Who Needs Sleep?! Let's Remodel Something!

Exactly.

Who has time for sleep?  Is it that necessary?  Actually, I don't sleep.  I take naps.

About a three hour nap from before or after nine pm to a little before or after midnight.

Then I am awake reading for an hour to an hour and a half.

I will doze off until two thirty or three and then wake up and read some more for another forty five minutes until I doze off for the last time until four or four thirty.

And then it's up, eye contacts in, coffee started and time to get to work.

The odd thing is the first nap is truly that.  A real good power nap.  The rest of the naps throughout the evening is more like watching something streaming over the TV.  I replay what I read into my mind's video screen throughout those naps.

Say I'm reading some exciting business management book.  My nap 'TV' will play different scenarios playing out on the business side of the remodeling company.

Maybe I'm reading a product manual developed by a supplier on waterproofing wet environments.  My nap 'TV' will be all about the installation side of the remodeling company.

That is a small example of how excited we are here at Benhardt Construction and Remodeling about the potential to Remodel the World.

The Good, Bad and Ugly of Insurance Work

Insurance work is challenging to say the very least.  An event comes along that suddenly changes a person's home.

This event could be from:

• Hail
• Wind
• Trees
• Water
• Fire
• Vehicle Impact
• or several other less common means

Once this event happens it is always best to account for the safety and well being of every person and pet in your household.  Depending on the event it may be best to be sure that there is not a gas leak or the pilot lights on the water heater, furnace or stove/oven did not get snuffed out by the event.

Be sure there is no electrical lines down outside before you go.

Make sure neighbors are accounted for and safe.

All of this I mentioned above occurs within a few moments of the events conclusion.

Then, it's the process of rebuilding and or repairing the home to the exactly how it was at the moment immediately preceding the event.  The event occurred at 12:01 AM?  Then I am talking about how this home was at 12:00:59 Seconds.

I will be talking more about this in the days to come.  I will be publishing my non-insurance related articles as well.  Next on the list is my in depth  look at 3 and 4 season rooms.

If you have any questions, please contact me through Benhardt Construction and Remodeling's Website.

Thanks

Work Smarter, Do More

Hold true one’s moral fiber, work hard, learn and work harder with what you recently learned.

Wait what?  Did you write - 'learn something and then work harder with what you recently learned'?

Absolutely I did and why not?

Work smarter not harder is a gruff verbal quip from people that most of the time are lazy sons of guns and they are trying to say hey...lay back a little and take a break.

I am of the opinion that once your learn something new, it will most likely enable you to work harder, longer and in turn be more productive.

If you truly do work smarter that is great!  By that I mean once you learn or realize a way that produces fantastic professional results - quicker than you were able to before, it should enable to you to work smarter and harder for your customer.

I know through my years of experience the fastest way to remove (to sub-floor)  - ceramic tile installed over original sheet good products glued to an under layment that is in turn stapled (very many staples most of the time) to the sub-floor.  In turn that allows me to work smarter and therefore harder for my customer which in turn increases the productivity thereby shortening the overall length of time my customer doesn't have to be with out a floor.

That allows me to move onto other areas of the project sooner.  It allows me the time to gain a little ground that may have been lost to a product change order or an extra work order that came up during the project.  

Each phase of what I do, every day...I attempt to do it better than before.  Read, learn, read.  Watch videos, attend seminars, take coursework.  All in a day's (and night's) work around here for me.

I enjoy and take great pride in providing an ever evolving company and in turn final product for each one of my customers.  

#alwaysimproving #neversatisfiedwithsecondbest #continuingeducation

10 Things to Consider for Your New Kitchen l Benhardt Construction and Remodeling

Who is this for?  Will the real kitchen user, please stand up!

In some rare cases there are couples and families that cook together. Hey if this is you, fantastic, we need you all here for the design meetings!  What?  You all doing the cooking together right?  Yes.  Well then that is who this kitchen is for.  Well, we were thinking about putting it on the market in a few years...

Pardon me if I may interrupt...from now until this home happens to sell, who will be providing the meals for everyone to live another day?  Well, we will be...together like we said.

Exactly my point.  Let's not worry about the future home owner of this house.  Let's focus on today's home owner of this house!

Why spend money and most importantly energy on something that someone years from now may or may not want?  And by energy I mean your personal energy as kitchen remodels are large and in charge second to an addition to your home.  There is a lot of input you will have to provide.

You won't have to do the physical stuff, that's my part of this deal.  But before we start we have a lot of work to do.

There are many things to consider when moving forward with a kitchen remodel.  The most important thing I believe in is to get it in your head that this is going to be YOUR kitchen.  So let's plan accordingly shall we?

Where oh where did the Microwave go?

The style or thing to do used to be to either mount your microwave above the stove or set it on the counter.  Hey, we didn't know any better right?  Joe and Sally did it.  Frank and Martha did it, we allll did it.  But now we have options.  We have the ability to put the microwave UNDER the counter.  Out of view, freeing up valuable counter space and making it easier for everybody to get to.  With counters running at an average of $50 a square foot why pay $200 of counter space for a place to SET your microwave?

We can buy a microwave that resides in an under cabinet nook that has a drawer and you place your items down into.  Or you can have it in a nook and still have the door everyone is used to that swings open.  This frees up your counter and space above the stove!

Have you seen the line at Starbucks?

Not only do this new hip coffee house places charge a pretty darn penny for their delicious caffeine concoction but there are hidden charges they don't disclose.  That is right, how about all the time you spend each and every time you go there (sometimes daily!) and sit in the drive through line?  As I drive buy these places with my half gallon of HOME made coffee, these lines look pretty dang long and time consuming.  

Now I'm not saying that you should give up coffee altogether but think about having your own coffee bar?  A nice section of your new kitchen designed to provide you with every flavor and type of coffee that you enjoy.  All right there in the comfort of your own home.  It can be brewing while you are taking your morning shower.  On Saturday and Sunday mornings you can sit in the comfort of your new kitchen and not have to go anywhere while you read the paper or browse the Internet while enjoying your joe.

Hey, I can see the recipe book!

There are more choices in lighting today more than ever.  The leading edge of lighting technology grants you brighter lighting for minimal costs.  There are many factors to consider when designing your lighting plan.  Warmth of the lighting, style of the light fixture and to dim or not to dim.  We are very experienced when it comes to your lighting needs and are willing to help you along the way.

Marco...Polo!

Where is that pan?  Where is the flour?  Remember when most of your kitchen contents were stored in plain view?  When you were to have company over you would shove everything into the pantry and hope Aunt Edna didn't mistake that door for another and open it.  Allowing all the contents to tumble to the floor?!

Our main desire whilst planning your new kitchen area is to keep function clearly in focus.  While you are looking at the shiny lights and deciding which Kelvin color temperature you prefer we are putting together the most storage space possible.  We pride ourselves in getting the most bang for every customer's dollar.  We use all the space that is possible with as little fillers as possible!

These brownies look burnt!  Wait a second, why can't I smell them?

Ventilation is critical in the kitchen area.  We are able to provide recommendations for your venting needs dependent upon the appliances you chose.

Didn't we have a traffic signal in here before?

Remember me talking about us keeping the eye on the ball while you are busy looking at all the fun stuff for your kitchen?  We enjoy redesigning kitchens so they have the best flow.  Remember how frustrating it was to get to the sink when someone was at the stove?  How bout how cramped it was during the holidays when Uncle Dave stood next to the ice maker while you finished cooking?  Not anymore.  Open, open, open floor plans makes our customers happy, happy, happy.  (Thanks, Phil Robertson)

It's like a water park in here!

Everything used to have to go through the kitchen sink.  Clean the plates...sink.  Glass of water...sink.  Spaghetti pot...sink.  Clean vegetables...sink.  We can install water sources in all sorts of places you can imagine.  Island?  Check.  Above the stove?  Check.  

Two sinks?  Check!

Wow, now that baby has got Back!(splash)

Back splashes can bring an entire kitchen together.  Some people have even said that some of the back splashes we have designed and installed look like pieces of art.  That's because they are!  No, I am (slightly) kidding there.  Aside from tying a room together they do look wonderful.  We use grouts that do not have to be sealed, ever along with an installation process that will last you a lifetime.

Help us Tile Flooring...You're our only hope...

I know, I know, I know.  There is a lot of people that have wood floors in their kitchens.  Trust me in saying that if that is what our customer's want for their finish flooring, we will gladly install it.  There is an old school part of me that says Tile in the kitchen.  It's high traffic.  Most families come in and out of the house through the garage when they are leaving or returning home.  Most families enter the back yard from the kitchen.  People drop ice cubes in the kitchen.  Sometimes a plate.  A glass.  I saw a recent homeowner drop her entire knife organizer!  (Thankfully she was OK )  Why is a woodpecker called a woodpecker and not a tile-pecker   Because tile is hard and durable!  Woodpeckers are smart!

We prep our sub floors and use the best technology to provide the best foundation with the best products on the planet.  We also use grout that never has to be sealed!  It's win win!

We used to eat out all the time, now we can't leave the kitchen!

When your new kitchen by Benhardt Construction is complete, you will talk about eating out like it was years ago.  There may be a time in the future that you think back to how could you have eaten out so much?!  You are going to enjoy cooking in your new kitchen!

Now please do me one favor and realize that this is just a small part of the things we not only know but are involved with doing a fantastic kitchen.  Stuff the big box stores don't have time to train their help for.  Stuff that just isn't there due to having to meet quotas for the next fly by night contractor that is in this city today and another one tomorrow.

WE have no quotas.  Every customer we have is important to us.

Thanks!

You Can Contact Us Anytime Right Here!

The Process of Remodeling

The Process of Remodeling any portion of your home or small business is not an easy task.  The Process of Remodeling can be full of doubt, unknowns, angst and fear.

The Process of Remodeling can go smoothly, as smoothly as I type these keys as I write these words.  Smooth as the letters appear to the immediate left of the line as I type.  It can be smooth if you have Benhardt Construction and Remodeling in your employ.

We are able to work from beginning to completion with any project in the greater St. Louis area.

All you have to do is two things.  Very important things but just two things.

The first thing you have to do is have a dream.  A dream of what your project could be.

Even something as simple as a new coat of paint in the laundry room takes imagination.  You go through the samples and imagine what the colors may look like.  You imagine what it would be like to have the walls painted with your selection.

If you can dream it, we can build it...

Trust me in the fact that I am the furthest thing from fancy words and gimmicks to hook my customers into doing business with us. Completely the opposite in that I want you to want to hire us as your contractor without a shadow of a doubt.

If you can dream it, we can build it...

And that is what Benhardt Construction and Remodeling is about and what we stand for.  We can take any idea you have, no matter the size, and turn it into reality.

We can enjoy the path that takes us from the start of a project to the completion together.

I can Guide You.

I can Assist You.

I can Educate You.

Only if you contact Benhardt Construction and Remodeling.  That's the second thing you have to do.


Looking forward to meeting with you about your project.

Thanks!


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