News from Frugal DIY, the Do it Yourself Remodeling Coach

Charlottesville's Own Frugal DIY
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August 31, 2010  Welcome to our newly redesigned site. Hang in there with us for a few more days. There's more information coming to the site and there are a few fixes in order. We should be A.O.K very soon. If you're looking for something particular and you can't find it on the site, let us know. We'll do the best we can to get you the info you are looking for!

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September 30, 2010   One of the least challenging remodeling projects you can do is installing vinyl replacement windows. There are a few basic steps to the process, and once you've done it a few times, it is completely repetitive. We just completed coaching a homeowner on a 21 window project. In 4 hours of on site coaching we walked the owner through the complete installation of 3 windows. We then observed, standing by to render guidance, as the homeowner installed the next window in 48 minutes with perfection! Since it was clear that the homeowner had learned how, we left the homeowner to work alone for a few days. Each night, when the homeowner arrived home from work, he put in 2 more windows. BY the end of the 8th day all of the windows were installed! Super job! To add to the level of satisfaction for both of us, they saved over $9,500 off the prices quoted by local contractors and got better windows in the process! Triple glazed, double low-e windows with a lifetime warranty that is transferrable to the next homeowner! The savings will continue with heating and cooling costs reduced by around 31%, or in this case, $72 per month!

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March 3, 2011   We've been so busy helping homeowners save money we've neglected to update the blog! Today's hot topic comes to light as the result of a recent consultation we provided for a homeonwner wanting to refurbish their 8 year old treated wood deck. As is common with treated wood decks, the deck boards were cupping, cracking and splintering and beginning to become more of a safety hazard than a source of enjoyment. The homeowner wanted to replace the deck surface with a composite decking material, in this case Trex. The good news is with just a few hours of consulting the homeowner was well on their way to doing it themselves and saving over $3,500 over the course a two weekends. However, when we made our initial inspection of the deck we discovered another very common problem...improper construction of the deck structure. In our experience, more than half of all decks in the Charlottesville area have structural issues. This particular deck had serveral, which included: no lag bolts fastening the deck to the house; aluminum flashing used behind the band board attached to the house with ACQ treated lumber; toe-nailed joists instead of joist hangers and poor quality deck board nails that were completely rusted. If you have a deck, get it inspected. You can call us for our initial consultation at $88, or you can call a trusted and experienced contractor or the local building department. While even a deck on grade can present a safety issue if it is not built properly, an elevated deck with structural issues can be a serious hazard. Your deck may be just fine, but wouldn't it be nice to know?

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You've never built a deck or
installed new windows?

key to successful home improvementsGreat! You're the perfect Frugal DIY customer! Most home improvement and remodeling projects have an element of technical knowledge, skill and experience that are required to successfully complete them. Often much of the work is repetitive in nature. Learn it once, and it's stuck with you forever!

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Contact Frugal DIY

Central Virginia's Only
Frugal DIY Coach

We're a local Charlottesville business. We live, work and play in our community just like you do. We're big enough to handle just about any home improvement and remodeling project, and small enough to give every customer the best in service and personal attention. Use the form above, or give us a call today at (434) 202-4198 to get started. While some of the work may not be "easy", working with Frugal DIY is!

If you're thinking that you just may not be able to perform some of the more physically demanding work for your project, don't worry! We have a great list of laborers that just can't wait to work on your project! Digging 20 holes for deck footers in Virginia clay is no easy task for sure! We can call upon labor help, or in the case of this many holes, we'll help you hire a subcontractor with a tractor and an auger to dig all 20 holes in an hour or two! We work smart! Frugal-smart and easy-smart!

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