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Robert Robillard
Carpenter and Editor
"A full service renovation company sharing its knowledge and experience to share information and educate on remodeling best practices."
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What's new at Concord Carpenter
Hi guys,
This week was crazy, I turned 46 this week and am really starting to feel it.
We tore off the roof of the observatory project and realized that certain structural framing members that should have been in place we not. Story of my life!
The addition of the structural members needed slowed us down a day or two and then the MAD rush to beat all of the rain. I left my camera on the job-site so I'll wait till next week to show you the details.
Using Large Diameter Tapcons
We build and repair a lot of decks. One weak spot we often
encounter is the connection of the stair stringer to the concrete
footing pad.
It seems a lot of carpenters choose to nail a pressure
treated cleat to the bottom of their stringers and then pour a pad the
concrete up and over the p.t. cleat.
While that will certainly hold the stringers in place it does not
allow you to later go back and cleanly repair or replace the stringers
and often ruins the footing.
The
problem with using Tapcons is that a lot of folks don't know how to use
them correctly.
Maintain Continuity With Your Foreman:
Investing in your employees is an important part of growing your business
but finding and holding on to the right crew can take time, effort, and
most likely you'll have employees come and go more than you'll have
them stay.
So to ensure you can quickly train and arm your foremen with
the resources they need to be effective... READ MORE
Milwaukee M12 Impact Review
Our very own Will Endicott got his hands on the Milwaukee M12 Impact - did he like it? READ MORE
Custom Bookcase
During a recent renovation we were asked if we could build a custom bookcase to encompass two windows.
The customer wanted three bookcases with lower base cabinets on
either side and between the windows and wanted them connected by window
seats under the windows. Check out the project here
Removing Load Bearing Walls
Many people these days are opting to remove walls between rooms and
create a more open floor plan.
There are several factors to help you determine if a wall is load bearing - read them here.
In a similar fashion we are also seeing a
lot of people ask for doorways to be enlarged as much larger trimmed
openings, sometimes two or three times the size of the original
opening.
Restoring Old Hardware
Despite the rich detail often found on older hardware, it can loose its luster over the years.
Sometimes metal hardware like knobs, escutcheon plates, handles
window sash locks and hinges fall prey to messy painters, tenants and
homeowners.
Don't Cut Corners
There's a movement afoot, and it can be seen in any number of
areas. Companies everywhere are under considerable financial stress in
this turbulent global marketplace, struggling to meet the
profit-performance expectations of analysts and shareholders.
There
are a couple of obvious ways to maintain profits in a market where
costs are rising. Businesses can increase prices or offset operating costs.
Whether a business increases
prices or is able to lower the cost of goods, the ultimate impact of
any decision is more likely to be felt by customers than by the company.
In the end, customers keep companies in operation and provide a return
on the shareholders' investments. Their thoughts, feelings, and
reactions therefore should be paramount.
But when a business
considers cost increases, are customers truly its main priority?
Are
they given serious consideration in the day-to-day actions and
initiatives that the company undertakes? Or are their needs and wishes
overlooked?
Cutting Costs, Cutting Corners
Companies
have been exploring cost containment from many different angles. Some
have sought to lower their production costs by substituting cheaper
ingredients and adjusting their product recipes accordingly.
For
example, Hershey has reportedly substituted vegetable oil for a portion
of the cocoa butter it uses in making some of its chocolates. General
Mills has cut manufacturing costs for its Hamburger Helper brand by
reducing the number of ingredient and spice pouches it provides to
consumers and has replaced costlier pecans with less expensive walnuts
in its Pillsbury Turtle cookies.
What about tool companies providing only one battery instead of two, or not carry case of bag - we see this strategy across the board.
Using Less Charging The Same
- Some companies
have maintained their traditional recipes but have been decreasing the
volume contained in their standard packages.
- In the U.K., Tesco has
begun selling non-standard bread loaves, substituting a 25% smaller loaf
for the long-established 400-gram standard.
- Procter & Gamble has
reportedly reduced the number of Pringles in a can and the number of
diapers in a package, and Cadbury's family-size chocolate bars are now
20 grams lighter.
- Some McDonald's restaurants are now selling their
double cheeseburgers with one slice of cheese instead of two.
This way marketers
can avoid calling attention to price increases by maintaining the total
package price and simply reducing its size.
Is the consumer that price driven? Do they care about the quantity or quality?
I think they do and the impact can be enduring. Think about what happen years ago when
the folks at Campbell soup reduced the amount of chicken in its chicken noodle soup. Campbell found that sales suffered and never to make that mistake
again.
What about Schlitz beer, a top-selling U.S. beer for the first
half of the 20th century? Their demise is attributed to changes in the
recipe and a reported (or rumored) substitution of cheaper ingredients.
Maybe
what matters to consumers isn't the fact that changes happen, but
rather their awareness of a change -- and the reasons for it. Should they have used a customer survey?
The risk is that customers will
feel short changed by a company and become suspicious of its unexplained
motives. In the age of the ubiquitous consumer blog, it's a risky
strategy to assume that changes won't be noticed and they won't really
matter.
There is another route, of course --
one that involves raising the total price charged rather than changing
the recipe or reducing the amount provided.
When engaged customers have
come to count on a consistent brand experience, it may be safer for
marketers to raise prices than to chance generating a consumer backlash.
Milwaukee M18 Sawzall Winner!!!
Congrats to Bobby Hughs from Hurricane WV.
You have 48 hours to respond after that we choose another winner. |
