Hingham Ma: Deck Safety Month 2012

By: Allison Q Guido, CS

The weather is improving and many of us are moving outside to enjoy the sunshine with our friends and family. This past weekend we celebrated the Christening of our son Giovanni and as everyone was coming back to the house to enjoy the company and food at the cookout it made me think that like many of our homeowners it was time to have Craig inspect the deck to make sure there were no issues that might cause a safety issue.

AlmarBuilding has an in depth Deck Evaluation Checklist provided by the North American Deck and Railing Association that we use to look for any potential problems on existing decks.

The North American Deck and Railing Association is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the necessity for regular inspection and maintenance of existing decks and proper installation of new decks.

According to the NADRA website, “The number of deck failures and resulting injuries has been increasing at an alarming rate. Between 2000 and 2008, there were at least 30 deaths reported as a direct result of deck collapses, and more than 75 percent of people on a deck when it collapses are injured or killed. With 40 million decks in the United States that are more than 20 years old, it's important for homeowners to check their deck… Older decks require closer scrutiny. Many of these decks were built before code requirements were in place to protect consumers. Some of these decks may have deck-to-house attachments using only nails. If your deck is older, it is even more important to have it inspected.”

Some tips the NADRA suggests homeowners consider when choosing a remodeling professional are:

* Ask friends and family members for referrals and contact state and local licensing authorities and trade associations such as NADRA or NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry).

* Meet with and carefully evaluate all potential deck builders. Ask to see a portfolio and some samples of the decking and railing materials they prefer to use. Good builders take pride in their work and will be enthusiastic about the possibility of creating a relationship.

* Pay attention to the deck builder's experience, licensing, insurance coverage and professional references.

When hiring a deck builder, there is more to consider than just price. In addition to the tips above, NADRA recommends homeowners contact their city or county building department to speak with an inspector knowledgeable about deck construction.

So when you are ready to review all of your options for your deck or porch give Almar Buildinga call. Our full service remodeling team can help you every step of the way thru any renovation project you are looking to tackle: Addition, Kitchen, Bathroom, Basement, Sunroom, Siding, Windows, Decking, and even roofing.

As a third generation family owned and operate company for over 50 years we have all the benefits of a small company with the options of a larger company including financing. We service the entire South Shore of Massachusetts including: Hanover, Hingham, Pembroke, Norwell, Scituate, Cohassett, Duxbury, Hanson, Abington, Rockland, Holbrook, Braintree, Weymouth, Milton, and many more towns.

HAPPY 10 Year Anniversary to Allison Guido

By: Craig H. Guido, CS (Hanover. Ma)

Ten years ago this week Almar Building & Remodeling invested in it’s own future when we welcomed our General Manager Allison QuinnGuido, CS as the third generation of Quinn’s to the team full time. (Almar was founded in 1959 by Allison paternal grandfather Gerald Quinn.) Allison had worked part-time with Almar thru college running vinyl siding installation crews, and helping with the marketing in the office. But upon her graduation from West Virginia Wesleyan College she joined the team full time taking over the administrative tasks full time.

In Almar’s 53 years we have gone thru many different phases but we have been delighted to have Allison’s leadership and organizational skills with us thru the last decade especially as we navigated thru the recent economic challenges.  Allison was learning the new skills of running a business in the moment. When asked about her time at Almar she said; “One of the greatest parts of being part of a small family business is that I have had the opportunity to jump right in and have my opinions heard. Terry has given me the opportunity to learn by doing and opened me up to education experiences I never would have been able to have in other situations.”

In the time Allison has been with the Almar team we have won Remodeling Magazine’s BIG 50 Award - 2005. In addition Allison has individually been recognized with the following honors:

Builders Association of Greater Boston Rookie of the Year – 2004

Cape &Plymouth Business Magazine 40 Under 40 Award – 2010
West Virginia Wesleyan Young Alumnae Award - 2010
Professional Remodeler Magazine 40 Under 40 Award – 2011
Bay State Alumnae Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha: Zeta Lady Award – 2012
And featured in both 2008 and 2009 by South Shore LivingMagazine as one of their Women in Business.

Aside from all her duties here at Almar, Allison also captained our Asthma Avenger team for several years till the American Lung Association stopped their Asthma Walk. She is also the current president of the Alumnae Association for Notre Dame Academy in Hingham Ma, and the Secretary/Treasurer for the Bay State Alumnae Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha – in all her free time from looking after the hopefully fourth generation of Almar’s leadership, 9 month old Giovanni Quinn Guido.

When I think about working with my wife, I think that “ Allison’s leadership and organization not only help our team on a daily basis, but has been a major factor in Almar’s ability to survive and grow over the past 10 years.” As we look to the future Allison and I are hard at work thinking about where we want to take Almar Building & Remodeling, and CATExteriors over the next ten and twenty years.

Less is More in Your Kitchen

Through all the ups and downs of life, the economy and style trends, kitchens always remain the heart of a home. A few years ago most homeowners wanted to add to the kitchen with more space, more cabinets, more, more, more. But today we see that people want to utilize their existing space better, and update to make the space they do have more functional and appealing.

Here are some tips for how we can design & utilize space better.

1. Think about what your daily habits. Contrast those with your wish list for your kitchen. What could you do without, or design differently to be just as effective?

2. Instead of adding a whole breakfast nook, why not add an island, or snack bar?

3. How can we organize the space to be the most effective? If most of your meals are just 2 people, could you just have your daily dishes & silverware in the kitchen and store the extra dishes in another area?

4. Take advantage of space near the kitchen. Can we build a pantry, or recessed unit? Can we utilize existing or new furniture to store items we don’t use all the time?

5. Consider what size appliances you really need. This could help not only to conserve space but also energy. If you don’t have a house full of people do you really need an oversized refrigerator? There are a lot of options available these days from 18” wide full height refrigerators to 24” wide high performance ranges and 18” wide or single drawer dishwashers. Again, this is where considering your normal daily habits can really save you space and energy.

6. To get the most out of your cabinets take advantage of the wide variety of kitchen accessory options like pullouts, spice rack fillers, drawers, backsplash storage areas, drop downs, etc. Consider:

a. Pullouts, also called rollout trays. They allow you to reach all items, especially those stuck in the back of the cabinet. With our Huntwood cabinets we can customize the units for pots & lids, or food.

b. Our Huntwood Kitchenware Organizers are a great addition to a deep drawer, with a beech base plate and 4 square posts. The pegs can be rearranged to accommodate various sizes and shapes of dishes. And what’s great about this is that they prevent dishes from shifting and getting damaged when you open and close the drawer!

c. Spice drawer inserts can maximize the visibility of spices, and can help keep small cans/jars in sight.

d. We can hang racks (wood or chrome) on the inside of cabinet doors for easy access to other small items.

e. For hard to reach spots, we can install tip down cookbook holders, or knife blocks.

f. A breadboard built into the cabinet units is great for extra workspace.

g. Backsplash mounts are perfect for storing all those small everyday items. Or consider a “rail system”. It consist of a metal rail that runs along the back splash with various baskets, racks, and hooks. Providing storage for everything from spices to paper towels & utensils.

There are so many great options available now, these are just a few we’d consider as you get ready to renovate your kitchen. We could talk for hours about drawers designs, pot racks, pantries, wine racks etc…

If you have specific questions or ideas about your kitchen please give us a call 781-826-2577 Craig@almarbuilding.com