Minneapolis General Contractor Tips: Prepare Your Home for Spring

March 19, 2014 | General Contractor

Spring is finally in the air, and for most home owners, it’s a much anticipated arrival. The end of winter means more than just sunshine and fresh flowers – you’ll also need to help your house recuperate from the cold season and get it ready for the warmer months that lie ahead. Today we have some Minneapolis general contractor tips to aid you in the springtime transition.

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MN Remodeling Contractors Tips: Winter Care Tips for Your Home

January 28, 2014 | Home Improvement

So far this year, winter has lived up to its reputation as an unpredictable and powerful force to be reckoned with. With large snowstorms like the polar vortex, the turbulent season has already wreaked a great deal of havoc on a large swath of the country. Today the MN remodeling contractors of Schoenfelder Renovations have even more tips for aiding your home in the battle against potentially dangerous winter weather.

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MN General Contractor Tips: Prepare Your Home for Winter

November 27, 2013 | Home Improvement

The winter season is well on its way, and it will be bringing more than just holiday cheer with it. Soon icy roads and snowcapped roofs will dominate the landscape. Is your home ready for the impending onslaught of rough winter weather? Today we have some MN general contractor tips to help you prepare your home for winter.

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Hail Damage and Insurance Claims: How It Works

August 7, 2013 | Home Improvement

There’s almost nothing quite as frightening to a homeowner as the sounds of click-clacking hail on the roof. Well, that fear became reality to the many residents of Eagan and Eden Prairie just the other night. In fact, the damage got to be so bad even the Eden Prairie police squad took a hit. Ouch. But don’t fret; Schoenfelder Renovations is in the damage restoration and roofing business to work with local residents of Minnesota like no other roofing companies can.

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Metal Coatings

June 27, 2011 | Home Improvement

Did you know: 70% of iron railings are coated with paint systems designed to allow rust within 24 months. 85% of the cost of recoating railings is contained in the labor Traditional metal coatings did not slow rust down, they just covered it up. High performance coatings have 10 times the ability to slow the growth of rust By using high performance coatings, you can triple the lifespan of a metal coating.

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Price Increases

December 27, 2010 | Home Improvement

In August of 2010 and again in December of 2010, PPG and Sherwin Williams instituted across the board price increases of 6%. They based this on increasing prices for titanium dioxide. The price increase applied to all paint and sundries, even ones that did not contain titanium. Likely the primary reason behind the price increase is the falling strength of the dollar. Most construction materials are now purchased on a world market. Prices for titanium, gypsum, copper, aluminum, petroleum, acrylic, etc all rise and fall with world supply and demand, but also on the strength of the local currency. A falling dollar will buy you less titanium from China, even as overall demand has not risen significantly. The same applies to oil, which explains why we are paying $3. per gallon at the pump. As the world economy recovers, demand will likely compound this effect. At Schoenfelder Renovations, once a … Continued

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Finding a Contractor

October 13, 2010 | Home Improvement

Originally written for New Concepts Management Newsletter Other than attorneys, contractors do not have a very good reputation for customer service. This reputation is mostly caused by the public’s buying habits. Price is the easiest factor to compare, and too often this is where the decision is made. When hiring a contractor to work on your association or your home, there are several areas that are consistently forgotten. You are purchasing both a product (the materials) and a service (the service and installation of the materials). Buyers gather the bids and then decide based on the easiest factors to compare. By far the easiest factor to compare is the price. Everything else is more complex and involves time and effort, so the decision often comes down strictly to price. The associations choose the lowest price bidder and then are frustrated by the scheduling, professionalism and lack of customer service that … Continued

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EPA Regulations

October 13, 2010 | Home Improvement

Attention: Was your home built before 1978? If yes, the EPA has come out with new regulations that affect you. The EPA has come out with new regulations for lead based paint that took effect in April of 2010. The regulations apply to anyone who hires or is paid to renovate, repair or disturb lead based paint in a residential property or child occupied facility. This specifically includes property managers, painters, electricians, drywallers, and plumbers. Homeowners working on their own homes are exempted from the regulations, but anyone they hire is included. An association board would be included as well. The regulations require that all renovations that involve lead need to be performed by an EPA Certified Firm using Certified Renovators or employees who are trained and supervised by the Certified Renovator. Lead was used as a paint additive for hundreds of years even though it is toxic to humans. … Continued

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