Source

http://kardas.klmphotography.co/cost-of-small-bathroom-renovation/

Source

http://ninja.turtletechrepairs.co/kitchen-renovation-estimator/

Some home improvement projects, like installing a tile backsplash, are relatively easy for most homeowners to tackle. Then, there are other projects that just aren’t worth the hassle. Here are seven home improvement projects you may want to leave to the pros.

Plumbing and electrical

Unless you’re a plumber or an electrician, it’s best to leave these complex systems to those skilled in working with them. Even a small leak could lead to big water damage and just a short could spark a house fire. Don’t risk serious harm to your home or yourself, leave these jobs, no matter how simple they might appear, to the pros.

Big renovations

Even if you’re a skilled handyman, renovations such as adding a room or tearing out a wall could pose problems if you don’t know your city’s building codes. Diving in without all you need to know, as well as the required permits, could get you cited, which means fines, which defeats the budget-minded purpose of doing it DIY.

Plus, building codes are in place to ensure structures are sound and safe. If you’re unfamiliar with them, you could end up undermining the structural integrity of your home.

Window replacement

We know energy-efficient windows can save you big money on utility bills, but don’t start the savings by tackling this yourself. Let a professional install them so that you can reap those savings. There’s nothing worse than thinking a project is going to save you money, only to find you did it wrong and it will cost you more to correct the flaws.

Window installers have specialized knowledge and specialized tools to tackle this task.

Roofing

We know you can grab the ladder and clean the gutters and look for damage, but don’t grab a hammer and replace the shingles. Leave the repairs to the experts to ensure they’re done right (no leaks) as well as to ensure you don’t make things worse or void your warranty.

Exterior painting

You aced that bedroom repainting project, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can do the same for the entirety of the house. For starters, there is significant prep time involved in repainting your home’s exterior–scraping, sanding, power washing, caulking, priming. It all takes serious elbow grease and lots of time. Let someone with the right tools and the right crew do it and save yourself the aching muscles and the hassle.

Projects involving extreme heights

While we’re talking painting and roofing, it’s worth mentioning that jobs that require the ladder might not be DIY fare. The World Health Organization reports there are more than 164,000 ladder-related trips to the emergency room and 300 ladder-related deaths in the United States annually.

Tree removal

While lopping off those branches might be DIY, cutting down the tree is not. Height can be deceptive and unless you know just how tall a tree is, you risk chopping it down only to have it fall on the house, the fence, or worse on your neighbor’s house. Let the tree experts handle this so all goes smoothly.

Remember, just because a project seems simple that doesn’t mean it will be. Sometimes it’s better to let the experts do the work.

2-10 HBW offers comprehensive warranty coverage to help protect you from unmanageable repair costs. Let us help you protect your largest investment.

Source

7 Home Improvement Projects That You Should Never DIY

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois unveiled a new outdoor playground set Thursday that is sure to get a lot of use this summer.

“Our summer program starts June 18 and runs through Aug. 12,” said Tiffany Mathis, director of development and community relations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois. “We will have students here Monday through Friday. The new playground set will get an immense amount of use over the summer and during the school year. It was definitely much-needed.”

The new playground was made possible by a $50,000 grant from Lowe’s. The project also involved repairing a parking lot, renovating a women’s bathroom and installing new thermostats throughout the Boys & Girls Clubs’ building at 300 S. 15th St.

William Legge, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois, said Lowe’s and other Springfield businesses helped it stretch the $50,000 grant. Lowe’s was able to provide building materials at cost and also supplied volunteers who helped with the projects. Other businesses such as Siciliano Construction, Bunn-O-Matic Corp., Equipment Operator’s Local 965, Prather-Tucker Architects and Carpenters Local 270 pitched in on the project.

“This was easily a $200,000 project that we got for $50,000 in hard costs and ton of community labor,” Legge said. “The guys at Bunn, their maintenance crew is almost our defactor maintenance crew.”

While the playground was the most visible part of the project, Legge said the bathroom renovation and new thermostats were also important.

“The women’s bathroom was falling apart,” Legge said. “We were able to completely redo that. We got new dividers, sinks, faucets, ceiling tile, floor tile … It’s a brand new room. It looks amazing.”

Lowe’s Renovation Across the Nation is a $2.5 million initiative to strengthen and revitalize one club in each of the 50 states.

Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder said the Boys & Girls Clubs helps stabilize the area.

“The Boys and Girls Clubs helps shape lives. That’s what it’s all about. How do we improve the lives of others and work together to get it done,” Langfelder said.

After a short dedication ceremony, the kids at the club were allowed to play on the new equipment.

“It’s been a lot of work,” Legge said. “We started last fall. We had to pretty much stop as winter set in, and then we had the winter that just wouldn’t end. It took longer than I would have liked to get it done, but seeing the smiles on the faces makes it all worth it.”

–Contact John Reynolds: john.reynolds@sj-r.com, 788-1524, twitter.com/JohnReynoldsSJR.

Source

http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180518/grant-helps-boys-amp-girls-clubs-with-playground-equipment-bathroom-renovation

DENVER, /PRNewswire/ — PaySimple, a leading Service Commerce platform for businesses, today announced the integration of its embedded payment processing technology, PaySimple AppConnect™, with improveit 360, a leading CRM and business management software purpose-built for residential remodelers, contractors, and home improvement professionals.

PaySimple AppConnect™ enables improveit 360 customers to accept payments directly from their improveit 360 desktop or mobile application, making it simpler than ever to collect payments on-time for major home remodeling projects in the field, in the office or on the go.

The integration makes it easier for home improvement professionals to run their businesses, allowing them to securely accept large sums, down payments, multi-step payments or recurring payments without disrupting core services. By combining the power of improveit 360’s all-in-one business management platform & mobile app, with PaySimple’s secure payment acceptance capabilities, home improvement professionals can focus on projects, not toggling between software systems.

“Allowing businesses to accept payment directly from their improveit 360 application furthers our mission of being a true all-in-one business management solution,” says Mark Quinlan, CEO of improveit 360. “Every minute of time improveit 360 customers save collecting payments is another minute they can invest in marketing, selling, open projects and client relationships.”

PaySimple AppConnect integrates with service business platforms to facilitate down payments, recurring payments, web forms, payment plans, credit card & ACH processing, virtual point-of-sale, “card on file” PCI Compliant Vault, and cash flow reporting.

“We’re excited to help improveit 360 customers simplify the way they accept payments and ultimately, provide better service to their clients,” says David Sharp, President of PaySimple.

The integration is available to all improveit 360 customers. To learn more, visit: https://paysimple.com/paysimple-i360-prospects.html

About PaySimple
PaySimple is the leading Service Commerce platform for businesses, supporting the success of over 17,000 companies in the United States. PaySimple enables businesses to market services, accept payments, and retain customers using one end-to-end solution that covers everything from payments and appointments, to online sales and customer management. Products include: Service Point of Sale, Payment Forms & Online Store, Appointment Scheduling, credit card and e-check processing, Recurring Billing, Mobile Payments, Secure Customer Management, e-Invoicing, cash flow reporting, and more.

About improveit 360
improveit 360 is the leading CRM and business management software purpose-built for residential remodelers, contractors, and home pros. We also build custom solutions for home improvement franchisors and manufacturers. Our system and associated mobile apps help you manage leads, marketing, sales, quoting, projects, appointments, call centers, and real-time reporting from one centralized location. improveit 360 improves efficiency, reduces the day-to-day chaos, and helps grow businesses.

Media Contact:

Nell Gable
303-800-0585
194738@email4pr.com

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/paysimple-announces-latest-payment-integration-with-improveit-360s-crm-software-for-contractors-remodelers-and-home-improvement-professionals-300647952.html

SOURCE PaySimple

Source

http://benzinga.com/pressreleases/18/05/r11713149/paysimple-announces-latest-payment-integration-with-improveit-360s-crm

Ringleader in theft targeting home improvement stores pleads guilty

DENVER — The ringleader of a plan that resulted in the theft of over $35,000 of merchandise from Denver metro area and Front Range home improvement stores pleaded guilty last Friday, according to the Denver District Attorney.

Christopher Rodriguez, 31, pleaded guilty to the main charge of violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act. As part of the terms of his plea, Rodriguez is expected to be sentenced to 16 years in prison.

A Denver Grand Jury last October indicted Rodriguez and 24 co-defendants on various additional charges, including money laundering, theft, and violation of bail bond conditions.

The DA said the indictment was the result of a months-long investigation and collaboration by the local Economic Crime Unit, Denver Metro Gang Task Force, Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department, and the Lakewood Police Department.

The indictment alleges that between December 2015 and December 2016, Rodriguez participated in and directed fellow members to steal merchandise from Home Depot and Lowe’s stores, then return the stolen items back to the stores for merchandise credit cards, which were in turn sold for cash to pay conspirators in the crime in cash or drugs.

Rodriguez allegedly provided room and board in Denver for some members of the enterprise and bonded associates out of jail and compelled them to work for him until they could repay the bond fee.

The merchandise cards were sold at stores specializing in gift cards for about 70 percent of the merchandise credit card value.

At the time of many of the alleged incidents, Rodriguez was on bond under intensive supervision with electronic monitoring in connection with pending criminal cases against him.

His electronic monitoring devices placed him at the scene of one or more store thefts for which he was charged. Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on June 8.

Source

http://kdvr.com/2018/05/15/ringleader-in-theft-targeting-home-improvement-stores-pleads-guilty/