You need not hire a contractor. You’re a do-it-yourselfer.
“There’s virtually nothing someone can’t teach themselves if they’re willing to put in the time,” says Felix Carlone, a former contractor of more than 30 years. “One issue is the size of a project. If you’re ripping a roof off, you want to get it done in a day or two. Harry Homeowner will take two or three months. That’s not a wise choice.”
So now you’re thinking maybe you should hire a contractor. Well, you’re in luck. Carlone is just the guy to ask. He’s the construction department chairman at the New England Institute of Technology, and, more importantly, he’s chairman of the Rhode Island Contractors’ Registration Board.
It’s been in existence since 1990. All contractors are supposed to be registered with the board. If they’re not, and they’re performing work, they’re breaking the law and putting home-owners at risk.
“One of the major functions of the board is to make sure a contract is insured,” Carlone says.
If you’re going to hire a contractor, the first thing you want to do, Carlone says, is call the state’s registration board (401-222-1268) or visit its Web site (www.crb.state.ri.us).
“That will only tell you if a contractor is bad,” he says. “If there are no claims against them, they could just be lucky.”
Ask around for referrals, Carlone says. Try family and friends, and homebuilding supply places.
“Lumberyards are a great source,” Carlone says. “They’ll definitely tell you who to stay away from. If a contractor is late paying bills to a supplier, that’s a major red flag. If someone is taking your deposit to pay for another job, that’s a bad situation.”
On the matter of deposits, Carlone says anything more than 5 percent to 10 percent would be excessive, unless it’s covering the cost of custom materials before labor, such as replacement windows.
Do not simply pick up the phonebook and point you finger to find a contractor.
“It’s like picking a spouse,” Carlone says. “There is a combination of factors you have to feel good about.”
Meet with contractors in person. Ask questions.
“It’s an interview and a gut feeling,” Carlone says.
Put the details of the work to be done in writing. Have a contract.
“It amazes me the number of people who get into major construction projects without a contract,” Carlone says.
A contract, Carlone says, should stipulate the start and stop dates of the project, its cost and the specifics of what will be performed.
“It goes back to a relationship,” Carlone says. “It’s communication. If you don’t communicate with your wife or partner, there will be issues: I told you to stop and pick up dinner; I thought you were going to do the laundry. A contractor is not a mind reader.”
And a contractor should not feel insulted that you want your work to be under contract.
“If a contractor doesn’t feel comfortable with a contract, you don’t want to do business with him,” Carlone says.
Generally a contractor will write the contract, Carlone says. The homeowner should read it carefully and, if desired, have a lawyer read it, too.
“That’s cheaper than having the attorney write it,” Carlone says.
The contract should include the contractor’s registration number, Carlone says. And a contract should not automatically go to the lowest bidder.
“If you’ve gotten several bids and one is much lower than the others, there’s usually a reason for it,” Carlone says. “Maybe they forgot the concrete for the foundation.”
The Home Show’s all about one-stop shopping. However, right now, we suggest you refrain. Don’t buy a thing, except an idea.
That deals with redecorating. More precisely, it’s rearranging, which costs a lot less. You already own everything.
“It’s like having a store in your home,” says Jan Girouard, owner of All About Redecorating in Newport. “People have beautiful things and they don’t use them.”
For the third year in a row, Girouard will be presenting a Home Show talk about interior decorating, which largely involves using things you’ve got to their best advantage.
Call it the rearranging movement. It began in the early ‘80s, according to Girouard, and burgeoned in recent years because of several TV shows celebrating the concept.
“When you say interior decorator, the first thing people think is ‘I can’t afford it,’ “ Girouard says. “They’re afraid a decorator will come in and say ‘All right, we need to get rid of all of this.’ “
No, what people need to get is a grip - on design principles. Girouard’s here to help. At the show, she’ll be talking about space and flow, size and proportion, colors and, occasionally, throw pillows.
“It’s like having a favorite outfit and buying a new scarf to make it look different,” Girouard says.
Instead of buying new furniture, Girouard suggests people consider using their existing furniture in more flattering ways. Create conversation areas. Don’t disrupt traffic flow. Do without.
“I need to find out from people how they feel about their furnishings, and what things they don’t care for,” Girouard.
A chair that’s not cared for and not used, Girouard says, is merely taking up space. Relinquish. Dispose. Clean the clutter.
“We all hate to give up things,” Girouard says. “You have to ask, ‘Are there things you’re really not using?’ “
Similarly, are there things you’re overusing?
Girouard has seen many a mantel weighed down by dozens of framed photographs, which draw attention only to their crowding and their inconsistent and conflicting frame choices.
Girouard has also seen overburdened bookcases.
“People tend to overstock their bookcases,” Girouard says. “They can mix elements, put a vase next to books.”
Everything is about appealing to the eye, according to Girouard, and not blindly following old-fashioned decorating ideas.
“People tend to hang wall art way too high,” she says. “There is no such thing as eye level. Our eye levels are all different. It should be in proportion to the room.”
Consider ceiling height, and the height of furniture, Girouard says. See the big picture. Look at the interaction of juxtaposing shapes.
“Some changes are dramatic and you can see them immediately,” Girouard says. “Others are details. Hang a mirror vertical rather than horizontal.”
For that matter, hang different art for different seasons, Girouard says. Complement the seasons as so many people do with blankets and throw cushions.
Think flavor. And vanilla, she says, is not a novel choice.
“People are afraid of color,” Girouard says. “Everything is vanilla. People don’t even think to buy a gallon of paint. Add warm tones. Bring out details.”
Consult a computer before you commit. Girouard says software programs can use a digital photograph of a room and change its wall colors to show people the effects of different shades of paint.
Paint is a purchase; so are lamps. But they’re not big ones, Girouard says.
“There are so many inexpensive ways,” she says. “There are so many resources out there. Accessorize to complete the outfit.”
brourke@projo.com
