News
Check out what is happening with JD Hostetter & Associates below.
Why We Specialize!
Several years ago, we at JD Hostetter & Associates use to offer about every home improvement service that you could imagine. Although we still have the staff to build a new home for you, we just simply don't.
We specialize in Painting, Siding, Windows/Doors, Gutters/Gutter Covers, Roofing and Insulation. We have continually won the Angie's List Super Service Award in most of these categories for multiple years running and we think that is the best approach.
Some of our crews have been with us for 8 years and this gives our company a rhythm and understanding of how to approach each job with the same technique and quality that our customers both deserve and expect.
Most customers today are looking for a company that knows what they are doing and are not necessarily looking for a "jack of all trades" pricing type of job.
Posted on 3/25/2011.
Lifetime Painting Warranty?
We were approached by several painting manufacturers over a half a dozen years ago about marketing some of their products as a Lifetime Warranty product. We said no!
Although we use some of these products each and everyday, we just didn't like the fact that the warranty was based on the homeowner moving out of their home an average of every 7 years and with the housing market tanking in 2008, I think we made the right decision.
I would caution every homeowner to shy away from anyone offering a Lifetime Warranty on any painting product or procedure as this will no doubt lead to a disappointment down the road.
When a product has a lifetime worth of proof, you can be sure we will jump on the band wagon!
Posted on 3/21/2011.
Vinyl, Wood or Fiberglass Windows?
Most vinyl and fiberglass windows offer a lifetime warranty on their products, while most wood manufactured windows will offer only a 10 year on the frames and maybe a 20 year on the seals?
We offer all three versions as they all have their place and some Homeowner Associations still require that their members replace their windows with a particular style.
Vinyl windows are typically always going to be the least amount in cost and offer the best warranty.
Fiberglass windows are made with a certain amount of vinyl product in order to get the molds and curring process to set up. Fiberglass however, can cost as much as wood in most cases.
Wood windows are the most expensive version and carry the least amount of warranty due to weathering and maintenance issues. Jeld-Wen wood windows offer the best warranty at this time because of the Aura-last wood treatment process that helps preserve the wood and they offer a 20 year warranty on both the wood frames and the glass seals.
We are a dealer with several different manufacturers of windows and can offer an unbiased opinion because we are not married to any one brand.
Posted on 3/18/2011.
Home Selling Remodeling
If you are going to put your home on the market to sell, then don't make elaborate renovations such as sun rooms, kitchen or bathroom projects as these often will not give you the best return on your investment.
Obviously, you will want to paint your home if you find peeling or fading to the point where the new owner will have to factor into future maintenance projects.
If your siding is in bad shape, replace it. Same for windows if they are rotting or not energy efficient as this too can be a deterrent to a new buyer.
Same holds true if your roof is getting close to its lifetime expectancy.
Attic insulation with some history of energy bills could also be a benefit, especially in this environment of rising energy costs.
I would absolutely recommend that you consult with your Realtor as they will have area costs vs. returns for your current area concerning all types of remodeling advantages.
Posted on 3/13/2011.
What's The Best Gutter Cover?
It seems like every year I get more phone calls about the latest gutter cover system that a popular consumer magazine has rated. I have no doubt that this latest product must be good, only because of the periodicals reputation.
We have hundreds of gutter systems available to us, (just like the ones listed in the magazine) but, we always seem to migrate back to the Leaf Relief Gutter System because of reputation, price and the way it performs.
We have installed the Leaf Relief system for 7 years to date and have not had one homeowner call us back to clean their gutters or perform any warranty related issues.
I really can't tell you which gutter cover system is the best one on the market, but I can tell you that if we have to come back to your home to take care of any clogging issues, we have not installed the proper system in the first place.
If there is a manufacturer issue, they will pay us to replace or take care of it.
Posted on 3/10/2011.
Porch Enclosures Add Value and Fun!
Unlike a sun room that can set you back anywhere from $40,000 to $80,000 on average, an existing screened in porch can be easily converted into a 3 or 4 season room for much less.
In most cases, a porch enclosure will end up being viewed as a sunroom or addition to living space that can be enjoyed while you own the home and then add value when you put your home on the market for sale.
Most people find that the converted space adds a quaint atmosphere for entertaining guests or just enjoying a book or watching the weather changes with a whole different realm of experience. In either case, it adds livable and useable space that otherwise can only be used during half of the year.
Posted on 3/3/2011.
Installation Is The Key To Home Improvement!
Most people will get several quotes from different home improvement companies when they are looking to have work performed on their home. I tell all of my potential customers that they need to get several quotes!
With the downward trend in the housing market however, we have seen several companies enter the home repair market and offer new home pricing that is based on a different volume model.
In some cases, the installation process is very different and it is becoming more and more evident that the quality is also much different.
You can purchase the most expensive product on the market to be installed by your contractor, but if that most expensive product is not installed correctly, then you have just thrown your money and your warranty out the window.
You may have saved a few hundred dollars upfront, but in the long run, you will have thrown good money after bad trying to save a few bucks.
You should do your research and get real references before you make your final decision in who you will be hiring to do the work on your home.
Posted on 2/28/2011.
Waiting on Home Improvements Could Cost More
We paint 400 homes in an average year and it is very common to find that if we had been hired a year or two earlier, we could have saved the homeowner hundreds of dollars in siding and trim rot.
This holds true with roofing as well. When a roof reaches its rated lifetime i.e. 20, 25 or 30 years, often times we find that leaking will occur prior to the intended life cycle of the shingle that was installed causing drywall, ceiling and interior painting issues in addition to replacing the roof itself. Also, roof decking and rafters will sometimes need to be replaced if a roof has passed its intended life cycle.
Windows are another good example. Often times the wood around the window will need to be addressed if the window has had time to leak, thus causing more expense in repairing than otherwise would have needed to be.
I realize that this recent financial downturn has made it very challenging to budget in home repairs and in some cases down right impossible.
I suggest that if you know that you are going to be in need of a major repair or perhaps an ongoing maintenance project that comes with owning a home, that you begin a monthly home improvement budget a couple of years in advance so that you can have those repairs dealt with before they cause other damaging issues and add extra expenses.
Posted on 2/24/2011.
Budget Your Window Replacement
We have noticed over the past few years that more people have asked us if they had to replace all of their windows at the same time. Although I have heard stories about some sales representatives telling homeowners that they should, the answer is simply, no.
If you have the means to replace them all, then I would agree that there are a lot of advantages in replacing them all at the same time. Some examples would be that by replacing them with a good energy efficient window you would save much more in energy costs on a more immediate basis. Also, your warranties would all begin at the same time and you wouldn't have to worry about the manufacturer changing the color availability, etc.
However, it is more common in this financial environment that people are replacing their existing windows on a budget type of installation process. In other words, you could replace all the front windows this year and the back next year. Or, you could replace the upper section this year and the lower section next year if you are in a 2 story home.
As energy costs continue to rise however, I would recommend that you get on some type of a window replacement plan. The more glass you have in your home, the more your energy bill goes out the window! Pun intended.
Posted on 2/19/2011.
What Does "Preferred Installer" really mean?
Our company is proud to hold the titles of: "Preferred Installer Program", "Certified Installers", "Dealer", etc. with several different manufacturers of home improvement products.
In essence it means, that a contractor agrees to represent and install a particular product within the guidelines that the company that manufacturers that product requires in order to participate in whatever the name of their program might be titled.
At JD Hostetter & Associates, we install all of the products that we represent according to the manufacturers guidelines so that our customers know that their warranty will remain intact once we leave their property. Besides, it's just the right thing to do!
We were recently approached to become a "Preferred Installer" from a manufacturer of a certain type of siding that we decided not to participate in however. Although we will continue to install their product according to the installation guidelines, we did not feel it was important enough to obtain their "title" because they required that we only sell primarily one of the products that they offered and not the other, as well as not sell products from their competitors.
We believe that we should remain unbiased when it comes to what type of product or style that you are interested in having installed on your home. Therefore we can give you an honest opinion and not have to persuade you in choosing something that might not be the best for your family, budget or home.
A "Preferred Installer" in our opinion is one that will be honest both in the products that they represent as well as install that product in such a way that your warranty is still there once that product has been installed and the contractor has left your property!
Posted on 2/15/2011.
