From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 18, 2026 ~ It is Feb. 15th and the temperature outside is 20 degrees. Your home is a comfortable 72 degrees when, suddenly, there is a power outage. That 52-degree difference begins to dissipate as the house cools. How long your domicile stays cozy is a measure of how well insulated and air-sealed the building is.
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 11, 2026 ~ It is an interesting and typical scenario. I am a roofing contractor who receives a request to visit your home and inspect the roof for a possible replacement. After a thorough inspection of the 40-year-old installation, I present you with a written proposal for a full tear-off and replacement. You react with dismay that I would “try to sell you something,” when all you requested was an inspection.
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.