SLS – Page 51

Composite & Vinyl Decking – 10 common enemies to avoid

While we love building wood decks, many customers are opting to go with composites & vinyl decking materials due to the reduced maintenance that is involved. There are a few items that we stress / i.e. bust a few common myths like there is no such thing as a no-maintenance product. The next big item […]

Alabama Energy & Residential Code

The speculation is now at an end, after two years of deliberations & countless meetings; as of March 12th the Alabama Energy and Residential Codes (AERC) Board voted to adopt a statewide building & energy code called the AERC which will go into effect October 1st, 2012. This was officially announced by Jim Byard Jr. […]

Let’s Blog Off: COOKIES!!!

You know when I saw the topic of this week’s Let’s Blog Off was on cookies I couldn’t help but laugh & wonder if the Cookie Monster managed to sneak in & post this topic… After that nice little laugh and thinking that I didn’t really have anything to add to the topic (much less […]

BPI at the Crossroads: (Exams, New Certifications, Standards)

Lately BPI (aka Building Performance Institute, Inc.) has been growing exponentially and making plenty of waves in the certification field. Just this last July they had 25,000 “active” certifications and closed out 2011 with 31,662. Originally there growth while slow was also pretty steady as shown on this chart of BPI accredited contractors. Enter in […]

Mosquitos – 5 key checks for keeping the blood suckers at bay

What a wacky start to this year, we had maybe one weeks’ worth of winter weather, a ton of spring like weather and that has quickly morphed into an almost summer like feeling. While this has been a boon for many, one of the unfortunate side effect is the mosquitos are out in full force. […]

Going Off-Grid in the 21st Century – Rain Water Intake

As a quick recap, in our last article in the Going Off Grid series we covered the “harvesting” portion of a rain water system. In this case the field aka the roof or collection area and the roads aka the gutters or conveyance system. Just like any harvest though, you only want to harvest the […]

Fix a Leak Week: A Recap of Resources & a Rant

This week happens to be the 4th annual Fix a Leak Week where everyone is reminded to check for leaks around their home & get them repaired. If you consider that just one faucet that drips once every other second costs you 1,041 gallons of water a year you can easily see how the numbers […]

Alabama Construction Agencies & Regulations Directory

Whether you are a tradesmen or a homeowner it can be challenging in Alabama to figure out who you need to call or even where to start looking about licensing, regulations, or whom to report a problem. With that in mind here is a list of the most common boards, agencies, and departments that impact […]

Let’s Blog Off: Psst… you want a job?

This week the Let’s Blog Off crew goes off on an interesting tangent – “In an era where everyone who’s anyone publishes content to the internet, the English language is being abused like never before. While it’s true that English is a remarkably adjustable tongue, there are some rules. We pride ourselves around here with […]

Is it Trash or Hazardous Waste?

Ahhh spring cleaning time… what a wonderful time of the year, when your significant other & the kids scatter like mice… Besides the whole house getting a major clean out (once you find all your helpers), the pantry, under the sinks, medicine cabinets, garages (maybe we can get a car back in there…) & sheds […]