Many state and county organizations have enacted ordinances that require that all recyclable products generated by construction be disposed of in an environmentally friendly recycling manner instead of letting these materials take up more room in a landfill. You will want to familiarize yourself with the requirements in your community. If these ordinances apply to your area, your services would be all the more valuable since those running the construction, demolition, and renovation projects will be responsible for making sure that these materials are disposed of in a manner which will not slow down their project and that will still fulfill their legal obligations to the state or county. Construction businesses would much rather employ your service than pay penalties for disposing of their metal materials in an inappropriate manner!

Depending on the metal being recovered, you may even be able to make more money by the recycling of these materials. You will want to be familiar with the recycling facilities in and around your area to make the most profit possible.

Also, keep in mind that people in residential areas also have metal that they will need disposed. You will likely be able to reach these people via online community boards or by signing up for services such as Freecycle where people advertise items which they wish to get rid of at no cost. While they will not be paying you to pick up these metal items, you will likely still be able to make a pretty profit by selling the metal by the pound to your local metal recycler.

Your first plan of action will be to get yourself in touch with the people who are looking for you! You could advertise your services on your own website listing the metals you are willing to retrieve, the methods you are able to employ to remove these materials, as well as a set fee per hour, or per pound, of materials moved. No matter which media you choose to use to advertise your services (online or off), be sure to provide a local phone number, as well as email address, so that your potential customers can request estimates or ask about specific details of the services you are available to offer. Also, be sure to list the localities that you would be willing to travel to and when you are generally available to perform these tasks.

You may also want to advertise your ‘per hour’ services by running a visible ad in a local phone directory. List your business with any applicable online business directories. You may also advertise by printing up flyers and posting them in places where professionals and nonprofessional people in your area (who would be more likely to need your services) would more likely frequent. Be sure to include popular lunch places and coffee shops! Most post offices and grocery stores also have bulletin boards that they will allow you to place an advertisement on. Be sure to take advantage of any public bulletin boards in your immediate area to find the people who are looking for you and your services. In no time at all, you will have built up a large client base, many by word of mouth as they witness your professional services in action!

Pests are found all around you, no matter in which part of the world you come from or belong to. Therefore, pest control is a necessity everyone has at all times of life, and a service worth starting. Offer professional weather stripping on doors and windows. This will also keep the warm in when winter comes!

One of the sure-fire methods of pest control is with weather stripping. The most common material used for weather stripping is foam tape as it is flexible and comfortable for sealing tight radius curves when required. Weather stripping not only, can be used in the house but also on vehicles to replace seals on doors and hatches to prevent rattles, leaks, and pests. In fact, weather stripping also helps in waterproofing and prevents air leaks.

A point to remember in pest control is that pests need moisture to survive. Pests like carpenter ants never nest in healthy, dry wood. They may wander to find moisture from other sources, but they always need a food source near the moisture source. This is the reason to make sure to detect any leaks in your client’s house and to get them fixed immediately. These repairs may be expensive, but in the end will save the client a great deal of money.

The most likeable entry points for pests will be the points where phone lines, gas lines and cable lines enter the home. So as a pest exterminator get these points caulked well. Get the client to replace worn out screens, as they provide favorite entry for larger pests like squirrels, wasps, and silverfish.

Advise your client to use yellow or non-insect attracting light bulbs on the porch and patio, as bright lights tend to attract pests. Thus, when the door opens, these pests will enter the house. In the case of windows and screen doors, it is necessary to have fine mesh screens installed and kept in good shape. This is because any holes only invite more pests into the house! You could offer the installation of this fine mesh screening to your client.

Clutter in the basement, attic and garage is a common site to most house-owners. However, this clutter invites the infestations of insects, spiders, and rodents in the house. Moreover, with this clutter, you will find it rather difficult to inspect and treat the problematic areas. Getting rid of this clutter may seem impossible to the client, so you could advise using sealed tubs that can be tightly sealed and stacked away for storage purposes.

Pests can contaminate food also. This is the reason it is better to seal all open foods in airtight containers to avoid moisture harboring any pests. Make sure that the gutters of the client’s house are all clean, as water with leaves clogged in the gutter proves to be the ideal breeding spot for many insects and other pests. Moreover, trees and shrubs that overhang the house are great for insects and squirrels to enter the client’s house. So make sure that all trees and shrubs are trimmed and not in close proximity to any windows or sills. Once you provide all this information for pest control, people will find that their pests are under control, and thus recommend your services to others!

Write down all of your advice as an informational and helpful report, so that the homeowners can use it to plan and update the security of their homes. Offer as many solutions as you can for all of the different problems, or possible problems, you may find.

You can also give a positive report after you have inspected their home. This could help them lower insurance costs if they share the information with their insurance company. Some insurance companies will offer lower rates for their clients if they have invested in and installed safety systems for a safer home.

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It will be important for you to keep up with all the new devices that can be installed for safety in homes. Interviewing your homeowners will help you suggest solutions that they are able and willing to pay for.

You will need to inform yourself of all the typical ways that homes are broken into, especially in your area of the world. This can change on a regular basis also, as new ways to break into homes change constantly.

When you schedule appointments with people, it would be a good idea to research their area or neighborhood. Be prepared to offer advice that might be more specific for their particular area. If you can, inform them of particular problems experienced by their neighbors because of the style or design of their homes in the area.

If you are not sure where you can find important statistics of crimes in different neighborhoods, you can check with your local police departments, courthouses, and check for newspaper articles too. Some areas even post their information on web pages and there are web reports that you can find data from, there a few included in the resource section below.

If you let your local police departments all around you know that you are offering this type of service, they may be happy to refer residents to you that are asking for help.

Be sure to advertise your services in local newspapers and phone directories. You could also post your services on local bulletin boards that allow postings from local customers and businesses. Common places that people visit on a regular basis like coffee shops, pastry shops, bookstores, gas stations, and grocery stores are good places to post your security business information.

If you simply must have the burning wood, go for it! However, if it is merely the ambiance you are after, there is an alternative to the trouble and expense. Plus, for anyone with enough conviction, the venture could amount to profit!

This concept began a while back when I was cruising e-bay and noticed that there was a woman who was selling patterns for fake fireplaces that she developed. With her design, a little cardboard, wood, and some brick, a person could construct their very own faux fireplace, and she could make some money. Quite honestly the pictures of her finished product did not look too bad. However, what I wanted was something more solid – something fake that truly appeared real. And my odyssey began…

Coincidentally a family had just moved out of a house down the street, and left a huge throwaway pile for the trash man in their front yard. Yet, atop the pile of refuge stood an old wood desk. It was posing with the drawer sides down, which gave it a squared-off “U” shape. My daughter said, “Gross”, and I said, “There’s my fireplace!”

We hauled the monstrosity into the house and I placed it in the corner of my living room, with the desktop toward the wall, drawer side down, and the “U” shape facing out.

Now, keep in mind that using an old desk is not a “have to” with this project. It is more important to find the remnants of something that you prefer the shape of, even if that is a non-traditional form. The only necessity, of course, is that you are ultimately able to create a space within it to place candles, lights, or electric logs.

Once you have found your “shape”, locate the materials you want to use. Do not be afraid to be creative! One thing I learned as a former theater designer is that objects can be made to look like anything if you do not stifle your imagination.

Below is the process I used in creating my fireplace, and the materials I selected. Alter the process according to your “vision”.

I gathered 10-15 large gray floor tiles. These I broke with a hammer, as I wanted a stone-look to the fireplace, and needed the tile pieces to be in all different shapes and sizes. Note: If you attempt breaking tiles, please use caution! The tiles will be very sharp and can easily cut flesh. By all means do not hold the tiles while you are breaking them!

With a large tube of landscaping adhesive I attached the broken tiles to the front, sides, and top of the desk, leaving a 1/4 to 1/2-inch gap between tiles for filling. This took all of 30 minutes.

Once the tiles were secure, I mixed some dark gray mortar, (just as you would use for flooring) and spread it over the tile pieces, filling in all the gaps. The idea is to make a level surface with the mortar and the tiles in order to give the fireplace the look of a stone finish. Note: I advise wearing rubber latex gloves when doing this as the tiles are still very sharp, and the mortar tends to sting your skin.

After the mortar has been applied, use a bucket of warm water and a sponge to clean the tiles and remove excess mortar. Do not wait until the mortar has dried to clean the tiles. I have discovered that once the mortar has dried, especially when using a light colored tile, the mortar will permanently stain the tile. Therefore, it is best to clean while the mortar is still wet. Mortar will take about 24 hours to fully set.

With black hi-gloss enamel paint; paint the inside of the “U”, (or whatever opening you have). The black gloss finish will allow the glow from lights or candles to be amplified when you’re using the fireplace. (It is a nice effect!)

Not having brick at my disposal, I gathered some 4X4 squares of leftover wood and attached them to the floor on the interior of the “U”. I also lined the blocks along the floor at the front of the fireplace to create a hearth. Once done I stained the wood blocks.

Using some old brick-look paneling I cut an arch with a circular saw and attached it to the fireplace to give the face a rounded opening. I attached this to the opening with some more landscaping adhesive.

Mortar dry, I then covered all of the surfaces of the fireplace with two coats of polyurethane to give the piece a smooth and glossy finish.

On the interior I placed a customary grate, which I loaded with logs and wrapped with red Christmas lights. Some people like to use candles at varying levels, or purchase electric logs.

Top off your creation with a fireplace screen and utensils.

Within a few days after my fireplace was “installed” a neighbor came to my house because she claimed she had “heard” about it and wanted to see for herself. She stared, running her hands over the finish for quite some time, and then said, “O.k., I want one. Where did you order it from?” I proceeded to try and tell her how I had made it and she said, “Yeah, yeah…I know you had to put it together, but I need to know what company you got it from, and how much you paid. What was it, about $500?” (She is still a non-believer…)

Perhaps it is the artist in me that feels that once I paint a picture it cannot be painted again, I am not sure. But, I have been offered “jobs” now making fireplaces for other people, though it is not something I am inclined to do. However, the prospect does obviously offer great potential.

Creating your own faux living room centerpiece is a joy, and a great source of pride. Perhaps for someone it could also be a great source of income using a little creativity, a little junk, and a brief presentation to the right neighbor!

Be sure and check out my Latest section in Homebuilding Questions entitled Business Ideas you will find an expanding list of Small Business Opportunities.

Learn the business of bathroom resurfacing

With the fluctuating housing-market most people want their home to maintain as much market value as possible. Usually, an impressive kitchen or bathroom is what really cinches the deal for prospective homebuyers. While most people do not have the funds to completely remodel their bathrooms, most can afford to fix up what is a major focal point for their bathroom – their bathtub! And, you are just the person to do the job!

Even if a consumer is not looking to put their home on the market to sell, they are always concerned with maintaining a home that is welcoming, attractive, and tidy looking. Resurfacing their bathtub can go a long way toward this goal and can be accomplished for a relatively low price. In some cases, their bathtub may just need painting to match a new color scheme or have anti-slip materials applied inside to make it safer for children or elderly persons who might be using it.

In some cases, you may just want to educate your potential customers on the services available to them. Many people are not even aware that these kinds of services exist! Once people find out how relatively inexpensive your services are, they will be a lot more likely to call and have you perform them. You can charge around $150 – to completely repaint a bathtub.

If you do not already have the skills and job experience needed to start your own bathtub resurfacing business, you can easily receive the training, to perform these services, in a very short amount of time and for a relatively inexpensive fee. One company offers training that lasts for a single weekend and costs less than $500. Other courses advertise that their training costs only $149 and can be completed online. Whichever kinds of training you decide to undertake, it is well worth the price; considering the fact that you can earn around $100 an hour doing this kind of work!

You should really do your homework before going out to visit a potential client. There are many kinds of bathtubs and each requires its own form of tender loving care. For instance, did you know that there are at least five different kinds of tub surfaces that you will need to know how to work with? The most common kinds of tubs are porcelain, fiberglass, acrylic, cultured marble, and the good old-fashioned claw foot tubs. Then of course, there are people who already have an aged tub liner that will need replacing or modernizing.

If the homeowner’s current tub is porcelain, what kinds of options should you let them know about? First, let them know that it is entirely normal for tubs like this to start showing their age after about 15 – 20 years. If their tub is older than that, your services will likely provide a night and day change. Such tubs tend to chip and crack easily. They usually become dull, porous, and unattractive. They can be especially hard to get clean and most products usually used to clean tubs such as powder bleaches can make a porcelain tub’s surface look even worse. Keep in mind, that once you have made their tub look like new, they may also want you to apply your magic to their sink as well so they match!
It would seem that Miracle Method and Permaglaze are the most frequently recommended products used to spruce up tubs. There are, however, more products on the market. You will want to decide which method is easier and the most cost effective to use in your business.

As a side note, there is always a market for resurfaced claw foot tubs. Since they are very difficult and costly to come by, you can find damaged ones and resurface them, selling them at a fabulous profit.

Check out my Business Startup Ideas Section of Homebuilding Questions for more great business ideas….Adding new Ideas daily!

1. Know your audience. This is the single best piece of advice for delivering a presentation that really hits home. What are there interests? Their backgrounds? Why are they coming to hear you speak or present? What ideas do you have to share with them? Approaching your speech as more of a “me-to-you” discussion rather than a full-blown broadcast will make it more manageable (and less stressful) and easier on you.

2. What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? What’s really at the heart of your presentation? By concentrating on the “end result” rather than slogging through the beginning, you can create a powerful punch that drives home your message instead of rambling on and losing your audience’s interest (or missing the point entirely!)

3. Share a story. In public speaking circles, this is called a “hook”? Something that gets your audience’s attention and makes them sit up and listen. Start off by asking questions or sharing an experience you had. People like to be active, rather than passive listeners. By giving them something that they can identify with, you’ll find that these people are, in essence? Just like you! And that makes giving a presentation a whole lot easier. Just be sure your story has a beginning, a point, and an ending. There’s nothing quite as bad as telling a story to an engaged audience and then forgetting why you told it!

4. If you’re selling a product, focus on the benefits instead of the features. People would much rather hear WHAT a product can do for them than HOW it does it. Narrow down your product’s features until you get to the core of how it solves a problem. If you need help with figuring out the difference between a feature and a benefit, ask yourself “So what?” For example, if you’re selling a vacuum cleaner that has a hypoallergenic filter, put yourself in the customer’s shoes and ask yourself “so what?” The answer would be something like, “It picks up dust, mold and pet dander”. Again, “so what?” Answer, “You’ll feel relief from runny nose and sneezing plus itchy, water eyes.” Now That’s a benefit!

5. Don’t lean too heavily on media to make your message clear. PowerPoint presentations are great for making specific points, but they can be overwhelming, or downright boring. Instead, give your audience something to DO by providing them with fill-in-the-blank flip charts or “team activities”. These help reinforce and emphasize your message in ways that a computer presentation simply cannot.

6. Above all, make sure your speech ends in a way that reiterates the beginning. Too often, speakers get carried away with the details and leave their audiences asking, “What was the point of all that?” People naturally digest information in “chunks”, so focus on the big picture rather than all the pieces. If the details are just as important, save it for an after-speech handout that the audience can take with them and read over at their leisure.

If you keep these six tips in mind, you’ll not only have an easier time overcoming your fear of public speaking, but you’ll have a very appreciative audience who will in turn be more receptive and eager to try your product or service. Go get them!

Original Publisher: Window and Door Weekly

As always you will find the most up to the minute information atHomebuilding Questions.com

Photo Release — Consumers Digest Awards Kolbe’s Latitude Series as a “Best Buy” for Premium, Vinyl Replacement Windows

WAUSAU, Wis., Sept. 24, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recognized as having exceptional value in today’s competitive marketplace, Kolbe’s Latitude Series received a Consumers Digest Best Buy rating for premium, vinyl replacement windows. According to the publication’s research, the premium designation is awarded to the products that “offer all the features a top-of-the-line buyer would want” for the greatest value.

Kolbe’s Latitude Series provides a full line of premium quality, vinyl windows and patio doors for both commercial and residential new construction and renovation applications. Combining traditional aesthetics with an ENERGY STAR® rating, these products rely on high-performance LoE glass as standard to deliver energy-efficiency, helping save money on heating and cooling bills. These units offer 0.30 U-Factor and 0.28 solar heat gain coefficient, qualifying for national home improvement tax credits.

Featured in Consumers Digest’s September/October issue, among the attributes highlighted on Kolbe’s Latitude Series windows, the article states: “What sets this series apart from other models is that these windows have the best overall aesthetics and open, close and tilt better than all other vinyl models…. No other model’s interior surface has more seamless joint construction or does a better job of replicating the look of a wood-grain finish than this series does.”

On average, a Consumers Digest Best Buy rating is awarded to less than three percent of competing models in any given product category. Selected products are nationally available and manufactured by a reputable company with a national dealer and support service network. Kolbe’s website offers an easy, ZIP code search tool to find the nearest dealer and suppliers.

To learn more about Kolbe’s Latitude Series and replacement windows, please call 888-831-5589 or visit Kolbe-Kolbe. For more information on Consumers Digest Best Buys, please visit Consumer Digest.

What began in 1946 as a two-brother team has grown into an internationally respected manufacturing company. Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co, Inc. remains a privately held, community-oriented business located in Wausau, Wis. Covering nearly one million-square-feet, its state-of-the-art facilities feature high-tech machinery and a design center to present the creative possibilities offered by Kolbe windows and doors.

CONTACT: Heather West PR
Media Contacts:
Heather West
612-724-8760
heather@heatherwestpr.com

Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co. Inc
Cindy Bremer
715-847-0570
cbremer@kolbe-kolbe.com

globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=202309

Blog Note: I’m excited to share this post as the Kolbe Latitude Series Window is one of our featured products. I have been fortunate to surround myself with the highest quality products available in the Home Building Industry.

In the article Mr. O’Toole reminisces about the fact that from 1933 till 2007 the national average price of new and existing homes increased every year. Everyone took for granted that property investment was a good thing. For an ever increasing number of people the thought of home ownership was becoming a reality.

But then a bigger reality set in and we all learned that the indicators of the housing market needed to be more than mere unit sales numbers. What we have learned is that this market is the sum of hundreds of smaller product and service markets all working together.

The Voice of Reason has shown us that in order to do more than survive, in other words to thrive in this new world of home construction and renovation one must work to build and keep strong relationships with each of these groups.

Product supply focus must be on best value, high quality products provided by reliable, stable manufactures through value added supply sources with proven records of long term product service.

The trades involved in every project must provide high quality value added products and service helping ensure the success of the next two parts.

The financial sector must establish systems to protect buyers both from poor quality investments in lower quality homes and from their own short sited desires to own more home than they might be able to manage.

Lastly and I think most importantly, builders must develop strong relationships with their home buying or remodeling clients. I can not stress enough how important some sort of satisfaction survey and following up on any consumer concerns can be to the long term health of a company in today’s housing market. Satisfied consumers can become your greatest selling tool and your least expensive one. These efforts do not cost builders but in the long run save money and I think that’s the bigger picture here, doing things for the long run.

We were very fortunate and successful during the entire period of the last couple of years because we stayed focused on these four areas as a regular ongoing part of business. Always over deliver and constantly work to build quality relationships and success will be yours too. My Homebuilding Questions Biography is where I share my over 30 year background in the homebuilding industry.

Subscribe to this blog with the link above and I will keep you current on the latest products and trends in the world of Home Building and Remodeling.

If you have been affected by the Housing Industry Downturn then please share your thoughts with us here, and help me spread this message by favoring or Retweeting

As temperatures drop it is more common to see moisture develop on the interior of window sill and glass surfaces. Left unchecked this can cause deterioration of the interior finish. It is important to understand that this moisture is a result of humidity in the air inside the room which is condensing on the cooler window surfaces. This does not mean you have faulty windows. In fact we see this very often in new homes with new high quality windows because during the first year there is a lot of moisture being released from the building products used in the walls.

The solutions involve taking efforts to keep interior humidity levels down. Do not keep too many plants near the window area as they give off excess moisture. Monitor humidity levels in rooms with window condensation concerns. Consider using a dehumidifier if humidity leaves remain above 30% in the winter months.

Creating a small amount of air movement around the window area will help restrict the condensation process. This can be accomplished by reversing ceiling fans so they move the air up and across the ceiling pushing the air back down the exterior walls. This gives the added advantage of moving the heat off the ceiling and sending it back into the room. If you don’t have ceiling fans but do have forced air heat then consider running the fan only for short periods of time to create air movement around window areas

If you have heavy drapes or curtains then I would advise opening them for a period of time during the day to equalize temps as this will help dry up any condensation that might form overnight.

If your home has existing wood windows and you have found signs of previous moisture such as dark water spots or lifting of the polyurethane finish, then I would encourage refinishing those surfaces to prolong the life of your wood windows.

Please visit my site Homebuilding Questions to find answers to any home building or home remodeling questions.