Barnes Building Blog

Effective April 2010, The EPA’s Lead-Based Paint Law goes into effect.  This law effects any painting, renovation or repair work in homes or child-occupied facilities that disturbs more the 6 square feet of lead-based paint on an interior surface and 20 square feet on the exterior.  Contractors, maintenance professionals, and their employees, must be certified and trained in lead-safe work practices.

As a certified firm, we are required to post warning signs, restrict access to the work areas, prevent dust and debris from spreading to the rest of the home or facility, perform a thorough final clean of the renovated area, and verify that the cleaning was effective.

Barnes Building and Remodeling has been certified to conduct lead-based paint renovation, repair and painting activities in accordance with this new law.

Effective 4/22/2010, the EPA has issued a new rule related to lead paint called the RRP Rule (Remodel, Renovate and Paint).  This law effects any work being performed on homes built prior to 1978.  It states that any work being performed on a pre-1978 home must be done by a certified renovator – this means that the company hired to do work must be registered with the EPA, and there must be a Certified Renovator (an individual certification) on site performing the work.  For more information on this law, here’s a link to the EPA’s website:

 EPA RRP Website

And for more information to read up on this new rule, check out the following site:

 More about the EPA RRP Rule

This rule is going to have a major impact on the industry.  Homeowners need to be aware of this rule and ensure that any companies hired to perform work on their homes is in compliance.

We recently completed a remodeling project where we added a second floor living space over a garage.  As part of the project, we also installed a new roof and new siding on the existing house.  When the house was originally built, rigid insulation was installed on the outside perimeter of the foundation before backfilling.  In theory, this is not a bad idea as it provides additional R-value to an otherwise uninsulated foundation. However, the problem in this application is that the insulation was extended above grade and terminated at the siding and framing of the main structure.

What was obviously not anticipated was that this rigid insulation would provide direct access for termites to the wood sill of the house.  

We could actually see the tunnels in the rigid insulation that the termites chewed their way through to get from the ground to the house.  The termites had infested the entire perimeter of the house!  The had even started to work their way up the framing of one of the corners of the house. 

The challenge to the homeowner in this situation is that this was completely undetectable – it was only discovered once we started removing the existing siding in preparation of the new siding.

If you notice a similar situation in your home, have it checked out ASAP!  The sooner a problem like this is discovered the easier and less expensive it is to remedy.

Researching and hiring a remodeling company for your home improvement project can be a daunting task, especially if its something you have no previous experience with and/or do not have any direct referrals from someone you know and trust.  I have heard many times that a homeowner should get at least 3-5 quotes before making any decisions.  I used to be a firm believer in this rule, in fact I used to recommend it to potential clients.  However, I believe there are flaws with this approach and there are other important factors to be taken into consideration.

For instance, if you have a friend or neighbor that has been through a project and can provide a positive referral for the company they worked with, this would be a better start.  You would still want to learn as much about the company as possible, how they work, their processes, background, etc.  so that you can make your own well-informed decision.  If you did this with one company, I believe this would be a better approach than picking 3-5 contractors at random and simply picking the one you feel is best. 

Home remodeling is one of the most complained about industries in the country – spending additional time up-front, researching, asking the right questions, and seeking referrals is time better spent than using your valuable time inviting a whole host of contractors to your home and hoping that 1 or 2 of them is a legit, professional company.  Do your behind-the-scenes legwork and then spend some quality time at your house with one or 2.  In other words, spend more time asking around, networking, getting names from people you know, like and trust, and less time with contractors you’re never going to hire.  

In the past 6 years, there has always been several projects each year where we have been brought in to finish a project because of a contractor disappearing, doing negligent work, not pulling permites, etc.  I’ll provide some of these examples in future blog posts, just to be sure to scare you into hiring a professional company!!

The answer to this is an emphatice “YES”!  Most remodeling and home renovation work (additions, kitchens, baths, window replacements, roofs, basements, etc.) must be performed by a HIC (Home Improvement Contractor) registered with the OCABR (Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulations). 

HIC-registered companies must pay a yearly fee that goes into a guaranty fund to keep their registration current.  Homeowners may be eligible for reimbursements through this fund should something go wrong with their project.  However, consumers must be aware that they are only eligible for reimbursement if they hire an HIC registered contractor and the contractor pulls the permit for the work being performed!!  This is very important.  If a contractor tries to tell you to apply for the permit yourself, this is a red flag and you should think twice before signing a contract or paying a deposit.

Numerous times over the past few years I have been asked to look at or finish remodeling projects that have “gone wrong”.  Just about every time this has happened their has either been no permit pulled for the work, or the homeowner pulled the permit themselves.  Right away, this excludes the homeowner from eligibility to the guaranty fund.

For more information and frequently asked questions, please visit the following link:  OCABR – HIC info.

If you are considering any type of remodeling, addition, or home improvement work, please be sure to hire an HIC registered company and make sure they pull a building permit for the work.

The term “Design/Build” gets used alot these days, but what exactly does it mean?  And what are the real benefits of this approach to a project?

Several years ago, as I was in the early stages of growing my business, I was still in the mode of “bidding” plans drafted by an architect that was hired directly by the homeowner.  Unfortunately, after going through the process of getting quotes from subs and putting together a neat professional proposal for the homeowner, it seemed that the vast majority of the time we discovered that the costs to construct the proposed project were well over the homeowner’s anticipated budget.  These homeowners had spent a decent amount of money to have these plans drawn, and were clearly well along their way to establishing a certain expectation of turning their project into a reality.  It was very discouraging to deliver this news to the homeowner and see their disappointment as they realized they had to re-assess their project.

This is one of the reasons that led us to embrace the Design/Build process.  One of the most important and beneficial aspects of this process is that the “budget discussion” takes place early on, before plans are drawn.  In other words, a good design/build contractor should be able to determine an overal budget range for a project after spending a couple of hours (or less) assessing the project, getting to know their client and learning what they hope to accomplish.  This budget discussion is extremely important to have in the beginning, early stages of a project and leads to a much better process for the client.  Once the parameters and expectations for both sides are established, it is now the responsibility and obligation of the Design/Build Contractor to develop a set of plans and scope of work that not only meets the clients’ wants and needs, but most importantly it meets their BUDGET!!

What a concept, designing to meet a pre-established and agreed-upon budget!  Better to discuss budget up-front, rather than after thousands of dollars are spent drafting a set of plans that will never get used. 

Unless, of course, budget is of no concern.  In that case, please give us a call at your earliest convenience! 

This being our first official blog post, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself.  My name is Kevin Barnes and I started Barnes Building & Remodeling about 5 years ago, after spending the previous 15 years in a variety of different construction fields.  While attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, MA and figuring out what direction I wanted to go in, I came to the realization that I loved the building process, learning how structures are put together and working with my hands.  These discoveries led to my decision to enter the field of Civil Engineering and focus on Construction Project Management.  As I entered this field, I recognized the importance field experience would have in order for me to achieve success, so I intentionally sought employment in various construction fields, including:  residential framing, foundations, landscape construction, facilities maintenance, to name a few. 

After graduation and a couple short stints with different companies, I landed with the right organization and worked for a large commercial construction firm based in Providence, RI as an estimator and project manager for about 7 years.  This was an excellent, well run company with strong upper management.  I gained tremendous experience but decided there was more I wanted to do, so I left and spent the next 2 years working for a couple smaller companies in the residential arena before deciding to go out on my own.

It has been a terrific journey so far and I enjoy the field of construction as much as ever.  We enjoy a challenge and seeing our efforts manifest themselves into new creations every day.  I have been fortunate enough to surround myself with a strong team of professionals that enable us to deliver the best possible service to our clients.  Our primary focus is to ensure that our clients are properly guided through whatever project they are undertaking.  To do this, we utilize our field experience and knowledge of the industry, combined with honesty, integrity, and a sincere desire and passion to do what’s best for the homeowner.

Thats enough about us.  We intend to use this blog as an opportunity to educate and inform the homeowner on various changes and trends in the industry, and to help equip the homeowner with tips and information to allow them to intelligently navigate their own construction projects and make sure they are hiring the right contractor and getting the service they deserve.

Happy Building!

Kevin Barnes

Fall is officially here, and with the chill in the air we all begin to think of the onset of winter, turning up the heat in our homes, and the dreaded increase to our heating and energy bills.

October was designated the official energy awareness month, and with that, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) offers some green remodeling tips to homeowners anxious to save money on energy bills. 

To read the full article, click Energy Awareness month inspires ideas on how to save.

For additional information on how Barnes Building & Remodeling  can help you with green remodeling or general home maintenance to make your home more energy efficient, please feel free to contact us!