Hamilton Building Services

(Photo courtesy of Hamilton Building Services   2016)       There are a surprising amount of foundation types. Some of the most common at this time are poured foundations, which use metal molds for the foundation. But this isn't the only option you have. Today, we will be talking about the 4 types of foundation and the pros and cons between them. Poured Foundations      A poured foundation is exactly what it sounds like, using wet concrete to fill the molds that make up the foundation. This can be used for crawl space, or full height basements. Poured foundations are stronger than block foundation, because there is more lateral strength, which means they can resist more outside pressure. There are no joints in a poured foundation, meaning it will be significantly easier to waterproof than a block foundation. Poured foundations, however, are not insulated by default without the need for additional framing on the inside of the wall, w...

      Photo by: Hamilton Building Services        In today's society, crime is far from unheard of with burglary on the rise. It is not just the local supermarket or favorite retail store, but it's homes as well. This is why it is more important than ever to make sure that not only ourselves, but our homes are protected. So, how do we do this? Do we hire a security team? Do we never leave our homes and try to protect it ourselves? Do we just lock everything? Not exactly. Though those could be helpful, they're not entirely practical or cost efficient.        For starters, yes, always make sure your doors and windows are locked. That's the first step into helping keep our homes safe and secure. The Washington Post, posted an article with several ways we can keep our homes safer and as usual, we are going to dive into those, give our input, and our suggestions as well. Let's begin!        A tip they suggest is...

     Photo by TDKvisuals / Shutterstock.com    These days, it isn't unheard of for people to have vacation homes, however, nowadays, people are purchasing weekend homes. At first, this may sound a tad ridiculous, but when you think about it, it's like a little getaway every weekend from your "normal" life and change can be a very good thing for your physical and mental health! Believe it or not, a lot of people in New York are beginning to do this! According to The New York Times , a lot of wealthy New Yorkers are looking to the suburbs for their weekend home!      One reason that people are choosing to do this is because they are not ready to leave the city, but enjoy a little escape that makes them feel more in the country and more at peace without all the noise of constant traffic and people and sirens. Most people who choose to do this, choose places that are commutable. Now, commutable can mean something different to everybody. Some ...

Photo from: article linked Jeremy Andberg of artofmanliness.com wrote this article to give us some tips on how to stay cool without putting our AC's on blast and with the weather this last weekend, we think they are great to follow! Let's dive into them as well as give our own input, shall we? Jeremy says that our windows and blinds are important to work with when it comes to keeping cool. He suggests keeping the windows open at night and the blinds closed during the day! He says a majority of the heat that comes inside our homes are coming through our windows due to the "greenhouse effect" which he says is where sunlight and heat can enter, but cannot leave. He suggests keeping fans on in as many rooms as possible to allow good airflow. One thing I've found that helps is having blackout curtains. I purchased mine at Wal-Mart for cheap and have noticed a significant difference in how my room feels! The next one Jeremy talks about is kind of a given one, wh...

Photo by: Jo Auger        These days, it's as if almost no one is happy with their home, especially when it comes to those areas where literally all of the homes look the same. This can become an issue when having guests over or even if you aren't fully paying attention and try to go to the wrong home. Now, Jasmine Roth, actually likes these homes as she finds them challenging but exciting to turn around. Let's dive into what Jasmine suggests doing to change these homes in her article at HGTV as well as some of our own suggestions!        The first thing that Jasmine suggests is to upgrade your fireplace. She says that while you might not be upset with it, if you're living in an area where all houses look the same, chances are the fireplace is the same in all homes so why not make it unique to stand out? She says that you can utilize drywall and wallpaper to truly transform it! One thing that I would suggest is deciding what you want the foc...

Photo by:  Flynnside Out Productions It's officially  less than a week until the Fourth of July! You know what that means! Parties, food, fireworks, games, and more! In case you are feeling stuck this holiday, I went ahead and found this article through HGTV to help give you some ideas on how to throw the perfect holiday party! Let's start making those memories, shall we?!  The first thing you are going to want to take into consideration is food. After all, it's not a party unless there is food! Things like burgers and hot dogs will need to be made during the party for freshness, but that doesn't mean that you can't have all the sides prepared! Some of my family's go to sides are  deviled eggs, chips and dip, fruit platters, vegetable platters, cookies and brownies. Why not add some food die to the deviled eggs to make them red, white, and blue? Add some frosting or sprinkles to the cookies and make them red, white, and blue as well! You'll also need ...

     Credit: Getty Royalty Free Do you find yourself unhappy with how your home looks? Do you often feel bored and like you want a change that is both challenging and rewarding? Why not put your skills and knowledge to the test by working on some DIY projects this weekend! DIY projects are often a cheaper alternative rather than having a professional come in and charge you for the labor and the materials. Plus, you can work DIY projects easily into your schedule, meaning no worries on having someone else at your house when it's inconvenient! According to Forbes , there are some home improvement trends you should be looking out for in 2019! Check out there article to learn more! Let's take a minute to discuss some of these home improvement trends and give a little insight ourselves! I especially want to talk about DIY projects. The first point Forbes makes for home improvement is that most DIY-ers tend to be millennials as they tend to be working and utilizi...