“As a contractor with 16 years of experience and speaking on behalf of professional contractors. I want people to be aware of the warning signs that they may be dealing with the wrong contractor.”

Not every contractor is out to get you. The majority are honest, reputable business owners who strive to do quality work, using good materials at a reasonable cost. In fact, many of these contractors are members of associations such as the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) or the BBB (Better Business Bureau).

For the past three years, I have conducted investigations in contractor/homeowner relations. I have heard numerous stories of why homeowners feel taken by home improvement service providers. Even though we have our own formulas on choosing a contractor the nightmare stories continue to stockpile. On the other hand, I have heard from several contractors of how they feel undercut by the competition and taken advantage of by the homeowner. Yet still, the bickering goes on.

While Mr. And Mrs. Jones wondered when there newly hired contractor would return, they would be able to use their kitchen for nothing other than a sloppy storage room. The Jones’s thought that the contractor they hired to completely remodel their kitchen was superior because he was highly recommended by a friend. They didn’t know that his license had expired along with his insurance and that he had a criminal history. They assumed that he was reputable and failed to check his credentials. So as the Jones’s wait, the contractor holds their money and left them with a completely destroyed kitchen.

How many times have we made a mistake like this and looked for someone else to blame?

After three years of research, it has been proven to me that the famous terms “contractor” and “nightmare” don’t always go hand in hand. Just as we use protection to keep our homes safe, we can use certain tools and resources for successfully screening contractors as we welcome them into our home. Typically, we teach our children to not open the door for strangers, as the same rule should take affect in interviewing a contractor.

During my research, I myself was licensed and bonded as a general contractor. I was also involved with an online contractor referral service. This online service was located in Colorado and promised homeowners in Washington State they would deliver; prescreened, pre-qualified and licensed service trades people at their request. As a contractor I was sent up to 20 job leads a day via email, for jobs I had no experience in. I accepted several of these leads and sold services, by contract, to the majority of these homeowners. At first I was quite successful until my company started to grow. Before I knew it I had an office in Mill Creek, an office staff and 12–15 employees. I was considering the development and expansion of new divisions within my company however, my mistakes were soon to be revealed. I received a phone call from a client complaining of the help that I had placed on the job and our progress. My client proceeded to tell me that my employees were taking 2 hour lunches and taking several 5-10 minute breaks a day. Later another client phoned in with the same concern. Both of these projects were finished late, as I started to focus on weeding out the spoiled help. During this process I had lost control of the remaining projects. As I was firing and disciplining the remaining staff, I was receiving at minimum of three calls a day from angry customers. I felt there was no way out. I finished the last of the projects myself and with the help of my last employee.

While my license had already expired and I was no longer insured however, I was still receiving 20 job leads a day from this same contractor referral. This contractor referral service that promised to screen contractors and deliver them to an already “in fear” public, would refer my company and others I knew who were of the same caliber, licensed or not, insured or not.

P. McDonnell
gooshimo.com gooshimo.com

Some people may say that candles aren’t really a “guy thing”. Well, this is not entirely true. A man’s household says a lot about himself. If you are single, you will dress up if you are interested in meeting a significant other. The same thing goes for the home, guys. There are plenty of ways to tidy up and add small touches that will show that you respect yourself as a man. I have met more women by throwing a wine party and showing that I can clean up and be a respectable host than when I used to throw a keg in the backyard and just throw away the empty pizza boxes.

The most important thing to remember is that candles aren’t about fruity or perfume smells. Choose a candle like a cologne. Take some time to find something you like. A great place to start is your favorite clothing or furniture store. There is a reason that you like those stores and many times they carry candles. I have found great candles at Banana Republic, Pottery Barn and Pier1. Candles set a mood that is powered by two very powerful senses: scent and light. Use these senses to your advantage. Women want to smell musk when they are around a man. Fruity is for girl time, trust me. There is also the advantage of the lighting effect. Candle light creates a natural glow for skin and it accentuates features that actually make people look more attractive. Think of it like beer goggles, but she will actually remember.

The most important thing to remember is that you are choosing the right candle for you. If you like simple style, look for earthtones like brown or green. There is a candle to fit every taste. This is a very easy thing to do, and it is simply complimenting the mood. Stick to moderation. Two candles and one for the bathroom shows thought and style. Whether you are having a party or just inviting over a date, you’ll score some points.

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Cutting ceramic tiles is a very critical activity and basic steps need to be followed to cut them correctly. Various types of tools and safety devices are available for this purpose. Always use a tile cutter to score the surface along the cut line. Cuts are usually along a perimeter, in a corner or around an electrical outlet.

Most saws will accommodate tiles up to 12 inches (30 cm) in size. It’s always advisable to wear safety glasses when cutting tiles. Since you are grinding the tile apart, ensure that the water have sufficient time to cool everything. The cutting procedure involves snapping on the line. Where the off cut is narrow, the snapping process will be very difficult. In this case, use a pair of pliers to gradually nibble away the off cut working slowly towards the scored line. Straight ceramic tile cutters are designed to score fired clay ceramic tiles that have a thin porcelain coating on their surface (glaze). Stone, fully vitrified porcelain tiles and some types of unglazed clay tiles may not cut properly with this type of cutter. Cutting a radius or a U-shape in ceramic tiles without breakage can be a tricky business, hence use a wet saw and nippers. A wet tile saw leaves a clean, smooth edge. A tile setter needs to trim tiles at the installation site to fit the edges of a room. The saw combines a circular blade with a water pump and hose to constantly drench the cutting area with water to reduce friction and cool the surface.

However, ceramic tile is not cut well with sharp blades. The wet-tile saw doesn’t overheat and uses a relatively dull blade with no serrations. It grinds a channel through the tile. A blunt, wide, non-serrated blade uses sharp sand crystals or diamond to cut instead of sharpened metal. The circular blade is fitted with a plastic hose that splashes the blade and tile surface with a steady stream of cool water.

e-CeramicTile.com Ceramic Tile provides detailed information on Ceramic Tile, Ceramic Floor Tile, Ceramic Tile Design, Installing Ceramic Tile and more. Ceramic Tile is affiliated with i-Mosaics.com Mosaic Arts.

Many people choose the rustic home decor, even those who have an urban lifestyle. There is no need for you to live in the country or a log cabin in order to take advantage of some of the unique accents that you can purchase in the rustic home decor style. For those who love nature, camping, and hiking, the deep woods decor is an interesting and functional way to display the things you enjoy so much.

Using a rustic decorating theme doesn’t mean that your house has to look like a cabin in the woods. In fact, you don’t even have to put it in every room in your house, you can try it in just one room or an area of the house and see how you like it. The bathroom and guest room are perfect places to utilize a deep woods theme because you do not see these rooms as frequently as others, so there is less of a chance that you will tire of them.

Guest Room

With this theme, you can choose to paint the interior walls forest green or burgundy to coordinate with the theme colors—or you can choose to paint only one of the walls. Purchasing a quilt with a tree or bear design to use as a bedspread will also enhance the rustic theme. If it’s within your budget, purchase or customize a bed frame from wooden logs in order to give your room the feeling of being in a cabin even while you’re in a Penthouse on Park Avenue.

Windows Decorations

You can use the same fabric as the rest of your theme to decorate your windows. Wall hangings and pictures that match your rustic home décor is also a good choice for use in the room. Another possibility for the walls is photographs of you and your family as you enjoyed an exciting or funny camping trip. A search online for rustic theme items will yield results such as towel hangers, clocks, and a great deal more including those with beer, deer, and tree themes. There is no limit to what you can do with this theme, including that of painting the ceiling so that it is likened to the sky at night, thus giving the impression of sleeping underneath the stars.

Advantage of Using Rustic Home Décor

Unlike many other themed decors, the rustic theme is not one that is trendy and subject to becoming outdated. It is a style that will remain popular, so you don’t have to concern yourself with changing the décor of the room any time soon. Depending on your budget and creativity, you may include many more options than are listed here to become closer to nature while in an urban or suburban setting.

Andrew Caxton is the author of many articles on subjects like living rooms and published at home-decorating-reviews.com home-decorating-reviews.com For additional information on interiors