Dispelling some myths about Native Americans is one goal of the 17th Annual Potawatomi Trails Pow-Wow, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29, at Shiloh Park in Zion. "It shoots down the stereotype that there are no more Indians around," said Bill Brown, chairman of

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Local golfers can now buy clubs and other golf equipment at the same time they are looking for appliances or electronics with the opening of a new Edwin Watts Golf store in the Sears store in Vernon Hills.Edwin Watts Golf, a chain of more than 70 golf stores based in Florida, opened its first store

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

When is a pontoon boat ride more that just a boat ride? When it is part of a lake monitoring trip, as members of the Lake and Ponds Commission do bi-monthly.I rode along with Val Dyokas, Joe Salemi, Norm Fein, Tom McGonigle and landscape manager Bill Metzler on a recent Wednesday morning for a

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Now May Be the Ideal Time to Buy photo from myvictorianhome.com

I’ve always tried to have a positive outlook on life and the events that have shaped my life, in particular. The silver lining might not be there 100 percent of the time, but I’ve found that if I look hard enough, it’s there more times than not. I think these days just about all of us need to look for a silver lining that can put a positive spin on all the bad economic news that seems to get heaped on us day after day. August is coming to an end and just in this month I have read about home builder sentiment plummeting and house sales dropping more than expected in July. I also read an article predicting that building materials are going to rise in price much faster than the rate of inflation through 2011 and that mortgages may be on pace to set new foreclosure records.

And Now the Silver Lining

So where is the good news in all of this and how does it relate to old house enthusiasts? Well, for one thing interest rates for mortgages are still as low as they have been in years. If you’ve ever wanted to take the plunge and purchase an old house, now might be the ideal the time to do so.

Not only are interest rates low, but with sales still very slow there have to be some old house sellers out there just waiting to make a deal, and there should be a quite a few to choose from.

If you need design or restoration work done on your old house, many firms that steered away from renovations and restorations in the past are now embracing them. In my opinion new construction doesn’t provide the sense of accomplishment that a successful restoration project can, but many construction companies

Plenty of Available Restoration Contractors photo from enonhall.com

preferred new construction, because it was often easier money with less potential headaches. As an article in the Charlotte Observer points out, that is now changing and many contractors and architects are beginning to specialize in restoration and preservation projects. Contractors for your home restoration should be plentiful and pricing ought to be very competitive.

And let’s not forget the entrepreneurial spirit that built this country. Many successful companies sprang out of difficult economic times. Re-use Hawai’i sells used building materials and seems to be doing rather well. As prices for new materials continue to rise, they may find their business expanding and their products might be just the thing for an old house restoration. Recycled flooring and beams are popular in old houses, and I can’t think of any good reason why other used building materials shouldn’t go in as well.

Don't let that half-empty bag from last summer sit around. Charcoal—the natural lump variety made from hardwood—can do more than cook burgers

It's been capping casseroles and wrapping brownies for nearly 100 years. Check out these other clever uses for foil

Tom Silva's step-by-step instructions for one of his favorite jobs — installing window casings.

Add some underfoot warmth by lining the room with some cozy wall-to-wall

Today’s guest post is from Rob Jones, chief blogger, social media practitioner, and online marketer for BuildDirect, an online building materials and flooring vendor. A part of BuildDirect’s business is in providing building materials to homeowners who in turn buy them for contractor projects in order save money without sacrificing quality. A big part of the dialogue that the company has is on the subject of how to hire the right contractor.

Where BuildDirect leaves that business to others, Rob has a few ideas on where homeowners can start when interviewing contractors, and reviewing quotes.

***

When you’re hiring a contractor to do a job, what you’re really doing is investing in the skills of another person to help you realize a transformation in your space, your exterior, or your property. But, it can be a risky business when you’re hiring someone for the first time. After all, another reason you’re hiring a contractor to do a job is ultimately to save money, time, and even physical discomfort.

A key advantage to a professional installer is that they help you to avoid costly mistakes on more complicated jobs, including damage to your property, unnecessary waste of materials, and even avoidance of injury. All of these important areas are good reasons to make sure that the installer you interview can meet and surpass these goals, and get you the results you’re looking for within your budget as well.

But, what are some areas you should be focusing on when you interview prospective installers and reviewing quotes? Well here are 4 main areas to think about when you’re looking to hire a contractor, in order to make sure that your investment in their skills is well-placed. Here they are:

1. What Are Their Credentials?
Credentials in the installation business is the prime area of concern when you’re auditioning prospective installers. Ask the right questions, like

• ‘How long have you been in business?’,
• ‘Do you have any complaints with the BBB?’,
• ‘Can I get a copy of your license?’,
• ‘Do you have proper proof of insurance?’
• “Do you have letters of reference proving that your account is in good standing?”

All of these questions should be standard when dealing with a new prospective installer, even before a quote for a job is written up. The areas of licensing and insurance may be the most vital in terms of liability and injury on-site. Double check with local laws about this, to make sure you’re protected.

2. What Is Their Experience With A Project Like Yours?
It may be that the would-be installer has the right credentials and the right track record as a respected business owner. But, does he/she have the amount of hours against your specific job that makes you confident that you’re going to get the results you want? Ask them about specific instances of work done similar to the job you’ve got in mind. Ask them to provide references from clients to the last two or three jobs they’ve done related to yours. Contact those people and get their feedback.

3. How Will They Manage Employee Conduct?
Whether they will be managing a team of staff, or just managing their own conduct, you need to outline your expectations of this and make sure that it meets up with his/hers. A few questions to seek the answers to may include,

• ‘What time does the workday begin, and on what date?’
• ‘What is the end date’
• ‘How do I contact you, and at what times?’
• ‘Do you have a policies on how you/your team will conduct themselves while on my premises?’
• ‘What is your policy on refuse and other sources of mess as a result of the work?’
• ‘Will you come back if there are problems after the end date of the contract, and for what span of time?’

All of these are great questions to get into your agreement before work starts.

4. What Are The Terms of Payment?
Pointing this element out is pretty obvious. But, it’s so vital that it has to be included. For instance,

• “How is my quote calculated?”
• “Do I have a say in materials vendors?”
• “How much deposit is to be paid?”
• Can you guarantee my project within my specified budget?”

Many of these questions will vary, depending on how big your project is, how big your budget is, and what local laws say about the nature of payment when it comes to hiring independent contractors. All of these should be taken into consideration. But, regardless of the details, it’s important to get these terms understood, and expressed clearly in a contract signed by you, and by your chosen contractor.

Of course, another important and very often recommended avenue to consider is a network of contractors who are vetted by third parties. Companies like this can help to do a lot of the background checking on your behalf. When you work these types of services into your budget, it often saves time and sometimes misery later on.

Whatever your project entails, I hope this has been helpful, and good luck!

***

Rob authors the BuildDirect blog, and the BuildDirect green blog. He also manages BuildDirect on Twitter as well as the BuildDirect Facebook page.

Typically, when folks love old houses they also tend to love other old structures–churches in particular. Here on OldHouseWeb.com,  we even have stories of one old house enthusiast who used her renovating skills to actually restore a church. And Bill Kibbel, a bona fide old house expert and regular contributor to OHW, has written about converting an old church into a residence. Even the forums chat up old churches.

St. Marks Church in Tonopah, Nevada

If you’ve ever had the chance to travel to Europe or watched enough travel channel shows from the region, you have probably seen more than your fair share of really beautiful old churches. Those churches and cathedrals definitely put into perspective what we call “old” here in the United States. On the east coast, of course, “old” is older than here on the west coast.

With the current economy though and, as Bill pointed out, the dwindling church membership, our old churches may be in danger. As many readers know, I moved to a teeny town in the middle of nowhere in Nevada, back to the place where I grew up. I happened to be raised Episcopalian so it really wasn’t until I got a best friend in the sixth grade that I attended a church other than the Episcopal church, which is part of the reason why I never knew just how beautiful St. Marks Church in Tonopah really is.

Photo, 1909, courtesy of the the Central Nevada Historical Society in Tonopah, Nevada, home of the "Best Museum in Rural Nevada, 2010"

Built in 1907, St. Marks is a creamy-colored stone building built by a local stone mason named E.E. Burdick.  The architect, G.B. Lyons, blended Victorian and Gothic features together in what resulted in a breath-taking church. The front entryway is a Gothic arch, as are the windows (the windows in front have stone sills and “radiating voussoirs”). The church is 40-feet high and also has a basement. It’s changed very little in the past hundred-plus years, in part because the Episcopal Diocese has owned it the whole time. A timber framework was put up on the west side of the building for a church bell. In the early 1980s the church had then-local artist and high school art teacher Francis Clark create stained glass windows to replace the original windows in the church.

The basement is one of those neglected rooms in this “House of God.” When the church was first constructed, the basement was used as a meeting place for the Ladies Guild of Tonopah. When I was little, this is where I attended Sunday school. As I remember, there wasn’t a bathroom or even a sink.  It was just a single room where tables and chairs were set up with craft supplies and cookies. Now, the basement is used for storage. In the early 80s, the church brought in a very unattractive modular unit and slapped in the parking lot to serve as a meeting and refreshment hall. It, after all, has a bathroom.

Even though the parish at St. Marks is still less than 10 people (about the same as it was when I attended), the church is still opened and is still beautifully maintained. Why? It adapted. A community church also uses this gorgeous space for their worship and anyone can be married in the church. But that’s what churches do, just like we all do when we want to preserve old things, even when times are tough: we adapt.

It's an awkward corner of the house. Why not make it a space-saving dresser?

By Titus Hoskins

http://www.inspectorsjournal.c...ctually, getting in the #1 spot is best, but I will settle for the top 5 or even anywhere on the first page for very competitive keywords. Obtaining those top rankings for your targeted keywords in G...

By Titus Hoskins

http://www.inspectorsjournal.c...ctually, getting in the #1 spot is best, but I will settle for the top 5 or even anywhere on the first page for very competitive keywords. Obtaining those top rankings for your targeted keywords in G...

By Titus Hoskins

http://www.inspectorsjournal.c...ctually, getting in the #1 spot is best, but I will settle for the top 5 or even anywhere on the first page for very competitive keywords. Obtaining those top rankings for your targeted keywords in G...

Libertyville village trustees have decided against placing an advisory referendum on the Nov. 2 ballot regarding the issue of police and fire pension reform.Instead, the Village Board will adopt a resolution to send to area legislators expressing the village's concerns about the need for public

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

They remind me about once a week that I'm fat.That's how frequently the e-mails come.Oh, they don't call me fat. They use euphemisms. They sell "casual and dress clothing for the tall and big man."Big.In case you have any doubts, "big" is a synonym for "fatMature" also means fat."Relaxed" -- as in

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Do you find the more you're on the Internet, the less concentration you have?A disturbing book by Nicholas Carr called "The Shallows" discusses how the Internet and gadgetry has turned us into twitchy, distractible, drooling messes incapable of reading anything beyond a jellybean leaflet. There's

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Starlight Children's Foundation Midwest hosted its 23rd Annual Gala on May 22 at the Standard Club in Chicago.Funds raisedOver 250 guests attended the gala which raised $231,500 through ticket and table sales, a silent and live auction, raffle, program sponsorship and contributions.All proceeds

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Goodman Theatre's "Let's Fall in Love" gala on May 22, a black-tie affair at The Fairmont Chicago, was chaired by women's board member Cynthia E. Levin, and featured Tony and Grammy Award-winning entertainer Heather Headley.Funds raisedOver 550 guests raised more than $650,000 for the theater's

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Over 500 celebrants attended Unforgettable on May 22 at Evanston's McGaw YMCA Sebring-Lewis Center to recognize the Emerson Street Branch YMCA.The event brought together former Emerson Street Branch YMCA participants, friends, colleagues and members of the community, some from as far away as

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)