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We're Making Changes With Your Needs in Mind
Change is afoot here at Professional Remodeler, and you've probably noticed a big difference already with my presence on this page. It's my extreme pleasure to join Editor Kim Sweet and new Managing Editor Judi Damm on the editorial team of Professional Remodeler. By expanding the editorial staff, we'll be better able to provide you with the best information, business strategies and innovative ...
Taking the Office to the Field
Scott Sevon, CGR, CAPS, GMB, a remodeler and custom home builder based in Palatine, Ill., uses his Palm Tungsten W handheld every day. The wireless device allows him to check his e-mail and the Internet from the road, and doubles as a cell phone. A longtime proponent of handheld devices, Sevon spent between $420 and $500 each to buy handhelds for all the employees of Sevvonco Inc.
Going Tankless
Widely used in Europe and Japan, tankless water heaters offer on-demand hot water and lower water heating bills. These units are so small they can be installed under a sink, on a wall or even on the exterior of the home, yielding space savings for the homeowner. A larger model can be used in place of a storage tank to supply hot water for the entire home; a small point-of-use water heater can b...
Reining in Runaway Costs
Hurricanes in the south, unprecedented levels of construction material demand in China, record oil prices and a host of other issues drove up material costs in 2004. Ongoing increases in labor, insurance and general overhead expenses squeezed margins from another angle. How do you generate an acceptable profit when pricing seems out of control?
Accessibility Update
Owners John and Chris Carmean built their home in the late 1970s after an automobile accident left John in a wheelchair. The house had some wide passageways and ramps, but none of the other features that qualify as universal or accessible design these days. "It was really not accessible," says remodeler Lori Bentley, CKBR.
Fine Wine: Balancing the Elements for the Connoisseur
A good wine collection requires more than a storage room with racks. As with the fine wines that it stores and displays, a wine cellar is a delicate balance of elements, all of which can affect the quality and preservation of the wine collection. That balance is often miscalculated, says Lee Zinser, owner of Cellarworks Inc.
A Custom Approach
Farina and Sons Inc. in Orlando, Fla., specializes in whole-house renovations and new custom homes, which make up about 20 percent of the business. Second-generation president Victor Farina employs three people in the office and six lead carpenters. Joe Gradison, vice president of Gradison Building Corporation in Indianapolis, owns the 19-year-old business with his brother, Mark.