Benhardt Construction and Remodeling @benhardtconstructionworld-blog - Tumblr Blog

I will do more

#remodelingtheworld

#youcandomore

#remodelingtheworld

One CAN do more and that is a fact. I have become aware these past couple weeks about just how much more there is I can do.

So much more that I can learn and experience to in turn to provide you, my customer (yes I am talking to you) an even better service than I provided yesterday.

Better materials

Better attention to details

Better projects

Benhardt Construction and Remodeling

Thank You

#benhardtconstructionandremodeling #remodeling #youcandomore #remodelingtheworld

Third Time Is The Charm

I have been witness to something this past year to sixteen months that I would like to share with you.

Last spring a couple of robin's attempted their first spring together.

They were in firm control of the territory in the back yard and it was obvious that they wanted to attempt to build their nest upon the patio door sconce light.

Well, between their lack of understanding exactly how to build and my better half's consistent knocking down of (to my dismay) there just was not a chance for them to have a family last year.

So the summer went into fall as winter did it's thing

Fast forward to this spring.

Whoa, they are back. Yes it's them. Trust in this that robin's have a unique personality and are very fun to watch if you take a moment.

So it made me feel all warm and fuzzy that not only did they make it through the winter but they found their way back.

Good news for them that my better half finally gave up trying to knock their nest down. Yet, I still felt sorry. They tried and tried and tried and day after day there was straw and grass on the decking! They just couldn't seem to get it right.

Not for a lack of trying mind you! These two busted their butts making this nest but it just wouldn't stick together.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. (so wake up!) The Friday those storms came through the St. Louis Area? The one's that Benhardt Construction and Remodeling is in the middle of helping several homeowner's clean up?

That very Friday, that afternoon I looked up at the nest. I did a double take. They figured it out! Heh, they even threw a little mud in there with the straw and grasses and made a fine nest!

Talked about it over a couple beers (it was Friday but most of you know the day of the week doesn't matter to me much) and went on to dinner time.

The storm a came, the storm kicked some royal butt and the storm left. Aluminum deck cover - gone! Roofing - gone! Soffit - gone! Robin's Nest - STILL THERE!

Them dang ole robin's made that nest so good it stayed there during the storm and it was on the side of the house the storm attacked!

I was proud of those robins!

Last week on a hunch we took a mirror so I could see inside the nest. (I am tall but this was just a little out of my comfort zone if you know what I mean.)

FOUR blue robin eggs in the nest! Ha ha! High five little birds!

Then I got a little worried as with the new roof going on I didn't want them to be stressed out (even though they withstood an F1 tornado!)

Then it gets warm then hot! There's no patio cover anymore. So I put out a little water for like a bird bath. I mist the nest a little bit to help the eggs not get too warm.

Looked yesterday morning and there was TWO baby robins! One was starting on his shell and the other one was just fine sleeping in that egg.

This afternoon, three of them out and the fourth starting to come out!

All these two birds have known for the past year is they were to build a nest and lay some eggs.

It was instinctive. No one told them to do it. No one showed them how to do it. Nobody did it for them. They just knew in their little hearts what they were to do and kept on, kept on, kept on.

Funny, how much I can relate to a couple little stubborn birds...

#benhardtconstructionandremodeling #keep going #robin bird #destiny

A Guide to Help Replace a Bulkhead

Oh, the lonely ole bulkhead...standing there diligent like a Great Britain guard standing outside the castle gates. Always there day after day until you notice that it's uniform is a little ragged, the soldier has aged and it's time to give him a bath!

OK, first and foremost you must be safe! You can easily change the bulkhead out but remember you are working around a hole in the ground and that is what the bulkhead is there to do. Keep weather, varmints and people out of that hole.

I would suggest making sure that the steps are sturdy and not need of replacement first. If they are, they will require more work and I would attend to them first. Reason being is that you will most likely stand on these to deconstruct and construct your new bulkhead.

OK, steps (a different guide altogether) are fine so now we can remove:

The doors, sides and framing (if need be)

If you remove these in the order I suggested carefully you can use them as a guide (template) to rebuild your new bulkhead!

From the hardware store:

3 sheets of 4 foot by 8 foot T-11 Siding board

6 - 8 foot 2x4's Pressure Treated.

1 - 8 foot 1x4 Pressure Treated.

1 Gallon of Primer

1 Gallon of Outdoor Paint of Your Choice

1 tube of Alex Plus Painters Caulk

1 tube of silicon

(Don't go cheap on primer or paint unless you want to be repainting this every other month for the rest of your life)

4 hinges

1 or 2 gate latches

(Padlock?) Not sure if this is the only way in or out of the basement/crawlspace

1 one pound box of exterior wood screw 3 inch long

1 one pound box of exterior wood screws 1 1/2 long

Back from the store

Prime the t-11 sheets front (and back) and let dry.

Cut and replace any wood framing needed with your new 2x4's

Now that the sheets are dry, cut them to fit using your old ones for a template (remember the grooved side is out and it is easy to flip them around so stay aware of which side you are on.

Cut the strips for the sides of the doors

Cut your two by fours into length needed to back the frame for your doors (if the old frames are bad)

Once all your pieces are cut get your 1 1/2 screws ready and open up your silicon caulk

Lay a bead of silicon on all sides of the framing that will have your new plywood attached.

Screw the new plywood to the framing.

Caulk the area of connection between corners of plywood and the house with your printable caulk.

As that dries, attach your hinges and latches.

Apply two coats of that exterior paint you bought

Clean up

Viola!

#bulkhead #remodeling #benhardtconstructionandremodeling

#homeremodelingisanart

Every single day is different for one (or more usually) reasons. Heck some days are started with the water being in the coffee pot but no coffee.

Too bad I'm not into warm tea and honey! (right honey? wink)

But aside from unreliable coffee barest as or however that word is spelled. (sorry, near the end of the day and I'm a little parched...)

There is not a day goes by that is exactly the same as the day before.

Sure I shower about the same time (my customers appreciate that) but other than that...talk about randomness.

It does not matter how well of a plan I think I have laid out, there is a plan for the day and it's not made by me nor am I informed about anything until the moment it happens.

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!

#st louis county #kitchen #kitchen renovation #kitchen ideas #kitchen remodel

Local Storm Event Outside of St. Louis Missouri

This past Friday, a large storm event traveled from Harvester Missouri through Ferguson and beyond. In that path - parts of Bridgeton, Earth City, Hazelwood and Florissant was affected. We are a local company that can repair or replace any part of your exterior on your home. We take great pride in being able to step up in the community and return your home to the way it was before May 31, 2013. Water, as some of you are well aware of, can enter a home in the smallest of openings causing havoc through property damage. If not properly addressed mold can be a hidden health risk to you, your family and your pets. We can remove and replace all damaged areas on the exterior of your home

Parts of your roof or a few shingles

Replace your siding or repair a few pieces.

Repair a downspout or replace the entire gutter system.

Maybe you are thinking that "oh it's only a few pieces, it's below my deductible, nobody is going to come by and fix that for a few dollars...." We will and I will tell you why. We enjoy working with and for people and being able to do all aspects of the construction and remodeling field. We're not here to make a large some of money off of storm damage. I think it is important to be able to help people, do a great job and use quality materials at a very reasonable cost. You didn't cause the storm, we didn't cause the storm nor did the insurance company cause the storm. Insurance is a safety harness for times like this to fix what has been broken suddenly and return it to working order. Period. I do this because not only think it is the right thing to do but I also want your future business. Once you see the attention to detail and the level of service we provide at Benhardt Construction and Remodeling through out the entire St. Louis and St. Charles Counties, I am very confident you will be contacting us for your future planned projects on your home.

#storm damage #remodeling #repair #home improvement

Dipping my toe into the Tumblr pool of water

Well here we go...first time for everything. I guess I will get better at this...you can say that again is most likely what you are thinking.

But in all seriousness this is something new to me but I do enjoy. I enjoy the movement of the fingers tapping the keys as my eyes see what they spell. (most of the time correctly)

I mean here I am, this larger than average fella with fingers moving like an untrained pianist trying to blog. Blog? Wait a second! Blog? Why are you blogging when you are a Remodeling Contractor? Go build something!

Well, you are correct to a point but as time moves forward time also makes changes to how things are done. Not only do I get to construct things but I also get to use these sore, banged up fingers to blog. Which I guess means to explain my thoughts and stuff like to you.

Well, hopefully you have some time and plenty of coffee. Because man there are some thoughts to heard from inside this head!

I'll be back later...I just wanted to get this first one out of the way and just say hello to all my future companions of Benhardt Construction and Remodeling.

'Hello'

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