Artificial turf gets sold as a product. It is not. It is a drainage project with a green surface on top, and almost every turf lawn that fails in this county fails for a reason that has nothing to do with the turf. Here is what actually decides whether it works, and one piece of California law that matters if you live behind a homeowners association. Your HOA cannot prohibit it In the master-planned communities across Temecula and Murrieta this is the first question people as

Everyone plans an outdoor kitchen by picking the grill and the countertop. Those are the two decisions that matter least. The island is masonry and finish work, and it is the straightforward part. What decides whether the project goes smoothly, passes inspection and is safe to stand next to is gas, electrical and how the island itself is built to handle a leak. The rule that surprises people, and it is a safety rule A BBQ island is usually built as a sealed masonry box with a

A driveway gate looks like a product you buy. In Los Angeles it is closer to a small permitted structure that happens to move, and it sits at the boundary between three different sets of rules: zoning, the public right of way, and gate safety. Most of the gates that get into trouble here did not fail because of the steel. They failed because of where they were put. The first question: where does your property actually end? Almost every homeowner assumes the property line is a

A house built before about 1980 in Los Angeles may be sitting on its foundation rather than attached to it. In an earthquake, that difference decides whether the building rides the shaking or slides off the concrete. Foundation bolting is the work that connects the two, and for most older homes in this city it is the highest-value structural upgrade available per dollar spent. What the work actually is Foundation bolting secures the wood framing of the house to its concrete f

Here is everything you need to know about Underpinning and how to determine what type best fits your situation best.

Don't be a DIW...(Do It Worselfer)... At some point, even the most serious professional needs help, it's construction after all, and...

Air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps are also known as HVAC help regulate the temperature in your home and make it more...

Everyone knows that when the spring arrives, its time to make the maintenance needed in your Home Spring tips Replace your furnace filter...

Perpetrators Cannot Hide if lights shine on them Home Security Lighting is often overlooked as one of the most important aspects of home...

Mold and mildew is frequently seen in homes at this time of year due to homeowners keeping windows closed whilst having the heating on....

When you decide to embark on a small home improvement project, a little help may change the odds from a failed DIY to a successful...

HPOZ for those who accidentally fell upon this page, means Historical Preservation Overlay Zone. For those who purposely searched and found us here, this acronym is the theme of many nightmares of homeowners in certain areas in Los Angeles, especially if you seek to get HPOZ approval, and get permits to accomplish any construction or renovations on you property. Historical Preservation Overlay Zones are not only found in Los Angeles, in fact these areas are also found all ove

Did you know that plumbing systems can be dangerous in unexpected ways? Most of the people that I talk to, have no idea that a simple...

This blog post explains how slow hot water happens in the first place and how to prevent it from happening if you are building or fix it .

A Bollard Is Mostly A Vehicle Deterrent: If you are the average bear, odds are you don’t even know what a bollard is and you are just clicking here to extinguish your fiery curiosity. Common Type Of Bollards: The most common kind of bollards installed by contractors looks like a thick section of metal pipe imbedded into concrete, or a more fragile bollard has a perforated metal plate welded on the bottom, this plate is attached to the floor with bolts. You order the bollards

One of the first things that you can do modernize any space is removing that dreaded acoustic ceiling pejoratively called “popcorn” or...

In short, when you’re getting ready to break ground or to add on, you want to make sure every detail is lined up for a smooth transition from normal, to disarray and turning into a better, new normal. We prepare your home for the construction ahead. Floor pads, dust barriers, window blocks and much more. Equally important, we’re experts at blending art with science to determine the highest and best use of your property site – we oversee all aspects of R&D from soil to final