A couple of weeks after an early June hailstorm hit Naperville and the surrounding communities, my wife Karri and I visited a friends house in North Aurora.

Our friend, who we affectionately call a know-it-all, asked me the following question: Why doesnt the city of Naperville require permits and inspections of all roofing replacement projects in the city? I explained that we work hard to right-size our government, and I dont believe it adds value to the inspection process unless the sheathing of the roof is being replaced. Although adding shingles to existing sheathing needs to be done correctly, it does not impact the structural integrity of the building.

The know-it-alls inquiry stemmed from a pile of mail he had received from many out-of-state roofing companies in the wake of the hailstorm. All promised to come out, inspect his roof, work with his insurance company and perform great work. I am sure some of those companies would do just that, but I also believed that many in that pile were true storm chasers, or contractors only interested in getting work from nave homeowners with the promise their insurance company would pay for it and who would be out of Illinois before any of their work could be tested by the next storm.

Yes, there are some bad contractors out there, but there are also really good ones, too. How do you find the good ones and avoid the bad ones? Below are a few strategies for finding a good contractor:

Use a local contractor. You know the home-field advantage discussed in sports? The same can apply to contracting. If a contractor has three crews (an A team, a B team and a C team listed in order of skill) and three jobs, one of which is local, where do you think he will send the A team? The majority of the time, the contractor will send the A team to the local job, because it has the least amount of travel, and it is the job that could hurt his reputation the most if it has problems. No contractor wants to have problems in his hometown. Fortunately for us, Naperville is a large city with many qualified contractors. There is no shortage of good talent here, so be sure to use your home-field advantage.

Get multiple written quotes. Asking for multiple written quotes allows you to see the range and magnitude of the cost of the project. As much as you want to avoid the highest bid, you should also be wary of the lowest bid, especially if it is significantly lower than the rest. A super-low bid always raises red flags for me and often is an indicator of a bid that has something missing. Ask the contractor to provide you with a detailed quote that lists all services to be performed.

Check insurance. Request a copy of the contractors insurance certificate. If the contractor is doing any dangerous work, like replacing your roof, confirm that the individuals performing the work are actual employees of the company. They are not covered by the companys insurance if they are independent contractors and not employees.

Ask the contractor what percentage of the job needs to be paid up front. At most, you should pay the contractor for only a portion of the job up-front and never more than 50 percent. A good contractor should only ask for full payment when all work has been completed per the contract.

Check references, check references, check references. Did I mention how important it is to check references and for the contractor to know that you will be checking references? Tell the contractor that you will be checking his references before he gives you his quote. This informs him that you are an educated buyer and it increases the chances of receiving an honest quote. Ask for references from work performed in the last year, not the last two to five years. Make sure the list is comprehensive and lists all of the jobs from the last year.

My father replaced his driveway a few years ago. After he obtained a list of references, my dad drove to the homes, looked at the work and knocked on doors to ask some questions of the homeowners. He asked about their satisfaction with the work, the contractors timeliness and other details. After a few of these discussions, my dad knew who he was going to use, and more importantly, who he would never use.

More:
Tips can help in finding the right contractor

By CANDY BROOKS Wednesday August 20, 2014 10:27 AM

When they started school Monday, Aug. 18, students and staff members at three Worthington elementary schools were greeted with new floors, carpets and bright splashes of new paint on the walls.

As part of about $3-million worth of facilities improvements completed over the summer, the interiors at Evening Street, Brookside and Worthington Hills elementary schools were remodeled.

Old tile floors, some of them containing asbestos, were torn up and replaced with a combination of wood-grain vinyl flooring and colorful carpet tiles. Every classroom received a coat of paint.

At Evening Street, each classroom got at least one brightly covered wall to match its door frame. Some are purple, some orange, some bright green.

"It's so nice when you walk down the hall and see the doorways that are so bright and colorful," Evening Street principal Mary Rykowski said.

Teachers added their own touches with painted or refinished cabinets. One classroom even had new seat cushions in a bright matching fabric.

"I think they did an awesome job with all the painting," Evening Street librarian Sharon Strock said.

Because everything had to be removed from classrooms and libraries, it all was cleaned or replaced.

"There's no dust on those books," Strock said. "It's an exciting way to start the new year."

Go here to see the original:
New school year brings fresh look to classrooms

Residents got their first look at the schematics for the proposed new Havre de Grace Middle/High School at a meeting Wednesday. (David Anderson/BSMG)

Replacement of the aging Havre de Grace Middle and High School, which one school board member called a "dream come true," reached a significant milestone Monday night, when Harford County Board of Education members voted 6-2 to approve the proposed schematic designs for the $86.8 million project.

Board Vice President Francis "Rick" Grambo and board member Robert Frisch voted against approving the designs, and board member Joseph Hau was absent.

Board member Thomas Fitzpatrick, who represents the Havre de Grace area, said the project is "a dream come true to a lot of people."

The designs were presented to the public during a forum in the Havre de Grace High School auditorium last week. While most of the people who attended were pleased with the designs for the long-desired replacement, several residents said they are concerned about traffic around the combined middle and high school.

The 240,000-square-foot school will be built facing Lewis Lane, and separate entrances for cars and school buses are both off Lewis.

Board member Cassandra Beverley echoed those traffic concerns.

Lead architect Karen Burlingame, of Grimm and Parker, told board members that because of the ongoing flood control and stream restoration project in the Lilly Run stream, which crosses the campus, construction of additional access to the campus from Juniata Street would add about $1 million to the cost of the project.

Superintendent Barbara Canavan praised efforts to design the exterior of the school, which will have a capacity for 1,300 middle and high school students, including 200 for a computer science magnet program, in a manner that reflects Havre de Grace's history and culture as a maritime and industrial community.

"That sense of warmth is important to the community but it also extends itself to our kids," Canavan said.

See more here:
Designs for new Havre de Grace High approved by Harford school board

Lona Carter-Scanlon, principal at Jefferson Elementary, said temperatures in the 66-year-old school would swing from sweltering hot to freezing cold when the buildings original boiler was used.

It was either hot, like 110, or freezing, like mid-40s-50s depending on how the boiler was feeling, Carter-Scanlon said.

For the first time, students at Jefferson wont be dealing with those temperature extremes anymore.

Several decades-old boilers are being replaced by the Helena school district this summer. New boilers are being installed in the Ray Bjork Learning Center, Jefferson Elementary and Broadwater Elementary.

The boiler projects are one piece of the

$3 million worth of projects the school district undertook across public schools this summer, John Carter, director of support services with the school district, said.

The funds for the boilers came from the elementary building reserve levy that voters passed in November 2013. The levy allocates $1.25 million in taxpayer money to building projects to take care of some of the much-needed maintenance in Helenas elementary schools.

Carter said the boilers replaced this summer removed the only remaining systems that operated off one boiler. The replacements were necessary because the boilers were all reaching their last legs, and if one went down, there was no backup that could have kept the schools functioning.

The new boilers dont run that risk.

For instance, the single boiler at Ray Bjork was replaced with three high-efficiency hot water boilers. Not only will the boilers save money by increasing efficiency by 15 percent, up to 95 percent, they also operate smartly, shutting off one or running on low power if the building has enough heat.

Read more:
New school boilers expected to improve learning environment

(PRWEB) August 18, 2014

Qualified Remodeler, the premier publication serving contractors who specialize in residential and light commercial remodeling has selected Nu Look Home Design as number 51 of the Top 500 Remodelers of 2014!

Nu Look Home Design was chosen as a 2014 Top 500 by the Qualified Remodeler editorial staff for meeting a set of criteria including; installed remodeling dollar volume, total years in business, industry association membership, industry certification, industry awards and community service.

About Nu Look Home Design: Nu Look Home Design has been roofing with integrity, quality, value and service since 1999. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the growing business has locations throughout the east coast, stretching from Virginia,Washington DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. A Platinum Preferred Contractor with Owens Corning, Nu Look Home Design provides top quality Roofing, Replacement Windows, Vinyl Siding, Doors and Gutter Systems with the industrys best warranties. For more information, dial 800-279-5300 or visit our website, http://www.nulookhomedesign.com.

Based on Qualified Remodelers analysis, the Top 500 firms tend to share several common attributes, including excellent business acumen, a commitment to customer service, insightful sales techniques and strong customer loyalty, said Laurie Banyay, managing editor. Were positive these attributes helped put the firms on this list and contribute to their success.

Additional information on the Top 500 can be found in the August issue of Qualified Remodeler and at http://www.ForResidentialPros.com/Top500.

Read the original here:
Nu Look Home Design Named to Qualified Remodeler List of Top 500 for 2014

As the 2014-15 academic year nears, school districts around Burlington County are making sure that construction projects are complete and that hallways and classrooms are spruced up and ready for students.

Some districts are busy at work on projects to be completed by September, when school starts after Labor Day.

kAmx? |@F?E w@==J[ H@C< :D @? D4965F=6 7@C ?6H 962E:?8[ G6?E:=2E:@?[ 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8 2?5 C@@7:?8 2E E96 u](] w@=36:? $49@@= @? {6G:D sC:G6]k^Am

kAm%96 w'pr F?:E 92D 366? :?DE2==65 2?5 E96 C@@7 H:== 36 4@>A=6E65 E9:D >@?E9[ D49@@= 3@2C5 !C6D:56?E $2>F6= $<:A #62=6 yC] D2:5] p ?6H E649?@=@8J =23@C2E@CJ H:== 36 4@>A=6E65 3J E96 DE2CE @7 D49@@= 2E E96 v6CECF56 r] u@=H6== $49@@= @? y24

kAm(6C6 HC2AA:?8 FA AC@;64ED 2?5 86EE:?8 C625J 7@C E96 >2;@C C676C6?5F> AC@;64ED 😕 a_`d[ #62=6 D2:5]k^Am

kAm'@E6CD 2AAC@G65 Se]h >:==:@? 😕 3@?5D E@ >@G6 7@CH2C5 H:E9 2 Sa_ >:==:@? AC@;64E 2E E96 5:DEC:4ED E9C66 D49@@=D] %96 DE2E6 😀 C6:>3FCD:?8 E96 5:DEC:4E 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96 4@DED]k^Am

kAm|@DE @7 E96 H@C<[ :?4=F5:?8 ?6H w'pr F?:ED[ 7:C6 2=2C>D[ D64FC:EJ DJDE6>D 2?5 @E96C FA8C256D[ H:== 36 5@?6 @G6C E96 ?6IE 76H J62CD[ DE2CE:?8 ?6IE DAC:?8]k^Am

kAm!6>36CE@? %@H?D9:A 😀 HC2AA:?8 FA 2 S`]d >:==:@? 42A:E2= FA8C256 2E D6G6C2= D49@@=D[ :?4=F5:?8 @?8@:?8 2D36DE@D C6>@G2= 2?5 232E6>6?E] p== AC@;64ED 2C6 @? EC24< 2?5 D9@F=5 36 7:?:D965 :? E:>6 7@C E96 DE2CE @7 4=2DD6D $6AE] c[ 244@C5:?8 E@ !2E pFDE:?[ 5:DEC:4E 3FD:?6DD 25>:?:DEC2E@C]k^Am

kAm%96 3F=< @7 E96 7F?5:?8 H:== A2J 7@C 2 ?6H C@@7 7@C E96 w@H2C5 {] t>>@?D $49@@= @? $4C2A6E@H? #@25[ 2?5 4@>A=6E6 E96 C6A=246>6?E @7 E96 y@D6A9 $] $E24<9@FD6 $49@@= @? %C6?E@? #@25[ pFDE:? D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 AC@;64E =:DE :?4=F56D E96 C6A=246>6?E 2?5 6IA2?D:@? @7 D:56H2=< 2C62D 2C@F?5 E96 !6>36CE@? t2C=J r9:=59@@5 t5F42E:@? r6?E6C @? pC?6JD |@F?E #@25]k^Am

Read this article:
Burlington County schools gear up for 2014-15

Spruce Grove AB Sloped Roofing|(780) 800-7295|Edmonton Replace Shingle Roof
http://edmontonroofingpros.ca/ 780-800-7295 Call Today! Thanks for visiting Edmonton Roofing Pros, your Edmonton roofing experts! Since 1980, we have served ...

By: Edmonton Roofers

Read the original post:
Spruce Grove AB Sloped Roofing|(780) 800-7295|Edmonton Replace Shingle Roof - Video

Tofield AB Residential Flat Roofing|780.800.7295|Millwoods Edmonton Flat Roof
http://edmontonflatroofer.com/ (780) 800-7295 Edmonton Flat Roofer - Give us a call to find out the cost for flat roof replacement. Residential or smaller Co...

By: Edmonton Flat Roofer

Continue reading here:
Tofield AB Residential Flat Roofing|780.800.7295|Millwoods Edmonton Flat Roof - Video

Aluminum Shake Roofing Honolulu Call Today 808-377-6572 Aluminum Shake Roofing Honolulu
http://roofinghawaii.org/honolulu-roofing-contractors/ Aluminum Shake Roofing Honolulu Call Today 808-377-6572 Aluminum Shake Roofing Honolulu When it comes ...

By: Jim Manu

See original here:
Aluminum Shake Roofing Honolulu Call Today 808-377-6572 Aluminum Shake Roofing Honolulu - Video

Cool Roofing Honolulu Call Now 808-377-6572 Cool Roofing Honolulu
http://roofinghawaii.org/honolulu-roofing-contractors/ Cool Roofing Honolulu Call Now 808-377-6572 Cool Roofing Honolulu When it pertains to roofing issues it can be both tough and pricey....

By: Jim Manu

See more here:
Cool Roofing Honolulu Call Now 808-377-6572 Cool Roofing Honolulu - Video