contractor tips Archives

What about the Indoor air quality of your home?

Indoor air pollutants have increased over the past few decades for variety of reasons. Contributing to indoor air quality issues in homes are construction of more tightly sealed buildings, reduced ventilation rates to save energy, the use of synthetic building materials and furnishings, and increased use of chemical products such as pesticides, housekeeping supplies, and personal care products.

What about the Indoor air quality of your home? Read More »

The 3 Different Types of Builders

Custom Home / TheKaufmanAdmin

Remodelers and homebuilders fall into one of three categories: Accounting driven, Marketing driven, or Construction driven. It is very important to know which kind of builder you are consulting with in order to know what to expect from them and their building processes.

The 3 Different Types of Builders Read More »

How to Create a Safe Fire in your Fireplace or Wood Stove

DIY Tips / TheKaufmanAdmin

As a follow up to our article at the beginning of December 2011 on, preventing and minimizing fires in your home I thought it would be good to include a very important article on wood burning in your home.

How to Create a Safe Fire in your Fireplace or Wood Stove Read More »

Can you Remodel or Build a New Home in the Rain?

Home Remodeling / TheKaufmanAdmin

In Salem, as well as most parts of Western Oregon, our weather is usually mild enough to allow certain remodeling projects and custom homes throughout the Fall and Winter without serious problems. In past years, Kaufman homes have begun many various size new homes, remodels and additions in October and November without significant problems.

Can you Remodel or Build a New Home in the Rain? Read More »

Granite Countertop Maintenance

DIY Tips / TheKaufmanAdmin

We get various questions from homeowners regarding the maintenance of their granite countertops. Granite is perceived to be durable and maintenance free, and in most cases that applies to most stone counters, but not all granite is the same. Although granite is extremely hard, some of the minerals in it may be very soft, depending on the type of granite. The type of finish may affect how often the countertop should be cleaned and sealed.

Granite Countertop Maintenance Read More »

6 Common Myths for Selecting a Contractor

Home Remodeling / TheKaufmanAdmin

The following post deals with the most common myths that I hear as a builder all the time. I hope to once and for all stop these myths from continuing. Whether you are doing a home remodel or a custom home these apply. In fact, these apply to almost any project that you could do on your home.

6 Common Myths for Selecting a Contractor Read More »

Ensuring a Successful Custom Home or Home Remodel

Custom Home / TheKaufmanAdmin

Whether you are wanting to do a home remodel or build a custom home, this is a great list of items to keep in mind. We know that over the years there are lessons that we have learned. The list below are just some of the lessons that we would like to share with you. This list also serves as what you should also be thinking of when starting a home remodeling project or custom home because more often than not, these items don’t come up until it is too late to tackle a problem that could have been brought up at the very beginning.

Ensuring a Successful Custom Home or Home Remodel Read More »

Traits Between a Good Contractor and a Bad Contractor

Home Remodeling / TheKaufmanAdmin

When I first started thinking about Kaufman Homes and the service we provided I started to list items that we have either heard about from other customers who made the right choice of using us versus someone else. I took a lot of the items that they spoke about and made a list.

Traits Between a Good Contractor and a Bad Contractor Read More »