From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 4, 2026 ~ Windows. They’re all the same. It’s glass surrounded by frame material, right? Wrong. We get a lot of great questions from listeners on the cusp of making an investment in new windows and if there is one thing we’ve learned, it’s that few people understand the nuance of the product, the installers, and the selling retailer.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 28, 2026 ~ The air and the ground have finally warmed up, and we are now firmly into concrete season. The redi-mix trucks are rolling daily to various job locations, and our email inquiries are full of great questions from listeners anticipating a concrete placement.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 14, 2026 ~ Why is everything related to construction so expensive today? Homeowners have expressed “sticker shock” when pricing any maintenance or new construction item. When the pandemic hit, manufacturers and product installers alike were surprised to see a major uptick in consumer purchases related to home improvement.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 9, 2026 ~ They are largely unnoticed and underappreciated. They may rest quietly for days or weeks on end in the bottom of a pit until conditions demand they do their work to save our basements and crawl spaces from potential flooding.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 30, 2026 ~ Look for yourself or someone you love in the following statistics. In 2025 in Michigan, 106 people lost their lives in house fires, with smoking the No. 1 cause, followed by electrical issues and heating devices. There were no working fire alarms in 32% of those tragedies, and 29% of the fatalities were disabled persons.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 23, 2026 ~ How many bid proposals should an individual request when considering a construction project? First, determine what it is you are trying to accomplish in the process.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 16, 2026 ~ Are brick pavers a thing of the past? There is no argument they can contribute a classic aesthetic to most outdoor designs. Their use dates back nearly 3,000 years when the Romans developed the notion of using volcanic rock, known as basoli, as an interlocking pavement for the development of roads throughout the empire.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 3, 2026 ~ Real estate purchasing or selling is likely one of the most misunderstood facets of the housing industry. Little is understood regarding the range of issues that may be involved during and after a transaction. All most people see is that a “For Sale” sign may translate into a large commission for the Realtor without fully understanding the range of services and protection provided and the potential risk involved.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 26, 2026 ~ Most buildings in and around the Midwest have standard foundation systems that use spread concrete footings or “feet” to displace the load of the building over the supporting soils below.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 19, 2026 ~ You’ve seen them many times along the terrain of freeways cutting through the mountains. Gabion retaining walls are very common in such areas that have ongoing drainage issues and potential collapse of adjacent soils.