Spring is here!  That means baseball games, flowers blooming and… spring cleaning?  Yes, with longer daylight hours and open windows, we all start seeing (and feeling) the dust that has accumulated over the past winter months.  Spring is the time for replenishing, repairing, and revamping, so why not some remodeling?  Whether it’s just painting a room or finishing an entire basement, Foster Remodeling Solutions wants to refresh your home.

The Little Things

Having a hard time getting the grout clean in your bathroom or kitchen?  Let our handyman come and re-grout and re-caulk your space for a fresh new look.  Replacing the light fixtures and light bulbs (fluorescent of course) can restore the ambiance to any room in your home.  With just a little paint, all your walls, trim, and moldings will look like new.  Adding crown molding or a chair rail will rekindle the love you once had for your home.

Get Outside

Bring the outdoors in by cleaning or replacing your windows, doors and screens.  This will also help keep the cool air inside during the hot summer months while replenishing your bank account.  Decks and patios are great for outdoor entertaining.  This spring, make sure yours is up to code and repair any damages.  No deck?  Foster Remodeling Solutions can build one for you to relax and recharge at after a long day at work.

Organize

Spring cleaning is not only about dusting and disinfecting, it’s also about getting organized.    Make your life simpler with custom cabinets.  Everything in your kitchen, bath, or closet will have a place making things easier to find and keeping clutter off the floor.

Go Green

Clean your newly remodeled home with natural and non-toxic products keeping your family and home healthy.

Enjoy

Want other ideas to help you rejuvenate your home and lifestyle?  Contact us for a free initial consultation.  Let Foster Remodeling Solutions do the repairing and the renovating while you enjoy your life!

written by: Carin Demmon – Design Consultant, Foster Remodeling Solutions, Inc.

The U.S. Department of Energy, through their research, has uncovered factors in modern construction that leads to unhealthy conditions in the home. Within the residential building sector, 38% of the primary energy used is spent on space heating and cooling. A large fraction of this energy is lost through the building envelope [read: you are conditioning the air in the neighborhood]. Sealing is the logical answer, but with the push to go green and seal homes, unhealthy conditions being trapped inside the home have been overlooked.

In the lower level, your foundation walls and floor can rob your home of the warmth or coolness that your HVAC system has expensively created, so the most obvious way to seal warm or cool air in is with insulation. Problem solved, right? NO! Insulation is an easy target for moisture that infiltrates the foundation wall from the outside. The same is true with the floor of the basement; padding is the answer for minimizing heat transfer, so protection is needed here as well. For crawl spaces with a dirt floor there is greater concern since it is easier for water to travel through dirt as opposed to masonry.

Moisture that does not have an easy escape route, now that we have created an energy efficient environment, needs to be channeled away from the home. For the walls, Rigid Sealer™ is a permanent solution for water permeating through the wall, by channeling it beneath the slab while protecting insulation and wall coverings. Installing drywall? Your vertical studs can be adhered to Rigid Sealer™, bypassing the need to nail them into the wall (nails, by the way allow a path for water to traverse - the miniscule space around nails and anchors lead water inside).

For basement and crawlspace floors, a drainage solution is needed to capture water delivered from the Rigid Sealer™ and from around the outside of the foundation.

There are 5 ways water gets in:

1. Through mortar and joints in walls
2. Through sweating and bleeding through pores in walls
3. Over the footer which walls rests
4. Under the footer and through seams where walls meet floor
5. Through cracks or pores in the floor itself

FreeFlo™ is a cutting edge pipe that has numerous properties that make it the most effective  in the industry. The facts back up this boisterous claim:

Architectural Testing out of York, PA sent back results on Water Flow and Flattening that showed upwards of 150% superior efficiency than the next two leading types of pipe (Black Corrugated PVC and White Perforated PVC). Both of these can be found at any Home Depot or similar hardware store. Leave them there on the shelves if your desire is to have a dry basement.

The history of these two products originates from the company who still leads the cutting edge race in product development in the waterproofing world: B-Dry^®. Since 1958, B-Dry^® has been awarded more patents than other waterproofers and have had more solutions installed across the nation (2011 marks a significant achievement with their 300,000th lifetime warranted solution going into a customer’s home). Your benefit comes by having the opportunity for a home that has the best of both worlds. Keep the green and rid yourself of the… clear. Water that is.

Contact B-Dry^® at 800-737-BDRY (2379) or contact your local B-Dry^® directly.

For some Northern Virginia homeowners, it becomes challenging to know where to draw the line. At Foster Remodeling, we can help you decide what to include in your remodeling project. First, you will need to make a few basic decisions.

What Are You Planning to Spend?
Determine your budget. Do what you can afford, then make a plan and stick to it. One of the main reasons people struggle with remodeling projects is because they change their minds constantly once they begin. As a design-build contractor, we sit down with you at the very beginning and look at some ideas in a virtual planner. This way, there will be no surprises.

What Do You Dream About?
Decide the purpose of your custom remodeling project. The focus may be to make your home more comfortable. Maybe you promised yourself when you bought it that, when you had the chance, you would add a garage or remodel that hideous basement. Perhaps that time has come. On the other hand, maybe your bathroom floor is creaking and cracking and you want to replace it before the damage becomes too great.

What Makes Sense?
Families grow. After you have been in your home for a few years, you may decide it needs some improvements to better fit your needs. You may need another bathroom or bedroom. Maybe the kitchen can be renovated to give you more space and a more modern look.

Once you have an idea of what you want, what you need and what you can afford, contact our office. We can show you some options and help you put together a discount remodeling project that will meet your budget and help you narrow down exactly what you want.

Basements and crawlspaces are like our modern day Oedipus. You remember… the guy from Greek mythology… cast out by his father to be left unattended only to come back and do him harm. Well maybe your lower level has not been cast out of your humble abode, but perhaps it has been removed from your mind for some time.

The results of neglect just might harm you – or your home itself. Continuous water leakage can be nuisance to us but to foundations they can spell disaster. One example is this Baltimore home below experienced the results of hydrostatic pressure winning the battle with a basement wall. With the weight of the soil aiding it, this pressure exerts such a force that walls will start to crack, then bow inward, and finally you will end up with a walk out basement.

Check for the following signs that will help you identify poor water control:

-        Soil erosion around the outside foundation wall

-        Gutters discharging next to foundation

-        Efflorescence on walls

-        Discolored/ deteriorating baseboards

-        Warped flooring

-        Rusted items (nails in tack strips, appliances, furniture, ect…)

-        And of course any noticeable water intrusion

The last on this list is the most commonly looked for sign, and rightfully so, but rule out everything else before you pound the gavel and announce ground water as the culprit. Once plumbing and appliances have been eliminated, the next thing to check is if your humidity has consistently been below 60%. Even if you have missed something, it’s a good feeling to know that the contractor you’ve called on can help identify the source of water. B-Dry has earned the tag “The Honest Company” from NBC’s Dateline in this episode where the customer did not have a problem, and B-Dry was the only company that did not try to sell her something that she did not need.

The other side to B-Dry is the ability to act swiftly and accurately to provide solutions for the 80% of homes that the U.S. 2000 Census tells us that will leak in their lifetime. Check out this blog to learn more about the telltale signs above and what to do about them.

In Part 1 we explained what to look for in and around your house when leakage in a lower level occurs. Here we will go into more detail about the signs and sources of leakage and what should be your next steps in correcting them. Let’s jump right in:

Soil erosion around the outside foundation wall

Ring around the foundation. A pre-existing dirt line is evident here and the difference in the original soil level vs. current soil level indicates heavy surface level runoff against the foundation. The down spout (pictured with a cleanout – very good idea) runs 32’ft away from the structure which is more than double the recommended distance for discharge. What else is needed is raised soil against the foundation which should slope downward 6” inches for every 10’ft of distance.

Gutters discharging next to foundation

A ½”rain storm will drop 2,715 gallons of water on a 1/5 acre piece of land. Rain falling within the footprint of your roof gets channeled toward your gutters causing the discharge point to receive a greater volume than what would naturally precipitate in that area. You want your gutters discharging at least 10’ft away and preferably on a slope as described above. Ideally water should be directed to an open land area or drainage swale. Be careful not to direct it towards neighboring property as you want to keep the peace and engage in pleasantries… not fisticuffs.

Efflorescence on walls

Efflorescence is powdery looking substance that is made up of mineral crystals. The minerals in the masonry are lifted towards the surface when water travels through the cement pores. When the water dries, the residue is left on the walls similar to when sweat dries from your skin leaving behind sodium (you know… like the last time you had an intense workout). Brushing efflorescence off or wiping with calcium chloride will clean the area, but water in the masonry should be the main concern. The sources are numerous so this sign coupled with the others will help determine the source.

Discolored/ deteriorating baseboards

In finished areas it is not always possible to see the little signs on the foundation walls or floor but hopefully it doesn’t take a flooded basement to realize there is a problem. Baseboards that are dampened by water will most likely turn colors and/or soften. Small leaks could go unnoticed for years unless attention is paid to the condition of this wood. If discoloration has not happened yet, it still could be water logged and softened – press against different areas to see if deterioration has begun in the wood hiding behind many layers of paint. If you suspect deterioration, use a tool, and not your finger to apply pressure to the base board unless you enjoy getting dirty like that.

Warped flooring

Laying floors that would purposely creak when walked upon to identify intruders is an ancient Chinese building practice in fortresses. Nobody will believe that was the concept you were going for in today’s world so fess up and let them know that your flooring is absorbing water. The right vapor barriers in between the flooring and foundation can help minimize this, but a sub floor drainage system will keep water from even percolating through the concrete.

Rusted items (nails in tack strips, appliances, furniture, ect…)

Rust is so common that we even don’t blink at it. You might consider reacting differently when seen in the lower level as the price to replace an appliance that has rusted the bottom out might cause glossy eyed disbelief syndrome. Keep appliances off the floor with a wooden palette and check areas where the floor meets the wall (cove) for leakage.

There are only 5 ways water enters a home. With minor DIY tips and B-Dry, there isn’t a single problem above that cannot be alleviated. Except for neighbor to neighbor relations… or your workout plan. We can warranty your basement to be free of leakage as long as the house is standing. Problem solved!

Now is the time to start thinking about adding a deck to the back yard to enhance your home. It takes some planning and a little time to secure the permits and materials. By spring, you will be ready for us to come in and begin construction. There are many reasons why Foster Remodeling customers want us to build these Northern Virginia home additions. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Value

When given a choice between buying a home with a deck or without, most people will choose the deck. It is aesthetically pleasing and adds a whole new dimension to a house. Especially for homes with very shady spots in the back yard where grass does not grow well, a deck can enhance the landscaping and cover over large areas that are lacking in natural beauty.

Place to Entertain

A deck is an ideal setting for entertaining guests on a warm summer day or a cool autumn one. Rather than packing a crowd of people into your house, there will always be plenty of room on your deck for family and friends. A fire pit, outdoor kitchen and state-of-the-art sound system will add atmosphere to the setting.

Grilling

Every grill needs a home. Is it time to build one for yours? Think about what it would be like to come out through your sliding glass doors and step onto the deck or patio with a platter full of food waiting to be cooked on your grill. With a deck, there will be a level, solid surface to set up your pride and joy. Many homeowners find it easier to use an outdoor workstation when they are able to sit and enjoy themselves at a picnic table while keeping an eye on dinner.

Pool

For those with a pool in the backyard, a deck is a helpful tool. It prevents grass from dying due to chlorine water exposure. It is also more pleasant for bare feet to walk across wooden deck planks than stepping on stones. Another hazard for pool guests without a deck to walk across is the itch of grass, sting of insects and the annoyance of having debris stick to wet feet.

Outdoor Enjoyment

Perhaps the most popular reason people choose to have Foster Remodeling add a deck to their homes for a special home addition is simply so they can better enjoy the outdoors. While sitting in the grass certainly has its moments, it is also more pleasant to sit in clean and comfortable deck chairs. It serves as a nice workspace for projects and doing homework when the weather is nice.

When you are considering making the move toward a deck as your next home improvement project, contact our office. We can help you from the planning stages through completion, making sure that your new deck is completed on budget and on time.

Through the process of its decay, U (uranium) releases radiation in the form of alpha particles. The release of these particles causes the element to change – it will go through six changes before becoming Rn or Radon. In this gaseous form, radon is also decaying and releasing particles.

The release of these particles from radon is of no concern unless they have been ingested or inhaled, where it becomes most destructive. They will penetrate cell walls causing damage to chromosomes making the cell or group of cells abnormal. These abnormalities give cells characteristics like hyperactive growth and division, protection against programmed cell death, or loss of respect for normal tissue boundaries. These characteristics are known as cancer.

Abnormalities in cells occur independently from this specific example and your body is designed to seek out any cell that was damaged for any number of reasons. However, like most security systems, an overwhelming number of attacks can cripple or overrun the systems put in place to protect the host. No differently, being exposed long-term to higher than normal concentrations of radon increases your risk for developing lung cancer. So where is this gas? Outside, it is everywhere in small concentrations but it is so widely dispersed that there is little to be feared. Where it builds in large concentrations are the places that don’t allow for that dispersal to happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcvoZ1pP3ak&feature=related

EPA Official public service announcement for Radon

When released from the ground it can come from water obtained from wells, through seams into a basement, or through a dirt floor crawlspace. Even just plainly through the windows and doors once opened. Since it originates from the ground, it can even come out of the stone in a kitchen countertop. The highest concentrations of radon in a home are the basement and/or crawlspace and 1^st floors due to their proximity to the ground.

Two of the three American Lung Association’s recommendations to counter this deadly gas are: 1) Source Control and 2) Ventilation. The third, for your reference, is Air Cleaning which cannot be applied here. The layman’s terms are basically to control off-gassing of radon around your home and exhaust this gas out of it before it has the opportunity to accumulate. Most homes with a below grade lower level have a sump pump and a fan unit can be hooked up to it to remove radon before it enters from below. The limitations are the proximity of the suction created as a sump well alone cannot reach the entire square footage of your floor. Above the lower level floor, a fan can expel air out of the foundation wall, however, only after radon has infiltrated the structure. Source control and ventilation to the fullest extent would call for the entire perimeter of the lower level floor to have air flow pulling radon outside and exhausting it at the roof level so it cannot reenter the home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt5c0cW5BL0 ßimbed video

B-Dry Blue Canyon System at work

The only system currently able to boast the ability to accomplish this is the Blue Canyon Dual Ventilation System™. With its inclusion to the B-Dry System™ and the dead air space that it creates beneath the concrete floor, there is continuous collection and expulsion of radon before it penetrates from below. The system extends protection to the side foundation walls by opening the hollow cores and through the vacuum created beneath the concrete floor, it allows radon penetrating the foundation to be pulled out before entering the living area. The cutting edge system has offered exponentially better results than the EPA limit of 4.0 Pi/Cl of radon in homes by showing readings of 0.08 Pi/Cl for a Washington, DC resident. Others tested in Knoxville, TN tested at 0.19 Pi/Cl after the Blue Canyon Dual Ventilation System™ was installed.

Incredible problems take the proper education to learn the best solutions. Visit the B-Dry Educational Resource page on radon for other credible sources.

Home renovation looks so easy on TV.   A complete kitchen or bath remodel move quickly and smoothly from start to finish, and the results are always beautiful. But somewhere between “before” and “after” there are always at least a few speed humps and lots of “I wish I had known that’s.  Budgets skyrocket, tempers flare, deadlines are pushed back, everything in a sense ‘comes crashing down’.  This is what happens when you do not have a sound and proven process in place.

Who doesn’t love to watch home repair shows and do-it-yourself projects?  They give you endless ideas on how to ‘jazz’ up any room or take a sub-par room and make it grand.  And to make it even better, they do it in 2 days!  Can you imagine who wouldn’t want to redesign a room or their whole home if it only took a weekend or a week?  Sound familiar?  Let’s debug some of these reality shows and understand exactly what is going on….

Cost:

Take a simple room re-design show, we have 2 days and a $2500 budget.  BY the end of the weekend we don’t recognize the room, it is painted beautifully, furniture built or purchased (usually from a 2^nd hand store and then refinished), artwork and window treatments purchased and hung.  Now I hate to be a picker but let’s pick this apart.  Unless you have 10 men ready to invest their time in your project for free this just isn’t a reality.  Hiring a painter costs money and time.  One coat is doable in a day, but what about 3?  How many days and men will it take to paint your room to perfection?  You need shoppers, refinishers, painters, builders and someone to put it all together.  Does anyone sleep on this show?  Is everything donated to get their brand name out there?

What about the shows that not only build a new home but also have time to tear it down in a week?  Endless dumpsters, machines and trucks are needed for this.  What about building permits or Electrical or Plumbing Permits?  Those are never mentioned.  How about home inspections and approvals along the way?  Has anyone ever gone to the town zoning board and spoken to a planner?  What about asbestos and lead paint?  But who wants those on a show, booooring.  Have you ever notice most of the homes ‘constructed in a week’ are modular and we never get zoom ins or details views of the final project (roofing, cabinet, painting or tile)?

I am not saying that a handy person could not lay their own tile or wood floor, design their own backsplash and set it, or pick their own paint colors and paint.  In fact, to save on money those are great ideas.  Time wise, you will take longer than the pros – I mean they do this for a living you know.

The reality of reality TV shows it that they are great for DIY simple projects.  They help awaken the creative juices.  Heck, if you want to do a remodeling job, they provide great starting ideas for materials, color schemes, themes and fixture types.  But what they don’t show you is what is underneath the walls you want to change.

Under every painting/poster/wall covering is paint, under every painted wall is drywall, under every drywall is framing and what is inside the framing is your best guess and mine… until that is we take a peek inside.  Water damage, termite damage, missing insulation, missing water/vapor barriers, missing structure and lead paint are just a few of the things on and in your walls that could cause potential renovation problems and cost you more money – but that is the reality and the reality is not pretty for TV.

If you are desperately seeking a design show you can tune in to and see the reality of the remodel, renovation and addition industry tune in to Holmes on Homes.  No he is not paying us to write this.  Plain and simple the disasters and realities he faces on each show are very realistic.  I had to take this excerpt from his show description because I just loved it:

“It’s “buyer beware” when a homeowner contracts a home repair or renovation. The world is full of shady contractors who take shortcuts, use shoddy building practices or employ a band-aid approach to repair work, often leaving homeowners in dangerous situations or out a ton of money. Renovation expert Mike Holmes believes in doing a job right the first time and is making it his mission to expose poor, substandard workmanship in the building industry with his internationally successful show Holmes on Homes. In each episode, Mike rescues homeowners from repair and renovation disasters. Uncovering problems from plumbing and electrical to carpentry and roofing, he shows how the botched job should have been completed, fixing each project properly and helping homeowners make more informed decisions in the future.”

Foster Remodeling can show you before and after pictures and give you endless ideas and options, but if you walk in with the mindset that reality is what you see on TV, your project will never be completed.  With our process we can ensure you the ease you see on TV can be your reality, it just won’t take 2 days and $2500 to get there.  There is a showroom at our office as well, which means you can come ‘shop’ for your favorite materials, cabinets and stone – all just by signing a design agreement.  There is a licensed interior design at your fingertips too.  You can get the remodel of your dreams just by ‘signing on the dotted line’.

We have 27 years of proven experience and over 100 references for you to call.  Those 100 are individual customers and 28 of those customers have come back for more than one project.  Is there anywhere else that gives you that many people to call?  Looks like everyone can do their homework before we begin a project – we do preliminary budgets and designs while you make calls to ensure your comfort and that we are exactly who we claim to be.  All employees are background checked and drug tested, which means the lead assigned to your job that will be in your home managing the project from 2weeks-4 months is a trustworthy individual and you can be comfortable.  We give you a set start date and end date- yes there is a light at the end of the ‘construction’ tunnel.  And to top it off, we give you a 5 year written warranty on all of our workmanship!

Most people say “It was easier than I thought it would be” – now isn’t that music to your ears?  Have you ever heard that phrase on reality TV?

With all that’s been in the news lately about “green” and “environmental and energy efficient” building how can you keep it all straight? We know here at Foster Remodeling Solutions how important these issues can be for our clients so we wanted to provide you some definitions of terminology so you can know exactly what you are getting and what all this new information means.

Below are some of the terms frequently used and what they mean to you:

• Green: This term is thrown around a lot these days, and many people have different definitions of what this means, all in all at Foster Remodeling Solutions our opinion is a green product should be one that should be more environmentally or energy conscious. Many products use this word as a marketing tool without actively fulfilling that consciousness so make sure to ask what makes the product green and how is it more efficient or environmentally safe.
• VOCs: This is an abbreviation for Volatile Organic Compounds. Basically VOCs are vaporous chemicals that can offgas (see definition below) and provide harmful fumes. These are typically found in paints, stains, glues, or sealants. Many manufacturers now offer paint lines with low-VOC content though check and see because sometimes colors may be limited.
• Off-Gassing: The slow release of gas from a product or material, affects the quality of air in the space where product is located, which can be particularly harmful in kitchens.
• FSC: Forest Stewardship Council, a non-profit, non-government rating agency. You will often see “FSC Rated” on wood products, this means that there has been a “Chain of Custody” from when the wood what planted, farmed, cut, and transported to your site. They actively promote responsible forest management; rapidly renewable (see definitely below) woods and try to avoid rare or endangered species, as well as replanting techniques for farms. At Foster Remodeling Solutions we have access to both cabinetry and molding companies that can provide FSC certification for products in your remodeling project.
• Rapidly Renewable Materials: Materials harvested from fast growing sources, those that go from seed to full grown in less than 10 years, bamboo is a great example which can be used as flooring or for cabinets.
• Greywater: is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes such as dish washing, laundry and bathing, this water can be reused for grass watering and other non-consumable uses in your remodel.
• EnergyStar Ratings: A government backed program that rates household products under strict guidelines set by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to protect the environment and promote energy efficient products and practices while saving consumers on lower energy bills.
• Compact Fluorescent: An energy efficient light bulb which uses 20-40% less energy than a standard incandescent light bulb, with many green products these were very costly a few years ago, but with more and more demand and manufacturers prices have come down significantly.
• Low Flow: Plumbing fixtures including faucets, toilets and shower heads that use less water than standard plumbing fixtures, generally without compromising on performance, obviously some manufacturers have been more successful than others on the performance, but these are generally a great way to become more efficient and save money. Also, considering water heaters typically use about 25% of a home’s energy, this is a great way to easily save money in the long term by investing in higher quality products during your kitchen or bathroom remodel. Certain areas of the country have low-flow requirements already in place.
• LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, this is a third party certification designed by the USGBC (see below) which has rating systems for Homes, Commercial Interiors, Core & Shell, New Construction, Schools, Healthcare, Retail and a pilot program for Neighborhood Development. Projects can become LEED Certified (at different levels) by gaining a certain amount of points (dependent on which system used) filing with the USGBC and having a LEED Accredited Professional work on their project.
• USGBC: United States Green Building Council, a non-profit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for the nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. www.usgbc.com