Parrish Construction

Archive for the ‘Advice to Clients’ Category

Your “Winter’s Coming” Checklist

Thursday, September 15th, 2011 Posted in Advice to Clients, Disaster-Fire, DIY Home Improvements, Freezing Temp. Problems, Frozen Pipes, Handyman/Small Jobs, Heating/Cooling, Home maintenance, Insulation, Money-Saving Tips, Plumbing, Safety Hazards, Seasonal Considerations, Timely Home Upgrades, Waterproofing, Windows & Doors, Winter | No Comments »

Conserve and Protect: that’s what winterizing is about.  Homes can take a beating in our cold Colorado winters, and so can your heating bill. After some education and practice, winterizing will become as natural a rhythm to a homeowner as is flying south ...

Spice up Your Life: Tips and Recipe

Friday, March 25th, 2011 Posted in Advice to Clients, Custom Cabinets, Handyman/Small Jobs, Kitchens, Money-Saving Tips, Seasonal Considerations, Spring | No Comments »

How many bottles of rosemary would you find in your spice cabinet or drawer if you looked right now? If you’ve ever purchased an herb or spice you thought you were out of, only to find that you already had ...

Q: Last spring I had a flood in my basement from a broken water pipe. The plumber said it was caused by a frozen yard faucet. Why did it wait until spring to leak?

Thursday, March 17th, 2011 Posted in Advice to Clients, Basements, DIY Home Improvements, FAQ, Flood, Flooding, Handyman/Small Jobs, Insurance- Home, Money-Saving Tips, Safety Hazards, Spring, Timely Home Upgrades, Winter | No Comments »

A: “Frost proof” sillcocks are designed with a long extension tube to allow the water valve to shut off deep inside the wall where the heat of the house will keep the water from freezing. If the garden hose is ...

A Bathroom Built for Two

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011 Posted in Additions, Advice to Clients, Bathrooms, Space-Saving/Organization | No Comments »

If you are like most working professionals, you spend most of your day at your job, in your kitchen fixing up dinner or in your bedroom asleep. The bathroom is probably the room you spend the least amount of time ...

Talk is Cheap, Problems Aren’t

Monday, October 18th, 2010 Posted in Advice to Clients, Blueprints, Construction Contract, Construction Process, Costs, Design-Build, Getting Started, Money-Saving Tips, Remodeling Concerns, Remodels/Additions | No Comments »

By Larry Parrish, CR, CGR, CAPS, GACP   Com·mu·ni·ca·tion—The exchange of thoughts, messages, or the like, as by speech, signals, or writing.  (From The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language).   Communication is important.  During construction, poor communication can be very expensive.  One ...

Fear of Remodeling

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010 Posted in Additions, Advice to Clients, Affiliations, Costs, Estimation, Getting Started, Remodeling Concerns, Remodels/Additions | No Comments »

By Larry Parrish, CR, CGR, CAPS, GACP I’ve had many clients through the years say they wish they had remodeled their homes sooner. Some built additions after the children were grown and gone, and wish the children had been able to ...

Q- It’s Fall and will start to freeze soon at night. What can I do to prevent frozen pipes?

Saturday, October 9th, 2010 Posted in Advice to Clients, Basements, DIY Home Improvements, Energy-Saving Tips, Fall, FAQ, Flooding, Freezing Temp. Problems, Frozen Pipes, Heating/Cooling, Insulation, Plumbing, Spring, Timely Home Upgrades, Ventilation, Winter, YouTube Videos/"Larry on the Level" | No Comments »

A--As we all settle in for the upcoming Winter, it is worthwhile to consider one aspect of the new season that is not pleasant—frozen water pipes. Whether you are new to our climate or a “seasoned” veteran, a review of ...

Q—We live in an old house. I’m pregnant, and concerned about lead based paint. How can I find out if our house has lead based paint, and how do I remove it?

Saturday, April 10th, 2010 Posted in Advice to Clients, Affiliations, Drywall Repairs, FAQ, Green Building Topics, Historic Homes, Materials- Construction, Paint, Safety Hazards, Ventilation | No Comments »

A—Many homes built prior to 1978 contain some lead in the paint. Prior to 1950, almost half of all paint contained large amounts of lead. In 1978, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of lead in paint for ...

Q—Is My Attic Fan Poisoning Me?

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 Posted in Advice to Clients, Energy-Saving Tips, FAQ, Heating/Cooling, Safety Hazards, Summer, Ventilation | No Comments »

A—An alert reader has contacted me with a safety concern related to attic fans. He referred me to an article which details a study conducted on the safety of these fans. This study concluded that under certain conditions, attic fans ...

Q: Will I need a building permit for this project?

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 Posted in Advice to Clients, Boulder contractor, Construction Process, DIY Home Improvements, FAQ, Getting Started, Handyman/Small Jobs, Money-Saving Tips, Remodeling Concerns, Safety Hazards | No Comments »

A: Virtually every construction project other than minor cosmetic work (such as replacing cabinets) requires a building permit in both the city of Boulder and Boulder County. This includes many projects normally considered landscaping, such as decks and fences. Permits ...