Wow, I had several calls and emails about my plant hardiness zone column, so I thought I would stay in the landscape vortex this week.
We are leaving supply-chain issues behind this week. We are leaving material costs behind this week. We are leaving anything and everything related to construction behind this week. We are going to talk plant hardiness zones and tree watering. So put your hardhats away and let’s plant!
Some friends of mine changed the look of their dining room wall by adding wood accent. They sent a photo and oh my gosh — it is outrageously cool! Goodbye to boring walls and accent paint!
For those of you who know me, I am always the “glass is half-full” girl. I try to view situations and people in a positive and hopeful manner. I am not here today to be the half-empty glass girl; however, the construction materials shortage has blighted the construction industry throughout 2021 and into 2022.
Months ago, I started jumping with joy and excitement over the upcoming 42nd Annual Yavapai County Contractors Association Home and Garden Show, which was held April 29,30 and May 1 at Findlay Toyota Center.
The 42nd Annual Yavapai County Contractors Association Home and Garden Show is here! April 29 to 30 and May 1 at the Findlay Toyota Center Prescott Valley. You will not want to miss this great event and we want to see your smiling faces. It has been two years since we have had our three-day home show.
The 42nd Annual Yavapai County Contractors Association Home and Garden Show is here!
Did you now that too much lint in a clothes dryer system is like laundry-room kindling? Maintaining a clean dryer vent can prevent tragedy and property loss. Dryer fires are one of the leading causes of residential structure fires in the United States.
“Sandy, should we build now?” “What is happening with materials?” “The subcontractor is telling me it is a year before they can even start our job.” “The subcontractor wants 50% down payment.”
These past few weeks I have been receiving a mountain of calls from homeowners wanting to know what the cost per square foot is to rebuild. They were all in the process of renewing their insurance. This is a common question and one whose answer is based on the complexity inherent in the construction industry.
Sandy, we know of the construction supply chain challenges. I heard you recently at a community gathering talk about the problems with contractors not wanting to install homeowner purchased items. The information that you shared I totally get and you convinced me to return the toilets I purchased and contract for material and labor with a plumber. Thanks for educating me and I am asking that you share this with the universe. Tom, Prescott Valley.
Land development is essential for a community’s success. There is a view and sentiment from our local developers and commercial builders that the City of Prescott is frowning upon development.
I have a lot of dust in my home. My home has different temperatures in the rooms. My energy bills are high. And the calls keep coming in. Here are some easy indicators that you might have an air duct issue...
I attended a water focus group for the Town of Prescott Valley last week and water conservation was discussed. Several participants indicated they conserve water by collecting the water from kitchen and bath faucets while waiting for the hot water to flow through the pipes.
Last week was the excitement of going to two Home Depot locations in search of my newly ordered patio cushions. New cushions on furniture (Check) Old torn, dirty cushions ready for the trash (Check). Twelve cushions will not fit at once into the trash receptacle.
What a joyous time I had this past Saturday at Home Depot – both Prescott Valley and Prescott. We all have patio furniture, right? The patio furniture sits outside day and night, in the wind, the rain and the snow; 24/7 as they say.
Q: We recently moved to Prescott from Chicago. My husband wants a heated driveway, and I would rather have a snow blower — more fun and less expensive. Oh Sandy, help! Luis and Peg, Prescott.
COVID-19’s long tentacles have touched every single area of our lives; our offices, local businesses and our homes are no exception. We have contemplated whether the art on our walls is Zoom-worthy. We have bought ergonomic desk chairs, as crashing on the couch with your laptop is comfortable for only so long.
Good morning my lovelies. This week’s column is going to be a “catchall.” Just as I typed the words catchall, I wondered about that phrase. I went to Merriam-Webster...
Seriously, everyone — if you are buying a resale home, please verify that there are permits for that structure.
Two phone calls last week with the same question: What are those rock filled wire cages we see around town?
Good grief, after a short period of stabilization, lumber prices are on the rise again. Lumber prices have caused the price of an average new single-family home to increase by more than $18,600, according to estimates by the National Association of Home Builders.
OK. Now is the time. Now is the season and now is the reason. Does your chimney need a check-up? There is never a wrong time!
While the construction industry has weathered the coronavirus pandemic better than other industries, such as retail and hospitality, it has not been smooth sailing either.
The lyrics from the classic 1945 melody, “Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!” romanticize the magic of soft, white flakes that glisten as they fall across the landscape. The beauty of this snowy blanket fades, however, when people must confront the white accumulation on driveways and sidewalks.
While I am a firm believer in the power of positive thinking, I also realize that it has been an extremely tough year for many Americans, and our own community of families and friends and dreams are fading.
You have decided to remodel the shower and bathroom in the master bedroom of your recently purchased 12-year-old home.
It happened. Three emergency calls to the YCCA over the Thanksgiving holiday. Five in 2020 and five in 2019. “Sandy, our garbage disposal is clogged,” is how the phone call starts.
I was told by an HVAC company that we needed to install an ERV ventilation system in our home to maintain good air quality. What is wrong with my air quality and why do we need an ERV system? — Walt and Kathy, Prescott
Oh my gosh — what a week it has been for phone calls — all I can say is CONTRACT CONTRACT CONTRACT DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS and DO NOT BE INTIMITATED!
The Thanksgiving holiday, above all others, brings to my mind so many different thoughts. What is this holiday going to look like? In Thanksgivings past, I so remember the feast, the football, the family, the friends, and our faith.
We have an asphalt driveway that seems to be losing is “luster.” The home is 12 years old, what can we do to put a “new face” on the driveway — we live in Williamson Valley.
The “cartoon” in The Daily Courier newspaper on Oct. 27 was certainly written with bad taste and a complete lack of understanding of the labor shortage that we are experiencing as a country, community, and industry.
Energy efficiency — how many times have we talked about those words? We have discovered along the way and have come to the inescapable conclusion there’s so much more to making homes better than just saving energy.
What type of HVAC air filter should we purchase? How often should we change out filters? We have just relocated to Yavapai County from Idaho, and we did not have a furnace or air conditioner. We visited a local hardware store, to look at filters and there are so many filters to select. Help.
YCCA has been receiving numerous phone calls asking about the amounts of deposits requested in construction and remodeling contracts. While there are no statutes or contractor regulations that deal with deposits, there are several things of which the homeowner should be aware.
Yes, as you start to read my column this morning, between sips of coffee or green tea, I am just saying it out loud, working in the construction industry this past year and one-half has been an endless battle between pleasing the client and facing so many external challenges, and I know I am speaking on behalf of every contractor and supplier on the planet.
Attempting something new this week and have asked Tim and Jackie Santos, owners and interior designers at Prescott Interior Design Group, to join me. Read on as Tim and Jackie help us to better navigate the somewhat daunting task of choosing and using colors in our homes.
As I was cleaning the kitchen floor last weekend, and looking at the grout it made me ask myself a question — what is grout?
We are building a new home in Prescott Valley, and we would like advice on modular cabinets vs. custom kitchen cabinets. — Kathy & Lewis, Prescott Valley
There is an ongoing funny within the industry that when an industry partner calls, I always say “hi how is my favorite landscaper,” or my favorite builder, or my favorite road guy or my favorite painter, etc.
With all the wet weather we have had, just wait until that “white chalky” substance will start to be seen on many of the area’s masonry walls and on homes throughout neighborhoods. So here is a little educational lesson on Efflorescence.
Our column today is all about Did You Know?
This week it is all about WATER! The most important water conservation device is you. Below are some helpful tips — on how easy it is to conserve water.
It is time for new countertops in our home. We have no idea where to start. Looking for advice. — Leah and Ed, Cottonwood, AZ.
Hi YCCA. We just relocated to Yavapai County from Minnesota and need to remodel our home. Finding a contractor is like looking for a needle in a haystack, as they say. What are your thoughts? — Lucy and Ed
The monsoons have brought hundreds of phone calls and, I kid you not – hundreds! I am going to sound like a broken record, let me repeat, and let me refer to what seems like my constant and probably annoying repetition of this statement: Do not start work or hand over any money without an executed and agreed upon contract!
Hi readers and column supporters. For all of you that travel on Highway 69 through Prescott Valley, through the intersection of Navajo and/or Robert Road — what have you noticed new on the signal lights?
To the readers of my column — thank you for your sweet comments, for your suggestions and sending in your questions and, most of all, being loyal readers.
There is probably not another scam artist attraction that homeowners fall victim to more than a roofing disaster. With the hailstorm that occurred in the Prescott area on Sunday, July 11, it is very easy for fraudulent roofing companies to prey on unsuspecting homeowners.