Feeling The Impact of the Trees

Remember the winter wind storm of 2006?  High winds knocked trees down across roadways, power lines and onto houses. When the ground is saturated with melted snow and rain, trees are more easily uprooted.  Here are some steps to prepare and respond to the threat of a tree strike on your home.

Assess your liability.  Identify the trees that are most likely to hit your house; especially those that would hit if they were to fall northward or eastward (the primary wind direction is out of the southwest).   Then verify your home insurance policy covers the threats of a wind storm.

Newer housing developments are more susceptible because when the forests are cleared, hundreds of trees that grew protected are suddenly exposed.  As a result, a single home in Trilogy had 17 trees crash down on it in the 2006 storm.

Hunker down.  Modern houses are designed to hold together in the wind, but a large tree could easily slice through a roof.  If you’re home during a wind storm, make sure you are in a lower floor, furthest from the threat.  Set up overnight accommodations in the basement or living room, especially since the highest winds are generally during the night.

If you are not able to be home during a wind storm, ask a neighbor or trusted resource to check your home for any resulting damage.  In the winter time, extended exposure to the elements means freezing pipes and cracking of finish materials.  The faster the tree can be removed, the better.

Take action.  Contact your home insurance company immediately, followed by contacting your contractor.  Your home will be exposed to the sky and you may be without power.  An experienced contractor will take photos, remove the tree and tarp the affected areas of the house prior to the adjusters arrival.

Following last year’s storm, there were so many claims that insurance adjusters were called in from other states.  Some took up to 2 weeks to respond to those homeowners who called only a day or two after the storm.  Most insurance companies will compensate for reasonable hotel rates for the duration of construction.

Your contractor should be able to provide a repair estimate within several days, and negotiate with the insurance adjuster on the homeowner’s behalf. 

Visit the Consumer Resources section of our website for case studies of the 2006 winter storm and links to valuable information on the web.

Michael Tenhulzen, CGR, CAPS is President of Tenhulzen Remodeling in Redmond (425) 885-9871 www.tenhulzen.com.

It's a Big Stakes Gamble When Your House is On The Line.

Most homeowners want to maintain or improve the value of the investment in their home.  When basing the improvements on quality and aesthetics, professionally performed remodeling improvements generally add more value to a home than those performed by the DIY (do-it-yourselfer).  The question is: “can more be gained by spending less?”  And more importantly: “what level of risk am I willing to take?”

General contractors are essentially a risk buffer, required by law to carry general liability insurance.  Coverage varies significantly with multiple exclusions, so be weary.  Much like other service professionals, general contractors bring together all the elements of performing the required work through a proven system.  The best subcontractors and suppliers recognize the benefits of this consistency, and choose not to perform work directly for the DIY.  Some suppliers share similar philosophy, operating only by extending credit to contractors.

In addition to not having access to the best craftsmen or products, DIY’s accept the entire risk for construction liability and property damage.  If a contractor or friend is injured while work is being performed on the house, the homeowner is entirely liable for workers' compensation payments and average case six-figure lawsuits.

Protecting your home is more than improving its value – it’s also minimizing your risk.  Washington State Labor & Industries maintains a list of registered contractors complete with claim history.  Look up Hiring a Contractor at lni.wa.gov for more information.

Michael Tenhulzen, CGR, CAPS is President of Tenhulzen Remodeling in Redmond (425) 885-9871 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (425) 885-9871      end_of_the_skype_highlighting www.tenhulzen.com.

Trade Contractor of the Year (In Review)

This list represents the recognition of superior service and performance for Tenhulzen Remodeling, Inc, as tallied by 5 criteria among our production staff.

1996 - Steve Hudy - Hudy Plumbing & Heating
1997 - Gary Kolstad - MacDonald-Miller Industries
1998 - Matt Seirer - Bel-Red Electric
1999 - Todd Csapiewski - Skico Electric
2000 - Gary Kolstad - MacDonal-Miller Industries
2001 - Jerzy Mamprejew - Best Plumbint & Heating
2002 - Mell Barber - Barber's Drywall
2003 - Ken Watson - Double K Plumbing
2004 - Tom Holt - Holt Tile
2005 - Jim Askervold - Sutter Home & Hearth
2006 - Bill Diggs - Bill Diggs Carpet Service
2007 - Pavel Yerin - Quality Tile, Inc.
2008 - Dale Kaminski - Redmond Roofing
2009 - Sean Cummings - All Pro Painting
2010 - Ed Berg - Sterling Electric, Inc.
2011 - Fred Langford - Langford Plumbing

Without your dedication to upholding TR expectations for customer service, our shared success could not have been possible through this challenging economic cycle.

Trade Contractor of the Year

Congratulations to Langford Plumbing

2011 Trade Contractor of the Year Award

Fred Langford (left) and Marshall Emmons, Northwest Cascade (runner up)

This morning marked the 11th annual Tenhulzen Remodeling annual Trade Contractor Breakfast.  Our continuing goal is to improve customer service through strong relationships with our Trade Contractors and Vendors.


We were encouraged to receive positive feedback from participating residential specialty trades.  For the first time in 3 years, more than half the companies represented reported increases in revenue and backlog.