What Projects First? | Prioritizing Your Repairs & Renovations

If you’ve invested in a “fixer-upper” then good for you – you’re able to see the potential in a home with a lot of character hidden under peeling laminate floors, outdated fixtures and a roof that’s certainly seen better days.

The question is, where on earth do you start?? Well, HAConstruction believes there are four areas you should focus on. Below is a brief overview, and we will expand upon each in future posts to help you really plan and get a handle on the projects you have looming.

Personal Safety

When you buy and older home, the first thing you notice are the cosmetic issues, such as the pink carpet or mustard yellow shower (or both in the same bathroom???). However, it’s those hidden problem areas that could truly put your family in danger. Bad electrical wiring could easily cause a fire. If you have a gas furnace or stove that’s not in proper condition, that can result in carbon monoxide leaks. While you can install CO detectors, your safety still may be compromised, so possible leaks need to be addressed before they become problematic.

Additionally, if the structural integrity of the home isn’t sound, you’re risking injury. It’s important to verify that your home, new or old, is built to code – the last thing you need is unstable walls, doorframes or floors. There are many causes for these problems, including termite and water damage, as well as a strain on the structure from settling ground. This goes for outside structures too. If there is a deck, it’s important to verify that the boards haven’t suffered water damage and that it’s properly fastened to the home.

Home Protection

It’s also important that the integrity of your home is protected from future damage. Siding in bad shape is susceptible to water damage and bugs. A leaky roof and gutters that are falling apart will cause even more water damage than you want to think about (or pay to repair). You might also run into water damage if poor landscaping causes improper water drainage during rain – you home may even flood under the conditions of a thunderstorm if your yard isn’t graded properly.

Home Efficiency

Without the right precautions, repairs will take a hit to your budget. But so will an inefficient home. Without the proper insulation, pipes in your home can freeze during winter, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Improper insulation in your walls, attic and around your windows means outrageous utility bills. An HVAC system that is ill-equipped for the size of your home means it will be working overtime to heat or cool (more high utility bills) and burn out faster, needing repairs or even replacement.

Aesthetics

Grandma’s 1970s dusty rose carpet isn’t only an incredible eyesore, but packed full of nearly 50 years of trekking the outdoors in, water damage, and goodness knows what else you’ll find underneath. While other cosmetic issues in your home—such as wallpaper covered walls, drop ceilings and mustard yellow tile—aren’t necessarily something you have to worry about in regard to the safety of your family or integrity of your home, they are still important to your lifestyle and comfort of living. Not to mention the fact that, if you plan to sell the place eventually, you’ll need to address these things.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll address each of these areas in more depth, giving you the guidance you need to discern where you should begin, what you can do yourself, and what you might need assistance with. Of course, Andy and his team are always hear to help. 

Concrete May be the Answer for Your Renovation (Huh?)

When HA Construction tells you that concrete may be the best option for your porch renovation, your initial reaction may be to cringe.

Because who wants to use something as drab as concrete? Doesn’t it look cheap and take away from the value of a home if used on the front porch instead of a deck?

But what you’re probably envisioning closely resembles the cracked, uneven surfaces of old city sidewalks, or the rough gray sides of a cinder block – and you couldn’t be further off base. You might find yourself surprised by the aesthetic appeal that concrete can bring these days, not to mention the benefits.

Stamping concrete

Concrete is Much Less Expensive

The National Association of Home Builders showed an 11% increase in the use of patios on new homes from 1995 to 2005, topping out at 46%. Even when compared to the new vinyl decking options, you’ll quickly find that concrete cost much less to install. Not only is the product itself cheaper, but the installation process requires less work on the part of the contractor.

Save Your Back -- Concrete is Very Low Maintenance

Yes, the most ideal option for your front porch or deck is beautifully stained wood, and it may even cost less to install than concrete. However, when you factor the costs and time put into the maintenance of a wood deck, and even vinyl, you’ll find that concrete presents as a better option.

For starters, when you do an elevated concrete porch, complete with steps, the base is completely filled with gravel. There is no access underneath for critters to make a home; no need to call pest control for that anymore.

Concrete porch done by HA Construction

As far as maintenance goes, spray the porch off with a hose on occasion and you’re good. Sometimes you might need to scrub a little. If you paint the concrete, you’ll need to redo that sometimes. However, if you choose to add a pigment or resin to give it a nice tone, repainting won’t ever be necessary.

Yes, there is a possibility that the concrete will crack or the edges will break a little due to temperature changes and moisture. As long as you check the porch regularly and repair small cracks before they get too big, you won’t have much to do. Small repairs can be addressed on your own with very little effort.

Compare all of that to the maintenance of a wood porch, which needs staining/painting on a regular basis, can rot and needs the bottom to be open for drainage, and concrete could be the way to go.

Concrete porch done by HA Construction

Stamping and Colorization Mean Beautiful Options

Gone are the days of plain, smooth gray concrete. Stamping options now provide texture to make the concrete much more appealing. Stamps are used just like you imagine -- by laying a polyurethane design on the concrete at just the right time in the drying process. Most stamps are made to resemble building products such as brick, natural stone or even wood grain.

Instead of painting, another option for beautification of your porch is to have HA Construction add pigment or dust the wet concrete with a colored resin for a more natural look. Pigment is added to the concrete mix to give it color, which is a bit more expensive than the resin option because more product is necessary. Resin is added once the concrete is poured and stamped, adhering to the top of the wet concrete as it dries. After it dries, a sealant is added.

It Certainly Isn’t the Worst Choice

So maybe the idea of concrete to greet visitors’ feet at your front door isn’t such a bad idea after all. Andy and the team at HA Construction can certainly help you determine what options are best for your porch renovation or addition. And you can trust that their recommendations are sound, trustworthy and have your needs and interests as top priority.

Permit Requirements for Construction in Springfield, Missouri

Wait! Stop! Don’t shovel out one ounce of dirt for the home your having built, the addition on the back of the house, or the bathroom renovation!

While some are surprised to hear this, you actually can’t start construction on any project within Springfield city limits without first obtaining the necessary permits. If you’ve hired a contractor like HA Construction, Andy will assist you in obtaining the permits necessary before any work begins. However, if you’re tackling the project yourself, or have hired someone that insists you take care of the approval aspect of the work, then it’s a good idea to be familiar with the requirements.

When you visit the City of Springfield website, you’ll find a lot of information on what sort of permits there are and when you need them.  Here’s a little help deciphering it all.

Building Permits

Taken directly from the City of Springfield website, a building permit is required to:

“…construct, enlarge, alter, move or demolish a structure; or change the occupancy of a building or structure requiring greater strength, exit or sanitary provisions; or to change to another use; or to install or alter any equipment for which provision is made or the installation of which is regulated by the Building Code.”

The term “alter” there may seem a little bit vague. After reading those requirements, you might find yourself thinking that you need a permit for anything you do to your home. However, that’s not the case. Take it straight from Andy, “alter” here means altering the layout of a structure. Repairs to an existing structure, even if you change the materials used, doesn’t require a permit.

For example, if you were to knock out a wall to enlarge the size of a room, then you would need a permit from the city because you are changing the layout of the home and, thus, the occupancy of the room. But, if you were to, say, replace the siding on your house, then it’s considered simply a repair. You’re not altering the foundational structure of the home and, therefore, do not need a permit. Another example would be your porch: if you making it larger, you need a permit, but if you change the material from wood to concrete and don’t change the size of the porch, you do not need a permit.

When a permit is necessary, you or the contractor must submit an application and provide plans for the project. For small projects, such as expanding your front porch, the city only requires a basic drawing of the changes. However, larger projects (such as building a new house or adding a room) require engineered blueprints from an architect for approval.

Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing Permits

While the permits are different for each of these categories, determining whether you need one is relatively simple across the board.

Anyone who does electrical, mechanical or plumbing work on your property MUST be licensed with the city. This is without question. In general, you need a permit for these things if it’s changing the current service. Under that standard, none of the following examples require a permit:

• Replacing a broken outlet
• Replacing a worn out ceiling fan
• Getting a new faucet
• Replacing or repairing a garage door
• Obtaining new flooring
• Painting
• Getting new roof shingles
• Building a portable out-building that’s less than 100 square feet in size

However, putting in an outlet where there wasn’t one before, running new HVAC lines, and changing the layout of a bathroom require permits, because they are changing the existing service. Additionally, replacing a HVAC system, sewer lines, gas lines or water lines in your home requires a permit because of the nature of the repair/replacement. Of note, only a licensed contractor can obtain a permit for these services. While homeowners may be able to get permits for other household repairs, they cannot for the replacement of these crucial systems.

Sprinkler Systems

What may surprise you is that installing a sprinkler system, whether underground or within a building, requires a separate “FIS” permit in addition to plumbing or electrical permits. According to the City of Springfield:

“Permits will no longer be issued based on the building permit submittals unless the entire system (underground and building), including the calculations, are included as part of the building permit submittals.”

The process is a bit complicated, so it’s better to read the Administrative Ruling 2007-01 on Sprinkler permits and/or call the city for more information.

Count on the City for Help

Springfield city officials are there to help you. They’re not out to fine everyone for doing things wrong and they don’t go around patrolling for problems. If you’re having a hard time obtaining a permit for a project, you can count on city officials to guide you in what you and the contractor need to do in order to get the project approved.

Get information on the permits required for a project directly from the city. Don’t trust your neighbor or even your contractor to know what the latest rules and requirements are – it’s better to simply ask the experts.

Andy and HA Construction believe that it’s important for you, the homeowner, to be informed. It makes working together to complete your project in an adequate and timely manner that much easier. Knowing the regulations regarding permits in the city of Springfield is the first step in giving you more than satisfactory results from Andy and his team.

Why Joplin Tornado Victims Should Hire A Local Contractor

While clean up is going to take awhile, after an F-5 tornado wiped out nearly 8,000 buildings in Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011, once residents start to rebuild, they’ll need some help. Construction companies and contractors are going to start coming out of the rubble, if they haven’t already, offering low quotes and amazing service, but they aren’t all they appear to be.

How Traveling Contractors Woo You
You probably approach every meeting for your construction needs with the assumption that you’ll be able to distinguish the trustworthy companies from the swindlers. However, many people aren’t prepared for how good a traveling contractor presents himself. He’ll say things like “we’ve set up an office right here in Joplin” to make you believe the company’s around for the long haul; and they may even have a small travel trailer or RV based as an office – something that can be easily uprooted.

The big head turner, however, is when these fly-by-night contractors tell you they can complete your project cheaper than anyone else can. Let’s say you’re getting $45,000 from your homeowners insurance company to cover repairs to your home after the Joplin tornado. Scamming contractors will come in and tell you they can complete the project for $35,000 – and suddenly you’re envisioning a new jet ski too (or something more practical, such as paying off other debts).

They’re In It For The Money
The unfortunate truth, however, is that many of these out-of-town contractors are only in it for the money. Many times these construction companies will ask you for a down payment (often up to half of the project total or more) to start on the job. Truth is, if they need money up front to pay for the job, then the company isn’t very well established.

You’ll notice a lack of commitment once the project starts, such as arriving late, missing entire days of work, or claiming to have other projects to balance. Then, the unthinkable happens – you’ve paid the contractor over half of the project fees, the project is only a quarter of the way done, he hasn’t showed up for days and won’t return your calls.

You just got swindled. He took your money, and ran.

Why A Local Contractor Is Better
Admittedly, some out of town companies may, in fact, have the compassion, resources and expertise to legitimately help Joplin tornado victims rebuild, but once the project is over, they move on to the next job in the next town, and you’re left on your own if something comes up. With a local construction company, you’re able to build a relationship with the contractor. Trust becomes the foundation for your business dealings and you learn how to work together so future projects are completed more efficiently.

HA Construction, and other Joplin area construction companies and contractors, are focused on the community. They want to help those close to home because the impact of the Joplin tornado may directly affect them and those they care about. Even if these companies don’t know someone affected, something that happens so close to home really resonates on a personal level.
Adversely, fly-by-night contractors flock to locations devastated by natural disasters, such as Joplin, Missouri, looking to make an extra buck. Then they’re off and running to another project following a different tragedy. Additionally, even after the project is complete, trustworthy local contractors are there for you to answer questions, follow-up and make sure everything is to your expectations.

Don’t go with just anyone to help you rebuild your life after the devastation of the Joplin tornado, or any other home repair/renovation project. Know the important information to look for when choosing a contractor, like HA Construction, to ensure that you and your family are well taken care of.