[New Post] 4 Common Mold Types In Residential Homes In AZ And Beyond published on

Many home repair specialists often regard it as a ‘silent killer of homes’. And although mold is not a huge issue inside residential homes in Arizona (thanks to our dry weather) the fact remains that it is possible for molds to form especially during the monsoon season in late summer. As they say, ‘knowing is half the battle’; so, here are four of the most common mold types that are found in residential homes in Arizona and across the US.

Common Mold Types To Be Aware Of

Common Mold #1 – CLADOSPORIUM

Cladosporium is often found outdoors however it can and often is found in dark and damp environments inside a home, like a basement for example. It’s not a toxic mold but it can and often does cause significant reactions for people who live with COPD or have sensitive immune systems. It’s classified as an airborne mold, meaning that the damage done when it is breathed in as opposed to rotting out wood or home materials. It’s suggested that if you encounter Cladosporium mold that it should be removed by a professional mold remediation company as it can cause additional health risks if not properly eliminated from a home.

Common Mold #2 – PENICILLIUM

The second most common mold type found in the United States is Penicillium. It’s often found growing on dead-organic matter (such as rotting trees) in outdoor applications. It’s commonly recognized by its ‘fuzzy white, green or blue’ color that grows on food inside your refrigerator when it is spoiling as well. When you eat food that contains penicillium it can cause severe gastric pain and irritation – and the airborne version of Pennicillium can increase COPD flair-ups, cause allergic reactions, watery eyes and severe coughing. Like the above mold, it’s recommended that a professional mold removal company be contacted if you see this type of mold growing inside your home.

Common Mold #3 – ASPERGILLUS

This mold is one of the most dangerous ones due to the fact that it’s very fast growing. Commonly found in basements or after flooding occurs inside a home, Aspergillus mold can also form anywhere there is high humidity or organic materials for the mold to use as food to rapidly grow. Just like many other molds, the Aspergillus mold tends to metabolize mycotoxins, which are extreme allergens that can cause severe respiratory damage. As like most molds, it’s highly suggested that a professional be contacted to remove this type of mold from any home.

Common Mold #4 – ALTERNARIA

Even though this final common mold type is regularly found outdoors, Alternaria can and often does enter a home, especially homes in the mountains. Alternaria will often be found in carpets, flat surfaces and clothing, and unlike most molds does not require copious amounts of water or moister to grow. It is a fact that Alternaria tends to show up in dry areas like Arizona more frequently. Most of the time, this type of mold will begin to grow rapidly when there is a water leak or water damage done to a home.

The key thing to remember is that common mold types growing inside your home can lead to significant medical problems and should never be handled lightly. Although mold is not common in Arizona, it’s always recommended, especially if you’ve recently had a water leak or flooding inside the home, to contact a mold removal and detection expert – just to be on the safe side.

 

Read the full story at: http://peakonebuilders.com/4-common-mold-types-in-residential-homes-in-az/

[New Post] Arizona Leading the Way in Helping Homeless Veterans in 2014 published on

According the City of Phoenix, in 2011 there were 222 chronically homeless veterans living in the Valley of the Sun – all of whom were battling some type of mental or physical conditions that often led to some sort of substance abuse. That simply was not acceptable to many Phoenix-metro area residents including Peak One Builders founder, Michael Christensen; a retired Army veteran who considers ‘giving back’ as a mission, not a luxury.

Thanks to the collaborative efforts of City and State Officials, private business owners and several non-profit organizations, the State of Arizona seems to be leading the path in truly helping homeless veterans not only find affordable housing, but also to gain the medical, psychological and substance abuse assistance in order to live a quality life they fought to preserve.

A Realistic Solution in Helping Homeless Veterans

As stated above, in 2011 more than 200 homeless veterans in Phoenix had no place to find shelter, no safe environment to stay warm at night and no place to gain the therapy or medical assistance they need in order to live a proactive and engaging lifestyle. Most of these homeless veterans served in the Vietnam War or Operation Desert Storm only to return home with physical or mental handicaps that often led to substance abuse issues.

However, in 2009, the State of Arizona stumbled upon a realistic solution to this growing problem. According to local and national surveys, it is more expensive to cover the costs of emergency room visits or nights in jail for homeless people than it is to give them homes. A 2009 analysis commissioned by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, found that the monthly cost of housing and supportive services for one person was $605, while the public costs of a person living on the streets were roughly $2,900 a month.

This led the State of Arizona to take proactive measures to find ways to create affordable yet highly effective methods to provide homeless veterans with the housing and services they needed. And the program seems to be working. As late as December 2013, it was estimated that less than 45 of Phoenix’s homeless were veterans – and all of them found temporary housing before the New Year came. It is suggested that every homeless veteran will find permanent housing by Feb. 14 2014.

Now several non-profit organizations are also taking this problem by storm including The Arizona StandDown – an organization supported by Peak One Builders team. The Arizona StandDown is an alliance of community-based organizations that come together to provide annual, one to three day events that bring together the State’s homeless and at-risk military veterans, connecting them with services ranging from: VA HealthCare, mental health services, clothing, meals, emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing, ID/drivers license’s, court services and legal aide, showers, haircuts and a myriad of other services and resources.

Arizona StandDowns are held at various locations throughout the State with the largest, serving approximately 1,500 veterans, at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Maricopa County.  The next event is a Motorcycle Rally to be held on February 8^th, 2014. The event starts at 9:00am with registration and a full pancake breakfast kicking off at Harley Davidson of Scottsdale. You can learn more about this event, and find out ways you can help contribute to a positive solution of helping homeless veterans by visiting their website at http://www.arizonastanddown.org.

Read the full story at: http://peakonebuilders.com/arizona-leading-the-way-in-helping-homeless-veterans-in-2014/

[New Post] Home Improvement Trends Reflects Changing Dynamics published on

It’s no secret that the demographics of the United States are rapidly changing. Gone are the days of 2.5 kids, a white picket fence and one dog. Today’s collective country is aging – and with more large family homes quickly evolving to fewer full-time occupants, several homeowners are taking proactive measures to remodel a home to suit their current needs. It is for this reason and many more that many of today’s popular home improvement trends are focused on comfort as opposed to expansion.

Home Improvement Trends Focused On American Current Needs

Here are a few growing home improvement trends based on the evolving landscape of the United States:

Increase in Energy Efficiency

One of the most popular attributes that homeowners seek in any home improvement project is to increase the energy efficiency of their older homes. They can accomplish this through several different home improvement projects including:

• Replacing older major appliances with new, Energy Star® rated units


• Installing new windows or window seals in order to reduce the amount of lost air inside the house


• Upgrading the homes ductwork, sealing the ductwork or repairing it to keep cold and warm air from escaping the house

Each of these individual steps has been shown to significantly improve the overall energy efficiency of virtually any home. The bottom line is that when the kids are leaving home, parents are looking for ways to reduce their monthly expenses in order to save up for retirement or permit them to have more disposable income, especially in times of economic uncertainty.

Remodeling To Suit Medical Needs

Another reality of life is that our baby boomer generation is getting older. And as we age, our bodies tend to wear down or we become more prone to injuries that can and often do impact our daily lives. It’s due to this fact that another growing trend in home remodeling is making improvements to a home that allow us to live safer lifestyles or accommodate injuries or medical conditions. Some of these improvements include:

• Adding hand rails or upgrading bathrooms to non-slip flooring to ensure safety


• Installing wheel chair access ramps inside homes


• Upgrading kitchens with easier to access and operate appliances, cabinets and safer flooring

Converting Bedrooms to Entertainment or Storage Rooms

As our children leave home for college or to start their own lives, another growing home improvement trend is to convert their bedrooms into entertainment, guest or storage rooms. This type of home remodeling project is rather simple to complete as the majority of the time it requires very little construction – just addition or subtraction of certain furniture products. As current home ownership average age increases in the next few years, we will see more of these types of home improvement projects.

On the flip side, some homeowners are looking to increase livable space inside their current homes. This is why another popular home improvement trends for existing homeowners is adding a new bedroom or bathroom for guests (especially grandchildren). This type of home improvement project tends to add value to a home, which is another reason why several homeowners in Arizona are choosing to expand their homes as they get older.

The key to making any home improvement is to consider the needs of you and your family for the long term. Adding safer home additions, upgrading or adding storage or livable space and increasing the energy efficiency of any property are smart ways to provide more equity to your home, reduce your monthly costs and save more money each month.

 

Read the full story at: http://peakonebuilders.com/home-improvement-trends-reflects-changing-dynamics/

[New Post] Home Remodeling News: National Remodeling to Pick Up in 2014 published on

Growth in any industry is positive. However, based on a recent report submitted by Harvard Universities Joint Center for Housing Studies through their Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity report, the home improvement segment is predicted to show significant gains as the New Year begins. Even more impressive, according to current home remodeling news, is that this growth in new home improvement projects is based on accelerated growth seen in the final quarter of 2013 – a time period often associated with reduced remodeling projects.

Home Sales And Home Improvement Are On The Rise

Traditionally home improvement and remodeling jobs see significant gains in late spring and early summer months – especially in temperate climates. However, following a 12-month period where the annual growth rate was stagnant at less than 5 percent in early 2013, the Harvard LIRA report showed double-digit growth in the final two fiscal quarters of the 2013 calendar year.

This significant spike in home improvement spending was based primarily on a highly competitive marketplace and improvements in consumer confidence as 2014 approached. However another important factor was the improvement in the overall housing market, which saw growth of over 17% YTD (year to date) and an impressive $150 Billion being spent on new home remodeling and building in the United States last year.

“Existing home sales are still growing at a double-digit pace, and rising house prices are helping homeowners rebuild equity lost during the housing crash,” stated Mr. Kermit Baker, the director of the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard University that produced the LIRA report. “We expect the first quarter of 2014 to represent a peak of growth in today’s recovery cycle. However, consumers can feel confident that the growth rate will continue to climb into the early spring and summer months of 2014 as well.”

According to the recent home remodeling news release provided by the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales nationwide grew by nearly 12% over the first eight-months of 2012. And as recent homebuyers tend to be the most active in home improvement projects, such as kitchen and bathroom remodeling, the growth in sales of existing or older homes provides several new opportunities for rapid expansion in the home remodeling segment.

The typical LIRA report that is produced by Harvard University takes into factor eight specific indicators of home ownership market activity including:

• Housing Starting Prices


• Pending Home sales


• Final home sales statistics


• Retail Sales at Home Improvement locations


• And several other factors….

As the overall economy is showing signs of improvement, many climate-neutral states like Arizona, Nevada and Southern Utah are also showing an improvement and increase in current home sales. As seen in home remodeling news, It was estimated in the final quarter of 2013, that existing home sales increased by 20% over the same time period in 2012 in Southern Utah. And with consumers making the choice to invest in upgrading their current homes to become more energy efficient, as well as a highly competitive marketplace of quality-home improvement general contractors offering their services, the first few months of 2014 is the prime opportunity to make a smart investment in your home’s future equity.

 

Read the full story at: http://peakonebuilders.com/home-remodeling-news-national-remodeling-to-pick-up-in-2014/

[New Post] Green Home Remodeling Gaining Traction in Scottsdale For 2014 published on

Trends in the marketplace often come and go. But as 2014 begins, green home remodeling is showing signs of expansion. And for home owners in Scottsdale, AZ making the decision to ‘go green’ with all of their home remodeling projects can save time, money, natural resources and spark some creative juices to use eco-friendly materials and procedures to enhance the overall look and feel of their homes.

Three Steps To Complete Your Green Home Remodeling Project

Here are a few things to consider that will make any green home remodeling project easier to achieve this year.

Step #1 – Have an Energy Audit Completed

A great idea to get you started for any home improvement project is to begin with an Energy Audit completed. This will help you the home owner identify some of the areas inside your current space that could use improvement to increase the energy efficiency of the home. Many HVAC specialists can perform an energy audit, but the key is to factor in the results of this audit and incorporate them into any green home remodeling project you intend to undertake. It is estimated that a good energy audit can lead to up to a 50% reduction in monthly energy bills.

Another positive attribute of having an energy audit is that it will help you reduce carbon emissions from the existing house. This will help make your home much easier to maintain and healthier to live in for everybody.

Step #2 – Invest in Quality Materials for your Green Home Remodeling Project

It’s said that you get what you pay for. And this definitely applies to the materials that are used for any home remodeling project. However, when you’re secondary objective is to be environmentally friendly with your remodel a primary concern of yours should be to purchase quality-built materials for this project. Just like in the food industry, many people get hung up on buzz terms when making purchases. For example, if they are looking for healthier beverages they might only buy ‘organic’ or ‘All-Natural’ products. The end result is manufacturers and retailers will make you pay for those ‘buzz words’, while the product may not always be better for you.

The key in home remodeling is not to fall into that trap. Just because a material might say its ‘eco-friendly’ or made from recycled materials does not mean that it needs to be used for a green home remodeling project. The most important element of any responsible home improvement project is to limit the total amount of materials needed. So if you have to replace that ‘All-Natural’ cabinet in two years because it’s warped, you’re really not accomplishing anything ‘environmentally friendly’. Always make sure that any materials you buy will last a long time – that will ensure your project is ‘green’.

Step #3 – Enhance your Home Improvement Project with Sparkling Colors

The final step when planning to take on a green home remodeling project is to consider the roll that color will play. In this regard, think about using dynamic colors that will naturally brighten up a room  and will require less electrical power and fewer lights. This will also determine what type of window treatments you use, or even whether to add a skylight for natural sunlight to enter a room. Remember – the key to any green remodeling project is to conserve natural resources during and after your home improvement project is completed.

Green home remodeling is going to be a growing trend well beyond 2014 as many homeowners in Scottsdale, Arizona realize the several ancillary benefits that responsible remodeling can provide. Make sure to contact a reliable and experienced general contractor that has experience in working on green home remodeling projects to ensure your job is done right, on time and within your budget.

 

Read the full story at: http://peakonebuilders.com/green-home-remodeling-scottsdale-2014/

[New Post] Commercial Tenant Improvements vs. Moving: Which is Best? published on

When business is good, growth is inevitable. And believe it or not, finding productive ways to expand your business operations is a good problem to have. However, when any company is in the process of expanding their capabilities, one of the biggest hurdles that occur is making the decision to expand their current workspace through commercial tenant improvements or picking up and moving to larger and more adequate operating facility.

Improving Or Moving: What Are The Benefits?

There are benefits to both including:

Staying in Existing Location and Expanding

When your company is growing, and you’re considering whether to stay in the current space, there are several reasons why you might want to consider expansion above moving to larger facilities:

• Expanding your current workspace allows you to maintain current workflow. The biggest problem with moving is the logistic nightmare that often comes with shutting down operations, moving equipment and servicing your current customers. And in today’s competitive marketplace, if you can’t continue to fulfill quality service and products to your customers on time – they will find other options.


• Creating commercial tenant improvements allows you to reduce costs. Another benefit of expanding your current location is cost. If you are located in a commercial building with multiple suites or office locations, simply adding onto the current location is much more affordable than moving into new facilities. And although the cash flow might be solid right now, the last thing any business owner wants to do is increase their operating costs significantly.


• When you upgrade your current facility, you don’t have to make ancillary changes. It might seem small, but many business owners never consider the hassles that come with changing contact information (such as business cards, online websites and directories). When customers (new and existing) want to reach you, they depend on posted addresses and phone numbers to be able to contact you easily. And when you up and move, all this info needs to be updated quickly. Again, it might seem insignificant, however many customers will choose other vendors or suppliers that are easy to contact vs. ones they have to aggressively search to locate.

Moving to Different Locations

As your company grows, you might want to consider moving into a new and larger facility. Some of the advantages of this option include:

• The ability to start fresh with additional room to grow. By moving to a larger facility, you’ll be able to consider additional growth if business continues to expand. And although this is a highly positive way to conduct business, the truth is that it’s often difficult to predict business growth – especially in today’s competitive marketplace.


• The flexibility to create customized workspace. Another ancillary benefit to moving to newer locations is the flexibility to create a workspace that is highly efficient and can often lead to higher productivity.


• The opportunity to move to a better location to service customers easier. Finally, when you move to a larger and new facility you often have the flexibility to move to a better location that allows you to service customers easier.

As you can see, both options offer several advantages. However, at the end of the day, it is much more convenient and economically advantageous to grow in your current office space if possible and choose commercial tenant improvements. The key here is to ensure you work with a qualified and reliable general contractor that will work with you to streamline productivity, reduce operating costs and minimize operational downtime; permitting your company to continue working and taking care of your current customer needs. Regardless of what option you choose, always make sure to contact a professional general contractor that will work with you to choose an option that is most advantageous for your company.

Read the full story at: http://peakonebuilders.com/commercial-tenant-improvements-vs-moving/

[New Post] What A Multifamily Construction Company Can Bring To Your Job Site published on

One of the best attributes any successful company can have is flexibility to work through multiple platforms. And in the construction industry, the unique ability for a general contractor to have the skill-set and experience to work on several types of buildings with a multifamily construction company; from apartment complexes to condo’s not only shows flexibility – it also provides construction sites with several ancillary benefits that all equate to getting the job done right, safely, on time and on budget.

Construction workers are a dime a dozen. But finding a qualified and diverse general contractor that has experience in working several different jobsites is a luxury that any project manager would love to have. Case in point; when most new car shoppers make the decision on what type of vehicle to purchase, they often are gravitated to trustworthy brands like Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Chevrolet – companies who have proven to produce quality in multiple consumer segments; from trucks to SUV’s and small compact cars. The same analogy can and often does apply to finding the right general contractor; those who have proven themselves to produce quality results in multiple situations are always more reliable.

Key Reasons To Hire A Multifamily Construction Company

Multifamily Construction Companies Are Diverse

Diversity is a key attribute for any general contractor. The ability to work on new construction projects, from complete ground-up builds to small remodeling projects gives any foreman the confidence in the general contractor’s abilities – and work ethic. Multifamily General Contractors make the choice to have diverse work experience as it also allows them to deliver better results.

For example, if you have a construction project that includes working solely on apartment buildings, hiring an apartment building specialist might seem to be the right choice. However, when you hire specialists that only have experience in one type of construction, and lack creativity or are simply not flexible, this can lead to problems. But when you work with a GC that is used to working through small issues that always tend to pop up on any jobsite, the end results are often better.

Multifamily GC’s Can Handle Changes Professionally

Another big problem that is avoided when hiring a multifamily general contractor is the fact that they tend to roll with the ever-changing worksite environment extremely professionally. It’s an inevitable fact that changes will occur on any jobsite. And when they do, working with a professional who has worked in several different situations and is accustomed to working within changes is an important element to achieving success during the project. Plus, when you work with a multifamily GC, you’ll have the confidence that they will not use those changes as an excuse to not finish the job done as planned.

Finally, making the decision to hire a multifamily construction company is smart as it allows you to build a relationship with a reliable GC that you can feel comfortable hiring for other construction jobs that pop up. Consistency in craftsmanship and work ethic is an important work trait – regardless of the industry. But in construction, it’s truly a luxury. And when you’re in the planning stages of any construction project, you can rely on the expertise of multifamily general contractors to get the job done right the first time and always on budget.

Read the full story at: http://peakonebuilders.com/what-a-multifamily-construction-company-can-bring-to-your-job-site/