McClurg's Home Remodeling Blog

We built this one-and-a-half story home for a couple who are world travelers and love returning to their working Central New York farm. Both the interior and exterior of the house look as though they came from the pages of Country Living magazine.

Each year we do hundreds of remodeling and home repair jobs both large and small. Frequently, our customers ask us what we do with construction waste materials and potentially reusable items removed during demolition. This question is asked so often that we felt it would be a good topic to share in our blog.

Over the years, we have strived to provide the best service possible to our customers.  We understand that a home is a personal refuge and that a remodeling project can be very disruptive to a homeowner’s daily activities.  At the end of each day our carpenters cleanup the worksite to minimize dust and debris.

We are also concerned about the environment and adhere to high standards in handling and disposing of construction waste materials. Construction waste includes bricks; concrete; wood including painted, treated and coated wood and wood products; drywall; plaster; plumbing fixtures; insulation; roofing shingles; glass; plastics; buckets of ten gallons or more; wiring and piping. We include the cost of demolition and disposal of construction waste in your project estimate.

Unfortunately, in this business there are some contractors out there who do not dispose of construction waste properly and resort to illegal dumping, burying debris onsite or burning debris. While this allows them to reduce their costs, it is at the expense of everyone else. Rising costs of trash disposal, laziness or ignorance of the environmental impact are the primary reasons offenders create eyesores in rural and woodland areas by dumping construction debris. Taxpayers often pay for the cleanup especially if the dumping occurs on public lands.  Investigators will search through the debris for clues about the violators but too often are unable to locate the source.   

Penalties for illegal dumping. 

You have your plan in hand, you’ve hired a contractor and now the day for beginning your remodeling project is quickly approaching. You need to clear the kitchen and organize the contents. If this seems overwhelming, follow these steps to simplify the process.

We’ve all heard contractor horror stories – from cost overruns to shoddy work. It’s not unexpected in this industry since virtually anyone with a truck and tools can call themselves a contractor. In fact, quite a few of our customers came to us because of dissatisfaction with their contractor.

Over the course of time, we experience many changes in our lifestyles and our homes must evolve to adapt to these changes. If you're a parent of young children worried about home safety, a family caregiver attending to the needs of elderly parents, or a person with a disability, you'll want your home environment to accommodate your lifestyle.  

Today's technologies have produced new products for home siding that are both attractive and durable. Two popular options for home siding are fiber cement and vinyl siding. Both products have been around for a while and innovations in manufacturing have improved the performance and look. If you're thinking about siding your home, here's some information to consider. 

When remodeling or renovating your home, the biggest decision you'll make is hiring the contractor. It's your home and your investment, so don't feel pressured to make a quick decision. In fact, if you feel pressured, that should tell you something about that contractor. Take your time and ask a lot of questions. To help you get started, here's a checklist of tips and questions you'll want to get answered.