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Turner Bros Contractors Ltd.

Turner Bros. Contractors Ltd. is a company which offers Drywall, steel stud, acoustic ceilings and demountable partitions to residential and commercial customers. They are members of the Association of Wall and Ceiling Contractors of British Columbia as well as the Wall and Ceiling Association.

Ken is responsible for managing all major aspects of the business as well as overseeing the daily operations and coordinating projects. He is the third generation of his family in the business. Mr. Turner possesses exceptional expertise in carpentry. In the time away from his busy schedule, Ken is an avid car enthusiast.

http://www.KenTurner.info

Happy New Year!

How to Properly Use Spackling Compound – doityourself.com

Spackling compound is an invaluable tool for repairing holes and gaps in walls and other surfaces. It is available in both powdered and paste form. When properly used, spackling compound can do a great job of fixing imperfections.

Step 1 – Choose the Right Spackling Compound

Spackling compound is available in several different varieties, each of which is more suited to a different application. For example, some types are for repairing large holes and cracks, whereas other types are useful for smaller repairs. Certain varieties are better for outdoor repairs and will last longer outdoors as compared to standard spackling compound. Assess the damaged area properly and buy the spackle that is most suited to your requirements.

Step 2 – Prepare the Surface to be Repaired

Before opening or mixing the spackling compound, you must properly clean and prepare the damaged area. Remove all loose debris, cement, paint, dust, and grease from the area. If needed, use a small brush to remove material. Be careful to avoid enlarging the hole further. Once the opening is clean, wipe it with a slightly damp sponge and allow it to dry.

Step 3 – Using Spackling Compound on Large Holes

In most cases, spackling compound is insufficient for repairing large holes. You must use cement, plaster or a piece of drywall to cover up large openings. After this, you will have to use spackling compound to cover up and provide a smooth sealed finish.

TIP: Our expert painting advisor, Edward Kimble adds, “There is also another product available for somewhat large holes. It is called lightweight spackle. It is very light in weight, and can be used in quite large holes because it does not fall out or sag. It also dries rather rapidly.”

Step 4 – Mix the Spackling Compound

If you have purchased spackling compound in a powdered form, add to it small amounts of water and mix till you achieve a thick consistency that is still easy to spread. It is important to achieve the right thickness to avoid running and also to get better results. Avoid mixing large amounts of spackling compound because it may sit and dry, making it unusable.

TIP: Edward suggests, “For the homeowner, do-it-yourself person or anyone who rarely has a painting project, the powdered spackle that has to be mixed with water is the best choice, as spackle in its powdered form will store indefinitely, whereas wet spackle or joint compound will eventually harden up.”

Read the rest of the list at: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-properly-use-spackling-compound#ixzz3I7beDH6F

Lower Cost to Build – 15 Construction Tips and Other Ways to Save Big When Building a House

 Here are 15 tips that may help keep your building budget within reason, without compromising on the home you want.

1. Buy a large lot with a friend or family member that can be split into two smaller lots. Some of the most appealing properties may be much larger than what you want or can afford, yet the seller may not be willing to break up a large parcel. So if you can share the cost with someone else (preferably someone you don’t mind having as a neighbor), you may be able to pick up a great building site for a reasonable price.

2. Consider a so-called problem lot — a hillside, narrow, or in-fill property. Generally, these types of lots are not as desirable as others, so they don’t sell as quickly and often go for a much lower price. With the right plan and a capable contractor, however, a potentially difficult lot might be perfect for your new home.

3. Choose a canal or bay lot instead of ocean or lakefront property if you must have a waterfront site. These choices are usually less expensive but still water accessible. Plus, they provide great protection against inclement weather.

4. Buy low-maintenance building materials — vinyl siding and metal roofing, for example. Even if they are somewhat more expensive at installation, they will pay for themselves in the long run as you won’t have to repair, replace, or repaint.

5. Collect salvaged materials from demolition sites. Old barnwood, used bricks, and distinctive wood doors add inexpensive character to a home without exorbitant cost. Many times you can have the materials at no cost, as long as you’re willing to haul them away. Just be sure to check first with the owner of the building being demolished.

6. Splurge only on those things you truly cannot live without. However, don’t skimp on structural components or doors and windows — for the safety and security of your home, you’ll want to purchase the best you can afford in these areas.

7. Don’t overbuild for the neighborhood. A home that is better and bigger than any other in its area will not command a fair price at resale. Instead, the assessment will be colored by the lower-priced homes around it.

Read the rest of the list at: http://www.eplans.com/community/15-Ways-to-Save-Big-When-Building-a-House

9 Tips for Hassle-Free Home Construction – HGTV

Cindy Stumpo is one of Boston’s premier custom-home builders. With more than 20 years’ experience in the business, she has plenty of expertise to share.

Carefully Select the Builder:
Before hiring a builder, drive past their previous jobs and speak to the homeowners. Ask if the builder had good follow-through, whether the job was completed on schedule and on budget and if they were pleased with the quality of work. Also, check the builder’s relationships with subcontractors and supply houses — essentially find out if they pay their bills. A builder who is behind in payments will most likely encounter delays in receiving materials and have a hard time keeping a quality crew.

Hire a Lawyer:
Have a lawyer review the contract with your builder. Building a home is a major investment and it’s important to make sure all of your bases are covered. A small lawyer fee up-front could save you thousands of dollars should something go wrong during construction.

Investigate the Area:
Before purchasing land, research the school district and crime rate. Drive around the surrounding area, checking for convenience to interstates, schools, shopping and restaurants.

Don’t Overbuild:
Before finalizing home plans and beginning construction, compare the home you’re planning with others on the same street. You never want to be the most expensive house on the block; you won’t get your money back when you sell.

Read the rest of the article at: http://www.hgtv.com/real-estate/9-tips-for-hassle-free-home-construction/index.html

Tips for Finishing Drywall

Making the joints in freshly hung drywall disappear behind a smooth, flawless taping job will try your patience. Many problems—slow-drying taping compound, crushed drywall edges and protruding screwheads— interrupt the smooth, efficient flow of your work. Other little problems— scuff marks, dips and ridges—won’t show up until the dust clears and you prime the walls. Going back to fix stuff is time-consuming and a lot of fuss.

Resist the temptation to lower your quality standards. In this story, we’ll demonstrate tips and techniques that pros use to avoid the most irritating slow-ups and flaws. We show these tips roughly in the order you’d use them—drywall prep, selecting your materials, applying the tape and three coats of compound, and sanding to finish up. The pros we interviewed stressed a methodical approach; if you skip a step, chances are you’ll lose time later. Although you won’t be able to work with the speed and dexterity of a pro, these tips will make your drywall taping go faster, and it’ll look better for even the most inexperienced hand.

NOTE: We used water-resistant drywall for visual contrast—the taped seams and strips are easier to see against its green color. Don’t use water-resistant drywall on ceilings (it sags). Also, check with a building inspector; many areas do not permit its use on exterior house walls.

Photo 1: Check for underdriven screws and nails

Slide a 6-in. drywall knife across all the fasteners. A telltale metallic click will alert you to any that are left protruding above the face of the drywall. The problem often occurs along corners. Drive screws in with a twist of a Phillips screwdriver.

 

Photo 2: Tap nails slightly below the drywall face

The curved face of the hammerhead should set the nailhead in a shallow dimple, but the nailhead shouldn’t break through the paper or crush the stiff drywall core. A special drywall hammer is ideal for this, but a regular hammer will do if you’re careful.

Photo 3: Trim away loose, torn paper with a sharp utility knife

Cut the paper away from tears and soft spots where the gypsum core is crushed. This allows drywall compound to reach and solidify these weak areas. A loose or torn paper surface will come back to haunt you when it causes bubbles later (Photo 14) or pokes through the final finish.

 

Photo 4: Spray a stain-blocking primer

Prime rough and torn areas to consolidate loose paper fibers and seal in chemicals that can bleed through and stain the finish coat of paint. (KILZ and BIN are two common brands available at paint stores.) Ventilate the room well and wear a vapor-absorbing painter’s mask when using solvent-based primers.

Read the rest of the article at: http://www.familyhandyman.com/drywall/tips-for-finishing-drywall/view-all#ixzz3BnBFlAvo

Legislators seek more protections for contractor employees

By Simon Brody

In a provision currently proposed for attachment to the new federal appropriations bill by members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus contractors could face debarment for even the mildest violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Caucus has also urged the president to consider further executive actions to bolster protections for workers employed by contractors.

Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) advanced the provision under which a contractor that has been found liable for even a minor FLSA violation — of as little as $5,000 — would be subject to debarment on that basis alone.

The provision was recently adopted as part of 2015 Appropriations bills for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Defense, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, State and Foreign Operations, and Interior and Environment.

Debarment prevents contractor from receiving business from the federal government for a period of years, and is known among the stiffest penalty a contractor can face, particularly those whose core businesses involve servicing the federal government.

In a recent letter to the president, Ellison and Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) urge him to consider stronger a new executive order which would guarantee wage protections for workers employed by federal contractors.

To read more, visit: http://web.governmentcontractors.org/content/news/Contractors_could_face_debarment_for_FLSA_violations.aspx

Construction Spending Reaches Its Highest Level Since 2009

By The Associated Press

Construction spending posted modest gains in April, driven by an uptick in home building and government construction that lifted total activity to the highest level since March 2009.

Spending rose 0.2 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $953.5 billion, the Commerce Department said on Monday. The government also revised March activity to a 0.6 percent gain, up from an initial estimate of a 0.2 percent increase.

The small April improvement, which was lower than economists had expected, was the third consecutive increase after spending decreased 0.4 percent in January. The cumulative growth over the past three months suggests that the construction industry is recovering from the harsh winter and will provide a boost to growth in the months ahead.

The overall economy contracted at an annual rate of 1 percent in the first quarter of the year, but analysts forecast that growth will recover to a rate of around 3.8 percent in the next period. The expectation is that as strong gains in hiring help lift consumer spending, other sectors including construction will also rebound.

In April, residential construction edged up 0.1 percent, the lowest monthly gain since a decline last October. But the small increase followed strong gains over the past five months that helped lift spending on housing to a seasonally adjusted $378.5 billion, the highest level since March 2008.

Government construction spending rose 0.8 percent to a rate of $267 billion. This sector has been struggling because of budget cutbacks at all levels of government.

Total construction spending is 8.6 percent higher than it was a year ago, led by a 17.2 percent increase in housing construction. Nonresidential construction is up by 5.6 percent from a year ago, while government projects are just 1.2 percent higher.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/business/economy/construction-spending-reaches-its-highest-levels-since-2009.html

Why Hire a General Contractor?

By Wayne Crider, Executive Officer
Skagit/Island Counties Builders Association

Congratulations! You own some property and have commissioned or purchased a floor plan you like-the time has come to build your dream house. Here in the Pacific Northwest, it really doesn’t matter what the current season because we don’t have that many below-freezing temperatures to deal with in the winter. You may feel ready to dive right in and construct your own home from the ground up, potentially saving the cost of hiring a general contractor and immersing yourself in the nuts and bolts of the construction process. However, before embarking single-handedly on the adventure of building a home, take some time to consider your decision carefully. While acting as your own general contractor can be an exciting and worthwhile experience, it also can be a complicated, technically demanding and time-consuming commitment. For many reasons, hiring an experienced professional to handle the day-to-day aspects of the building process can be an excellent decision, and one that ensures that the end result is a comfortable, well-built home for you and your family.

A general contractor has significant experience in the actual home building process.

Building a home is a complex activity. Although your subcontractors will provide specific expertise in areas like pouring the foundation and wiring the house, if you act as your own contractor you will need to consider your ability to manage the overall process. Do you know the order in which activities must be completed, and have the technical know-how to oversee the construction of your home from start to finish? If you are unsure about your expertise in some areas, it pays to hire a general contractor to direct the building process; he or she will be familiar with both the big-picture activities and the smaller details that are equally important to a well-built home.

Building homes is a general contractor’s “day job.”

Building a home can be a full-time job. If your “day job” is demanding and allows you little free time, consider hiring a general contractor, since it can take up to three or four months of daytime supervision to build a home from foundation to rooftop. Just as you have significant expertise in your field, general contractors are well-versed in the day-to-day activities of home construction. For example, a contractor will know how to find qualified subcontractors, ensure that they arrive at the right time, in the right order, with access to the right materials; he or she then will oversee their work. A general contractor also is responsible for scheduling not only the subcontractors, but also securing any necessary permits, building to the specifications of your plans and local building codes, and scheduling the inspections by various agencies that must be completed before work can continue. Finally, when it comes to everyday troubleshooting, a general contractor can be priceless. Small setbacks can turn into much larger issues if they are not handled quickly, and a contractor will spend much of his or her day smoothing out any wrinkles that arise.

A general contractor has the relationships to get the job done.

When you hire a contractor, you also obtain access to a specialized network of information and resources. Professional builders generally have well-established relationships with reliable subcontractors like electricians and plumbers, and familiarity with the time it takes to complete various phases of the building process, which a novice owner-builder can lack.

For example, a contractor will have a pool of subcontractors who will be willing to work on your project, even if that means working extra hours in order to finish a job. As a homeowner, you may not have such an advantage. Subcontractors don’t know if you will be a professional and organized boss, and more importantly, they are aware that this is probably a one-time job, which can result in you being low on the priority list for scheduling. When you work with a contractor, you benefit from the higher scheduling priority given to well-known professional builders who need services on an ongoing basis.

A general contractor is prepared to deal with complications and delays in construction.

An experienced contractor already knows about the pitfalls involved in building a home, and can find solutions more easily because he or she deals with these problems every day. For example, in case of a natural disaster, contractors have the knowledge-and more importantly, the time-to prepare your jobsite for impending heavy rain or high winds. Bad weather can wreak havoc on your schedule and even the quality of construction, and a professional can help you avert these potential problems.

A general contractor knows about building codes and other legal issues.

Construction in virtually all jurisdictions is regulated by building codes, primarily for the purpose of providing minimum standards of health and safety for the public. A general contractor deals with building codes in your area on a daily basis, and likely has learned the best and fastest ways to comply with the maze of rules and requirements. However, building codes are just the tip of the legal iceberg when it comes to constructing a home. What happens if you, your neighbor or someone you’ve hired gets injured while your home is under construction? Proper liability insurance is essential, and may be complicated and expensive to obtain on your own; however, professional contractors generally carry both worker’s compensation and liability insurance to protect themselves-and you-against any unfortunate events.

Finally, remember that if you build your home yourself, there is no warranty for your own work, and you are ultimately responsible for the quality of your project. Depending on your agreement with your general contractor, you can ease much of this burden and place your home in the hands of an experienced professional who can quickly and efficiently address any problems.

 

http://www.sicba.org/waynes-articles/why-hire-a-general-contractor/