Do you have an open high ceiling area in your 2 story residence? Today’s new 2 story home designs often include a high ceiling area towards the front of the house that actually includes an open area large enough to extend the existing 2nd level floor line out and construct an additional living area or bedroom.  I personally feel this is one of the best returns on investment that a homeowner can make in today’s market.  The cost of construction for this type of project is about 40-50% less than adding a completely new addition on the outside of the house and the return on the additional square footage is the same. With the right design and necessary structural modifications this can be one of the most useful and profitable decisions a family can make and can translate to what can be a much needed modification to their residence as their family grows or their needs change. Instead of buying a new home, build that equity!

Contributed by: Brad Westphall

Concerning natural solid wood doors, it’s best to get the top and bottom ends of the doors sealed, stained or painted within 3 days of delivery to the job site.  Especially when there are substantial changes in outside or jobsite temperature and humidity conditions doors can sometimes bow or twist very slightly which can result in an uneven gap or an inability for the door to open and close correctly when installed.  Manufacturers are often aware of this when the door is returned as ‘defective’ and will sometimes refuse returns on this basis. Most of the time the doors will be ok when waiting a week or two before paint but to be on the safe side pay close attention to the changes in environment while waiting on paint.

Contributed by: Brad Westphall

In order to help avoid cracking when pouring ‘flatwork’ such as sidewalks, driveways and patios, there are a few things that you can do to help minimize the odds of it actually happening.  A few of the more common things that can contribute to excessive cracking are improper concrete mix, the concrete has set too long before pouring, loose or unstable soil or ground base on which the concrete will be sitting and excessively high outside temperatures. Make sure that the concrete is poured as soon as possible after the concrete has been mixed properly. You can also continue to wet down the surface of the concrete while it is being ‘finished’ or use a special type of surface oil or retardant that will slow the surface curing process to help avoid surface cracks. I’d say the number one reason for serious cracking (1/8″ or more in width) is due to improper base or correctly compacted soils on which the concrete is being poured. Concrete will settle with time and some reports show that it takes a total of 3-4 weeks before concrete has totally settled and reached its comprehensive strength.

Tip From: Brad Westphall

In general the best return on investment from remodeling comes from kitchen and bathroom work. Don’t skimp in these areas if you want to get the maximum increase in resale value.

Tip From: Brad Westphall

Call your local utility locator  service to come out and mark the underground utilities before allowing anyone to dig. Good contractors will do this on their own. Contacting ‘call before you dig’ before work begins  prevents your contractor from accidentally digging into and damaging the existing services. If you neglect to have the utilities marked, you could face very large repair bills that the utility companies will require you to pay.

Tip from: Brad Westphall

Be sure that your painter saves you some paint in the cans for touch-ups and duplication later. If your paint is custom then get a copy of the recipe and know what brand of paint your painter used and where he bought it. Use the same brand , quality and finish for tounch ups.

Keep the touch up paint in a cool dry place.

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Tip from: Brad Westphall

Building codes require a minumum number of electrical outlets in a room. However, some electricians will place receptacles in an unattractive or impractical configuration. You should consider where the furniture, phone and cable jacks are going. Tell your electrician exactly where you want the outlets and jacks to be while keeping in mind that there are a minimum number of outlets and maximun spacing standards that national building codes require.

Top Home Remodeling Tips

Tip From: Brad Westphall

Don’t start without a plan. Your contractor will have a difficult time knowing what you want the end results of your project to be if you don’t have a clear idea up front. Not all projects need blue prints, depending on the scope of the project however, you do need a specific plan and goals from the beginning. Experienced construction project managers like Westphall Builders can help you to refine and articulate your plan.

From your host, Brad Westphall:  Ok, let me say up front that; I AM IN NO WAY PRETENDING TO BE AN ATTORNEY OR SOMEONE WHO GIVES LEGAL ADVICE pertaing to constructing or contracting (or anything else for that matter!).  However, I am familiar with Texas and San Antonio builder and contracting laws as they are written.  I am also familiar with the Texas and San Antonio licensing and permitting/inspection requirments as they are written.  I have seen and been a part of many successful projects throughout my years and have also been witness to or have ‘come in’ on projects which weren’t handled correctly from the start and ended up costing a lot more money and time than the owner had originally bargained for.  In general, Texas and San Antonio builder laws and licensing requirements are significantly less than a lot of other parts of the country.  Obviously this has the potential to lead to trouble when an unwary or trusting owner gets taken in by a ’smooth’ talker who’s willing to do the project for significantly less money and doesn’t realize the mistake until it’s too late. This page is here to help the public make an informed decision when it comes to Texas and San Antonio construction laws, licensing, and permitting requirements.

From your host, Brad Westphall: In my opinion, going green is about more than saving energy and money. It’s about catching the wave that is destined for the future. It’s also about trying to do the right thing.  With today’s advancements in energy saving ideas along with increasing pressure from special interest groups and the general public, the federal government has begun to offer all types of incentives for home and business owners to use new energy saving products and procedures. Using these products and getting a project Energy Star or L.E.E.D. rating means long term savings, increased re-sale value and just flat out makes you feel better about yourself and your project. You can take advantage of this page by discussing or asking questions related to how ‘going green’ works, how tax credits work, or maybe how a project is actually rated!