Ice Dams - Prevent Damage to Your Home

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Now May Be The Perfect Time to Remodel

An interesting story from the Wall Street Journal on how now may be the perfect time for home renovation projects, "It's not the best time to be selling a house in much of the country. But increasingly, it's a good time to build or renovate one.

The housing slump has pushed down prices on everything from lumber and drywall to labor and design fees. Legions of carpenters, tile layers and landscapers are idle. Architects are taking on small renovation projects they once would have sniffed at and contractors are offering their services at a discount. Some people in the building trades are even posting fliers at construction sites to drum up business.

It's a striking contrast from the heady days of the real-estate boom, when builders and contractors could hardly keep pace with demand, prices of materials soared and a six-month wait to start a kitchen renovation was commonplace.

Now, some homeowners are moving forward on renovation or building projects they've put off for years. Others are exacting substantial price cuts from contractors desperate for work.

A few months ago, Mike Bowes remodeled the bathroom and guest bedroom of his $200,000 condo in Las Vegas. The job, which cost $14,000, included a walk-in shower, a new vanity, bamboo flooring in the guest room and re-textured plaster on the walls and ceilings. Last year, the same work would have cost nearly twice as much, he estimates, "and I would have had to beg someone to do it." Now, the 47-year-old commercial roofing sales manager is planning to upgrade his kitchen, living room and porch. While prices remain low "I'm going to keep going," he says.

...More homeowners will renovate their kitchens this year -- 7.57 million, up from 7.44 million in 2006 -- but they will spend a lot less, $96.2 billion compared with $127 billion, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association. Bathroom renovations this year are expected to rise by 5.3% to 10.9 million from 2006, while spending on them will grow 3.8% to $70.2 billion from 2006, the trade group projects.

One reason some renovations will cost less this year is the falling price of many key building materials. The price of oriented strand board, a plywood substitute used for walls and roof sheathing, dropped 40% from the third quarter of 2005 to the same quarter this year, according to the National Association of Home Builders. During the same period, framing-lumber prices fell 24%, says the association. And drywall prices -- which soared during the real estate run-up to a record -- dropped 35% from last year's third quarter, according to United States Gypsum Co., the largest manufacturer of drywall in North America.

'If you're going to do any kind of construction...now is the best time you're going to have to do that in the next five years,' says Bill Harrison of Harrison Design Associates, an Atlanta-based architecture firm that specializes in high-end homes."

Read more of the article at the Wall Street Journal.

If you're looking to take advantage of the low cost of construction and remodeling materials as well as finding contractors who may have an available schedule, start the process for free on ConstructionDeal.com. Just tell us about your project and we'll match you with businesses in your area - at no cost

Get Quotes from Outdoor Deck Contractors

Ready to have a new outdoor deck installed in time for summer?

ConstructionDeal.com can help. We have a network of backyard deck contractors. You can get at least 4 quotes in just minutes - at no cost.

Don't wait until it's Spring or Summer to talk to a qualified deck contractor! They'll be busy building outdoor decks for your neighbors.

What Type of Deck Do You Want?
Wood decks are still the most popular choice for a new backyard deck. But they're not the only choice. Many are trying different materials.

Most Common Material Choices:

• Wood
• Composite
• Vinyl

A lot of outdoor deck contractors are building decks out of vinyl and composite materials because of manufacturers claims that these decks can be maintenance free (or at least a lot less maintenance is required.) The engineered decking materials can resist rot, mold, and fungus. They usually require less re-painting and have longer warranties.

But, who can resist the look and feel of all natural wooden outdoor decks?

Talk to your deck contractor about the best choice of deck materials for your backyard improvement project.

Get quotes from outdoor deck contractors now! Save time and save money.

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Get 4 Bids from Drywall Contractors

Need drywall repair? Need new drywall installed? You can either pick a company at random from the phone book... or you can get 4 free quotes from drywall pros - - in minutes.

At ConstructionDeal.com, we send out your drywall request - at no cost - to drywall contractors in your area. No need to call several drywall services and repeat your story over and over.

Simply fill out our short form and you'll get several bids at once - saving you time.

Getting multiple quotes means you'll get to choose the best prices - saving you money.

Types of Drywall Services
What can a drywall contractor do for you? Drywall companies work with various types of sheetrock inside your home. They install, repair and finish walls and ceilings in just about every room in your house.

• Drywall Installation - drywall contractors can install walls and ceilings in your main floor. They can help create walls where you need them. They can finish an attic or a basement and can even install sheetrock in your garage.
  
• Drywall Repair - drywall specialists can fix cracks and holes and water damaged sheetrock throughout your home.
  
• Drywall Finishing - are you a do-it-yourself homeowner and can easily install your own drywall? Well, you can leave the finishing work to the professionals for a small, even and perfect look to your walls and ceilings with no seams, corners or drywall screw holes visible anywhere!
  

Need a drywall contractor for your home improvement or repair project? We can help. Submit your request - at no cost - to ConstructionDeal.com and talk with drywall contractors today.

ConstructionDeal.com - Where Projects Get Done!™

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National Vampire Awareness Day!

Guess what today is?!

Okay, so you read my title already... But it's not what you think. I swear! Today is Vampire Awareness Day - this is true. What's not true is that it's Vampire Awareness Day because Halloween and Trick or Treating is upon us.

We're talking about a different kind of vampire. The kind that doesn't suck the blood from your neck, but the money from your wallet.

No, it's not a day to call attention to your ex-wife... although, that would be funny.

The folks over at Best Buy have declared an awareness of energy vampires to help save you cash on your utility bills.

What is Vampire Power?

• Vampire Power is the electricity that consumer electronics and appliances use while they are switched off or in a standby mode.
• It is responsible for wasting an estimated $4 billion in the U.S. annually and the Department of Energy notes that this figure could rise by 20 percent by 2010.

How Does Vampire Power Affect Me?

• The average American home has approximately 20 to 40 electronics devices plugged in that abuse vampire power.
• These appliances can cost you close to $1,000 in electricity costs per year at current rates (more in the future if energy costs continue to climb). Even when they're not on.

A Stake in the Heart Won't Work - How Can Reduce Energy Bloodletting?

• Use a power strip so multiple devices can be switched off at the same time
• Unplug your chargers from the wall when they are not in use

Just because your stereo is off or your computer is "sleeping", it doesn't mean that it's not draining power. When you see that little red light on, it means it's sucking money from your purse. And that's not cool.

Go to the Vampire Awareness Day page (.pdf) to read a Fact Sheet with more details and what you can do to help.

Killing the vampires in your house is a great way to save money, save energy, reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, and help save the planet.

It's the green thing to do. And keeping a little money in your checking account is nice, too.

Also, if you need to do an Energy Audit of your home, ConstructionDeal.com can help. We'll match you with a local Energy Auditor to review your home and determine if your home is wasting even more energy and money.

It's a fast and easy process - simply submit your request and get up to 4 quotes from Home Energy Auditors in a matter of hours. At not cost.

What Should Be In Your Remodeling Contracts?

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