Want more tips, reminders, and ideas for planning your new home or remodeling project?
The Difference is in the Details,
The Homeowner's Planning Guide to Building a
Functional Home will do the trick.
“With dozens of “how to build
your new home” books available, what could be left out? Plenty, as author DeCarlo shows in her
practical approach to topics often left out, forgotten, or given scant attention. Readers will thank her
for raising subjects to consider in the earliest stages of planning a new home.”
-- Carol Smith, Author of "Building Your Home:An Insiders Guide"
 I’ve
spoken with so many families who spent a year or two of their lives and a large sum of money building or
remodeling their home only to move in with a list of “I wish I would haves”. Why is this so common?
Because there is an information void in the residential construction industry. Homeowners are missing the
tips, reminders, and education needed to thoroughly plan their project.
Unfortunately there aren’t enough hours in the day for anyone,
including the builder, architect, designer, or me, to sit down and tell you what you need to know.
Nonetheless, this information void needed to be filled.
That’s why, back in October of 2006, I began creating The Difference
is in the Details, The Homeowner's Planning Guide to Building a Functional Home. Two years, 400 pages,
400 photographs and over 900 tips later, it's finally here! All the hours and hours and hours of researching
the web have been done for you. This comprehensive Guide provides the education, tips, and reminders you
need to navigate successfully through the residential construction process.
With this tool you’ll be able to plan the details at the beginning of your construction project.
Using this tactic will greatly reduce the number of change orders (and consequential charges) while at
the same time resulting in a home that fits your family’s unique needs.
If you save the cost of a single change order, The Difference is in the Details will
have paid for itself many times over! To peruse the Table of Contents, view sample tips, and learn about my
free bonus offer, see
www.DifferenceInTheDetails.com
Critters in the Attic
Preventing critters from infiltrating your attic (or any other part of your home) may not be an
issue that comes to mind when building or remodeling, but if you've ever dealt with this problem,
you know it’s worth considering. If you haven't, take my word for it, it's no fun.
Nuisance wildlife like raccoons, mice, rats, and squirrels can carry disease, chew through well…..
you name it, and damage ductwork; not to mention the contamination and odor caused by their excrement.
Lovely thought isn’t it?
To give you an example of wildlife damage, the county took their good old time addressing raccoons
living in the attic of a local fire station – a very costly mistake. The damage and filth was so bad
that a contractor had to be called in to remove the ceiling, replace all the ductwork, install a new
ceiling, and add new insulation after Animal Control removed 15 raccoons!
Installation of exclusion barriers during the construction process is the most important form of
prevention. Animals can gain access through soffit; spaces under the porch, crawlspace, and deck;
attic vents; gable vents; or any unsealed openings in the building envelope. Many exclusion barriers
consist of installing steel mesh to block the opening.
 One
of the most common access areas is through the metal soffit in the corner where the gable
meets the roof, as shown in the picture to the right. It is very easy for a raccoon to use his
body to push the soffit up and simple climb in.
 The
preventative measure entails sealing off this vulnerable corner with steel mesh and sealant and covering
with flashing. It is also important for the soffit to be tightly installed in the first place making it
more difficult for animals to break in.
The photos were provided by AAAnimal Control
(www.AAAnimalControl.com). This site offers several very
informative photos and is worth a look. In addition to removal services, sites such as this one
provide a ton of information on prevention. For a nationwide list of nuisance animal removal services
Click Here.
Some builders, particularly those who have experienced a wildlife problem inside their own home, have
incorporated preventative measures as part of their standard building practices. Ask your builder how
he/she handles this issue.
Copyright © 2009
Tracy DeCarlo,
Detailed Solutions,
Inc. - All Rights
Reserved
RECYCLE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
 Still
have malfunctioning strings of Christmas lights lying around? Send them to The Christmas Light Source,
1-866-926-4877
(Click Here for WEB site)
in Fort Worth, Texas.
They found a local recycling company who will take your lights and recycle the copper, glass and plastic.
The recycling company pays a small amount per pound of lights - like the money you get for aluminum cans - which The
Christmas Light Source puts to good use. All proceeds from the Christmas lights recycling program will be
used to purchase Usborne books that will be donated to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Help them get
a head start for next year.
IS THERE A SUBJECT
YOU'D LIKE ME TO
COVER? Let me
know by sending an
email to
tracy@tracystips.net.
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Tracy DeCarlo,
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Details"
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"Tips for
Designing a
Functional
Home." If you're
ready to learn
how to plan a
more durable,
energy-efficient,
and
easy-to-live-in
home, get your
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at
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