Latest Trend - Bamboo Cabinetry

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Structural Engineers - Get 4 Quotes Now - at No Cost

Need a structural engineer? Get quotes in minutes from local structural engineers - at no cost.

ConstructionDeal.com has a network of professional engineers for residential building, renovation and home repair projects:

It only takes a few minutes to find a qualified structural engineering services. And you'll get four quotes in minutes - which saves you time. You'll be able to choose the fee that fits your budget - which saves you money!

What Can a Structural Engineer Do For You?
Structural engineers can help you build a home, help repair your house, and help with any remodeling or room addition projects.

The develop plans that accommodate for additional weight, the stress of wind and weather, and anything else that affects the structure of your house. These plans are turned over to your contractor to make sure everything is built right.

Here's a sample of what they can do:

• Help design repairs for failed or damaged retaining walls
• Plan for changes in a roof structure
• Determine load bearing walls for demolition or expansion projects
• Basement & foundation wall inspections
• Floors & slabs that have failed or settled
• Second floor or room addition structure plans
• Or any plans that need the approval and stamp of a structural engineer before work can begin

How to Find a Structural Engineer?
Simply submit a request to ConstructionDeal.com. We'll send it out to engineering firms in your area. It only takes a few minutes and there is never any cost.

technorati tags: structural engineer, engineering firms, load bearing walls, demolition,construction, architects, structural engineers, structural engineering services, engineer firms

FSBO Tips - Sell Your Home on Your Own

Selling your home without a real estate agent may not be the uphill task that you think it is. With a little time and effort, it's easy to effect an FSBO (For Sale By Owner) transaction if you're familiar with the tricks and tips of the real estate market.

• The first step in selling your home is to have its value assessed. You can contact professional appraisers or do your own research using home selling and land investment software to come up with a figure that's as accurate as possible. Also contact real estate agents in your locality to see what other homes in the neighborhood are worth.
  

• In case the value placed on your home is much lower than you imagined, get professional help in improving your home, and thereby its value. Sometimes, all it takes to boost your home's market value is a coat of paint, a thorough cleansing from top to bottom, and minor repair work to spruce up its appearance. You may have to undertake major alterations like adding an extra bedroom or bathroom or redoing your kitchen's tiles and countertops if they're worn and look shabby. Before you start on any home improvement measure, perform a cost-benefit analysis to see if the expense on the repairs and remodeling is worth it. It's no use spending thousands of dollars on renovations if homes in your area are selling for under a particular amount.
  

• Once you've completed preparing your home for the sale, advertise the same in newspapers, local flyers, the Internet and through any other means possible. Tell people you know that you're putting up your house on the market so that you get the widest word-of-mouth coverage. Most Internet listings are free and allow you to include photographs and virtual tours of your home.
  

• Put up shots of the exterior from the front and take care not to exaggerate with visual effects. You don't want your buyers disappointed when they see the real thing. Before you shoot videos for virtual tours, remove clutter from your rooms and make sure they're clean.
  

• Include all pertinent information like contact details and times in your advertisement. Also include details about your preference for direct sales or those that go through agents on the buyers' side.
  

• Schedule open house days where potential buyers can tour your home and decide if they want to buy it or not. Keep a guest book handy and get your visitors to provide their contact information so you can follow up on their interests.
  

• When discussing a sale with a potential customer, leave room for negotiations. Offer to perform a few minor repairs that they point out if it's not going to set you back by too much, but don't cave in to pressure to sell at a much lower rate than your asking price.
  

• Some websites allow you to sell your house online. Online selling cuts your costs drastically, provides the maximum exposure and provides quick responses. Explore this option to see if it suits your needs.
  

• When finalizing the sale, consult an advocate to ensure that the paperwork and legal processes are taken care of smoothly.
  

By-line:

This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of luxury real estate in Canada. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.

Room Addition Contractors - Get 4 Bids at No Cost

Adding a second floor, or even an additional bedroom, can be a huge project.

You're going to need the help of a professional general contractor. ConstructionDeal.com can save you time and money when finding a home addition contractor:

Fill out our simple form and submit it. There's no obligation and no cost to you. We send your request to room addition companies in your area. You will get 4 quotes from addition contractors in minutes - this saves you time.

And 4 quotes means you can pick the bid and company that are right for your budget - this saves you money.

Or... you can choose a home addition company - at random - from the phone book. It's up to you.

Top Home Addition Projects:

• Adding a 2nd Floor to a single-story home
• Adding an additional bathroom
• Extending a room - usually the kitchen
• Adding a garage
• Expanding a garage
• Adding a room over the garage
• Adding an additional bedroom

At ConstructionDeal.com - we help you get your home addition project done! At no cost. With no obligation. It's fast, free and easy to use.

technorati tags: room addition, home addition, addition contractor, bedroom addition, garageaddition, bathroom addition, house addition, home improvement, home renovation, houserenovation, home remodeling, house remodeling

Does Your Granite Countertop Contain Radon?

MIA Challenges Radon Test Results of Granite Countertops "Cleveland, OH - The Marble Institute of America (MIA) has refuted the findings of BuildClean, a Houston-based non-profit organization whose recent in-home testing found that potentially harmful levels of radon are emitted by granite countertop surfaces.

The MIA, a trade association whose members include granite and other natural stone suppliers, issued 'an alert,' calling attention to the claims by BuildClean, which has tested radon levels in a variety of countertop surfaces.

'The issue of granite containing radon has surfaced repeatedly over the years,' said Gary Distelhorst, MIA CEO. 'The origins of these concerns [emanate] from manufacturers of radon detection devices and competing synthetic countertop materials.' However, Sara Speer Selber, BuildClean's president, defended the testing's validity, noting it was based on inspections by certified and bonded technicians, and was conducted 'by a science advisory panel of leaders in their field.'"

What is Radon?
The jury is still out with me. I'm not sure if granite and other stone counters contain enough radon or pose enough of a threat.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (behind smoking cigarettes). It's an odorless and colorless gas that is emitted when uranium decays. And there is uranium in nearly all soil deposits. This gas can be inhaled and, over time, can cause cancer.

So, you can see. It is a big deal. And if there is a considerable amount of radon trapped in the granite, marble or other stone materials, then it could possibly affect your indoor air quality.

From all the testing that has been done and all the studies that have been made, this much is clear - there is almost always some radon or radioactivity in natural stone countertops. People working within the stone industry have an agenda and people who compete with natural stone countertops have an agenda. It can be hard to find out what you need to know.

What Can I Do?
If you have a granite counter or plan to get one installed, know that it's possible to have your home checked for radon and you can even use a do-it-yourself kit to check for it. As long as your monitor your living conditions and air quality in your home, and make corrections if you find any problems, you and your family should be fine.

If you still plan to get a granite countertop installed in your home, we can help. ConstructionDeal.com is a free resource to help you find contractors online. It's fast and easy to use. And there is no cost for our service.

Just tell us about your granite counter project and we'll match you with local installers. It's that simple. Submit your granite countertop project today. There's no obligation.

How Green Is Your Remodeling Project?

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