Daggett Builders plays a very special role on the Cushing peninsula as an extremely reliable and dependable area builder.  Everyone knows them and many work with them.  They are logical and organized in their approach to projects in proposing excellent solutions, estimating jobs, sourcing subcontractors, supervising jobs and following up.  As a result, the quality of their work is excellent, reliable and cost effective.

We will continue to use their services because of their consistent methods and professionalism and the complete trust we have in their organization.  They are wonderful people.

Problem Solving Kitchens Certificate

This was an interesting course.  I learned a lot about catering to client’s needs and picked up some great design tips.  We seem to be doing a lot of kitchen and bathroom remodels lately.  It has put us in the mood to redesign our own kitchen and main floor bathroom.  We designed and built this house in 1986; it is time for a little updating!

Sit on Your Deck & Chat with the Lobstermen

Cottage is directly on the water.  Sit on the deck and fish at high tide, high five a lobsterman, we’ll even provide a lobster trap for you.  You supply the bait.  

Large eat in kitchen with access to deck

The cottages are close to each other but inside you’ll have lots of room to spread out and it is fully equipped. 

Living room as seen from dining room

 Lots of privacy for two couples or for a family with older children.  

Bedroom on Maine floor next to laundry

There is a bedroom downstairs with two twin beds and next to the full bathroom and laundry room.

Laundry Room on main floor

There is a bedroom upstairs with a queen bed, a full bathroom, a large living room/office, and

Private deck off of Master Bedroom living area

a private balcony overlooking the bay

Master Bedroom upstairs

Large eat in kitchen with an expansive view of the harbor and the Atwood Lobster Company wharf right next door.  Sit inside by a crackling fire or barbeque outside on the large deck.  Snuggle up on the brand new mattresses, new goose down coverlets & pillows.  Internet and basic cable TV, washer/dryer included.  

Top of stairs - office and additional living area

Pets owners considered but we are very strict about pets on the beds and furniture.  There is room for large gatherings but due to the proximity to the ocean, there is only fresh water enough for 4 people max due to the size of the private well.

View toward Atwood's Lobster

Cottage is very convenient to local attractions and to a wide variety of day trips.  10-15 Minutes to Downtown Rockland, 1/2 hour to Camden, 2 hours to Acadia National Park, 2 hours from Portland, and only minutes away from beaches, restaurants, local markets, shopping, etc.

Watch the lobster boats pass right by your deck

Do you love to cook? The little shops & farmstands sell fresh spices by the spoonful, exotic olive oils, and an amazing variety of aromatic balsamic vinegars.  There are things you can’t easily purchase even in some cities.   Some of the local restaurants are amazing – check them out online.

Neighborhood, Upstairs deck on right side of photo

Let me know what you like to do when you book your reservation or call when you arrive.   I would be happy to help you out.
Perfect Place to Spend the Whole Summer.   There is plenty of storage, high speed internet.  

Bathroom off of master bedroom upstairs

Prices in July & August $2000/week plus a $300 security deposit and the 7 percent Maine Lodging Tax.

Shower on main floor next to the bedroom

Prices in September & October $1,500/week plus security deposit & tax.

View onto deck from dining roomJPG

Prices in May & June  $1,000/week plus the security deposit & tax.

Office and Living area off master bedroom

Call for long term rental rates.  This cottage goes quickly.

An island you can drive to!  Spruce Head Island is connect to the mainland via a causeway.

You will be comfortable here in the cooler months too.  The cottage is equipped with a woodstove and electric heat.

Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living rooms, wood stove, washer/dryer, internet, cable TV, large deck directly on the ocean, ocean views from every room in the house.  Fully equipped with everything you need.  Cottage is directly on the water.  Sit on the deck and fish, high five a lobsterman, we’ll even provide a lobster trap for you.  You supply the bait.   The cottages are close to each other but inside you’ll have lots of room to spread out and it is fully equipped.  Lots of privacy for two couples or for a family with older children.  Two bedrooms on opposite sides of the house, each with its own bathroom and living room.  Large eat in kitchen with an expansive view of the harbor and the Atwood Lobster Company wharf right next door.  Sit inside by a crackling fire or barbeque outside on the large deck.  Snuggle up on the brand new mattresses, new goose down coverlets.

See VRBO.com #364020 calendar for availability or call Crystal 207 354 6177

Deck off of the kitchen

Dining Area

Quintessential Maine! Designed & decorated with care by a well-known artist. She fell in love with the property and dreamed of living there one day.  The cottage is simply elegant, easy to care for, warm, and inviting.  You will feel like a welcome guest in a private home that you have all to yourself.

Living Area / Gas Fireplace

Please scroll to the bottom for the prices and a list of ammenities.

Fully Equipped Kitchen with a View!

Master Bedroom on Main Floor, King Size Bed

The site is a spectacular point of ocean front land with a beach, only for island residents, next door and a southeast view. Let your cares melt away as you gaze out over the sea. Smell the salt air, the balsam fir and the wild roses. Feel the cool breezes and, for the more adventurous, the invigorating shock of the cold ocean water. 

Upstairs Bedroom with Ocean View

Listen to the soothing sound of the waves, the cry of gulls, and the sound of the lobster boats as they come and go to Atwood’s Lobster across the bay. 

Entry Hall with Washer/Dryer, Utility Closet, Mudroom Area

Upstairs Bedroom w/Two Oversized Singles

At dinner time you will start to see the twinkle of the lights, the glow of the evening sun reflecting off the boats on their moorings, and possibly the full moon rising over the water.  

Upstairs Bedroom w/Convertable Ottoman

The cottage is fully equipped. It has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Well behaved dogs are welcome.

Ottoman or Extra Bed - Your Choice

There is lots to see and do for people of all ages.  The local restaurants are outstanding and if you like cooking you will love the quality and variety of foods and drink.

Bathroom Vanity Upstairs

Upstairs shower & toilet

The cottage is very well insulated to make it warm and draft free in the winter, cool in the summer.  It has been outfitted with a state of the art Life Breath Whole House Ventilation System for your comfort and health.

Downstairs Vanity

Rates are $3,000/week in the high season of July & August, all inclusive. 

Laundry closet in entry hall

One year lease unfurnished $24,000 or furnished with linens, etc $28,000.  Utilities not included. Immediate family only, no sublets.  

Entry, mudroom area & utility closet

Thinking of moving to Maine?  Try it out for a year.

Stairwell

Mid Season Rates:$2,500/wk all inclusive
June, September, October, December

Front Steps - House was built on piers

Low Season Rates $1,800/wk all inclusive
November, January, February, March, April, May

Dining Room

All rates are subject to change and do not include the damage deposit.  Call Crystal at 207 354 6177 Daggett Builders, Inc for more information or for help planning your vacation in Maine.

View onto back deck

List of ammenities

Causeway to Rackliff Island

An island you can drive to!  It is connected to the mainland by a causeway and is only 12 minutes from Primo in Rockland whose owner/chef Melissa Kelly, recently won the prestigious James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef in the Northeast for the second time.

Southerly View of the Ocean

High speed wireless internet, TV for watching movies (cable TV not available)

Park Style Grill

Main Floor Master Bedroom with a private shower, toilet, sink

Grill & Shore Path in April

Second floor bedroom with a private shower, toilet, sink.  This bedroom has two large single beds which are the equivalent of the old fashioned double beds, and an ottoman which can convert to an extra long single bed.

Rocky Shoreline beach next door

Fully equipped kitchen

Hammock & Picnic Area - April 2013

Deck overlooking the ocean, park style grill, hammock, picnic table, adirondack chairs overlooking the ocean, and the Rackliff Island Resident’s beach just next door.

Landscaping Just Starting April 2013

Kitchen

Southerly View of the Ocean

To check availability see the calendar on VRBO #450771

Causeway in Winter

Interior Doors Custom Made Daggett Shop

The birth of an owner artist designed vacation cottage - Dec 2012

Side View Under Construction Feb 2013

Shared beach just steps away from your private picnic area.

Back Deck April 2013, just finishing up

Driveway April 2013

Sun room designed by Stone Boat Ltd.

“Who would have thought that we could build a new garage, add a beautiful sunroom, and upgrade the kitchen on our family’s 150 year old coastal home in Friendship, Maine – all by e-mail and phone calls!

Daggett Builders was a pleasure to work with, and when we showed up to enjoy the finished results, they were just what we wanted and expected. Chris and Crystal were a turn key solution to our needs.”

Causeway to Rackliff Island

The site is a spectacular point of ocean front land with a beach, only for island residents, next door and a southeast view. Let your cares melt away as you gaze out over the sea. Smell the salt air, the balsam fir and the wild roses. Feel the cool breezes and, for the more adventurous, the invigorating shock of the cold ocean water.  Listen to the soothing sound of the waves, the cry of gulls, and the sound of the lobster boats as they come and go to Atwood’s Lobster across the bay.  At dinner time you will start to see the twinkle of the lights, the glow of the evening sun reflecting off the boats on their moorings, and possibly the full moon rising over the water.  

The cottage is fully equipped. It has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Well behaved dogs are welcome.

There is lots to see and do for people of all ages.  The local restaurants are outstanding and if you like cooking you will love the quality and variety of foods and drink.

The cottage is very well insulated to make it warm and draft free in the winter, cool in the summer.  It has been outfitted with a state of the art Life Breath Whole House Ventilation System for your comfort and health. 

Rates are $3,000/week in the high season, all inclusive. 

One year lease unfurnished $24,000 or furnished with linens, etc $28,000.  Utilities not included. Immediate family only, no sublets.   Thinking of moving to Maine?  Try it out for a year.

Mid Season Rates:$2,500/wk all inclusive

June, September, October, December

Low Season Rates $1,800/wk all inclusive

November, January, February, March, April, May

All rates are subject to change and do not include the damage deposit.  Call Crystal at 207 354 6177 Daggett Builders, Inc for more information or for help planning your vacation in Maine. 

A Garage-Cottage, Cushing, Maine

Previous work for other family members made our decision to build in Cushing contingent upon having Daggett Builders. Having formerly been an architect, I knew how critical the choice of contractor inevitably becomes in achieving a happy outcome.

Our garage cottage was an unusual project, stage-one in developing our cove-front property. This small 28×32 foot structure had to be a stand-alone four-season residence until its companion main house could be built several years in the future; then, it had to become a guest house plus garage. All the design elements, site development and systems choices anticipated those ultimate requirements.

40 years of publishing and advertising experience did not qualify me for executing the working drawings (capably done by Max Arnold of Stoneboat Design), for making a myriad of decisions on those systems, or for sorting through the many new technologies. Daggett Builders expertly advised, found very suitable subcontractors, managed the entire process and kept us fully informed throughout the entire building process.

Given the 4-hour commute from our Massachusetts home, frequent site visits were not as feasible as my role should have made them. But our email brought Chris and Crystal’s descriptive galleries of clear and relevant photos virtually weekly. Every adjustment generated emailed changeorder revisions to the original contract pricing, so we were never surprised as our cottage adjusted to changing possibilities and realities.

Having long ago worked on buildings, from houses to skyscrapers, and witnessed less than admirable construction work, I was especially pleased to see the unusually meticulous attention to detail and extreme care in craftsmanship that the Daggett team invested in this cottage. Their pride in perfection was obvious: the process was more like building a fine piece of furniture than constructing a house.

Any new house is a complex task where surprises are normal; how those are handled defines the quality and integrity of a builder. Chris and Crystal have jumped in to explain, fiddle, fix or replace anything that hasn’t performed as promised – without delay, excuse or complaint.

We look forward to having them manage the next stage when we commence building the main house: we cannot imagine using anyone other than Daggett Builders.

Donald & Cherry Brewster

Sherborn, MA & Cushing, ME

The last three photos in the gallery were taken by Kevin Shields of Rockport, ME. Kevin has done a lot of work for Down East Magazine. See his website for beautiful images of Maine

Here is what we love about these windows. 

- No electrician needed

- No direct sun needed & long battery charge times.

- The window can easily be programmed to open and close on  your schedule.  You can even program a bank of skylights to open at the same time.

No worries!

- Rain sensor automatically closes the skylight when needed

- Automatically closes if the battery is running low. 

Optional cellular shades make the glass 40% more energy efficient.

- The shades are solar operated too and can be programmed to open and close according to your schedule.

This product may be new to the US but has been available in Europe for about 10 years.   Oh, and check out the great warranty!

Chris and I love the idea because we love natural light and ventilation.  We are still living in the very first house that Chris and I designed and built back in 1986.  It has the original skylights.  Despite all of the bad press, we have never had a single problem with our skylights. We’ve never been tempted to replace them until now.   

These skylights can be programmed to open just a crack on a cold winter night or wide open for the cool night air in the summer. No need to worry about rain, the screens will keep out the bugs, and the shades can be programmed to let the light in when it is time to get up.   You can’t beat that!

The Federal Tax Credit is valid until 2016 so we have time to save up. 

Are we getting paid to say this?  Absolutely not but we know something great when we see it and haven’t been this excited about a new product in a long time. 

Excerpts from our survey : 

Why did you choose us?  Local and reputation

How can we improve?  Hard to improve based on what I saw.

Would you recommend us to your friends?  Yes

PS I still wear my Daggett Builders t-shirt with pride!

Please take a moment to review these FAQ and chances are most of your questions about sunrooms and solariums will be answered.

Q. I want a wide-open view of the outdoors, including the sky, but I´m worried about overheating in the summer months. How do I control the heat gain?

A. You actually have a couple of options or you may use a combination of the ideas below:

1. Shades. Sunshine Rooms come with a built-in shade track. This lets you install our comfort glide shade system quickly and easily. These decorative shades (over 60 fabrics to choose from) are internal and can be raised in the wintertime to maximize the sun´s warmth. In the summertime the shades would be lowered and the reflective backing on the shades reflects most of the sun´s heat. The name “comfort glide” shade system is an appropriate name because the shades can be raised and lowered as needed very easily. They can even be motorized with an optional remote control. Please see our Accessories pages to learn more about our “comfort glide” shade systems.

2.   We offer three different grades of high performance glass. With today´s Low-E technologies we can provide glass that actually reflects the sun rays in the summertime and in the winter it reflects the heat back into the room. It´s absolutely amazing how successful this glass works and it remains virtually clear, which allows you to see the great outdoors the way it was meant to be. Our most popular high performance glass is LOE Plus SilverCoat 366. and LOE Plus Sun. SilverCoat 240 and SilverCoat 272 both work very well in reducing heat build-up. SilverCoat 240 has a grey appearance and SilverCoat 272 is even clearer than 366.

Model Solarium at Plants Unlimited

Note from Daggett Builders, Inc :  Our model solarium was built using the LOE Plus SilverCoat 366, Sunshine Rooms’ most popular option.  We left our solarium open all summer and fall so you could go inside and see for yourself how comfortable it was with just the two awning windows and a small fan.  The 366 blocks 98% of the harmful UV rays - better for you and your plants!  The R-Value of this glass is 4.2 one of the highest R values in the industry. You can enjoy the sun without the glare, without the insects, and without overheating.

Sunroom at night, decorations provided by Nobleboro Antique Exchange

Now that it is winter and since Nobleboro Antique Exchange has so nicely decorated our sunroom, we locked the door.  However, you are welcome to visit it, just call 207 354 6177.  You will find that despite the fact that it is not heated and is cool, it is still very comfortable, cozy, and draft free. 

For those of you who want to get more heat from low rays of the winter sun, you do have the option of using the Silvercoat 272 on the sidewalls of your winter garden and the  LOE Plus 366 only the glass roof.  Please keep in mind that you may need additional venting in the summer to keep this room comfortable.   

 3. Proper ventilation is also an important aspect of a properly designed sunroom/solarium. By opening the windows in the front wall and exhausting warm air through a thermostatically controlled exhaust fan you are able to keep the sunroom from overheating.

NOTE: These methods are very successful in keeping sunrooms from overheating. However, if you desire the room to be cool, like your house when it´s 100 degrees outside, you will have to cool the sunroom just like you have to cool your house. Our sunrooms with insulated glass (standard) and shades can be cooled efficiently with a small window A/C unit or the extension of air ducts from your current house. A small separate system is more advantageous than duct extensions. Remember, even a traditional style room must be air conditioned in the summer if you expect it to be cool. See our Accessories pages for more information on heating and cooling units.

Q. What will hail do to my sunroom?

A. Most hailstorms will not break the glass. Our standard glass is tempered over tempered. It is very strong and combined with the slope of the roof will cause most hail to bounce off. Large hail (golf ball and larger) may break some glass. However, if this occurs, you simply add the replacement cost to your insurance claim because your house roof will be completely destroyed. A good example of the strength of tempered glass is how automobile glass fares in a hailstorm. The entire car can be covered with hail dents and dings but the glass is usually OK. Insurance companies are experienced with tempered glass and will actually pay out fewer claims compared to composition roofing materials.

Q. How will I heat the room in the winter?

A. A sunroom will heat itself during the sunlight hours. Many people feel that wintertime is the best time to enjoy their room. The sun´s warmth is appreciated more than ever during a long cold winter. To retain the heat, you may use a concrete, tile or brick floor. If your home is brick or stone it will work even better. You will need some type of extra heat for those really cold nights or periods where the sun refuses to come out. Most people utilize a small heat/ac unit much like what you see in a motel room. It can be controlled by a thermostat allowing you to regulate the temperature within the room. Our comfort glide shade system is quite effective at providing “movable insulation” for those really cold nights. You may also extend your existing ductwork into the room. A spa or hot tub works great to provide that extra heat. Just raise the lid and the heat loss from the water heats the room nicely. Let the sun come up and your winter garden will be the envy of the neighborhood.

Q. How do I control the temperature swings in my sunroom?

A. First you must determine what temperature ranges and swings are acceptable to you. Most people prefer temperatures between 65 degrees and 80 degrees. In winter we prefer warmer and summer cooler temperatures are preferred. The ideal situation is to create a heat and air system that can quickly get the temperature of the room into your “comfort” range. You really don´t care if the temperature drops to 43 degrees at 2 a.m. and it reached 120 degrees on a July afternoon while you´re at work. Most plants enjoy a fairly wide temperature range. Design your system to stay within these maximum ranges for your particular plants. Next you´ll want to provide auxiliary heating/cooling so you can quickly get the room´s temperature to “your comfort zone.” This can be accomplished with the use of Accessories.

A properly installed air exchange system will bring in fresh air and warm it as it comes in.  The heat is recovered from the stale air before it is expelled.  The cottage at Three Fifty Nine is being outfitted today with a Life Breath ventilating system.  Here is an excerpt from Life Breath.com

Newly shingled side view

How does it work?

Lifebreath Ventilation products (HRV/ERV) move stale, contaminated, air from inside the house to outdoors. At the same time they draw fresh oxygen-laden air from outside and distribute it throughout the house. Stale, polluted air is constantly being replaced by an equal quantity of fresh clean air.

As seen from the water. There will be a deck here.

As the two air streams pass through the unit they do not mix. They pass on either side of our exclusive and patented aluminum heat-exchange (HRV) or enthalpic (ERV) cores which transfers heating/cooling energy from the outgoing air to the incoming air. The efficiency of the Lifebreath HRV and ERV is so great that virtually none of the warm/cool air collected from your home is lost to the outside. In summer, HRV and ERV’s work in reverse – removing heat from the incoming air and transferring it to the outgoing air, to keep your home cool and fresh.

Inside

Lifebreath’s unique dual-stream airflow design, keeps outgoing stale air separate from incoming fresh air and completely rejuvenates the air throughout the entire home – up to eight times a day.  Lifebreath’s balanced ventilation technology replaces indoor stale air with an identical amount of fresh air.  This balanced ventilation is critical to prevent moisture build-up in your home during the heating season which can lead to expensive rot damage and hazardous mold.

Because of the unique ability of a Lifebreath HRV and ERV to transfer the temperature of indoor stale air to the incoming fresh air, you’ll realize lower heating and cooling costs year round while enjoying all the benefits superior indoor air quality delivers.  In fact, the efficiency of the Lifebreath HRV is so great that virtually none of the warmth collected from your home during winter months is lost to the outside.  During summer months, the HRV works in reverse by removing heat from the incoming air and transferring it to the outgoing air, keeping your home cool and fresh. 

Kitchen as seen from the living room

What’s makes Lifebreath the most advanced Ventilation product available?

Lifebreath ventilation products efficiently transfers heating/cooling energy from outgoing stale air, to incoming fresh air.  Lifebreath lets you enjoy an energy efficient home without breathing harmful indoor fumes from paint, plastics, carpets, adhesives, and household products without lingering pet odors and moisture that causes mold.    

Deck off of the kitchen

Only Lifebreath has a patented aluminum core, proudly manufactured by Airia.  This makes the Lifebreath core so reliable, we offer a lifetime warranty.
Lifebreath offers the only five speed HRV and ERV available
All MAX series HRV products (and all Lifebreath ERV products) include a Digital Wall Control, enabling homeowners to customize ventilation specific to their family. 

Upstairs bedroom with built in storage

For over 25 years, all Lifebreath products have been proudly manufactured to a worldwide customer base from our ISO 9001 registered plant in Ontario Canada.

Legend ridden by a young lady in our neighborhood

Kentucky Mountain Horse - trained to ride and drive

Romeo pulling an antique pung sleigh driven by Chris Robinson

Here are some photos of our two horses, Romeo and Legend aka Smokey Robinson.

Your dream vacation cottage is under construction on Rackliff Island in Spruce Head Maine. Rackliff is a serene little island attached to the mainland via a causeway.

The site is a spectacular point of ocean front land with a beach and a southeast view. Let your cares melt away as you gaze out over the sea. The designer is the artist owner. The cottage will be elegantly simple for easy living. It will be fully equipped with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. Well behaved dogs are welcome.

There is lots to see and do for people of all ages.  The local restaurants are outstanding and if you like cooking you will love the quality and variety of foods and drink. Call Crystal 207 354 6177 for help planning your vacation in Maine.

We invite you to participate in the process as we post photos to show you the progress. Tell us what you love most about vacationing in Maine and what is most important to you when choosing a rental property. You may see some of your ideas in the final product.  Go to Daggett Builder’s Face Book page for the most recent information.

Rates are $3,000/week in the high season, all inclusive. 

One year lease unfurnished $24,000 or furnished with linens, etc $28,000.  Utilities not included. Immediate family only, no sublets.   Thinking of moving to Maine?  Try it out for a year.

Mid Season Rates:$2,500/wk all inclusive
June, September, October, December

Low Season Rates $1,800/wk all inclusive
November, January, February, March, April, May

All rates are subject to change and do not include the damage deposit.  Call Crystal at 207 354 6177 Daggett Builders, Inc for more information.

Two days later, another client called.  While she was away, the boiler stopped working, the pipes burst, and the damage was pretty extensive, quite depressing actually.   

We have also responded to several low temp alarms at 3am but that is a good thing because we were able to get the furnaces serviced and working before the houses got too cold.  The low temp alarms are well worth the money. 

You may think you do not need one if you are living in the house but what if something goes wrong in a zone that you rarely use?  Do you know how to shut off the water to minimize the damage? Burst pipes cause an amazing amount of damage.  Don’t let it happen to you.

We went straight downstairs to our daylight basement, which we rarely use in the winter, and replaced the batteries in our thermostat.  We are also going to spring for a low temp alarm.  It is money well spent, if only to avoid the hassle of haggling with our insurance company. 

Daggett Builders, Inc was one of the first builders to complete the MCBA’s accreditation program.  We are also members of MCBA’s education committee.   We make it easy for you to check us out because we want you to compare us to the competition.   Call us for details and to receive a free copy of our Homeowners Guide to Choosing a Contractor.  Tel. 207 354 6177

 http://www.pressherald.com/news/handyman-case-puts-new-focus-on-builders_2013-01-29.html

Yesterday at 11:10 PM 

Portland handyman case puts new focus on builders

Maine has no registration and licensing system for builders and contractors who do home repairs.

By Matt Byrne mbyrne@pressherald.com
Staff Writer

Last week’s civil trial of a handyman from Portland who allegedly bilked more than a dozen customers out of thousands of dollars with shoddy or unreliable work has renewed concern about Maine’s regulation of general contractors.

click image to enlarge

Daniel Tucci

John Ewing / Staff Photographer

Select images available for purchase in the
Maine Today Photo Store

TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS

PRICE SHOULD NOT be the only factor in selecting a contractor for home- improvement work, say building trade groups and consumer protection advocates. Contractors deserve just as much scrutiny as other service providers. Some tips from the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies:

• Request two or three estimates for the same job.

• Check at least three references of past work.

• Pay no more than one-third of the total cost upfront.

• Don’t pay for incomplete work, and don’t pay in cash.

• Keep copies of all contracts, receipts and paperwork.

Maine is among 20 states without registration and licensing systems for builders and contractors who do home repairs, says the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies. That leaves many homeowners to rely on word of mouth, family connections and informal avenues to find worthy contractors.

“We tend to be overly trusting,” said Chip Davison, president of the Maine Contractors and Builders Alliance, an industry group that favors stronger standards for builders.

Mainers often like to employ other Mainers, Davison said, which can leave them open to abuse.

“We deal with this all the time in the building world. I still go into a lot of places now and have to fix poor quality workmanship,” Davison said.

That sense of trust led many customers to believe Daniel Tucci, 54, of Portland when he told them he could complete virtually all manner of home repairs.

From roof patching to basement waterproofing, Tucci’s claims of expertise led many into expensive home construction boondoggles, the state claims in a lawsuit seeking as much as $235,656 in damages for 13 of Tucci’s jobs.

Attorneys in the case made closing arguments Friday, ending a four-day trial in Cumberland County Superior Court. Justice Joyce Wheeler will consider the evidence and decide whether Tucci should be barred by the state from taking home-improvement jobs in the future.

Wheeler’s decision could take weeks, said the Maine Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division, which sued Tucci.

State Sen. John Patrick, D-Rumford, plans to propose legislation that would license general contractors. It’s the latest attempt to keep tabs on the trade. An effort in 2010 passed in the House but failed in the Senate.

Patrick said he is awaiting input from trade groups before finalizing the language of his bill.

“I don’t think that, with the way the economy is, anyone can afford being ripped off,” said Patrick, Senate chair of the Legislature’s Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee.

The state has adopted the Maine Uniform and Building and Energy Code, which took effect July 1, setting higher standards for insulation, radon gas mitigation and more for new homes and commercial buildings.

Communities with fewer than 4,000 residents are exempt, but the code provides a foundation on which future license tests could be based.

“Even in professions where the state requires licensing, such as for electrical and plumbing work, we see many cases like the Tucci case where the work is done without the proper license and with disregard for the law,” Attorney General Janet Mills said in a prepared statement. “It is very important for consumers to be cautious and take extra steps to protect themselves.”

Consumers in Maine do have some legal recourse. Work for any price over $3,000 must be done under a contract that includes provisions for warranty of work, price, and description of the work to be done.

Customers of handymen or general contractors can take them to small claims court if the disputed work cost less than $6,000. Larger amounts usually require a personal attorney, according to state guidelines.

Of the 30 states that require general contractors to get licenses or register with the state, California has one of the oldest and most stringent laws. Bonding — when a third party guarantees that a job will be done — is required for as much as $12,500 for all general contractors.

If Maine had such a provision, many of the 13 Mainers in the lawsuit against Tucci could have had a chance to see some of their money returned without years of litigation.

“If you open a restaurant, you have to have a license. If you want to be a lobster fisherman, you have to have a license,” said Davison, with the Maine Contractors and Builders Alliance. “Now, when we’re talking about spending $400,000 for a house … you don’t have to be anything.”

Staff Writer Matt Byrne can be contacted at 791-6303 or at:

mbyrne@pressherald.com

Did you know that we are on the same latitude as the southern France / northern Italy?  That means we have the same quality of light.    It is that quality of light and natural beauty that draws artists and lovers of the outdoors to Maine, France and Italy.  You don’t have to have a vacation cottage on the Mediterranean to enjoy the dining “al fresco” year round; you can do it here in Maine in your own solarium!   Imagine how nice it would be to work in a solarium, nice view, light but without the glare and the harmful UV rays.

We shopped for the best price, switched companies, and signed up for auto delivery.   Everything went smoothly for awhile, until I noticed that the gauge was getting very low. 

I called our oil delivery service and asked them to come over as soon as possible to refill our tank.  They refused, despite the fact that we were on auto refill and they had forgotten to fill us up. 

They made us wait a week for their regularly scheduled visit to our town.  We got by, thanks to our wood stove but if the tank had gone dry it could have damaged the oil boiler and the oil filter.  

We learned to make it a point to check the level in the tank every single week and to never count on an oil delivery service.   

This past weekend we had a very positive experience and with the oil delivery person we had previously taken for granted.  We provide property management and get calls in the middle of the night from security companies.  This one was a low temp alarm.  

The tank was empty.  We called the oil company, the one we had recommended to our clients as being reliable.  They came right out on a cold & windy Sunday night. 

They didn’t make excuses or blame the client.  They simply admitted that they had made a mistake.  That is how it should be and it is absolutely worth paying a little more for their oil.

Moral of the story – Choose a reliable delivery service and also check the tank once a week, just to be sure.      Even good honest people make mistakes sometimes.  It is too bad to make them come out in the cold on a snowy Sunday night at dinner time.  It costs them their hard earned money and time, not to mention the fact that it can be very difficult to manoeuvre those trucks on narrow snow covered roads after dark. 

These are the unsung heroes, the people who work hard to make our lives easier.  Rather than take them for granted, we should be showing them the respect they deserve and do what we can to make their lives easier. 

Have your oil burner serviced at least once a year by a specialist who is highly recommended and who is willing and able to respond to emergency calls.  Plumbers sell, install, and are technically also able to service boilers.  However, according to our plumber, several oil burner technicians, and our oil delivery serviceman, the servicing of the oil burners should be delegated to a master oil burner technician.   Our plumber explained that it takes skill and lots of practice to get the settings on an oil burner just right.    He installed our oil burner and then gave us the name of a master oil burner technician for maintenance.  Based on what we’ve seen over the years, it was good advice. 

A sun room with a covered roof or a solarium with a glass roof do that beautifully.  Which would you prefer?  Respond on our Face Book page.

See the list here :   http://www.builderonline.com/design/10-top-design-trends-of-2012.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=jump&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BBU_120712&day=2012-12-07

Porch, all composite materials, designed by Marcel Valliere

This project was a challenge and a leap of faith.  We needed a portable solarium that would give a person an idea of what it would be like to have a solarium attached to their home.  The people at Sunshine Rooms, Inc thought it would work, an engineer who had designed and built 2000 solariums thought it would work,  Peter Armstrong of On The Road Trailers thought it would work, and we believed it would work.   In their 30+ years of doing business, Sunshine Rooms, Inc had never had a dealer design and build such a large portable solarium.

Looking in

There was only one way to find out if it would work and that was to try.  Hammond Buck of Plants Unlimited in Rockport had offered to let us provide a solarium as the feature attraction in his annual display.

Exterior trim details

With help from Marcel Valliere of Valliere Design Studios in Thomaston, Peter Armstrong of On The Road Trailers, Inc in Warren, Sunshine Rooms, Inc, an independent engineer, and advice from Maine DOT, we came up with a solution that worked.

Mahogany benches hide the wheel wells

Delivery day was nerve wracking.  Moving the solarium from our shop in Cushing to Plants Unlimited in Rockport meant going up and down steep hills, over railroad tracks, and on a busy road.  Our poor solarium was battered by overhanging branches and impatient drivers passed us on both sides as we slowly moved our way down the road.

New Plantings by Plants Unlimited

Now it is parked at Plants Unlimited.  Buck went straight to work landscaping and planting to make it look like it belongs.  The door is unlocked so you can come experience for yourself what it would be like to be in an all glass room.  How hot does it get in the summer?  Don’t take our word for it go try it out.  See how well the three coats of glazing reflect the excess heat of the sun.  Is it cold and drafty in the winter or do the windows fog up?  Check that out too.  Go there in the rain, the sun, at night, during the day and then let us know what you think.

You can have almost any style or size you can think of on your own home.    Whether you call it a solarium, a sun room, a conservatory, a winter garden, an atrium, or a green house, give us a call; we would love to help you make your dream a reality. 

One obvious solution is to have a wood boiler in the basement, the garage, or ideally in an insulated room next to the woodshed.   Indoor wood boilers are quiet, efficient, and, according to many studies, more economical  to run than an oil burner.    You could even recreate the coziness of a woodstove by running very hot water through pipes under a tile or concrete bench,  like the old tile Russian stoves.   My grandfather, now a robust 101, has a cast iron radiator in his kitchen.   There is nothing that compares to coming in from the cold and sitting on that radiator until you can’t take the heat.

Another solution, that I’ve never actually seen, except in a sauna, is to have a stove that loads from the back.   You would benefit from both the heat and the beauty of the flames from the living room while confining the mess to the mudroom/entry from where you load the stove.

Imagine having a rear loading Russian oven in your kitchen.  You could use it for baking, enjoy the flames through a glass window, and as a bench warmer!   The back side, where you load the oven, would be in an entry, mudroom, or a butler’s pantry.  Click here to see images and set your imagination free.   Envision a beautiful tile or soapstone Russian oven in  your kitchen!  

I love our woodstove, mess, smoke and all but in my dream house I’ll be able to bake with wood heat, curl up and read on a heated bench, and enjoy the flames without the mess.    Ahhhhhh!    Winter can be wonderful!

Antique Cape

There is nothing quite like a traditional wood entry door, especially one festooned with a balsam wreath for the holidays.  Wooden doors are lovely.  We’ve installed and built a lot of them for our clients here on the coast of Maine.  There are pros and cons to everything though.    We tell our clients that whether we build a custom door in our shop or purchase a factory made door and install it, there are things they should know before making their decision.

Wood is an organic material, one that swells and contracts with a change in moisture and temperature.   You can minimize that problem by coating every exposed surface, including the top and bottom but you cannot completely stop the movement of wood.   Wood will contract in the winter when the air is very dry and freezing cold.  Artic air will shoot through any resulting void like a bullet.  There are no manufacturers, to our knowledge, that will provide the same warranty for a solid wood door as for a composite or a steel door.     

One solution is to build an entryway around your door.  A glassed in entryway would allow the door to be visible while protecting the door and providing shelter for people, pets, and plants.   Every exterior door should be ideally protected by some type of roof or entry way.  An enclosed entry provides a thermal block thereby increasing the energy efficiency of your home.

Daggett Builders, Inc can provide you with a solarium entryway or custom skylights.

The drawings and specifications become a vital part of the final contract.  Your team (you, your designer, your builder, and your builder’s subcontractors) will all have the opportunity to review the drawings and come up with a plan to provide you with the best possible outcome.  The job will run much more smoothly with a well laid out plan and minimal changes. 

Review the contract you have with your design team.  Who owns the plans after you have paid for them?  Can you switch designer’s in the middle of the process?  Will the designer be involved in the construction process and at what cost?  What assurances do you have that the final design will fit your budget?  The only way to know for certain is to include your contractor as part of the paid design time to price the plans as they are being created.

John Ruskin

Source :  http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/236559-it-s-unwise-to-pay-too-much-but-it-s-worse-to

It is much more expensive to have to tear something apart and fix it than it is to do it right in the first place.  This is why checking the reputation of your contractor is the most important step you can take.   If all contractors were the same, it would make sense to go with the lowest price but they aren’t.  For example, a pretty good contractor will do almost everything right when installing a window.  If one step is missed or is done improperly though, the window will leak, your cabinets won’t look quite right, etc  Everyone makes mistakes from time to time so the next question does the contractor stand behind his/her work?  It is worth taking the time to find out before you even ask for the price.

Check out Houzz.com to see lots of photos by category of home construction projects and to create your own idea portfolio.

When you are ready to begin, find a contractor who understands your vision and with whom you would enjoy working.  Check the contractor out thoroughly to make sure they have a reputation for consistently meeting or exceeding their clients’ expectations from beginning to end.   Don’t be shy about doing this; it is probably the most important step you can take in the remodeling process.    

Here are some resources to learn more about bees and their plight.  The movie, Queen of the Bees, available on Netflix’s instant download is fascinating.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekoeQodrVoM

Here is a link to an article about swarms on the Bee Guardian Maine website.  

http://beeguardianmaine.wordpress.com/swarm-info/

Solarium at Plants Unlimited

Painted pine trim may not last as long as you might think.   We’ve seen cases where pine trim has started to rot in only 4 years.    This was not always the case; the quality of the wood has deteriorated.    Many antique homes have the original trim.  Our own home has the original pine trim from 1986 and it is holding up well.     It is very important to stain or paint all six sides to prevent moisture from getting into the wood.  Do not forget to touch up the areas where you made a cut.  This will help a lot.       Composites and aluminum, although expensive, could provide more value these days.   See the photo of our model solarium.  We used all aluminum and composite to keep it as maintenance free as possible.

Dear Daggett Builders,

My wife and I want to thank Daggett Builders for the custom work done on our new house in South Thomaston, Maine.

About three years ago we started building a new house and  had  custom cupboards made for our kitchen and pantry. The cabinets are extremely well made and the custom color is unusual and lovely. Sandra’s favorite thing concerning the cabinets is the top display cabinets with the stain glass doors.  This is where we display our special dishes, platters etc that are used on occasion however the very favorite for her is the Quiet close! It is so wonderful. No noise or banging sounds, just a smooth quiet, gentle close. It is the favorite of all the ladies who visit.

We have had several contractors come to view our cabinets and all are impressed with the workmanship and custom color which is our secret. No one else has it!

We recommend to all who are thinking of building, restoring or replacing their cabinets or just work in general to consider Chris and Crystal Robinson of Daggett Builders.

Bill and Sandra Atwood

Bay View Cottage Spruce Head Island, Maine

Sandra and I want to thank you for the wonderful job you have done renting our cottage this summer. In years past we have rented other cottages and have not had the success as we are by having your service do all the work for us.

One builder said it couldn’t be done and another never followed up their initial visit – but Daggett Builders made my dreams a reality.  With 2 new bathrooms and two showers in a home that never had even one – and a dramatic kitchen and laundry room renovation, my home is beautiful and functional.  Thanks to Chris and Crystal for being involved with every aspect of the remodeling, much was done long distance and particularly for saving me from a mistaken choice of paint colors!  This attention to detail was amazing , communication was excellent and I am totally pleased with my “new” old home.   Every employee and subcontractor that I met was polite, helpful, efficient, and knowledgeable.

PS  The entryway you built for Robin & Jim is GREAT!

Survey rating 10 out of 10.  How can we improve?  “Keep on doing what you’re doing.”

Project required design and local building approvals – we needed to change the project to fit ordinances, and this was handled effectively.   The actual building construction was done to our satisfaction  – and only weather delays were the cause of “not on time” – but it all worked out.

The project was a small one but was done with the care and support that you would expect for the much larger ones shown on (Daggett’s) brochures and website.

Chris & Crystal were awfully good at fielding phone calls and everything else!

Rating on our survey 10 out of 10

All structures should be designed to be safely and efficiently maintained.

How many of you builders and handymen have faced a project and knew right away that what should be simple is unnecessarily difficult due to the design of the structure?

How many of you homeowners have stood by holding your breath while someone you love, someone you hired, or a kind neighbor is teetering high on the very top rung of a ladder trying to reach a certain spot?

It is a wonder that more DIYers and carpenters are not seriously injured. The OSHA protocols are useless if the design is such that they are virtually impossible to abide by without resorting to using expensive equipment that would drive the cost up beyond what the homeowner is willing or able to pay.

Take, for example, this common scenario.   A valley is created in the roof when a garage is attached to the house.  The designer adds a porch to stop the snow from piling up in front of the doorway.   The designer then puts a dormer in the roof next to the valley.  The dormer provides natural light in the stairwell.   The roof is nice and steep, good for shedding snow.

The problem arises when it snows, even a little.  The snow piles up at the bottom of the valley on the top of the porch.   When the sun comes out, the snow slides down the roof and pushes up under and onto the dormer window.    Heat from the home escapes through the glass and melts the snow.   You get the point.  The snow has to be removed before it turns to water and ice and causes damage.

What is the problem you say?  It is only about 10’ high; how dangerous can that be?  You put a ladder up against the porch and try to clean the snow off with your rake.   The rake doesn’t quite reach.  The angle is tough to work from.   You need to be careful to avoid damaging the roof or breaking the window.  The best solution is to climb on the roof and remove the snow as gently as possible but . . . . there is no place to tie off.

Commercial buildings are equipped with places for maintenance workers to safely tie on.   Why do we never see this on residential buildings?    It is best to design a roof that doesn’t collect snow in a spot that is difficult to reach.

Let us pretend that this roof is metal.    You climb up on it.  It is really slippery.   OSHA protocol would have you throw a line up over the roof and anchor it on the other side.  What if there is no good place to anchor it on the other side?  What if the roof is tall and steep?   Will the pressure of the line damage the ridge vent?  A tie hook would really come in handy.

A good architect or designer is worth his or her weight in gold.   You will save money in the long run if you start with a good design.  We believe that you should choose a designer that is a team player.  One who involves you, a contractor, and the contractor’s subcontractors, right from the start.   Each person on the team will see the design from a different point of view and will provide you with useful advice before the design is set in stone.   It is your house after all.  You should be in the drivers’ seat.

Team work is best way to get exactly what you want, within your budget.

Rustic Cottage designed by architect to blend in with main house

This guest house was designed by architect, Christopher Glass, to match the existing cottage.  It blends so well into its surroundings you can barely see it from the water.

See more photos of this guest house and the surrounding property in the testimonial section.

Custom Garage / Temporary Cottage until the Main House is Built

New Trend in Custom Homes Build the Garage First and Use it as a Cottage Temporarily

This is the two-part story of two clients and their clever solutions to easing cautiously into custom building.

A Very Simple Solution : Part #1

This couple came to us very frustrated. They had hired an architect to design their dream home and put it out to bid. All of the bids came in far above their budget. The driveway alone chewed up a large chunk of the budget.

We asked them questions to find out what their priorities were and helped them find several solutions to get what they most wanted and within their budget.

They loved the architect’s design, loved the attached garage, and the breezeway between the two buildings. They did not love the location the architect had chosen for the home. We walked the property with them and our earthwork contractor. Together, we found a more suitable location. They much preferred it; it was sunnier and provided a better view. They especially loved the fact that they could save a big chunk of money on earthwork.

The property will also be easier to maintain, as the laws of gravity will no longer be working against them. The redesigned driveway leads gently uphill toward the garage doors instead of downhill. The septic system is now located downhill from the home rather than uphill.

This couple was also willing to simplify the lines of the garage to save money. An added benefit is that a simple roofline is easier and cheaper to maintain. We moved the bathroom and the laundry from the future breezeway to the garage and enlarged the garage a bit to give them room to store kayaks, etc. as well as their vehicles.

They came up with ingenious ways to make a basic garage comfortable. The master bedroom is upstairs in the loft with a view out over the water. The kitchen, living room, and guest room are all in the main area where the cars will one day be parked. They used the furniture creatively to separate the various areas.

They planted flowers outside, made a nice little walkway to the entrance and placed a picnic table outdoors. The landscaping is simple and natural, woodsy, perfect for a vacation home on the water. The septic system area blends in well and provides a nice little lawn area.

They love their new “cottage” and spend many weekends there with their family, guests, and dogs.

They did not waste a penny. The garage will eventually revert to just a garage with a laundry area and a bathroom for muddy dogs, kids, to clean up in before they enter the main house. The furniture can be used in the home.

See their testimonial

Family Cottage in Cushing

Renovations

You were prompt, professional, & responsive to problems and questions.  There was a small problem where the countertop laminate didn’t adhere properly and you came back the next season to fix it – no questions asked.  I’d definitely use you again or recommend you to others.

Maine Contractors & Builders Alliance – Certified Builder 

WHO WE ARE & HOW IT BENEFITS YOU

 Daggett Builders, Inc Tel. 207 354 6177

Experience 25+ Years

You know people who do the same job, the same way for years. That is not experience. An experienced builder is one who loves what they do, is continually seeking to improve, and who has a wide variety of projects in their portfolio.

Full Range of Services – One Call Does It All

General Contracting, Remodeling, Design & Build, Handyman, Property Management, and our Home Asset Management Plan. H.A.M.P. is a pro active progam designed to protect your investment, and save you money. 

Daggett Builders, Inc is an independent dealer for Sunshine Rooms, Inc.  If you, like us, have always dreamed of having a glassed in space where you can enjoy the outdoors, please call.

Fully Insured?

You see that everywhere but what does it really mean? If someone gets hurt on your jobsite are you protected from a law suit? Not unless your builder has Worker’s Comp insurance. What if your builder is liable for a problem, are you covered? Not if their insurance is insufficient or worse yet has lapsed. Call our insurance provider, Skip Heald of the Cross Agency in Union, to ask for your own copy of our worker’s comp and liability insurance.  This insurance is for your protection as much as it is for ours.

The Contract – Detailed for Your Peace of Mind

Get it in writing, including the start and finish date. Ask about lien releases.  We do what we promise in our contracts and prove it with almost daily job site photos which we post on online for your convenience.   We are proud of what we do.  We want you to see what is underneath it all.  We want you to see for yourself that we do not cut corners. 

A Reputation to Uphold

We are in business for the long term.  We are active participants in our local community where we have lived since 1986.  Our reputation is more valuable to us than short term gain. One of our clients was so amazed at how we stood behind our work that she submitted an article to our local newspaper.  You can read this testimonial on our website.  We can provide you with many more references who will attest that we do the job correctly to start with.  However, if there is a need for a call back, we take care of it promptly and cheerfully.   Tel. 207 354 6177 

Certifications and Recognitions

Daggett Builders, Inc is a Certified Builder with the Maine Contractors and Builders Alliance, is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, has an A+ rating with the Better Business, and has an excellent credit report with Dun & Bradstreet. Our work has been featured in Maine Home and Design and Architectural Digest.   See our website for more details.

Continuing Education – Benefits You 

Science and physics play a major role in construction.  Regulations are constantly changing.  You deserve a builder who takes the time to stay on top of things by taking classes and reading on a regular basis.  We also have a wide network of team players to turn to as needed.  

Christopher Robinson     chris@daggettbuilders.com
Crystal Daggett-Robinson  crystal@daggettbuilders.com

 Tel.  207 354 6177

Garage viewed from the front

New Trend in Custom Homes

Part #2 of a Two Part Series on Garage Cottages

Living Very Comfortably in a Garage with Permanent Guest Quarters

This family would eventually like to build a custom home on a very special property, which has been in their family for decades.  They want to visit Maine often and be comfortable but they are not ready to move up here full time.  

They chose to start with a garage cottage.  When the main house is built, the garage apartment will become the guest quarters.  The actual garage will house their vehicles.

It is fun to see what people can do with a garage.    The garage apartment, as you can see from the photos, is small but quite comfortable.   The main floor of the apartment has a kitchen with room for a small table, a ¾ bath, a mudroom area, and even a little niche under the stairs for their beloved dogs.  The upstairs has a master bedroom with a large closet, and a flex space at the top of the stairs.

 They made the guest cottage much larger by turning the vehicle parking area into a temporary living room / dining room.    Now they have a complete cottage that they can use year round. 

The wood stove and the sliding glass doors will be removed and possibly re used when the main house is built.    

See their testimonial and more photographs     

Blinds Open

Brad Briggs of Budget Blinds

Half Open

Blinds Closed

Windows, even the most efficient ones, have very little R value.   Any solar gain during the day is lost at night if the windows are left exposed.  You can lose up to 50% of your heat through your windows.  What should one do?  There are so many options and they all have their pros and cons.   

Homemade interior storm windows are the most cost effective option.   Classes are being given on a regular basis in various areas of the state.  The major drawbacks to interior storms are summer storage and the inability to open the window with the storms in place.

You can purchase interior plexiglass or glass storm windows.   They are more expensive but are also more durable than the homemade interior storms.   They are less likely to be damaged in storage.

Another option is to install exterior storm windows.  They help insulate, cut down on air infiltration, and can be opened.  However, we were not convinced the value would merit the cost on our Andersen windows.

Quilted shades are reputed to work quite well with an impressive R value.  You can make them yourself or buy them.   Some people report that they work very well. others report that humidity builds up behind them.  An Andersen Rep we talked to was not a fan of either the interior storms or the quited shades.  His concern was that people wouldn’t keep an eye on them and that heat and humidity would build up and cause damage.   We decided against quilted shades.  When they are down, the room is pitch black.   When they are up, they take up too much space.

We wanted something that is insulating, attractive, and which encroaches minimally into the glass when open.   Cellular shades fit that description.   The Hunter Douglas Architella Shades even qualify for a tax incentive.   The major drawback is the price.

Yes, cellular shades are expensive but there are a variety of manufacturers running promotions. 

As the price of oil goes up, the payback time will go down.  Based on our research, data provided by the manufacturer, and a certain amount of guesswork on our part, we are expecting to realistically save about 20% on our heating costs.   A 10% savings would still be worthwhile.

Quality Is Very Important

But

You Don’t Need to Buy the Top of The Line to Improve Your Energy Efficiency.

We talked to several suppliers and ended up purchasing cellular shades from Brad Briggs of Budget Blinds.   He took the time to educate us about our options, provide us with tangible data, and helped us find a cost effective solution for our needs.   Budget Blinds offers an excellent warrantee as well.

We will use homemade interior storms for a few of the windows in the basement.

Now that the shades are in place, we are very happy with them.   We chose the light filtering shades and are glad we did.   The colors in the light blocking shades are truer at night but we didn’t want to wake up to a dark house.   The light filtering shades let in an amazing amount of light.   We keep the shades closed in the less used parts of the house to maximize the energy efficiency.   There is still plenty of light in those rooms; no need to burn electricity.

The top down/bottom up is also a very nice feature which we would recommend even for small bathroom windows.  Cordless shades are great but if you want to save a little money the cords aren’t that bad.  Brad adjusts them and cuts the cord to exactly the right length.   There is no need to have long cords dragging on the floor.

Update:  We’ve had our shades for a year.  We have 50+ windows, many of them are large, and we are constantly moving our shades up and down.  The cheapest shades would probably not have stood up to the use ours are getting. 

Here are some photos of the installation.

Boathouse

Boathouse Designed To Match Residence

Our project was a small boathouse but, we were always treated as if our project were your most important job.  The result matched our home perfectly.  The site was always neat and orderly and any questions we had were responded to quickly.  Thank you for a great job. 

Note from Chris Robinson of Daggett Builders, Inc :

We recently started surveying our clients after each job.   Here is an example of a survey dated 1/23/2012 which is particularly useful for us.  We truly want your honest opinion so that if we do not merit a 10 out of 10, we know why and can do better next time.

1.  How would you rate our service?     9 out of 10

2.  Did we communicate well with you before, during, and after the project.  Yes (before)  Not so much (during) and Yes (after).  Note from Chris – This information from our client is very helpful.  We e mailed photos every couple of days and talked to them from time to time on site.   However, Rob was having trouble with his e mail and because I didn’t communicate enough with him, I didn’t know it and he didn’t know I was sending the photos.

3.  Did you get the information you needed from us and our subcontractors to help you make good choices?       Yes

4.  Was our contract clear and detailed enough?      Yes

5.  Was the job on budget?  Yes    On time?  Yes

6.  Did our employees invite you to inspect their work before leaving the job site?   I wasn’t here most days when they left.

7.  Was the job site clean?  Yes   Were our employees polite?  Yes

8.  Do you believe we are knowledgeable and professional?   Yes

9.  Do we stand behind our work?   Yes

10.  How do we compare to builders you have used in the past?  (The choices were same, better, worse.  He didn’t circle any of them.)

11. Do you have any suggestions for us?    Give more than 1 day’s notice before coming out.     Note from Chris:  Point well taken.  Thank you.  We will do better next time.

12.  May we use your name, job site photos, video and/or comments in our advertising?  Yes

13.  Can we use you as a reference on occasion?   Yes

14.  Would you recommend us to your friends?   Yes

15.  Have you visited our website lately?   Yes    What was most or least helpful?    The articles  (note: They also read the articles we publish in the Village Soup, a local online newspaper.)

Please provide specific examples that will help people decide whether to hire us or our competition.  Do not be afraid to mention a mistake.    We do our best but sometimes we do make mistakes.  People want to know how we handle our mistakes.

Rob’s answer: 

-  Knowledgeable and friendly

-  Clean up well after most days – did find nails in driveway.   Note from Chris:  Yes, I admit that we forgot to load the magnet sweeper on the 1st day.  We did our best to collect the nails as we were pulling the shingles off the roof, but it is very difficult to find all of the nails without the magnet.  We should have called Rob and Stella at work to give them a heads up before they drove in.

-  Open to suggestions  

-  Good teamwork, no on site bickering

-  Trustworthy, I wasn’t here many days but had no concern something would be missing.

We have a vacation home on the coast of Maine and have had a lot of trouble finding reliable contractors.  It was a pleasure to find a company who is professional, punctual, and easy to communicate with.  Please call us if you would like to speak with us about Daggett Builders, Inc

Bovee Home

Excellent job.  Chris discussed our concerns and ideas and came up with a great solution.  We are already planning for Spring work with Daggett Builders, Inc.

Very pleasant to work with, very informative, and great completed job.

Our project “cottage” that you, Daggett Builders completed in June 2011 was outstanding.  The cottage was built in 1933.  The front porch storm windows were added later (second hand from a house in Thomaston).  We had the entire north side including windows replaced.  The front porch windows were also replaced with idential windows (only new).  Our goal was to keep it looking the same as the “original”.  It wasn’t easy, but you did it!  Your contract was very detailed so we had no surprises.  When a rotten sill was discovered, we were immediately advised, even with a photo.  We are very happy with your work and have recommended you to many folks.  When we have another project that requires skill & perfection, we again will do business with Daggett Builders, Inc.   PS  Charlie & Bob were prompt, polite, helpful, and competent.

Another Project Fall 2012

Hi Chris and Crystal

Thank you for the great work completed on our “tool shed”.  Gary is very happy and said “finally it’s fixed correctly.”  It’s been worked on 3 times in the last 37 years! Also, please tell Bob, Gary enjoyed working with him on the “tool shed”.

Ida

A programmable thermostat will quickly pay for itself if you remember to use it.  The new NEST thermostat remembers for you.  Check it out by using this link.

THE NEW NEST THERMOSTAT

It learns your habits and programs itself accordingly.   I like the leaf logo, it appears on a low money saving setting and disappears when you turn it up too high.  It’s a nice little reminder, especially for children.

There are other little tricks you can do to save money too.  Turn off your hot water heater when you are not using it.   This is especially helpful for those who are away all winter and need heat but not hot water.  The savings can be significant.  Next time you have your boiler cleaned, ask the technician what you can do to save money with your existing system.

Here is what we did.  Our 1980′s oil burner would turn on and turn of all day, year round just for the hot water.  The oil burner is an efficient source of hot water when it is also being used to provide heat.  However, when you are not using it because the weather is too warm or because you are using a wood stove, it is inefficient and wastes money.  

Brad Daggett of Brad Daggett Plumbing & Heating, Inc set us up with a new efficient cold start oil burner and an auxiliary electric hot water heater.  Our oil burner is available if we need it for heat but otherwise it stays off.   We’ll turn it back on only when the weather is consistently cold.  The new system qualified for the tax rebate, saving us even more money.

* Accurate appraisal of when the job can begin

* Call day before to confirm arrival

* Show up on agreed day

* Project thought through and planned in advance of arrival so materials are in place for efficient and timely work.

* The most skillled, considerate,  and cooperative workers

* Fully insured so no client worries

* Clear and detailed contracts, no misunderstandings or “BS”

* I trust their work and ethics so much that I feel comfortable about them working at my home, even when I am not there and that is HUGE!

* Every man on the job is skilled, efficient and knowledgeable, no dreaded “helper schlumps” on the site . . . . much to our relief!

All of the men have been great and on all of the above qualities!  It’s been a pleasure to have them improve our home.

Everything You Could Want and More in a Tiny Space!

This apartment in the Swiss Alps has everything you need and then some.   It is only about 8’ wide and 15’ long but it seems more spacious.   For example, when you open the door your eye is immediately drawn to a sliding glass door and the balcony beyond it. 

The kitchenette is tucked around the corner.

Pull down the Murphy Bed and the living room becomes a pleasant bedroom with a view.

Relax in the steam room after a long day of skiing.  It doubles as a shower and is much more economical to operate than a spa tub.    This particular unit was made by Tylo and it is 10 times better than wimpy hotel steam rooms.    You can really crank up the heat, add a scent such as eucalyptus, turn on therapeutic colored lights, and even listen to your favorite music.  Having grown up with the old fashioned wood fired saunas, I was skeptical.  However, Chris and I both loved it!

There is a bench with storage space underneath on the balcony.  

Take a cue from the Swiss.  Use the balcony to air out your bedding every morning and give it that wonderful scent of clean, fresh air.   

See the attached photos.  For more information or for ideas on getting the most out of a small, economical, energy efficient space, call Daggett Builders, Inc   Tel. 207 354 6177

www.daggettbuilders.com   Christopher Robinson and Crystal Daggett Robinson

Photos provided by Philip Robinson, Chandolin, Switzerland

-          The jobs are done right and are up to code

-          The contracts are clearly written to provide peace of mind

-          The crews work safely and efficiently to minimize liability and control costs

-          Certified Builders have to provide ongoing proof of insurance to MCBA

-          The MCBA Certified Builders attend an Ethics Course

-          Certified Builders have to have at least three years of experience.

Our group of Certified Builders needs to be large enough to have some clout in the press.   How many times have you read an article and asked yourself, “Why do they say that!?”   You’ve seen the articles that put us all in a bad light and devalue our profession.  Let’s be pro active and give the public a reason to say:

“I want to hire a MCBA Certified Builder for my next project.”

“I see the value in hiring a professional.”

Our group of Certified Builders also needs to be large enough and committed enough to self regulate.   We all know how long it takes to build a reputation and how quickly it can be destroyed.     When we promote the value of choosing a MCBA Certified Builder we share the responsibility of upholding that standard. 

What does it take to become a MCBA Certified Builder?

-           Three years of experience as a builder

-          Proof of Liability Insurance every three years

-          Attend an OSHA Safety Course every three years

-          A passing grade on a Building Codes Exam

-          Attend a Contract Law Course

-          Attend an Ethics Course

Join Our Group

Let’s prove to the public that there is value in hiring a MCBA Certified Builder.

Daggett Builders, Inc     Education Committee Members / Maine Contractors & Builders Alliance

Multiple Cooks in a Small Kitchen Chandolin, Switzerland

We spent much of our recent vacation in or near the kitchens of family and friends in Switzerland.   As their building boom continues within a confined land area, the trick is to make smaller, more efficient living quarters.  We are facing the same issue here in Maine due mostly to a need to save energy and cut down on construction costs.

The preferred style is the galley style kitchen, open at one or both ends, and with or without a pass through to the dining room.  They are sleek and modern with state of the art appliances faced to match the cabinets.

Almost everyone I talked to said they prefer to have the kitchen separated, at least partially, from the living area.    There is only room for one cook at a time in a small kitchen and the minimal sink and counter space gets cluttered pretty quickly.

Induction cook tops are the most popular by far; they are very quick, energy efficient, and easy to clean.  

We also had a chance to taste some coffee made by the ubiquitous Nespresso Machine.  The coffee was really good, the machine doesn’t take up much space, and it is less expensive than some high end espresso machines.   Nespresso makes up for it with the 65 cent coffee capsules though; we stuck with the old fashioned French press for our coffee.

Small, special purpose wall ovens are increasingly popular.  A bank of 4 small ovens takes about the same space as two standard wall ovens.   The small steam ovens are a favorite.   It is great to be able to microwave, steam, bake, broil, and warm plates in small, efficient, dedicated ovens.

Cooking in our family is a usually a communal activity but after a couple days of constantly bumping into each other we changed our ways to suit the kitchen. While there is a lot to like about European kitchens, there is some room for improvement.

Here are some tips for getting more efficiency out of a small galley style kitchen.

Create a pass through on the dining room side or create an opening on both ends of the kitchen.    Most of the kitchens we saw had one or the other or both.  

Install the sink and dishwasher on the pass thru side of the galley.  A helper could then stand outside of the kitchen on the dining room side and use the sink plus the dining room table for prep work.  After the meal, the dishes can be scraped in the prep sink and delivered to the kitchen through the pass thru.   Almost every kitchen we saw had the fridge, sink and stove lined up on one wall.  I can say from experience that this is not ideal.

Get a quick, high efficiency, restaurant style dishwasher to avoid the need to hand wash dishes between courses.  Let’s face it; if you love entertaining, have room for only one sink bay and it takes an hour and a half to wash dishes in a small dishwasher, you are going to have to hand wash frequently to free up space and to keep up with the demand for dishes.

Use cabinet doors that either flip up or fold back out of the way to create the effect of a large open pantry while you are working.   Close them when you are done. 

The galley kitchens we visited were usually 10 to 12’ long.  This doesn’t leave much room for a large fridge.  There is certainly no room for extras like an ice machine.  Everyone had a freezer on the top or the bottom, which provides much more available space than a side by side.  The best place to put a fridge is near the entrance to the kitchen so people can get to it without bothering the cook.  

Planning is really important in a small kitchen.  You just don’t have room for many extras and you can’t find anything in a jammed packed fridge or cabinet.  Luckily stores are never more than 5 minutes away from anywhere.  There are even farm stands and often laiteries in most villages.  The laiteries have spigots on an outside wall.  You bring your own container and get your milk yourself.

Grocery stores in Switzerland are still only open from 8am to noon and then again from 2pm to 5 or 6.   All grocery stores are closed on Sundays.  I like the fact that you have to insert a 2 franc coin into the grocery cart to get it out and get your money back when you return it.  You never see errant carts because of this.   The escalators built for grocery carts are another nice feature.  You just put your cart on the escalator and send it down to the parking garage.

The April issue of the Journal of Light Construction features a beautiful example of a well designed galley kitchen.    It appears to be about 15’ long which is larger than most European kitchens.  The 3 to 5 extra feet on each side makes quite a difference.  This kitchen includes a pantry and a small desk area.

Given a choice, I would take space from somewhere else and put it in the kitchen.   For me it is the heart of the home.   A kitchen doesn’t have to be huge but it should be large enough for two people to work in comfortably and be well designed.   A partially separated galley kitchen is a good option, especially for a small home.

Daggett Builders, Inc  www.daggettbuilders.com  Tel. 207 354 6177

Owners:  Christopher Robinson and Crystal Daggett Robinson

Note:  Daggett Builders, Inc did major renovations to the Heart cottage in the late 1980′s and has been providing upkeep and concierge services since then.

Have you seen the ads promoting the health effects of ozone machines? They claim to purify the air in your home?  Maybe you already have one by your bedside.

According to the MIAQC, ozone is a potent respiratory irritant.  It can adversely affect your health even at low levels.

It promotes complex reactions and chemistry in indoor environments, including the formation of ultrafine particles and aldehydes.

The speaker likened the dial 1 through 10 on an ozone machine to a select your level of poison dial.

Asthma is already the most common chronic condition of school age children.  The MIAQC says that about 10-15% of children have diagnosed asthma and 40% have allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

Asthma and Hay Fever are two of the leading causes of absenteeism.

This was only one of the many topics covered in the MIAQC course.  To learn more, watch for future articles and/or call Daggett Builders, Inc

Tel. 207 354 6177   Crystal@DaggettBuilders.com  www.daggettbuilders.com

Daggett Builders, Inc is a member of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council   www.maineindoorair.org.    There is a wealth of information on their site.  Chris Robinson, President of Daggett Builders, Inc attended one of their full day seminars in February and is signed up to attend the Building Diagnostics Seminar in March.

Building is truly becoming a science.  A misinformed contractor can do more harm than good.  We do not pretend to know it all but we attend as many courses as possible, ask questions, and read trade magazines.  Most importantly, we team up with specialists for the benefit of you, the homeowner.

Ask 10 people a question in the building industry and you will get 10 different answers.  We invite clients to a Pre-Construction Round Table Discussion where they can ask questions, listen to the debate, and make an informed decision.

For more information call Daggett Builders, Inc 207 354 6177, e mail us crystal@daggettbuilders.com.  Check out our website  www.daggettbuilders.com for tips and resources.  Read the many testimonials.

Certified Builders – Maine Contractors & Builders Alliance

Member – Maine Indoor Air Quality Council

20+ Years Serving Mid Coast Maine & The Islands

Joe and Jane Davin home. Designed by Silverio Architecture & Design.

“We are currently in the final stages of finishing a project with Daggett Builders, Inc. The project includes an addition and renovation that has substantially upgraded (and more than doubled) our seaside home.

This is not the first time that we have been involved in a project like this, so we know what to look for, as well as what you would expect from a contractor.

To begin, the entire crew at Daggett Builders is a delight to work with. Chris Robinson is the point man with whom we have been working and he has been wonderful. That being said, the men who work for him are very high quality and have been resources unto themselves.

What you get when you hire the Daggett group is a team that works together to make sure that what you are getting is what you want. Chris hires good men to work for him. Whether they are employees or subcontractors, they are committed to excellence. When a question of how you might envision something comes up, they will proactively come up with options/solutions. Our balusters were a big question — one of the team members sketched out an idea on a piece of drywall and the plan was brilliant. It incorporated new and old and tied the different wood choices together. It has been a dynamic process, which benefited the project as a whole.

One other key component in the builder/owner relationship that bears mentioning is trust. This is a second home and we were not here all the time overseeing the project. A situation like this requires a high level of trust and integrity. The Daggett team’s integrity is impeccable.

Obviously, a letter doesn’t do justice to any specific questions that remain. We would be happy to answer any additional questions that you might have in regard to Daggett Builders.

The easiest measure of satisfaction that we often use when checking references on hiring someone is “would you hire them again?”. Our answer is emphatically YES in regard to Daggett Builders!” Best regards,

The principals, Chris and Crystal Robinson,  kept us well informed with frequent  updates and progress reports of the project. Because we lived nearly 200 miles away during construction, they sent us digital photos via the Internet during the process.

The most satisfying aspect of working with Daggett Builders was the fact that costs were kept within our budget. On a few occasions where we decided to expand or change some details to the original plan, Daggett was very flexible in meeting our needs with clear and concise change orders. Before construction began, potential cost variances such as well drilling were fully explained in advance.

Another key advantage working with Daggett Builders was the knowledge and experience they brought of  the local regulatory environment. They were well versed with town ordinances, construction restrictions, and building statutes. Their ability to form positive relationships and to navigate through the regulatory environment was a key factor in ensuring the project’s timely completion.

I would highly recommend Daggett Builders for their integrity, their strong communication skills, their experience with the local building landscape, and their ability to demonstrate flexibility in completing a superior quality custom building  project.

We would like to thank you for the professional snow removal that your employees, performed at our home.  My husband and I are now quite relieved to know the weight has been removed from the roof.

They were here before the scheduled time, were very friendly and nice, and did a great job in a very timely manner.

Thanks so much for offering your service.

Kind Regards,

Barbara Carlomagno

Daggett Builders have provided custodial care to the home of friends of mine. They have told me a number of times how delighted they are with the attention to their assignment.

I recently read the glowing online testimonials referring to Chris (Robinson) and Crystal (Daggett-Robinson). Usually such reports are overly effusive, but the praise for the Daggett’s skill, efficiency and enthusiasm are completely justified. I have been very happy with work they have done for me.

At  E. C. Moran Insurance we talk to current and potential clients about managing risks of loss to avoid insurance claims and therefore keep their premiums low.  Last Monday I took my own advice. 

The snow had accumulated on my roof and the ice had a firm grip all around my house.  I knew I had to do something about it …. and soon.   I was dreading having to try and find equipment and get myself up on the roof.  

So it was great on Monday night when I opened up Village Soup and one of the first things that caught my eye was a small blurb off to the side by Daggett Builders stating “Need Help Removing Heavy Snow & Ice From Your Roof?”  I thought this must be fate.

I emailed them not expecting to hear back before the next day, but I got an email back shortly thereafter with information on services and a note that Chris would give me a call.

Tuesday morning arrived gray with signs an approaching storm.  I drove to work and received a call from Chris and detailed my problem.  He told me he could have two guys out on my roof that day to get it done before the storm arrived.  I was skeptical but thought I’d take a chance. 

When I arrived home that night from work it was snowing pretty hard.  I drove into my driveway and saw signs that work had been done, but didn’t have a chance to really look it over. 

Later on that evening I got a call from Chris confirming the work done and the time it took.  The next day it snowed hard and so all the work that had just been done was covered up with more snow, but I felt good that I knew the load was lighter on the roof. 

That evening I was emailed photos of the work as it was being done and it’s completion.  And that was followed up with a call from Crystal and an emailed invoice. 

The service I received from Daggett Builders went above and beyond what I was expecting.  They were so helpful and so efficient.  

They were definitely the right help at the right time.  I urge homeowners throughout the Midcoast to consider their services and protect your property from loss.

Basics of the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code, presented by George B. Terrien, Architect at the MIDCOAST CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ASSOCIATION meeting.

The three most important points were that builders and do it yourselfers can’t just wing it and expect to pass inspection.     

You can avoid a costly mistake by starting with a plan developed by a certified professional.   

George also said that it is far cheaper to have a blower door test done before the sheetrock stage when air leaks are easily corrected than to wait until the project is complete.   

For more information, call Daggett Builders, Inc Tel. 207 354 6177 or e mail us at info@daggettbuilders.com.