The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

Kicking your Outdoor Patio up a Notch

With the beautiful summer weather slowly making its exit, you’re probably nearing the end of your outdoor patio party season. Whether you’re still hosting parties or want to get a leg up on next summer’s festivities, there are ways you can improve upon your patio and backyard. In this weeks guest piece Rachael Jones who […]

Insulation Issue, the fix & prevention

Last Wednesday as you may recall I showed you this picture from a house that had already passed the pre-drywall inspection which any rater or inspector out there could tell you should have failed. This leads to a few questions, just how did it pass, why did it happen, what was the fix & more even more importantly […]

Getting the details right: Fully Aligned Air Barrier

Don’t you just love engineers & others that use terms like fully aligned air barriers, or in code speak require that insulation be in “substantial contact and continuous alignment with building envelope air barrier…”? I think the term many are thinking of is, clearer than mud. This is one reason why we end up with […]

10 Questions to ask your Contractor

Ahhh finally, it’s time for the proverbial rubber to hit the road and to turn ones dream project into reality… yes, it is time to hire a contractor. One of the biggest things to remember is that remodeling is not a commodity based solely on price, but rather a complicated service. The Rationale for Getting […]

7 Steps to temporarily patch your roof with a tarp

When ones roof is damaged it is only natural to want to stop any water from getting inside, which also happens to be one of your insurance company’s primary concerns. While it may take weeks or even months to get a roofer out to repair the damage, a tarp can be put in place pretty […]

Safety Sunday: 10 Reminders for safe mowing

While Punxsutawney Phil may have been wrong about when this winter was supposed to come to an end, for many of us in the south we are starting to see the first signs that it is time to dust off those lawnmowers. For our friends further up north, this next snow storm maybe it & […]

3 Simple Do-It-Yourself Appliance Repairs

Appliance repair technicians do not know the exact details of every appliance they work on. They know the fundamentals and refer to the manufacturers manuals. While appliance repairs can be expensive, some can be done by those who understand the basics of working with plumbing and electricity. If you have rewired a lamp or replaced a […]

Of sales tax holidays, disaster preparation & others of interest…

Alabama is one of three states that have a “severe weather” sales tax holiday. This year the “holiday” is set to start tomorrow (February 22nd) and it runs through Sunday.  Unlike Virginia & Louisiana which both occur in the later part of May (to get people ready for Hurricane season), Alabama has chosen the last […]

BS4D: 10 simple rules to remember

Whether you are tradesmen, builder, architect, designer, or… there are a few simple rules that if you remember & apply will help keep you out of trouble not only now, but well into the future… Hot moves to cold Wet moves to dry Everything expands & contracts Water is like Murphy’s law & it wants […]