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There’s no reason why a construction company can’t develop some type of marketing strategy. There are enough easy-to-use resources and tools online that even small companies with small marketing budgets should be able to put one together. With the right mindset and training, these free and low-cost resources can help a company attract more clients and boost its customer satisfaction. Here are seven of the best marketing resources small construction companies can utilize....

Shop Now For most do-it-yourselfers, there will likely come a time when you’ll need to drill a hole through a piece of metal. Check out these 12 tips for drilling holes in metal. What’s on Sale via Harbor Freight Harbor Freight is offering 85 percent off their best-selling titanium drill bit set. This three-piece set of titanium-coated, high-speed steel bits replaces 28 individual drill bits. That means you don’t have to constantly change bits when drilling a range of holes on a single project....

Henrik_L/Getty Images Earwigs can be a problem for homeowners inside the home and out. In the garden, an abundance of earwigs can chew up plants and flowers, eat through fruits and vegetables, and generally leave a mess in area you want looking its best. Finding an earwig inside the home can be a problem, so most people don’t want to share their space with other pests. With that, here is how you know you have earwigs and what you can do to keep them out and away from the home....

With summer right around the corner, you and your family will likely be spending more time outside. A home patio serves as the headquarters of your outdoor space, the prime area to socialize, eat and relax. If you’re interested in creating a patio from scratch or replacing your existing one, there are lots of choices to consider. I tapped my experience sourcing and setting a flagstone patio, as well as the expert insight of Paul Knapp, founder and Landscape Designer at Landscape Architectural, to assemble this list of popular options....

Is there really anything more American than lighting off sparklers, bottle rockets and roman candles and watching them explode in the sky? Whether it’s the Fourth of July or some random weekend in August, fireworks are fun, symbolic, and a relatively safe way for the pyromaniac in your family to make things go boom. “Relatively” is the key word, however. Though consumer fireworks are made to be as safe as possible, they can be extremely dangerous if used irresponsibly....

From rich quartz to sturdy wood and meticulously installed tile, a quality countertop sets the tone for the bathroom. As a large surface that’s eye-catching and functional, the countertop creates an aesthetic that ties together everything from the faucet to the light fixtures. How To Choose a Bathroom Countertop Whether you’re remodeling or building new, here are the factors to consider as you select a bathroom countertop. On This Page...

A miter saw is a staple tool in a finish carpenter’s workshop, and popular with DIYers of all skill levels. If you’ve considered adding a miter saw to your power tool collection but aren’t sure where to start, read on for some background and what to consider when making a purchase. What Is a Miter Saw? A miter saw is essentially a hinge-mounted circular saw blade that can be swung down into the material to be cut....

A green pool is usually caused by one of five underlying problems. Here’s what they are, how to remedy them and how to keep your pool from going green again. Not Enough Chlorine Algae growth turns a pool green, and algae grows when pool water lacks chlorine. On This Page A pool’s free chlorine level should be between two and four parts per million. If a chlorine test, such as PoolmasterSmart Test 4-Way Swimming Pool and Spa Water Chemistry Test Strips, reveals a lower number, add more chlorine to the pool water until it’s in the desired range....

Mohammad Sowaid/EyeEm/Getty Images Hail and wind damage account for the most common homeowners insurance claims, totaling 38 percent of all claims, according to data from the Insurance Information Institute. Wind and hail damage claims also include damage caused by hurricanes and tornados. A wind and hail damage claim ranks as the fourth most expensive claim with an average cost of $10,182 per claim, based on information collected by the III. So what should you do when roofing contractors come knocking?...

The smart lock is one of the handiest smart home devices on the market. Smart lock technology has evolved over the past few years to include more and more useful features, including built-in security cameras, alarms, intercom abilities and more. Here’s what you need to know about smart locks. What Are Smart Locks? A smart lock is a door lock that can be controlled remotely by an app on your phone....

Whether you’re planning a colorful flower patch or a backyard vegetable garden, if you’re starting with seeds you’ll need a good source to bring your vision to life. Seeds are the building block of a healthy garden. It’s important to buy the highest quality seeds possible so your plants germinate and thrive throughout the growing season. Here are some of the best places to buy garden seeds. And, here’s how to collect and store your own flower and vegetable seeds to plant next season....

Meet our camper: a 1972 Avion Voyageur. The Avion company began producing campers in 1955. Like many other businesses, it was a child of the World War II industrial boom. It adapted materials and expertise from aircraft manufacturing to build campers. And not just any campers, but sleek, luxurious beauties. One vintage camper expert calls them “the best travel trailers ever made.” In 1972, our Voyageur sold for about $8,000. In today’s dollars, that’s almost $50,000....

Cockroaches are an unpleasant pest to find in the home. Besides the initial shock of discovering a cockroach, there also can be concern about their effect on people, the home and even your business. Learn what you should know when dealing with roaches. The Dangers Cockroaches Pose to People Besides being gross and a nuisance, cockroaches carry bacteria and can be problematic for those with asthma and related health problems....

According to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction employment in the U.S. dropped by 20,000 in May. This marks the third time in four months that construction employment has declined, weighed down by continued losses in the non-residential construction sector. “Steadily worsening production and delivery delays have exceeded even the record cost increases for numerous materials as the biggest headache for many nonresidential contractors,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)....

Calling all Harbor Freight fans! While there are numerous fun finds for DIYers at Harbor Freight, there is one in particular to pay attention to this week. Harbor Freight recently announced it has added a new collection of mechanic’s carts, roller cabinets and much more to their inventory! Obviously they already have these items, but it’s the look that’s particularly exciting. These products are available in not one, not two, but six different colors!...

ND700/Shutterstock Your sore back is screaming for a break from shoveling your driveway for the 10th time in two weeks. Or, perhaps you’re tired of bundling up in all those layers and snowplowing the driveway, only to do it all over again tomorrow. No snowblower? This is the best way to shovel your driveway. Have you considered a heated driveway? Radiant heating slabs have been around for decades and have been growing in popularity in residential settings for the last 15 years, especially for areas that see measurable snowfall every year....

Oak wood flooring stands the test of time. According to Ralph Severson, president of Flooring Masters, oak flooring has been a popular choice since the colonial days, and it’s the reason so many homes from hundreds of years ago are still standing. Besides its durability, Severson says the classic, gorgeous look makes oak the most popular choice when his customers want hardwood flooring for their homes. “Some even choose it for the nostalgia — memories of their grandparents old, worn oak floorboards,” he says....

There are a number of benefits to building a house from the ground up rather than buying a finished home, among them complete control over the location, design and interior and exterior finishes. Before you go with building over purchasing, however, take a close look at the bottom line to ensure a new house build fits your budget. Here we’ll outline the average national costs for each phase of a home build, according to the latest data by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)....

Difydave/Getty Images Spiders are complex creatures that are often misunderstood. Prolific hunters, they eat bugs around the house and control agricultural pests without harming crops. Some spiders weave beautiful webs and provide color to our backyards and gardens. A few species are venomous to humans. But for the most part, they leave people alone to carry on their spider business. Still, they’re a little creepy. They’re also everywhere, including our homes....

I love walking over to my strawberry bed in early summer to pick ripe berries to snack on. Then on the coldest days of winter, I dream about how good those homegrown strawberries are. I also think about how glad I am that I took the time to winterize my strawberry bed so there’ll be more berries next summer. Why Winterize Strawberry Plants Strawberries are generally considered hardy enough to grow in U....