Dryer Fire - Don't be next!

Laundry Rooms are the number one origin of home fires and Lint is the number 1 item ignited (see diagrams 3 and 4) 
Picture one shows a clogged dryer vent we just discovered. Fortunately, the owner noticed lint was coming through a bathroom exhaust fan when the dryer was running. We added an additional lint trap above the dryer and re-directed the duct to a new wall vent separating it from the bathroom exhaust duct. 

There are many dryer vent cleaning kits available if you are handy, or if not, hire a professional duct cleaning company to inspect and clean yours regularly.

For more facts,check out this report from FEMA;http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/v13i7.pdf

How do you know if you may have a clog?
Clothes take longer and longer to dry;
Clothes don't fully dry;
Clothes are hotter than normal at the end of the drying cycle;
The outside of dryer gets very hot;
The outside exhaust vent flapper does not open very much;
Laundry room becomes more humid than it is usually;
Burnt smell is evident in the laundry room.

Barn Storming

A bad storm last week ripped some tin off this barn. We did an emergency repair soon after and today, the crew rebuilt the damaged roof. I must say, the new rake trims are probably straighter now, than they have been since horses were used to plow the nearby fields.

Kind Praise

Some kind praise we received:

"I wanted to take a moment to thank you and your staff for the incredible work you've done at our multiple various locations. We've really enjoyed working with you, from start to finish. 
To begin, I'm particularly pleased with how thorough and prompt your proposals have been. And when it has come time to complete the work, your group has been quite flexible with getting in and out of our Facilities with minimum down time for construction. Most importantly, your company does a beautiful job and we've been delighted with the results. You deliver a quality product at a very competitive price.
We couldn't ask for any more."

Margie Hunt
Horizon Surgical Group
Practice Administrator

O say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Yes, it sure does! Have a great 4th!!

Invasion of the Home Eaters

No,not some cheesy movie, these winged stealth biters attack your homes without you even knowing they are there...until you step through the floor or a picture falls off the wall. As I was leaving my house the other day, I saw them "Swarming" from this log as they head for some unsuspecting home. Your home is at its greatest risk form March to June.

"If you took all the termite damage nationwide, you're probably looking at more damage from termites than you would say from floods and fires combined." Terminex Technical Specialist Michael Paul.

Even more important than termite treatments and inspections, is to eliminate any source of moisture near the framing of your home.
NO Water, NO Termites!
Direct rainwater away from the foundation. install flashings over windows and doors. Keep mulch and earth at least 6" below your siding, and if you have dripping plumbing pipes, fix them immediately. The wood piranhas cannot survive without moisture.

 — in Maryland.

Looks like Eggshell to me.

Keep the Water Out.

Keep the Water Out.
Sounds simple...but unfortunately many "carpenters" are more worried about speed than proper techniques. Is this case, flashings were not installed over the window trims and allowed water to get into the framing. First it rotted the trim, and eventually damaged the hardwood floors in this very nice sunroom. We are happy to cry out "Bring on the Rains" after replacing almost all the trim with rot proof PVC and of course, installing the proper flashings and sealants.

Carpenter Quote

“A jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a carpenter to build one”
Sam Rayburn

Why not to make your basement bedroom to nice.

Because they may never leave! Work performed was a nice basement bedroom, a walk-in closet, a very large storage area and an art room closet for the kids.

Bad Tenants, Bad Cleanup and Bad Weather...

...make for very BAD damage when combined together at this clients townhouse.  Back in middle of one of the coldest winters on record, their renter failed to keep the heat on, resulting in a frozen  water line that burst in a wall of the upstairs hall bath.  Hesitating to immediately shut off the water added to the damage, and to make matters worse, the Disaster Cleanup company hired to open the walls and “Dry out” the house, used practically no protection and/or care during the demolition and handling of the personal properties.

 Their carelessness damaged cabinets, hardwood flooring, countertops, fixtures and appliances to name a few. I was appalled when first assessing the damage and requested  a meeting with the owners insurance adjuster.  The damage was undeniable, and in a short while, the adjuster agreed that almost all of the items were not salvageable and agreed to cover their full replacement.  On behalf of the owner, we negotiated with the adjuster to come to a fair cost for the rebuilding, as well as pointed out some errors to the adjusters estimate that saved the insurance company as well.

K Squared took on the task of rebuilding the home and with great satisfaction turned the home back over to the owner in less than 6 weeks.  Inspired by the restoration, the owners decided to add some upgrades and personal touches and recently put the home on the market. The Realtor feels it will sell very fast, and we hope so as well!

If you are unfortunate enough to have our home damaged by hail, rain, wind, or “burst pipes”, keep in mind that you have rights as the owner to select a contractor of your choosing. If it is K Squared, we will gladly work with you and your insurance company, to come to a fair settlement for all. 

Puppies, Pantries and Planning.

Loving their Puppies was one thing, but when their doggy crates started to take over the kitchen, they knew it was time to make a change. Careful planning and then moving of many wires, ducts, plumbing and framing allowed us to cleverly add a 3-Dog Kennel "built-in" into some unused space in the garage. Vinyl sheeting covers the inside making it easy to clean up any mishaps. A full height pantry cabinet/broom closet was tucked into an old abandoned duct chase and by using full extension drawers, eliminates those "forgotten sundries" that end up shoved to the back.

Oh boy. Oh.., Boys!

Coffee Cornucopia...soon to be!

This doctors office had everything a patient could need except one important "remedy"...Coffee!
We designed this "soon to be functional" Coffee Center which will be filled to abundance with great coffees and beverages. Almost makes one want to schedule a visit. Almost...

Notables: 42" high "no stooping" counter height. Full extension drawers for condiments and accessories. Trash container with convenient access from above. Corian countertops with tall backsplashes. Raised beverage cooler for easy access.

If you Mess-up, Fess-up!

Saw this truck today. Saying "not responsible for broken windshields" (note loose gravel all over tailgate) is like building a house without nails and saying "not responsible for collapsing walls" C'mon folks, if you mess-up, fess-up. Accept your responsibility and you might pleasantly be surprised the good that can come to you from it. Happy Easter!

When is a Jackleg a potential home-burner?

jack•leg
/ˈjakˌleg/
1. an incompetent, unskillful, or dishonest person.
"a jackleg carpenter"

When is a Jackleg a potential home-burner?
When they leave a fire hazard lurking in your wall.
While tearing out some walls today, we found multiple examples of unsafe and shoddy workmanship left by a previous Jackleg.
Picture 1 shows a bundle of "wire-nutted" wires that had been illegally hidden in a wall. Picture 2 shows an unsecured wire that had been trapped between the wallboard and framing...and then had a screw run through it. The black soot shows how close this came to being disaster.
The good news...our licensed electricians where able to correct all of these problems in short order!

Picture 1

Picture 2

Tile artisans - hard to come by these days.

Mike Jarboe and his helper Bill are doing a great job of installing this bathroom tile. Or is it only Bill doing the work? (OK, so maybe I set them up)

Anyone can stick tile on a wall, but it takes a real artisan to install it properly, in a manner that will not leak and look great for decades to come. More of this transformation to come soon!

How to install under cabinet lighting

Sometimes you have to "lay down on the job" in order to "do your job"
Jason, our electrician is installing Ambiance under cabinet lighting in the most effective way.

Uncluttered Clinic

K Squared Builders, Inc. took on the task of "uncluttering" this doctors OR in Germantown. We designed and built custom cabinets to "fill in" between the existing cabinetry which was filled with stacked boxes of medical supplies. They now have easy and organized access to their supplies, thanks to 4 full extension drawers as well as a tall center cabinet with shelves. The staff was so pleased, we are now designing cabinets for 3 more areas.

 Before

 Full extension drawers provide easy access to supplies

Viola! The new custom cabinets magically fill the space.

Bath Design Final Suggestions Use Compatible Fixtures and Keep it in Proportion

Bath Design Tip 3 & 4