Do you know if your house has holes?

You better find out if you want to sell your house in the near future. 

Sounds strange huh?  Well it’s not just going to happen – it already is!  Get familiar with the term “blower door test”.  This test will be performed by a certified company/individual that will analyze the “escape” of cool/hot air – they use this test to rate how well your house is sealed.  The good news is that these tests are being conducted and mainly viewed for training purposes only and will not be marked by either a realtor or building official to have it corrected!   Important to know though – this test applies to any contractors that work on your house or build a new one, as they will be required to show a report for a final inspection related to efficiency.  If it fails, they will have to correct it for you.  For example, a test (for ratings) will be required prior to work being done on an existing home that will be adding an addition, then again after the work is completed to track the difference in escape rates.  On a plus side, since we’re all becoming more efficient, THIS WILL HELP THE REALTOR WITH SALES.  The houses that score higher and use less energy are naturally more appealing.  However, those that fail will be required and submitted for correction and improvement.

Now you’re probably wondering what is this test and how does it work?  A “blower door test” consists of removal of the interior front door then mounting a powerful fan into the frame of the exterior door. When turned on, the fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside. The higher outside air pressure then flows in through all unsealed cracks, holes and openings. The certified auditors may use a smoke pencil to detect air leaks and infrared glasses. These tests determine the air infiltration rate of a building.  If you would like to learn more about what’s coming our way, visit: http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/blower-door-tests

Craig DiPetrillo, President of DiPetrillo Properties & DP Student Rentals, is a FORTIFIED Home™ certified evaluator.   

DiPetrillo Properties offers all clients the same time and effort in pre-determining the return on their project as they do for their own projects.  Whether it is a personal or business claim, their team understands the process from point of concept to design; from business plan to finance; and all the way to construction. They will help you get the money you deserve for the claim so you can move forward with fixing your property and returning to normal life. DiPetrillo Properties also offers full in-house construction services for both residential and commercial projects. They work on both new construction and renovation projects to help clients see any investment become a reality.  

For more information please e-mail or call: info@dipetrilloproperties.com/401.232-7552

www.dipetrilloproperties.com

Do you really trust your contractor? Really? How well do you know him?

Finding the right contractor for the right job task is sometimes difficult. Let me re-phrase the statement – finding the right contractor, one that you can trust when you are not looking over their shoulder or in areas that you can’t see, is sometimes (or often) difficult. It seems everybody is about price these days, “How cheap can I get the work done for?”… Even though the contractor is not registered, has no insurance, only a few complaints filed against him, “ummm, he’ll never do me wrong”.  NOT TRUE, actually this may be the furthest thing from the truth!  Do you know most complaints filed are those against referral contractors or people you ‘just know’ do the type of work that you need done? Why is it that even when people ask you, you advise against it, they often still go ahead and hire these ill equipped contractors? Human nature I guess? Then who gets the call when it goes bad? You guessed it, the first contractor – the one that had proper insurance, a valid license, no comments or violations filed against him, and not your weekend specialty – but has been doing it for many years “the seasoned professional”.

Sometimes cheap, as we all learn in so many different areas in life, is not the best way to choose for your home? Know your contractor. Check them out prior to hiring them. View the RI Contractor’s Registration Board websitehttp://www.crb.state.ri.us/search.php to really research them – you will be surprised what they do not want you to know, the one’s that “cut the corners” anyway!

As a certified Rhode Island State Building Inspector, though not active, I see what my colleagues deal with first hand and hear the stories on a monthly basis. They are YOUR stories, the one’s that end up costing you a lot of money at the end!  Do your research up front. Have everything in writing. Do not give any money until the day they show up for work with ladders ready! If they claim they need a large amount of money up front, to me, they are not established. I suggest anything paid other than material that you have on your site to be used, is called labor and, personally – I get paid at the end of the week after working all week.

I know, some say “…how bad can it be?” Well, as an example let me tell you about a job that I recently inspected for insulation. Talk about missing some areas or having a few gaps! This is a job that involved electrical, including installation of a new bathroom exhaust fan. When I inspected this attic, there was a loose piece of plywood laid over the exhaust box. Upon removing the plywood, not only were the wires not properly installed, within a junction box with the correct wire nut sizes, but the exhaust vent was never installed! This will contribute to moisture and mold in the attic…

   

Sometimes you may think you were successful and drilled the price down but at the end, if the contractor is not honest and unless they are caught – will end up beating you on price! Don’t lack quality for a decent price. Get 3 bids for each job from reputable contractors that you checked out completely. Ask for copies of insurance and license and each person on site should have a license as well. Don’t have the corner pub customers with nothing to do filling in as laborers on your job.

Craig DiPetrillo – DiPetrillo Properties – Planning, Investments, Construction

http://www.dipetrilloproperties.com/

Build a better bridge

Communication in a construction project...doh!

A recent commercial construction client project gave us the idea to share some very valuable information that could potentially save you thousands of dollars by avoiding having your construction project (and dollars) tied up in the often confusing process of dealing with the different officials and/or zoning issues (and so on) that can arise during a residential or commercial renovation, upgrade, repair, etc… So often we are brought in when the problem is already occurring and most of the time it’s really just a matter of language - yes, language! Understanding where each ‘side’ is coming from, e.g. what everyone is trying to say or simply what they are looking for...which happens to be what we specialize in and that simply comes from a breadth and depth of experience working on all different sides of the planning, investments and construction industry for decades. I guess you could say we’re a bit like a bridge and can usually look at each situation through an objective lens then help all the parties involved find a comfortable resolution to whatever the problem is. A few great suggestions to help avoid getting into these situations in the first place:

1. Make sure the engineers, architects, general contractors, landscape designers and any others that are on your team all understand each other, the process andhave someone ‘leading’ the project that clearly understands the entire scope of the project, thus being able to avoid unexpected issues as much as possible.

2. I would add to #1 that the town & state officials involved are also part of the teamand clear communication between all parties is essential. More often than not the issues could have been avoided if clearer communication had happened from the beginning!?!

3. Not reacting with emotion but responding with a clarity and an understanding of the real problem is key and if #’s 1 & 2 were followed...then if or when an issue happens most involved will be able to work together to find a quick solution.

Craig DiPetrillo - DiPetrillo Properties - Planning, Investing, Construction

www.dipetrilloproperties.com - info@DiPetrilloProperties.com - 401.232-7552