andy stops by he’ll talk to you for awhile – he’s down to earth which is nice.”

Working on the master bedroom/bathroom addition has been Jeremy’s favorite project so far. “Other then the fact that for two days I had to haul all of this brick out of here by wheelbarrow to a trailer, which pushed the limits of what I like to do,” he jokes.  “But we got through it and it’s been great framing this. I know a little about that stuff so it’s been easy, and Nick and I get along pretty well so it’s just been smooth.”

What’s Jeremy’s favorite part of working for HA Construction so far? “Seeing it come together – from the ground up, the progress – and when it’s finished, that’s the coolest part.”  

Meet Nick | HA Construction’s Framing Guy

Nick Lewis has been working for HA Construction for a little over four years now. He is our go-to framing guy, though he has a wide range of skills. Nick did custom house framing in California for 10 years before moving back to Missouri about five year ago – he had family here and was looking for a slower paced life than the California scene.

“Since working for Andy, I’ve learned a lot of different skills,” Nick says. The newest being laying hardwood floors;  he really enjoys laying tile flooring too. Every now and then, Nick fills in where he’s needed, but his framing work is unmatched in our books.

Nick says that it’s the variety of what HA Construction has to offer that makes the company stand out among competitors. “If you have a job that has a lot of different items that need to be done, we can cover it all. You don’t have to go to different contractors to get it all done. We can take care of it all and the projects don’t get dragged out – we’re efficient too. We pride ourselves on having good communication with the customers and making sure they’re informed on what we’re doing and our schedule.”

“Andy and Lisa are good people and it rubs off when you work for them,” Nick says. “Work is never an issue – Andy keeps us busy and there is definitely job security. It’s never mundane – we’re constantly doing something different. The job is always a surprise, to a point.”

One might say that last fall, Nick got the ultimate job site surprise. HA Construction acquired a job replacing over 600 windows in an apartment complex. Nick was in charge of the window project, and that’s how he met Heather, the office manager for the complex. Because of the nature of the job, the two of them worked together every day and soon started spending time together outside of the job site. On Valentine’s Day, Nick proposed and the two will be married in May of 2016. Talk about a job perk!

In his spare time, Nick is a radio-controlled gas powered racecar enthusiast. He’s pictured here with his nephew and all his racing gear. In 2013, he received forth place at the nationals in Texas, and he’s received various other trophies and awards with his racing skills. HA Construction is proud to be a sponsor for Nick’s car – we like seeing our decals on it, especially when he wins!

Are Your Gutters Prepared for the Rainy Season?

One of our clients has huge, two inch deep rivets in the siding on her house. A couple of years ago we replaced the gutters around her front porch. They were bent, cracked and leaking everywhere. But the damage had already been done to the wood where the gutter touched the side of her house. Now a woodpecker has left his mark, shredding the pliable, damaged wood to find his next meal.

Poor Gutters Cause Damage

To protect your home from damage, functional gutters are a must. Just as important as a roof and siding, gutters fend off water damage. Without them directing the flow of water, it would pour directly over eves, eroding the soil around the foundation of your home. And even if you have gutters, they may not be functioning optimally. Bad gutters can cause just as much damage, including:

• Leaks that damage and weaken siding
• Water collecting around the foundation of the home, which can cause flooding and even foundation damage
• Backed-up gutters can cause roof damage from excessive debris, ice dams in colder temperatures and water pooling under shingles
• Mold growth anywhere the water is pooling and not directed away from the home properly
• Damage to landscaping from gutter overflow

If you need to install new gutters, HA Construction can certainly help you with that. We recommend that all eves and overhangs have gutters directing water flow to an appropriate run-off location in your yard (i.e. downhill, away from the home).

Keep Those Gutters Clean

Once new gutters are in place, then maintenance is key. First, we recommend gutter guards of some kind, whether that’s the full-throttle gutter system with covers, or mesh wiring to keep most large debris out of the gutter (such as leaves and sticks).

Even with guards in place, you’re going to need to clean the gutters. They will likely need to be cleaned at least once in the fall. Even if you don’t have large trees, wind blows leaves everywhere. And if you do have large trees that require raking your yard multiply times throughout the season, then you should add gutter cleaning to your yard work regimen each fall.

It’s also a good idea to clean the gutters after the final thaw in early spring. This will give you the opportunity to check the gutters for damage from ice and snow (snow is actually quite heavy and, in large accumulations or a long winter, can create bends, breaks and leaks).

Really, at the end of each season is an ideal time to at least check the gutters for debris and damage, otherwise you may find yourself replacing them again long before you should be. As with any aspect of your home, diligence is key to keeping everything functioning as it should and preventing damage.

The Evolution of Entertainment Centers

At the beginning of the 20th century, home entertainment consisted of family gathered around the radio, sifting through static to catch up on the news, listen to some swinging tunes and follow stories shared via sound wave. But shortly after the Great Depression, Americans got a big surprise in the way of entertainment: the television set.

It was a marvel.

The fact that you could sit on your couch as a family and experience things as if you were there, live-and-in-person, was astounding. They didn’t care then that the screen was smaller than the television set itself; viewers were in awe.

Fast forward over 75 years to the television sets of today, and you likely find yourself still in awe of how far they’ve come. From units as big (and as heavy) as a 100 gallon aquarium, to tv sets so flat and lightweight, they’re more like a picture hanging on the wall, televisions sets are a center piece of our home, and so is how we display them.

Entertainment on a Pedestal

Some experts cite Frank Lloyd Wright with created the first entertainment center in 1917 for his Hollyhock House in L.A., though few details remain depicting his creation. Regardless of when it actually started, families have always sought to make their home entertainment a centerpiece. Conceptually, displaying entertainment pieces for the family home has gone through just as many transitions at the electronic devices that entertain us have over the years.

By 1962, following the introduction of color television sets, there was a TV in over 90% of U.S. homes. Since everyone had one, furniture manufacturers and home builders saw a booming market in the way to display them. You could certainly display your television set by putting in directly on the floor, of course, but why would you want to? Instead, why not give it a place of honor?

The Bigger, the Better

For the next 40 years, picture tubes were the thing. The bigger the television – and people wanted them big ­­– the bigger the tube. The bigger the tube, the heavier the television. In most cases, it would take three, full grown men to safely maneuver a 32 inch TV.  Units were nearly square in size in order to house all of the functioning components and the screen, and the larger sets weighed a couple hundred pounds.

In the 1980s, entertainment centers became a household concept that was just as essential as the television itself.  Because televisions were so large and heavy, entertainment centers had to compensate. They often spanned the entirety of one living room wall just to carry the weight of the television and everything else on display.

In the ‘90s, it wasn’t uncommon to see construction companies building homes with built-in entertainment centers or television cubbies.  Home owners sought out custom made entertainment units – ornately carved or featuring lights and accessories that stood out – to display with pride the television and all of the additional entertainment components, such as movies, VHS and DVD players, and equally cumbersome surround-sound systems.

Basically, it was go big, or go to someone else’s home for a grandiose entertainment experience.

The Minimalist Approach

In the early 2000s, picture tubes were essentially replaced by flat panel screens, eliminating the need for the television set to be exceedingly cumbersome (well… depending on the size of the screen, that is). In most cases, one person could safely carry a flat screen television.

For awhile, gigantic entertainment centers stuck around. But that evolved into entertainment cabinets (in which the TV sat on a pedestal mount on top of the cabinet), followed by console tables and finally, wall mounted televisions. Wall-mounting then required a large brace hooked to the wall studs to carry the weight and a protruding television (in some cases, the mount even allowed the TV to swivel to some degree). This isn’t unheard of today, but is less common.

Now, most every television manufactured is an LCD TV, and with them have come flatter and flatter sets. So much so, that televisions are now practically flush with the wall, like a canvas picture. But the smaller scale entertainment center isn’t fully excluded from modern style with the recent release of curved televisions, designed to provide a more movie-theater quality experience in the home.

Instead of the display-for-all-to-see approach, however, modern home entertainment set ups are minimalist, with outlets and cables running behind the television and even through the wall to an offset or hidden cabinet/closet, which also houses game consoles and surround sound equipment, if such a system isn’t already built into the television itself.

While the television set and its subsequent display in the home have come a long way since the 1930s, and will continue to evolve, HAConstruction is prepared for anything. We can help renovate your living room (or man cave) into the home entertainment center that your heart desires, regardless of your preferred style of television set. We’ll work with you to come up with a design that pulls together every component seemlessly, so all you have to do in the end is kick back and enjoy.

Copper is the New Black

Copper is nothing new. Estimations place its origins at approximately 9000 B.C. It was used for tools in Jordan, tubing in ancient Egypt, and jewelry in the Far East – which is obviously a very brief blip of its history of uses over time, including in the home.

Architects favor copper as a home accent in many respects because it ages beautifully. But homeowners are seeing those benefits more and more, resulting in more copper accents and home elements available. The International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas earlier this year reflected that, with many traditional accents now sporting a vintage style, dressed in copper.

In the Kitchen

Copper sinks provide a beautiful accent to your kitchen design, but there are also several other benefits. First, the anti-rust properties of copper make the material an ideal choice for the kitchen, since sinks are rarely completely dry.

Additionally, there is no special approach necessary for cleaning them – clean a copper sink just like any other. In fact, copper contains several antimicrobial properties that kill bacteria in a matter of hours, as opposed to traditional sink materials that can foster a rich bacterial environment for weeks if not cleaned properly.

Other great places to put copper in your kitchen might be:

• Suspended range hood
• Countertops
• Refrigerator
• Cabinet doors, or alternatively, door handles and drawer pulls

In the Bathroom

Copper sinks in the bathroom are lovely too, but what about a copper tub? In the vintage, claw-foot design, a copper tub and shower fixtures, sinks and drawer pulls can really turn your bathroom into an Italian-style oasis. Not to mention, there’s that anti-rust benefit and the antimicrobial properties that make copper a great fit for the bathroom.  

Design Options

Not only is copper pleasing to the eye, but, unlike many other materials, you can choose from a variety of styles to get the exact look you desire for your room. If you want a little more bling in your style, consider a smooth, shiny finish. If the look you want is a little more vintage, consider brushed or hammered copper.

You can even find copper sinks and tubs with etched designs and tones. Have the copper coated (or frequently use a light wax coating) to preserve that rich, red-brown color, or you can have it exposed to water and air to form patina designs in blues, greens and yellows.

Copper is known to have a “living finish,” which means that how it looks over time can’t be controlled entirely. It will age and it will react to acids that come in contact with it (for example, lemon juice, pineapple, tomato and vinegar will damage a patina finish). So, while it’s stunningly beautiful, if you’re looking for perfection, copper may not be for you. But if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind accent to your kitchen or bathroom renovation, HA Construction is happy to add copper accents of your choosing to the final design. 

Design Your World With Houzz.com

You have your heart set on remodeling your kitchen. So you hit Pinterest in search of ideas. You enter “kitchen design” in the search criteria, and while you might find pictures of some things that you like, they all link back to such a wide range of websites that it’s hard to cull all of the information into something cohesive to simply put your ideas together.

Which is likely why Houzz.com is building substantial momentum in the social media world. Started by a couple who found the endless stack of magazine (i.e. Pinterest posts) overwhelming when they planned their home remodel, Houzz is a collection of images posted by homeowners and service pros showcasing awesome designs and features.

Not only are the posts you’ll find inspiring for your own design, but Houzz also helps you to find a construction professional in your area, so you can see pictures of the work they’ve done and can know whether they’re a good fit for you based on more than reviews (though those are available too).

Not only do you get the chance to search through photos of completed work, but you can search for and even buy products for your own projects right there on the site. Choose a room from the menu at the top and then an element, and you’ll find a wide range of options both in style and budget.

Houzz also does the Best Of Houzz awards every year, which is a homeowner-to-homeowner guide showcasing the top rated home builders, architects, interior designers, landscaping pros and other residential remodeling professionals on the site (including painters and countertop pros). Winners are determined by the number and quality of client reviews each professional received in the previous year. This helps homeowners to truly find the best of the best contractors in their community.

Follow HA Construction on Houzz and check out all of the great ideas that our projects can give you for your next renovation.

What’s the Best Type of Fireplace for You?

Winter days got you down? Struggling to get cozy under a pile of blankets with the heat turned up as high as your budget can bare, may still not be enough to get the chill out of your toes.  So, maybe you’re considering a fireplace. Or you already have one and just haven’t used it yet. There are a few options available to you.

The Real Deal

If you’re house already has a fireplace, with a functional chimney and flue, then a crackling, cozy fire may be a great option for you. Fires are beautiful and romantic. The sound and heat can be soothing. The smell nostalgic. It’s a really great touch to a cold winter’s day in.

However, there are some things you should be aware of if you plan to use a real fireplace on a regular basis. First, there’s the issue of having firewood on hand. If you don’t have the means to chop your own, then you’ll want to find someone that can provide you with adequately sized wood in abundance. Buying small bundles at a box store isn’t really economical.

You should know that a real fireplace is hard on your electric bill if used regularly. It robs your home of warm air through the chimney because you have to have it open to pull smoke out through the flue. While sitting next to the fire is nice and toasty, the rest of your home will get cooler, requiring you to turn up the thermostat.

And there’s also the costs of keeping your chimney clean. You should have it cleaned either at the end of the season or before the season starts. Failing to clean the chimney each year could increase the risk of a flue fire.

Wood Burning Stove

A wood burning stove is a way to enjoy the heat of a fire without dramatically increasing heating costs. Wood burning stoves are very efficient way to heat a home because heat radiates from all sides, bringing the whole fire into the home. Like any fire, it draws air from the home and up the chimney, but the heat from the stove is far greater than the warm air lost.

Frequently you’ll see a wood burning stove set in front of a fireplace opening, which is now closed off with the exception of where the stove pipe feeds into the chimney.  Or, if the stove is set in the room without a fireplace, the pipes feed out of the house through a flue that is not opening drawing heat from the room.

The down side to a wood burning stove is that there is no pretty fire to look at, because it’s in an enclosed space. Additionally, any firewood you have must be cut specifically to fit in the space of your wood stove, which can limit how easy it is to have wood on hand if your stove is small. You also still have to dispose of the ashes and have the chimney cleaned annually.

Gas Fireplace

This is your no mess, no heat-loss option. While the heat output of a gas fireplace isn’t as dramatic, it sort of balances out better than a conventional fireplace would. Most gas fireplaces pull oxygen for the fire from outside the home (through a vent system). It provides a nice ambiance for the room, though you won’t have the crackling sound or the wood burning smell (and it always looks the same as it did the time before).

This is the more realistic option too, if your house does not come equipped with a chimney. Because adding a chimney would be outrageously expensive compared to purchasing a gas fireplace that looks like a fireplace because it sits right against the wall, looking beautiful, without the expense of a home renovation. Heatilator has come out with some innovative gas fireplace designs that are beautiful and put out a lot of heat, so innovation is moving in the right direction.

Whichever route you chose, HA Construction recommends that you avoid a ventless/electric fireplace. The flame is so unimpressive that it doesn’t even need to vent out of the house. There is very little heat output and, if you’re looking for ambiance, you’ll likely be disappointed with this option. 

Leveling That Stubborn Shower Tile

Big tiles in the shower are all the rage these days – 12x24, 20x20, 24x24, and so on. It’s also fairly common for a client to request that the tile design be on an angle, making a diamond out of the tiles and increasing that working space to about 30 inches.

And it’s really difficult to keep a 30 inch line level.

Especially because walls are never level. Sure, they look like they are to the naked eye, and a lot of times they can be straight, but they’ll have just a little bow in them, which can cause shower tiles to pop up from the surface after setting if not leveled properly. Or the junctions between the floor and wall or ceiling and wall aren’t quite level, causing tile on one end of the shower to meet the crease, while tile on the other end is half and inch below it.

To avoid these unsightly flaws in a shower tile design, HA Construction uses a special leveling technique. It’s a painstaking process, no doubt, but saves time and money. We’d rather take our time and do it right than suffer through the expense of starting all over when it turns out wrong (which you often don’t notice until you’re nearly done!).

Here’s how the process works: a ‘T’ slides underneath the tile and then a clip is placed on top of the tile. A wedge is used, pushing the tile into the clip and pulling up on the T to level with the adjacent tile. We have to put enough clips on to level all areas of the tile – it typically is about nine clips. As you use the wedge, the tile will move with each clip, so if we put the clips on just a few points, then the tile won’t be level.

We also have to make sure we do this process while the thin set is still wet. If we wait too long, the thin set becomes like clay and the tiles pull away from the wall during the leveling process.

The process can be time consuming, and it certainly looks complicated, but this is the best way to make sure you have clean, straight lines and a cohesive look. We occasionally use this process on floors too, though that’s not as common.

Home Energy Upgrade Tax Credits for 2015

As you start the new year and prepare your taxes for 2014, you may want to consider some energy upgrades to your home in 2015. While no new energy tax credits have gone into effect this year, there are a few tax credits from The Energy Policy Act of 2005 that haven’t expired yet, so you can beef up your 2015 return.

Going Solar

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, installing solar electrical systems (such as solar panels) or solar water heaters during 2015 is worth a tax credit for 30% of your installation expenses. 

The credit applies to all solar electric or water systems put in use between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016. For systems put in place after 2008, there is no maximum credit allowance (otherwise, the limit is $2,000). The home must be owned by the taxpayer, but does not have to be his principal place of residence (so the credit applies to rental properties you may own, too).

In regard to a solar water-heating system, the Solar Rating Certification Corporation must certify its performance, or an organization endorsed by the state of Missouri. In order for installation expenses to be eligible for a tax credit, at least half of the dwelling’s water must be heated by the system. And it can’t be applied to systems used only to heat swimming pools or hot tubs.

Fuel Cell Power

This same tax credit applies to fuel cells installed between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016. According to FuelCells.org:

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as its by-product. In its simplest form, a single fuel cell consists of two electrodes - an anode and a cathode - with an electrolyte between them. At the anode, hydrogen reacts with a catalyst, creating a positively charged ion and a negatively charged electron. The proton then passes through the electrolyte, while the electron travels through a circuit, creating a current. At the cathode, oxygen reacts with the ion and electron, forming water and useful heat. This single cell generates about 0.7 volts, just about enough to power a single light bulb. When cells are stacked in series the output increases, resulting in fuel cells anywhere from several watts to multiple megawatts.

The maximum credit for a fuel cell is $500 per half kilowatt (kW) and the home the fuel cell system is installed in must be the tax payer’s primary residence.

Additional Items

This tax credit also applies to small wind-energy systems (wind turbines) and geothermal heat pumps installed between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2016. They do not need to be on the taxpayer’s primary place of residence.

A few other restrictions apply for some of these items. Complete details are available on the U.S. Department of Energy website. If you’re interested in an energy upgrade that will both benefit the planet and your 2015 tax return, contact HA Construction for a quote on the project.

Larry & Kathleen's Bathroom Renovations

HA Construction can be found so frequently at Larry and Kathleen’s home, that an unsuspecting neighbor might think that Andy and his crew moved in. In truth, Larry and Kathleen just really love the work the HA Construction team does and have need of several updated renovations to their home. The latest completed project was redoing the master and guest bathrooms.

The glass-encased walk-in shower in the master bathroom provides a spacious and soothing shower experience. The double-vanity has plenty of storage and mirrors that certainly catch the eye. Larry and Kathleen also had heated floors installed in the master bathroom. If you’re thinking about doing the same, Larry notes that it costs about $7 a month to keep the tile nice and toasty.

While the update in the guest bathroom is simpler, the new cabinetry, counters, fixtures and mirrors provide a crisp, modern appeal.

Vance & Sayla's Master Bathroom Renovation

Vance and Sayla hired Andy and his HA Construction crew to update/replace the windows in their East Springfield home. Through a little bit of small talk, Sayla mentioned she’d like to redo her master bathroom someday, so Andy took a look, gave her an estimate and, ta-da… new project in the works!

Didn’t  it turn out stunning? This master bathroom has the shower that everyone dreams of, complete with dual shower heads, a rain shower head and built in seats! You might as well be bathing under a waterfall!

And how about that tile floor? Beautiful 12x24 inch tile brings all of the elements of the bathroom – the shower, the cabinetry, the fixtures – all together for a cohesive, modern look.

Fred & Sharon's Renovated Kitchen

Fred, a metals artist, had had enough of the sea of red wallpaper in his kitchen. Not to mention the outdated fixtures and counters. Fred enjoys finding new beauty in old things – creating sculptures from old silverware and other upcycled materials. However, the kitchen, as well as the adjacent laundry and half-bath, of his Fremont Hills home needed to be completely overhauled  -- nothing in these outdated rooms was worth making an artistic statement.

One of the standout elements of the new kitchen design Andy and his HA Construction team did for Fred and his wife, Sharon, are the granite countertops with a stunning  design/color. The contrasting lines and textures of the counters and cabinetry are one of Andy’s favorite elements. The beautiful shelf window over the kitchen sink also stands out, providing a great view and plenty of sunlight for some lovely houseplants.

As Fred explains it, the half-bath in its previous state was nothing more than a closet you could barely turn around in. It now has space enough to do a salsa dance… space which may later house a shower to finish the bathroom off. For now, Fred is happy with the new, spacious comfort it provides.

Fred also raves about the excellent work HA Construction did overall with this project. They were timely and efficient, two characteristics that Fred sincerely appreciates. And, he and Sharon are, of course, very pleased with the finished product.

Types of Space Heaters

Convection Heater

Did you ever have that spot in your house that just seems colder than anywhere else during the winter months? Sure, it’s all cozy just like the rest of the house most days, but as soon as it hits below freezing, that room suddenly requires layers… gloves, a jacket, a blanket. And I would guess that it either happens to be where you sleep or where you spend most of your time during the day (because that’s just how it works out, isn’t it).

Rather than crank up the HVAC to take the chill out of your home when temperatures fall below freezing this winter, space heaters provide a more energy efficient alternative. Because they allow you to focus the heat on certain areas of the home, rather than have the heating unit try and get all of the house to a consistent temperature. That means keeping your energy bill a bit lower during the winter, and we all know that any little bit helps, especially the way Missouri winters have been going.

Thing is, there are a variety of space hearers out there, and a variety of concerns for using them. Namely, the biggest concern most people have is risk of fire, so that will be the number one thing we address as we examine the different types of space heaters available.

Propane/Kerosene Space Heaters

We’re only mentioning this type of space heater in an effort to prevent its use – at least indoors. These space heaters have an open flame and require fuel, and that means major risk factors for fire and for carbon monoxide poisoning. These are great, however, for unheated covered patios and the like, with a lot of air flow. And only used under supervision (and away from children or pets).

Convection Space Heaters

 Designed to warm the air in a room, rather than the people, if you’re looking for an instant warm up, these aren’t for you. It’s like using an oven to heat food over a microwave – it takes longer, but the results are better. Baseboard convection heaters are common, but the most effective are the water or oil filled heater options, which start at about $50 but last a very long time.

Find one with a built in timer and you’re all set – you can set it come on an hour before you typically use the room so that it’s ready when you are. This is also your most energy efficient option, because, once the oil or water is heated, it doesn’t require as much power to keep it hot.

Radiant Space Heaters

Radiant heaters are typically the kind you see under each desk at work during the winter months. They are designed to heat a person rather than the room itself. There is increased risk of burn with this method, as well as fire if a radiant heater is placed too close to something flammable. So, be careful. This option isn’t as energy efficient because it has to continually “kick on” to maintain the temperature you’ve set it at, using wattage each time.

Of course, if you feel that more needs to be done than simply adding a space heater (such as heated floors in the bathroom), give Andy and his HA Construction team a call to get an estimate for the job! 

Christmas Decorating Safety Tips

Yeah, that’s right… Christmas decorations are harmful. That is, if they aren’t used properly.

Just the other day I tried to change a broken lightbulb in a string of Christmas lights… while they were plugged in. Yes, I’m admitting that momentary lack in judgment. My finger got a little zinger and no real harm done.

But, what if it had been worse? There are many ways that carelessness and oversight when dealing with Christmas decorations can have really terrible results. Electrocution, burns, a trip to the hospital, starting a fire – these are all possibilities if you’re not careful.

Using a Real Tree

They’re certainly beautiful, but real Christmas trees require extra care to prevent a fire. First, make sure the tree is fresh. If you can’t get to a tree farm to cut one down yourself so you know how fresh it is (the closest one is Cole’s Tree Farm in Lebanon – another is King Tree Farm in Ozark, but the trees are pre-cut), then there are few ways you can check:

• Needles resist being pulled off
• Needles do not snap when bent
• Bottom of the trunk has resin
• Only a few needles fall when you shake a limb

It may sound like a bit of common sense, but don’t place your real tree near the fireplace, heating ducts, space heaters or radiators. This is a fire waiting to happen. Also, be sure to water the tree daily to keep it from getting dry. Know that, if the water falls below the trunk, then a resin seal will form over the opening and the tree will no longer take on water. In which case you will need to make a fresh cut in the bottom of the trunk (the outside rings are where the most water is absorbed). If you can cut the bottom, mist the branches with water twice a day.

If the water reserve stops going down each day, then the tree isn’t taking any water on and is drying out. It would be best, at this point, to remove the tree. With proper watering and care, your tree will last three to four weeks. Find answers to more real Christmas tree questions on the Pfaff Christmas Tree website.

Christmas Lights

Before you string sets of lights together, check the instructions on the packaging – it should tell you how many of the same sets can be put in one string (usually three to five). Be sure to follow this rule because otherwise you may overload the circuit and start a fire.

Speaking of circuits, because of the mass quantity of outdoor lights most people like to put up, you need to make sure they are plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) plug. If there is overcurrent, a GFCI will shut that circuit down, which can prevent fire. If you need one (or several) installed outside, HA Construction can help you. And it’s not a bad idea to use a GFCI for your tree either.

And, you know, check for frayed wires and broken lights before plugging the lights in… so that you don’t accidentally shock yourself. A little extra caution (and common sense) will go a long way toward protecting your family while you enjoy a festival holiday home.

Easy Ways to Make Your Home Warmer

Used with permission © Eternal Image Photography

Here we are, still in November, and the winter winds have already blown in, creating a “polar vortex” that chills to the bone. Even the coziest of homes can seem a bit like a refrigerator in below freezing  temperatures. And turning up the heat means an even larger utility bill—and that’s already hard enough to afford.

A little bit of grunt work can help even the least handy person trap a little more heat in his home over the colder months. Try any (or all) of these tricks.

Thermal Curtains

Windows and doors are the main way that you lose heat in your home. Anything from bad seals to poor insulation or old windows can mean the heat has a clear escape route. While HA Construction can certainly fix leak problems, thermal curtains will help regardless of how snug the seal on your windows is. They’re thick and keep cold air from coming in and warm air from going out. Of course, if you have single-pane windows from the ‘70s, the assistance thermal curtains provides will be hardly noticeable against the draft those windows let in. You’d better start saving up to replace them! In the meantime, a window sealing kit might help too.

Of note, if you have high quality, energy efficient windows, open the curtains on sunny days and let the sunlight assist in warming your home. But as soon as dusk hits, closes those thermals to keep as much of that daytime heat in as possible.

Also, cover the floors. There’s a reason carpet came to be—bare floors suffer heat loss (as you likely know from how cold the floor is in your bathroom after that perfectly pleasant hot shower). It’s not a bad idea to use rugs in the winter months to keep that heat loss down.

Build a Fire

If you have a working fireplace, use it. Though we have a few recommendations to protect your home and family:

• Have the fireplace cleaned each fall before you put it to use (do it now, if you haven’t already!) – the soot buildup from months of use last year can cause a fire when you light it up again.
• Use dry, clean wood – if you keep your wood on hand, make sure that it’s stored in a dry place and covered because wet wood causes lots of smoke. And make sure you know where you got the wood from. Any number of exposures can cause the wood to burn differently and increase risk of home fire.
• Clean out the ash each morning before you build a new fire to prevent build up and decrease risk of out-of-control flames.
• Make sure there is an adequate amount of tile or other hard surface space in front of your exposed fireplace. Tile and rock don’t burn, but carpet and hardwoods that catch a spark sure will!

And, if you’re fireplace is simply for looks, make sure you install a chimney balloon to close off the open chimney hole and prevent further heat loss.

Block the Draft

Take an old pair of stockings and stuff them full of socks or old, torn up towels, and lay them in front of exterior doors. Regardless of how good you think the seal is, there may still be a draft at the bottom. Also, spend a few bucks on outlet insulators. Have you ever put your hand in front of an outlet on an exterior wall during those cold winter months? Poorly insulated ones will allow cold air in. All you have to do is remove the cover, slide the pre-cut insulator on and reattach the cover. 

And if the seals on windows and doors aren’t great, but you can’t wretch up the funds to do much about it right now, buy adhesive window insulation tape (foam strips that come in rolls, found at any big box store) and run that along the interior seal of doors and the frames around windows.

Protect Your Pipes

Speaking of insulation tape, you may also want to wrap your water pipes in the crawl space, if they’re not already, to help keep them from freezing in the really cold nights. The general rule is to start where the pipe meets the ground and work your way back to where it enters the home. Obviously, the thicker the insulation, the better.

Heat tape is another option, but use this with caution. Leaving something plugged in under your house, without regular supervision, always carries some risk. But if you pipes freeze frequently, even with insulation, this may be the best alternative.

And, if worse comes to worse and none of these measures seem to help make your home cozy (or at least bearable) during the winter, give Andy at HA Construction a call. He’ll come do an assessment and let you know if something else is sucking the heat out of your home. 

Choosing a Plumber You Can Trust

You caught your toddler playing in the bathroom… and now the toilet is overflowing. Where did the hand towel go? And the spare rolls of toilet paper? And your son’s shirt?

Time to call a plumber! But that’s almost as daunting and trying to fish your son’s shirt out of the toilet. Plumbers are expensive and we all have that fear that they’re going to tell you far more is wrong than really is. Or charge you an arm-and-a-leg per hour…. And who knew it took two hours to unclog a toilet?!

Hopefully our tips will give you a little more piece of mind so you can make that call before water starts seeping through the floor.

Licensing

First and foremost, anyone you consider for a plumbing gig needs to provide you with verification of their license. This isn’t a typical request, as most people don’t think to ask. You can first try looking up the plumber’s name in the Missouri Professional Registration Search. But there are basically three levels of skill: apprentice, journeyman and master plumber. Apprentice is what you want to avoid because, as one might assume, these are folks in training.

A journeyman’s license means that apprenticeship is complete. According to the Missouri Revised Statute for plumbers, applicants for a journeyman’s license must be at least 21 years old and have at least five years experience as an apprentice under a master plumber. A master plumber must be at least 25 years old and have at least three years experience in the field with a journeyman’s license.

What You Need to Ask For

There are a few items that you should request – in addition to licensing proof – to make sure your plumber is legit and will charge a reasonable rate:

• References – Ask for them and then actually contact them to see what they have to say. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out reviews online, but remember that most people only get online to complain, not appreciate, so it’s an unbalanced ratio.
• Estimate – Be sure to get your estimates in writing.
• Insurance – Ask for insurance verification and clarify what it covers.
• Payment Schedule – If you’re hiring a plumber for a bigger job, such as a renovation, ask for the payment scheduled in writing so you know how much will be due from you and when.
• Office Address – There are many great reasons for a company to have a post office box, but this is also a way for fake contractors to take advantage of people. Ask where their office is located and verify that it’s actually there.

Other Important Items

As you look at plumbing companies, you may also want to consider the services they offer as part of your assessment. For example, plumbers that offer 24/7 services or guarantee a fast response time sound great, and are sometimes necessary, but a often very expensive. HA Construction recommends that you not use these companies outside of an emergency situation.

Often, the way that a plumber dresses and conducts himself – and even the condition of his work truck – say a lot about his reliability and the overall experience you’re going to have. A plumber that puts time and energy in appearance means that his company is important to him.  

Also, cheaper doesn’t always mean better. Everyone is on a budget these days, but it’s probably better to go with the master plumber that charges $75 an hour than the journeyman who just got his license and charges $50 an hour – because you may end up spending far more in the end if they don’t get something right.

Who We Recommend

While we absolutely encourage you to support any locally owned plumber service, HA Construction has working experience with and highly recommends the following companies:

• Accro Plumbing
• Farr Better Plumbing
• Lorenz Plumbing

Springfield City Utilities Solar Initiative

Did you know that solar energy is available in the Springfield City Utilities service area without spending up to $25,000 on solar panels and other equipment?

The City Utilities Solar Initiative took effect October 1st and the hope is to move many Springfield residences to a conservative approach to energy consumption. While pre-enrollment started back in August, some spots still remain available. But now is the time to sign up, as spots are limited for the time being until the program really takes off.

How it Works

CU has installed a solar farm East of the McCartney Generating Station. The farm is owned by Strata Solar and CU is under a 25 year purchase power agreement with the owner, with the option to buy. This adds solar power to CU’s current power generation portfolio, along with natural gas, landfill gas and coal. The output from the solar farm generates enough power for over 900 homes.

CU customers who sign up (which could be anyone from a home owner to someone living in an apartment complex and even businesses, as long as you are in the CU service area) pay an extra fee to have solar power. Basically, it’s a way for the environmentally conscious to participate in eco-friendly way to produce energy.

So, the mechanics of it might be a bit confusing at first, but here’s the gist of it: customers subscribe to kilowatt (kW) blocks of energy. You can get a minimum of one block, up to 200 blocks. One kW block produces an average of 162 kWh per month, and, at CU’s current rates, would average out as $7.67 per month for that block, which would be in addition to your regular monthly bill. Of note, the amount of energy produced depends upon the season and weather conditions – for example, a rainy day obviously produces less solar energy, as do the shorter days in the winter compared to the long days of summer.

To best determine what this would cost you, have your CU bill handy and utilize the Solar Calculator on the CU website.

Why Do It

Tree Hugger arguments aside, you might be wondering why you would want to pay extra to use solar power through CU. Well, consider that solar power provides energy reliability. The sun rises; the sun sets. These are facts no one can dispute. There is also security in the fact that no one country can monopolize solar power over another – we won’t have to fight over it – yey for energy independence!

Additionally, the rates should stay relatively the same over a long term because there isn’t ever going to be a shortage of sunshine. In fact, when you sign up for the solar program with CU, you lock your rate in for 20 years. And, the management of solar energy creates twice as many jobs as coal energy management (and more than twice as much as natural gas).

And let’s talk about those rates. Yes, it costs more than your current utility bill to add solar energy. However, should you decide to install your own solar energy, it would be far more expensive. Do you think my number of $25 grand is high? Not according to Sunrun, a solar power company dedicated to helping families install solar panels on their home. Let’s look at the numbers, shall we? Sunrun says:

Depending on the location and design of your system, the typical home installation ranges from 3 to 7 kilowatts and costs between $18,000 to $40,000 to purchase. Solar panels: About a third of the cost of a residential photovoltaic system comes from the cost of solar panels, which can cost around $4,500-$12,000.

What it comes down to is, if you’re interested in helping the planet and local economy, and don’t have upwards of  $40,000 to install a system as efficient as the one CU built, then CU’s access is the way to go.

Broken Water Mains and Sleep Deprivation

Cue the rattling noise of a jack hammer crunching the asphalt of a busy street… at ten o’clock in the evening. Children nestled in their beds with visions of pounded rock dancing in their heads.

When Sally asked City Utilities why they chose to work on the street directly in front of her house so late in the evening, she was informed, with sincere apologies, that the water main under the street had burst. Failure to fix it immediately would result in the entire street out of water by morning.

Disturbed sleep aside, what would cause the water main to bust? And how would all of the water for the neighborhood run out so quickly? And if it hadn’t been fixed, what else could happen?

How it Works

A water main is the chief source for providing water from a water treatment plant to city neighborhoods. According to the EPA website:

Water distribution systems consist of an interconnected series of pipes, storage facilities, and components that convey drinking water and meeting fire protection needs for cities, homes, schools, hospitals, businesses, industries and other facilities.  Public water systems depend on distribution systems to provide an uninterrupted supply of pressurized safe drinking water to all consumers. It is the distribution system mains that carry water from the treatment plant (or from the source in the absence of treatment) to the consumer.  Spanning almost one million miles in the United States, distribution systems represent the vast majority of physical infrastructure for water supplies.

A broken main means a major disruption in the water system. There are several possible causes, but since most water mains are several feet underground, breaks are typically the result of worn out pipes. Cold weather conditions cause pipes to expand and contract as the water within gets colder and warmer with temperature changes, which weakens pipes over time. Additionally, changes in soil conditions, pipe corrosion, and movement underground can cause pipes to lose stability.

Immediate Attention Required

In order to limit disruption in the water supply to residence, or to prevent flooding and possible property damage, City Utilities must address a broken water main immediately. When the break occurs, water starts to find its way to the surface and flooding may even occur. This is typically how the break is discovered – when a resident reports water flow in a place this is unusual, especially when there is no rain or other precipitation in the area. Typically, the repair process occurs as follows:

• Crews respond to a report of water seepage and look for the source of the problem
• If necessary, water valves are closed to stop water flow to the damaged area and contain the leak
• Electrical equipment is used to obtain the exact location of the leak
• Crews dig to the section of the water main that is damaged and repair the leak as needed
• Valves are turned on and water is restored so the repair can be tested
• The hole is backfilled and sod or pavement replaced over the water main

So, even if the jack hammer resounds through your neighborhood all night long, it’s better than having flood damage or no usable water, wouldn’t you say? Maybe sleeping with some headphones on can keep the pounding at bay.