A bathroom remodel is an excellent way of breathing new life into your existing home without the hassle of moving.  At 3 R's Construction we have found one of the most common complaints from Home Owners we hear in our remodeling business is..."the house is fine, the neighborhood is great, the kids have friends here but the bathroom is just too dark or too small or there just is not enough room to accommodate our lifestyle".  The staff at 3 R's Construction is trained and experienced in all aspects of bathroom design and bathroom remodeling.  We will dedicate this official 3 R's Construction blog/post to help you make good decisions as you plan your bathroom remodel. First things first, before you begin construction or interviewing contractors, it is important to establish your goals and desires.  This mental picture of the end result will be invaluable in the successful completion of your project.  Developing the picture of your newly remodeled bathroom will often times take longer than the actual construction phase of the project.  YOU MUST decide what you do NOT want to repeat in your new bathroom and then with that in mind what would you like to have that you don't have now.  A trip to the plumbing showroom may be helpful, there you will see bathroom after bathroom each with its own unique design.  (Hint) If you need help finding a good show room floor call the remodel staff at 3 R's Construction.  They will gladly point you to some fabulous displays.  Another great source of ideas is visiting some of the more luxury hotels in Portland.  In the lobby they often show case the best of what they have to offer.  The Benson and the Columbia Gorge Hotel are two fine examples. No time to travel?  Visit web sites like www.3rsconstruction.com and virtual stores to decide what type of wood and what style of cabinets will need to be purchased.  Do you want solid wood or Melamine shelves?  Specialty drawers and pull-outs?  This selection will likely take a while and having your contractor or a  3 R's Construction supervisor come along with you will help in making this process more efficient. With these decisions made the next step is to start putting your ideas on paper.  It is difficult to think "outside of the box" many of the functional aspects of your original design will likely be repeated.  If this is the case for you, be sure it is because you want these attributes and not because you could not see beyond the habits you have formed out of necessity.  If you haven't called 3 R's Construction or another reputable remodeling contractor at this point you should seriously consider the value of an experienced professional working alongside you as your dream begins to take shape. Let's start with the available space...Are the walls movable?  Are you limited to the space you have?  Can you redesign the cabinets or reposition the fixtures to give you the space you are hoping for?  What about the surrounding rooms?  Can any of them be modified to maximize the available space?  It is important to consult with the professionals at 3 R's Construction about this part of your project.  During the original building phase of any home the professional trades people often times take full advantage of every nook and cranny to bury wires, pipes, and vents in an effort to keep the space clean and efficient.  Opening a wall or removing it may be the perfect solution for your new bathroom but that wall may be hiding budget busters, gas lines, water, sewer, electric, or even HVAC.  Any of these little surprises can be remedied but will require more time and increase the overall cost of the project.  A bathroom remodel specialist like those on staff at 3 R's Construction can be extremely valuable at this point.  Remember these folks do this all day long.  They study bathroom design, attend classes specializing in maximizing your usable space and spend and inordinate amount of time helping other 3 R's customers recognize their dream bathrooms.  Often we can determine the relative success or failure of a project by the amount of time and detail that is invested in to the front end. When a design is complete it is time to review the basics.  Are all of the required or desired fixtures accounted for?  Have you budgeted for moving utilities?  Have you come to an agreement with your contractor on how long you will be without your bathroom while the work is underway?  If so, now the fun begins! In Salem Oregon there are several great options to complete your new bathroom remodel with all of the finishing touches.  Your construction and remodeling contractor from 3 R's Construction will want you to spend the time to personalize this new and exciting addition to your home to make it uniquely yours and the showcase of your home. ...read more

Ventilation and remediating mold has become an ever growing concern for Salem, Oregon area residents.  As home inspectors become more educated and homeowners more aware of the potential adverse health effects of high concentrations of mold in living spaces, 3R's Construction is getter a corresponding number of calls from concerned homeowners and tenants about what they can do to remove or remediate this mold. Let's start with the basics.  3R's Construction Mold Remediation 101.  If you have a fungal infestation anywhere in your home including your attic, you need to identify the source of the moisture prior to spending any time or money remediating it.  Mold needs water, a minimum temperature, and a food source to grow.  Since we cannot easily control the food sources or temperature, 3R's Construction tip #1 *Eliminate the moisture and you eliminate the mold problem. 3R's Construction tip #2 *Mold can grow on most any surface and it can ingest almost any organic material.  In a typical Salem area attic you have enclosed space difficult to access or keep an eye on, a huge range of temperatures on any given day, and a wide variety of available food sources.  Moisture can collect in the attic and without proper ventilation the moisture will condensate and, "wa la" you have a mold problem requiring remediation. A call to 3R's Construction or a visit to their website at http://www.3rsconstruction.com at this point is your best decision.  Quick action to dry out the attic and increase airflow will arrest the spread of mold and minimize the expense of remediation.  The trained remediation and mold certified staff at 3R's Construction will evaluate the building's envelope and moisture barriers. 3R's Construction tip #3 *Be sure there is proper air circulation and ventilation in the attic.  Some questions to ask are...Are your eve vents plugged or full of debris?  Do you have roof vents adequate for your home?  3R's Construction will evaluate your roof and vents then check the attic to see if the exhaust vents from your bathroom, laundry and kitchen area are properly vented to the fresh outside air.  Our mold remediation teams will also check to see if your vents have been damaged and are dumping all of that moisture into the attic space.  Another possibility is a roof leak allowing the outside elements (typically rain in the Salem area) into your home's moisture envelope, and sometimes wood is infested from installing wet roof decking or not getting the home roofed quickly enough and the sheeting got saturated at the point of construction. The mission undertaken by 3R's Construction is to seek out and discover where this moisture is coming from.  This is the most important step of the process.  Once the staff at 3R's Construction completes the survey of your attic we can offer a plan to stop the moisture from collecting in your attic and then address the required remediation. For more information call Salem's 3R's Construction at (503)363-1059 or visit our website at www.3rsconstruction.com ...read more