Need a Contractor?

I've run across many homes in my Real Estate career that need little fixes, or major fixes to ensure they sell quickly and for top dollar. The biggest problem when this need arises is finding a contractor. There are literally hundreds of contractors or companies you can call in Kansas City. Meeting with contractors all day to get quotes on your needed repairs can be a pain.

I found an excellent new site that helps connect homeowners and contractors without all the downfalls that some of the services bring with them. The site is Fixr.com and allows you to post the needed job and get quotes from several contractors (depending on the service you need). There are almost 200 contractors in Kansas City registered on the site and posting your needed service is free.

Most Real Estate agents have contacts to reliable contractors, but most homeowners want several opinions and price quotes. This service will help tremendously in those circumstances and also can be a good resource for those who are selling their home For Sale By Owner.

I haven't used this site personally yet, but I've seen great reviews and talked to a couple of agents who have great luck getting several bids for their clients, so I thought I'd pass it along. If anyone has any personal experience I would love to hear from you.

Treating Your Deck...

For homeowners with a deck one of the more tedious chores involved with maintaining the deck is treating it. There are a myriad of options out there from stains, paints and polymers that can be applied to ensure your deck stays rot and warp free.

I recommend a product that works by bonding with the wood on a molecular level. I treated my deck with One Time Wood almost two years ago and I'm simply thrilled with the results. This product is expensive, and one will think twice before spending the money. However I'd like to share my experience and perhaps you will trust me that this is the product for your deck.

I used to rent a duplex with a deck. I stayed there almost 4 years and my landlord had treated the deck twice in that time frame. He used a simple stain and the results were nothing short of poor. I noticed after living at the duplex just one year that the deck had started to warp badly. The railings were twisting, the main support posts were also twisting and bowing. The floor of the deck was coming up on the edges and the wood was cracking everywhere.

When I purchased my home I new from the last experience with a deck, that thankfully wasn't my responsibility, that the treatment of that deck was very important. So I did a ton of research on treatment products. The best reviews I could find for longevity and effectiveness were relating to One Time Wood. So I sucked it up and purchased two gallons. They were $75 per and cost almost three times the average deck stain.

Applying the One Time Wood was simple. I used a paint brush and was shocked that two gallons did my entire 12 X 12 deck. All of it, and I still had about a quart left over. 2 years later my deck has zero warping, bowing and cracking. A very important thing to know about my deck, I have two dogs that scratch the finish off the deck floor with their claws while walking. One Time Wood penetrated the wood so deep that even though the color has been removed from the deck thanks to my lovely four legged critters, the wood stays in perfect shape.

One Time Wood claims to have a 7 year life span. After two years I can't imagine this is false. I think it is important for all home owners to know about this product when deck treatment times around again. I used this product on virgin wood, so I'm not familiar with how difficult it is to remove past treatments. However looking at their website and reading other information it appears that removal isn't too difficult.

The next time you are getting ready to treat your deck, you might want to consider One Time Wood. I've been very happy and recommend this to all my clients, friends & family.