ProRemodeler Best Practices - Project Management - Industry News

• Remodelers May Find Sunny Side to Slump
  The shifting market conditions appear to be enticing homeowners in the Portland, Ore. market to take a second look at remodeling projects, giving local remodeling companies hope that 2009 might not be as bad as they'd thought.
• Updating Vintage Homes is Recycling at its Best
  Studies show that older homes can be energy-suckers due to poor insulation. But with some strategic tweaks, renovation experts say any old or historic house can be more energy-efficient without losing its character. Here’s why.
• Owners love their basement escapes
  The basement has become a hub of activity for all family members. It's also a space that's relatively easy to remodel without having to add a structure to the home or knock down walls.
• Drywall firms look for upswing in projects in Idaho
  Large or small, drywall contractors are scrambling to keep themselves and their employees busy. "We don't have a whole lot of backlog," said Leon Kerns, owner of Boise-based Superior Interiors. "We're out there trying to figure out what the market is doing. " On the small side, some drywall contractors are finding more work in remodels and repairs than in new construction.
• Couple fighting builder in lawsuit; Home renovation `not up to code'
  Jim and Michelle Cormier had grand dreams for their Elm Street home when they hired a contractor to start a major renovation project in 2001. Almost eight years and $100,000 later, with their savings depleted, the couple said they and their four children are living in an unfinished job site, unable to enjoy the renovation. The Cormiers have filed a lawsuit against the builder they hired, but are also angry at the city for signing off on what they feel is substandard work.
• New Rating System to Encourage Sustainable Landscape Design
  A new rating system for sustainable landscape design, called the Sustainable Sites Initiative, has been developed by The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), The University of Texas at Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the United States Botanic Garden.
• Columbia Paint & Coatings Co. to Merge with Sherwin-Williams
  The Sherwin-Williams Company and Columbia Paint & Coatings Co. announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Following the consummation of the merger, Columbia Paint & Coatings Co. will become a subsidiary of Sherwin-Williams.
• LP Signs Letter of Intent to Sell Meridian, Idaho, Composite Decking Facility to Fiber Composites
  Louisiana-Pacific Corporation announced it has signed a letter of intent to sell its Meridian, Idaho, composite decking plant to Fiber Composites, LLC. The sale, which is expected to close at the end of third quarter 2007, also includes the use of the WeatherBest® brand name.
• Northern Virginia Design-Build Firm Focuses Only on Basements
  Finished Basement Company, claims to be the first and only remodeling firm in Northern Virginia dedicated solely to basement design and build.
• More Homeowners Extending Living Space to Backyard
  Outdoor rooms are grabbing the attention of more new-home buyers, according to Dominick Tringali, president and CEO of Dominick Tringali Architects. His firm is based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and two-thirds of his work is done in the Midwest where, with so many cold weather months, you might not expect it.
• Questions Can Prepare Remodelers for Response
  Here is a list of questions that consumers are being advised to ask of remodeling firms that they may be considering for their home projects.Remodelers can use this list to be prepared for appropriate response.
• Eco-Friendly Timber Makes More Green
  Owners of some timberlands surrounding the Portland, Ore. area have done their best to go green: They've nearly eliminated clear-cutting and herbicide use, and stopped cutting old-growth trees altogether. But to keep the local certified lumber from being lost in stacks of conventional two-by-fours, the logs are being packaged and shipped in an innovative forest to finished product process.
• Latino Construction Workers Face High Injury Risk
  At a time when overall workplace fatalities are dipping, deaths for Hispanics rose 13.6 percent in 2004 and nearly 2 percent more in 2005, the most recent number available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In an effort to reverse the trend, several agencies and organizations are stepping up to fill the information and training gap.
• Bargain Basement
  Basements can be the untapped bonus space for many families. Here are some basement renovation ideas that remodelers can use to inspire their clients.
• Study Finds Home Improvement Outlays Decline
  Statistics from Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies indicate that home improvement expenditures are falling as home sales decline. According to its Remodeling Activity Indicator, homeowners spent about $160.5 billion on improvements and repairs during the past four quarters, only a 1.6 percent increase compared to the previous four quarters.

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