It's Been 10 Years for Us Now

Well, it's hard to believe that 10 years ago my wife and I started Rainy Day. When we first began, we offered gutters, home repairs, and home inspection services. Within a year or so we started replacing roofs. As we grew and received more feedback from customers it became clear to me that we were not diversified enough. I felt that most of my customers didn't want to have to make multiple phone calls to unknown companies every time they wanted to start a new project around their home or office. I saw an opportunity to better serve our customers. So I decided to hire capable crews in a variety of specialties.

We now have a very nice portfolio of projects we can complete for our customers. Roofing, gutters, painting, fences, drywall, concrete, remodeling, brick & stone, patio covers, arbors, windows, doors, build-out; the list gets bigger every year. It's important to note, though, that although we have expanded our offerings, we still focus on the core business of providing quality service and keeping our customers happy. We must do a good job at this because we grow consistently every year from referrals as well as repeat business. Last year alone we completed close to 900 projects. We also became an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor and have earned an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau.

I read a study recently that said according to the Small Business Administration about 96% of contractors go out of business within the 1st 2 years of starting. The other part said that 80% of the customers who filed complaints regarding home improvement companies had gone with the CHEAPEST BID. These are scary statistics! I wonder if there is a correlation????

Imagine how many people have been laid off recently who are considering starting a home improvement company. All they really need is a truck and hammer right? Sure, they can do the work cheap because they have no overhead (like insurance). They may not be in a position to pay their suppliers and crews on a timely basis (which could result in liens being filed against your property). They can underbid everyone in town because they are working for their survival - not to provide a lasting solution to your problems. They may be thinking that as long as they can bring in some money until they get a "real job" they're fine.

Now, some of these people will have a high quality of skill, no doubt about it. And some will be the nicest folks you'd ever meet.

But here's the critical question: Why make someone's survival your problem?

Do you really want to allow someone into your home (or business) who is still going through the learning curve? A major reason businesses fail within the 1st 2 years is because of the huge "learning curve" that they go through. Issues like forgetting to include materials or labor charges in estimates, under-estimating taxes, not knowing what to do if an unforeseen circumstance arises, figuring out how to do a particular type of project, etc. Sometimes it takes time to work out the kinks. Do you really want your home (or business) to be the guinea pig?

And even if everything goes smoothly, what happens when the owner of the company finds a "real job" and you begin to have questions or problems. It may take a while to get someone out to your property because they can only come after they get off work. Or worse yet, consider the possibility that you can't get in touch with them. Now you're stuck.

We've all read stories about homeowners who paid money to have work done that either didn't get done or was done incorrectly, and we've all said at one time or another, "I'd never let that happen to me." As 2009 progresses and you are inundated with enticements from "part-time contractors" I hope you will remember that price alone should not be your only consideration. There is great value in working with companies that take care of their businesses, their employees, and most importantly their customers.

I hope you have a great 2009 and I look forward to helping you solve your problems.

Josh Hopewell

Want to save money on electricity costs?

The are several ways if you click on the link in the title of this article you will get a to the point PDF of ways to save on electric use.

The main way to save is to use less, this is true of anything. Well compact flourescent light bulbs are getting cheaper and there are tons of CFL calculators out there on the web that can show you the ROI (Return on Investment) of purchasing and using CFL's. Lowe's sells a 7 pack that with tax is less than $10. In less than 1 year these bulbs will pay for themselves in electricity saving and after that is just savings. Pure saving is what going green is all about, we are saving money, saving the environment and most of all saving the future for our children.

There is another article on the blog about fire safety, it is worth a read an may save you more than money, it may well save your families life.

Try these educational/informational items about attics & insulation, windows, gutters and roofs.
If you find these items helpfull please post your comments and if you have additional ideas I would love to hear them.

My direct email is James@rainydayservices.com.

Ever wanted to hide your boring Vent-a-Hood?

Ever wanted to hide your boring Vent-a-Hood cover over your cook top?

Well a client did and she gave us her design idea and we built it. It is on hinges so it can flip up for easy access to the control knobs or for cleaning

It looks great and was exactly what she wanted. If you can dream it, we can build it.

This was a fun project and really it is what we do. We have fun while helping people with projects large or small. It brought a huge smile to her face to see her idea built and work just like she wanted it to. Call us today if you have a dream or home improvement idea that needs fulfilled.

Fire safety tips and making your home a safer place.

I recently attended a fire safety workshop and was amazed at how little I knew about fires and smoke detectors. I have listed some of the basic facts I learned and some links to get more information; this is to help you research the best ways to protect your family in the event of a fire.

1. Have a escape plan and designated meeting place and practice the plan. Here is a link to a grid sheet you can use to draw your floor plan to help you plan your escape routes. Once you have the plan review it once every 3 months. Have practice runs to make sure everyone knows the plan and can follow it. If you have a two-story home you will need two sheets and you may want to invest in a escape ladder or two.
2. Did you know there are several type of fire detecting devices? I was unaware that there are different types of smoke detectors for different types of fires. Most likely you only have one type in your home and you may not have enough units. I have an older home and when I bought it it only had one smoke detector in the hall and it was the ionic type. I have since added several more smoke detectors. You need more than one smoke detector in your home. I have one in the hall, one it the kitchen and one in the garage. Recently built homes have one per bedroom and one per major common area.
3. Replace your smoke detector if it is older than 6 years old, as this is all the manufactor usually warranties them for. If it is less than 6 years in age, vaccum it out to make sure it is dust free. This is a good to do every 6 months when you change the smoke detector batteries. I do this when we set the clocks forward or backward for daylight savings time. Be sure to dispose of your used batteries properly as a used battery will still have some power in it and can be the cause of a fire. Check with your cities trash pickup and they will inform you of the best way to recycle or dispose of household batteries.

• The first and most common is the "Ionic" smoke detector, it detects small and invisible ionized smoke particles from fast burning fire or my wifes cooking. This one is the most common and all builders install them per local construction code.
• Second is the "Photo Sensitive" smoke detector, it detects large dark smoke particles. Like from burning plastic, carpet or furniture; anything made from an oil-based synthetic fiber/material. Slow burning or smoldering fires make this type of smoke and the ionic does a very poor job or sensing these types of fires if at all.
• Third is the "Heat Sensor" which detects heat at 135 degree farenhieght and then sounds an alarm. This detects the heat from a fire but not the smoke, however if used in conjunction with the above 2 types of smoke detectors, you should be covered in any type of fire and or heat generating event.
• Fourth is not really a fire safty device but I like the idea of covering all the bases. This is a combo carbon-monoxide and explosive gas detector. Even if you have an all electric house the carbon-monoxide detector is a good idea.
• Fifth is to be able to fight the fire if you see it in the small stages, but remember you can replace stuff but not people. Get out and call the fire department from a neighbors home. The added protection of a A-B-C type fire exstinguisher is a inexpensive and smart addition to your home. I have several, one in the master bedroom, one in the kitchen (where most fires start) and one in the garage. I keep a baseball bat by the bed as well, it works for burglars and smashing windows to escape the house if needed.
• Sixth is there are several options to power the above listed detecting devices. There is 110 volt, batteries or a combination of both. 110 volt is wired to the house electric supply or plugged into an outlet. The battery is great if you do not have the wiring, but you must remember to change it before it dies. The best is the combination, you can get the security of the electric grid and the backup power of the battery if the power fails.

Try this link to Kidde website for more information and products. They have detailed information on all the lastest fire safety products and even ladders for the second floor windows.

Keep in mind that the fire rarely is the killer, neither is the smoke. What kills most people is the lack of oxygen, the fire uses up all the oxygen and and you expire. You need oxygen to live and so does a fire, if you are asleep and the alarm does not go off. Because you have the wrong type of detector for the type of fire or you forgot to change the battery; you are going to be a statstic. Be sure to protect yourself and your family, in as many ways as possible. Let us hope and pray we never have to use any of the above suggested equipment.

Based on this new found knowledge, I have purchased and installed, dual ionic and photo-sensitive smoke detectors and heat detectors for the hallway and kitchen. I also purchased a dual carbon-monoxide, explosive gas wall plug in detector and placed it in the hall where the gas water heater and gas furnace are. I also purchased a new larger A-B-C fire exstinguisher for the kitchen. I did not get any escape ladders since I have a 1-story ranch style home. This was small investment less than $300, for peace of mind and a good nights sleep.

I visited with an person from the insurance industry and she was unaware of the above information, but did have 4 more tips for help you stay safe in your home.

1. Never leave home with the clothes dryer running.
2. Unplug your coffee maker, never leave it plugged in.
3. Unplug your toaster, never leave it plugged in.
4. Last but not least, is not a fire safety tip but insurance claim tip. Purchase a simple water detector ($12-$25) at Home Depot and place it in the pan at the base of your water heater(s) and the lower pan of your HVAC system(s). This will alert you if your water tank is leaking or your primary drain pain line is plugged.

The items above are the most common claims the insurance industry gets in relation to fire and water leaks, with the exception of roof leaks.

What projects or improvements get me the most return?

What remodel projects or home improvements get me the most return on my investment?

The big three are:

1. Kitchen
2. Bath(s)
3. Painting (Exterior and Interior)

I would like to suggest, in this day and age of high energy costs, also from a buyers point of view, some additional items be added to the list. These are things I like to see or know about having been replaced in a used home with some age (over 5 to 7 years old). I can find no studies to show stat's on these, but I would feel more comfortable purchasing a home that had these items new, than one that had these items old/older.

1. Water Heater
2. HVAC System
3. Carpet
4. Roof & Gutters

When they get a used car ready for the lot, they replace the tires if needed, always clean the oil off of the engine, detail the interior and wax the exterior. But are the motor and transmission sound (strong), are the miles on the odometer the real miles, and does the air blow cold in the summer and hot in the winter?

When people get a used house ready for the market, they often paint the exterior and interior, clean or replace the carpets and spruce up the flower beds. You get an inspection that says everything seems to be working. But how old and inefficient is the water heater, the HVAC system or the roof? Is the new carpet of good quality and are the shingles on the roof in good shape? Does this house need gutters and are they properly installed?

Keep all your receipts and manuals to prove the recent replacement of a water heater, HVAC, roof or gutter system. These items will help the buyer to know you cared for your home and rest assured that the systems are new/ or "newish" and what brand and quality were installed.

My Grandma always shopped at Sears. She said, "I never mind paying more for quality, it saves me money in the long run." She was a wise lady and taught me that sometimes to save/make money you have to spend money. Going with the cheapest estimate is not always the best way to choose a contractor for these improvements. Check how long they have been in business and make sure they are going to still be around if you have issues. Are they licensed and insured? See if they have a BBB rating, check with the local chamber of commerce. For a list of other things to check before choosing your next contactor click here. I talk to hundreds of people each year and most have a horror story to tell, either first hand or second hand of some underhanded contractor.

Tell us your story, good, bad, or ugly. Change the names to protect the innocent and if we like you tale we may use it in our newsletter.

Cost of electricity getting you down?

Cost of electricity getting you down?

Then tame the beast, put your home on an electricity diet. You can reduce your homes electricity consumption if you download this PDF file from Rainy Day Services. There are several inexpensive ways shown to cut your electricity consumption. The main ones are switching from incandescent to fluorescent bulbs. Lowes has them on sale 7 bulbs for $9.00+tax. They save on electricity and pay for themselves, after that you are in the $aving$ Zone. Unplug or power off all unnecessary or less often used items, such as cell phone chargers, laser printers, monitor's, PC's, VCR's, DVD's and video games. All these items are either electricity hogs or vampires, using a small amount of electricity but added togther can really add up. Replace your thermostat with an electronic one that is programmable so when you are not home you are not heating and cooling the house as much, thus using less electricity. Check out the TXU website for a host of ideas. Saving electricity can be as simple as lowering the temperature in the house in the winter and raising it in the summer. I use every idea I can find and have found that average billing helps to keep those "surprise large electric bills" to a more modest sum I can handle each month. If you have other suggestions or web sites that can really save the green by going green, let us know.

Ever come home to ankle deep water on the floor?

Have you ever come home to ankle deep water on the floor? If you have you will never let a few dollars stand in the way of that happening again. This time bomb that I am referring to is your clothes washer. The hot and cold water supply hoses that come with the unit when you bought it are usually black rubber like the one below. The rubber variety only cost about $4 each and can stretch and get a bubble in them (like on the Tom and Jerry cartoons) and then it can and will burst, if not replaced. If you are not home when this happens you will come home to ankle deep or deeper water, a large water bill, an insurance claim and about 6 to 8 weeks of clean up and disruption of your life. There is a simple way to lessen the chances of this happening and it only costs about $40 for the pair of metal braided hoses (silver ones below). You can install them easily yourself or call a professional.

The simple way to prevent this is to replace the hoses that come with the new washer, like I have done, with the braided metal kind. Check your washing machine supply hoses today or you might wish you had tommorrow.

Still worried about the metal braided hoses failing? Check this item out, it might just be what you are looking for. This unit will automatically turn off the water when the washer is not is use and comes with an optional water sensor that you place on the floor to detect if the washer is overflowing, or if a hose has burst and it will turn off the water supply.

We encourage you to post your own helpful tips, if we like your tip we will add it to our monthly newsletter.

Do you have bumps and thumps in your attic?

Do you hear odd bumps, thumps and scurrying noises in your attic? Most likely you do not have ghosts but a rodent or a family of rodents. The calls all start the same way, says a professional animal control officer. In his blog he talks about the reasons why rodents like rats and squirrels like to live in attics . If you hear noises, you can do a quick walk around your home looking for areas, like the ones shown below, that show animal damage and how they are getting in. The best thing to do before calling a repair specialist is to call your pest control company. If you do not have one try Berrett Pest Control located in Richardson, Texas. The reasons for this is first you need to determine if the noises are truly a rodent and then have the rodent(s) removed. You do not want to trap a rodent in your attic by sealing it's access holes because it will find/create a new way out or possibly get into your home through the ceiling. Once you have removed the threat you can have the necessary repairs made to seal the access holes/points.

The best repairs are rodent proof, such as metal flashing in the trouble spots and then covering this with a concrete fiber board (hard as a rock), as your siding. Copper is a good metal to use (expensive) as most rodents do not like the taste.





Of course the best way is to to limit the rodents access to your roof, by keeping your trees trimmed back at least 8 to 10 feet from the shingles. You can also keep bushes and shrubs trimmed back and not allow them to touch your roof line. This is a good practice, as trees and shrubs can rub the grit off of shingles or damage them at the edge of the roof causing water to drip onto your fascia and cause rot or potential roof leaks. Try to limit access to water or food sources, most likely in the form of pet food left in bowls and water bowls.

Remember that rodents like to chew wire casing, so get rid of them as soon as possible and then seal them out. Have your attic inspected for any wiring damage as most attic fires are caused by faulty wiring.

If you find this helpful, please post a comment or offer up your suggestions that have worked for you.

Patio Extension (concrete with patterned brick)

Customer wanted a patio extension of poured concrete with a patterned brick top.

We removed the dirt, built the forms, installed the re-bar, poured the slab, installed the patterned brick top and repaired the downspouts.

Call us today for your patio or deck needs. We can pour a concrete slab, Patterned concrete (stamped), install field stone, tiles, brick or any other type of covering you would like to dress-up your patio or deck. We repair sidewalks and driveways. We repair failing brick and stone edging around your flower beds and trees. We build brick and stone mailboxes and can get the cast stone house numbers that look so nice to showcase your home.

Quick summary of a few recent jobs

I hope you've found the projects we have posted to be informative and interesting. We have been in business for 10 years but have only been blogging for a few months so if you have a particular need for something like an outdoor kitchen installation in Dallas, Texas or replacement windows, or a commercial roof repair, but don't see it listed on our site, don't fret! We can still help you.

Here's a quick summary of some of the jobs we've performed within the past month or so but haven't posted yet:

We replaced a pine fence along the back of a client's house in Cypress, TX. (Cypress is just north of Houston). One of the challenges was maintaining a level top even though the ground had a definite slope. We used pressure-treated wood posts and pine pickets. We also replaced this particular client's roof because sustained damage when Hurricane Ike came in last fall. This home is approximately 2,500 square feet.

Another project we recently completed was in Seabrook, Texas (south of Houston). This client's home flooded when the Hurricane hit. We replaced about 30 sheets of drywall, textured, and painted the entire house - walls and ceilings. This home is approximately 2,000 square feet.

We replaced the roof on a 25 year old rental property. The house is about 1,400 square feet.

We have a customer in Fairview, Texas (just outside Allen) that had a unique project for us. She asked us to build a decorative cover to fit over her vent-a-hood (above the stove). We will post pictures of this later so you can see the finished product.

We installed several hundred feet of wrought iron fencing on a property in Fairview.

We have replaced a lot of missing shingles due to the severe storms we have encountered over the past few months.

We repaired multiple leaks on a 5,000 square foot Pre-School in Richardson, Texas (between Plano and Dallas). We added roof drains to this flat roof and patched it up with hot asphalt and commercial roll roofing.

We have repaired holes in roofs and fascias where squirrels have chewed through.

We installed a metal roof on a barn for a family in McKinney, TX. They liked it so much they had us come back six months later and install a metal roof on their other barn. Before we could do that, though, we had to rebrace a major portion of the attic framing.

We are currently in the process of renovating the storefront of a commercial building in Downtown Plano. We removed the front windows, performed some framing repairs, and brought our electricians in to rewire a significant part of the lighting. We just finished the exterior siding and are in the process of installing stucco to part of the exterior. This project is looking good and we will post the pictures soon.

We have a customer in Fort Worth who has a very steep shingle roof. We replaced all the ridge shingles and installed ridge venting on the entire house (the house is about 6,000 square feet). We also repaired and cleaned out the gutters. Inside the home, we repaired two bathroom ceilings and the laundry room ceiling where the roof had leaked previously.

We installed heavy duty screening to some chimney caps for a customer. He was tired of squirrels and birds using his chimney caps for a home. The screen will keep those animals out for a long time!

We installed storm doors, weather stripping, chair rail molding, leaf screens, and gutters.

We have repaired numerous roof leaks too.

We have repaired a few ceilings where service people from other companies have stepped through the ceiling when they were in the attic. Although, this is not fun for the company that stepped through the ceiling or the customer, we have been able to solve their problem quickly and professionally.

We have also provided proposals for a wide variety of projects. Here are a few just to give you an idea of other work we can do:

Replacing approximately 5,500' (that's over a mile!) of wood split rail fencing with vinyl split rail fencing around a large subdivision in Parker, Texas.

Installing lighting to several monument signs at a subdivision entrance.

Building a new access driveway.

Installing roof windows with automatic blinds.

Replacing a wood shingle roof on a 7,000 square foot home in Plano. The customer wants to install Radiant Barrier Plywood Decking and 30 year composition shingles. This is a very lovely home and the finished product will look great.

Paint the interior of a 6,000 square foot home in Plano. Many of the rooms have wallpaper and it will need to be removed and new texture applied before that painting can be started. There is also water damage in several of the bathrooms. We anticipate having to repair sheetrock and the subfloor.

Install new tile in several bathrooms and kitchen.

Extend a concrete patio, build an arbor, and relocate and air conditioner.


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As you can see, we work on a wide variety of projects. And we can handle both residential and commercial. If your building or home needs some attention, please give us a call at (866) 596-2030.

Shower Mix-it and Tile Repair

Customer had no hot water in the shower and some loose shower tiles below the mix-it knob. we sent our plumber out and it was discovered the mix-it valve was corroded up and we might be able to replace the valve stem assembly. Owner choose not to try to fix the issue with a patch, but to replace the entire mix-it valve assembly. He fixed it right and got the new look he wanted.

We installed the new mix-it valve and replaced the loose tiles and it looks and works like new. No more cold showers and piece of mind that the job was done right the first time.

Call us today for all your tub/shower re-caulking, loose tiles, re-grouting or bath remodeling needs.

Closet Remodel

Client replaced their HVAC unit and when they did this it was placed in the attic. Old unit was removed leaving them nice 3'x4' closet with a large hole in the floor and holes for the old duct work.

We helped them to reclaim this unused space by repairing the floor, repairing the old duct work holes, painting and installing shelves.

Call us today if you need flooring repairs, drywall repairs, painting or shelves installed. We can help you to get the most from your closet spaces and garage.

Exterior Door Replacement

The client had an exterior door from the garage to the backyard. The door was not sealing against the weather properly because it was out of sqaure, rotting at the bottom, missing its door sweep and about 3/4 of an inch too short. In this case the only option was to replace the entire door with a new pre-hung steel door.

Call us today to replace or repair your sagging doors, we have a weather stripping specialist that can repair or replace any type of weather stripping. This inexpensive update to your exterior doors can save you money on your heating and cooling bills. Improperly sealed doors, weather stripping, threshold or doorsweeps can be as much as 30% of your heating and cooling costs.

Old Door

We replace the old door with an exterior steel door, installed properly it can seal against the weather and will securely protect the owner's property.


Call us today for you free estimate for door replacement or weather stripping.

Shower Stall Remodel

The owner had a faux marble shower stall with a fiberglass pan. He wanted a custom tile pan, with custom tile pattern, frame-less glass shower doors and a multi-head shower system.

As you can see in the photos we built him just what he wanted and to his design specifications.

Call us today to schedule a free estimate and we can get build your dream shower for you.

Note: The shower pan is fiberglass, the shower enclosure glass is framed, the walls are faux marble and there is only one shower head. The shower is a 3ft x 4 ft shower stall.

This is the new plumbing for the shower, it has valves for two shower heads, one fixed on the wall and one that is either fixed or hand-held.

The owners pattern and personal style have been created in tile, the custom tile pan is wonderful.

Here is a close-up view of the valves that control the 2 shower heads.

Completed with the clean lines of a frame-less glass shower enclosure and no metal outlines.