Home Services Companies

It seems that many of my conversations lately have been about one of three subjects: We’re not building enough houses that people can afford, our infrastructure is aging and deficient, and we’re supposed to be making a nationwide switch from fossil-fuels to electricity powered by renewables and batteries. All of these things require smart skilled workers. Unfortunately, we’ve been steering people from trade work for decades now and those who are doing it now are quickly aging out of the workforce. I know, because I was one of the kids who was talked out of working with my hands

Throughout my career as a residential painting contractor, I’ve worked with many professionals and have seen a variety of tricks and techniques for ensuring the longevity of our tools. It’s important to care for your paintbrush and roller after every use to both save money on your materials and to demonstrate professionalism with your clients.

1. Use a brush cover

One thing that’s universal is that every paintbrush must have a cover, otherwise you might as well call it a dust brush. The cover essentially helps maintain the form of the bristles; without it, the shape falls apart. Amateurs

Jeff_40 owns a house built at a time when the roof was sheathed in boards, not plywood or OSB. Now it’s time to reroof the house, and Jeff is getting mixed advice from two friends on how to approach the job.

“One of them says I need to put down some 3/8-in. OSB on top,” Jeff writes in this recent Q&A post. “The other is saying as long as I measure and make sure the nailing strip on the shingles doesn’t line up with the gap it will be good.”

The problem doesn’t appear to be a structural weakness

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In this live recording at the end of the two-day seminar, Patrick, Andrew, Travis, and Joe and share what they’ve learned and discuss why you should go to one of this year’s remaining Building Science Symposiums in Chattanooga or Austin, before taking questions from attendees about things they heard or learned at the show.

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In the last episode of Fine Homebuilding House Kansas, we talked about the subslab details and getting the concrete slab poured for our finished basement. Now we’re excited because the weather has cleared up enough to frame and we’re getting started on our mudsill.

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Karalynn and Patrick talk about the importance of good contracts, the new bargaining power of subcontractors, and the value of trusting your gut.

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Patrick, Dave and Mark talk about the evolution of structural fasteners, how fasteners are tested to ensure they work as intended, and common mistakes when using them. They also talk about how the pandemic led to a boom in business and disrupted supply chains, as well as the importance of paying attention to your customers’ needs.

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