Paradigm Concrete & Construction, INC.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: If your house is covered with lead-based paint, removal is the best way to avoid dangerespecially if the paint is chipping, peeling or damaged. Removal should only be performed by an EPA Lead-Safe Certified painting contractor who will take precautions to trap any paint chips or debris. Don't try to do it yourself; you can be held liable for environmental contamination caused by poor removal methods.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: When planning a kitchen remodel, consider including a Green option like natural lightingnot only will it help reduce electricity costs, but it can change the entire mood of your kitchen. While you're still in the design phase, choose large windows and accommodate space for proper ventilation. Many kitchens don't have proper airflow, so it's important to strategically place vents and fans.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: When vacuuming loop-pile carpets, use suction only, not a vacuum with beating or brushing action. Carpet sweepers are useful for picking up surface soil, but they don't deep clean. Use a spoon or dull knife to loosen solid material, and blot liquid spills with a toweldon't rub, scrub or brush. If you use a cleaning solution, apply it to a blotting cloth and avoid saturating the carpet.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: If you're hiring a moving company to handle your move, make sure you leave the heavy lifting to its employees. You might think you can save some money and speed up the process by helping, but if the company's insurance doesn't cover damages or injuries, you'll be held liable if something goes wrong. If you want to save time and money, pack durable items like books and clothes beforehand.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: When packing for a move, set aside a box that you'll open first upon reaching your new home and fill it with toiletries, a few changes of clothes, a bath towel, luxury items such as books, eating utensils, plates, cups, snacks, general cleaning supplies and writing utensils. Label this box and keep it in your vehicle or at the door of your moving van so you'll have access to it as soon as you arrive.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: It's normal for your car's brake pads to gradually grind brake dust onto their surrounding tires, but if you go too long without cleaning them, the combination of road grime, moisture and brake heat will bake the dust onto your wheels. Brake dust normally clings to wheels by way of static electricity, so it can be easily removed with a sponge and clean water.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: If you're trying to quickly sell your home, make sure you depersonalize it to make it more attractive to a broad range of people. Look at your house objectively rather than sentimentallyyou want potential buyers to imagine themselves living in your home, and that can be difficult if they notice pictures of your friends and family everywhere.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: Primer doesn't provide much in the way of absorption, so if you're painting a stucco surface on your home, it's important to choose a product that will adhere to the stucco effectively. The preferred product in this situation is sheen primer, which doesn't require a lot of absorption in order to bind to a surface.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: When taking on an interior painting project, the first thing you should do is prepare your wallsnot only does this ensure the paint will adhere properly, it also gives painted surfaces a flawless, new look. Surface dirt can cause poor adhesion no matter how high-quality your paint is, so use a light detergent to wash any part of the wall that's soiled or has oily residue from being regularly touched.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: If your home was built prior to 1985, it could be in need of a seismic retrofit (many modern homes were constructed prior to the creation of earthquake-resistant building code requirements). A retrofit adds bracing and reinforcement to strengthen the critical connections within a home, which means it's able to resist greater earthquake forces and has a lower risk of being damaged.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: If you're trying to sell your home, put yourself in the position of a buyerif the house looks sharp on the surface but you discover unfinished work after getting it inspected, you're going to walk away. Surface improvements are immediately nullified if the structure underneath needs to be repaired, so pay attention to both areas if you want to get the best possible selling price.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: It may seem counterintuitive, but it isn't always a good idea to clean the padding that's underneath your carpet. If stained padding gets wet, for example, the stain will bleed through the carpet when you walk on it. Instead, you should clean the top of the carpet at a low temperature. If the stain comes back, have a professional carpet cleaner use fans to speed up the drying process.

Diamond Certified Expert Tip: If you're installing a solar energy system on your property, ask your contractor if it considers aesthetic factors when designing and installing its products. For example, solar modules can be mounted so they look like part of the roof instead of a large platform that's raised above the roof. Also, roof obstructions like plumbing vents and stacks can be moved so the system is centralized in one area.