basswood

The two remodeling projects I have going now really never should have happened. The work should have been done right the first time and I should be out of work. Alas, one home had horrible design and the other had a good plan poorly executed (abysmally poor quality)… so I’m busy. In fact, there is so much of this short-sighted construction out there, that I expect to never lack for work.

I am of the opinion that even if these homes were built with the highest LEED certifications,...

Modular homes employ some interesting techniques to save weight (and money). If you have to lift it and move it, the lighter the better. I worked on the kitchens of two new modular homes recently.

The “cabinets” were not boxes. They had no sides, except at the exposed ends. The wall served as the cabinet back. The base cabinet floor rested on a 1x4 cleat on the wall and another 1x at the toekick. The long faceframes were attached to the cabinet floor at the bottom and connected...

Thoughts on contractor business websites…

Many people consider website work to be a “young person’s game.” Of course, this is a generalization, this is what they say about carpentry too, and I’m not going to stop doing that anytime soon (in spite of often being the oldest guy on jobsites). I’m a member of the “Boomer Generation” and find texting on a cell phone to be maddening (fat fingers--tiny button—syndrome, yet I admit, texting is the best way to reach my teenagers… I digress)....

Like many of you, the business side of the business is not my strong suit. Those of you familiar with my work might assume I have my act together, but I have plenty to work on. The economic meltdown has me focusing on these things that I should have done years ago... logo, website, license, incorporation, etc.

Better late than never, I suppose. This reminds me of the quote by Martin Luther, "There are two times to plant a tree, now and twenty years ago."

This blog...