Once you have decided on using prefabs, the best approach starts with an honest assessment of available skills, facilities and tools. In addition, the contractor will have to decide on whether to carry out the prefab work in-house. Other options include a third party’s workshop.

If lacking in the required skills or other requirements, the contractor will have to either train or hire the right staff and acquire all the tools for implementing the project to completion. All these costs will affect profitability and should be considered.

Clear communication before and during the construction phase is essential for the success of prefabrication. The contractor should coordinate with building owner, suppliers, partners and contractors in other fields.  This ensures a smooth project flow. It should be simple to make adjustments as needed.

For the prefab process to succeed, the contractor should pay attention to the following:

Add the perfect custom finish to the front of your home with outdoor hanging lanterns and wall lanterns.

When using two outdoor lanterns, they should measure about 1/4 the height of the front door(s). When you are using only one lanterns, 1/3 of your door height is appropriate.

Outdoor hanging lanterns should be centered over your front door(s), high enough so that the doors may open and close freely. If you have a picture window or archway above the front door, center the fixture so that it may be seen from inside your home.

Wall lanterns surrounding the front doors should be proportional to your home, when in doubt, size up! Remember, fixtures appear smaller from curbside viewing than most people would imagine.

Wall lanterns are also appropriate for rear and side entrances and by garage doors – same rule of thumb for sizing applies for these areas.

Path Lighting should be placed 6′ apart to ensure adequate beam spread.

Be sure to make your space functional! Task lighting is an important piece of the design; it will provide guidance and illumination in the necessary areas to ensure safety.

Focused illumination on key holes and security pads allows for easy access when you are entering and leaving your home at night. Outdoor LED wall lights or recessed spotlights work well in these areas.

Add path lighting to walkways every 6’ to provide adequate beam spread. This will create curb appeal ambiance and visibility when walking at night. Don’t forget to add light near the house numbers – this can help in emergency situations and for deliveries!

After the sun goes down be sure your home has the same curb appeal as it does during the daytime by adding outdoor and uplighting to the landscape.

Illuminating trees or other elements from below will create soft focal points in the landscaping after the sun goes down. Use a flashlight to test where you’d like the light to hit, then mount the fixtures accordingly. Be sure to mount fixtures out of grass for ease of mowing and other landscaping tasks.

Be sure to view your outdoor lighting after dark before signing off on a project; it’s easy to make necessary adjustments to refine your outdoor lighting design.

To avoid being “that neighbor”, be sure to eliminate glare and make sure your outdoor light fixtures do not create “light trespass” into your neighbor’s property.

Christmas has come and gone, and the New Year has arrived. Mr. Electric wishes all of our customers a happy and healthy 2015! In efforts to promote safety and peace of mind for you and your family, we have a few tips to keep in mind when you’re taking down all your holiday décor this weekend.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), hospital emergency rooms treat about 12,500 people for injuries, such as falls, cuts and shocks, related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees. Around 5,800 people per year were treated in hospital emergency rooms for falls associated with holiday decorations, according to Electrical Safety Foundation International. Falls from ladders or roofs account for more than half of these injuries.

When using ladders, CSPSC tells us to keep these things in mind:

Be aware of where all the electrical cords are and make sure children know not to touch them. The CPSC estimates that each year, about 4,000 injuries associated with electric extension cords are treated in hospital emergency rooms. Of those injuries, 13 percent involve children less than five years of age, and electrical burns to the mouth accounted for 50 percent of the injuries to young children.

When taking down your lights, always be cautious and unplug them the correct way. Never tug or pull the lights, as they could unravel and unintentionally wrap around power lines. Let the lights cool off before packing. It’s also important to never leave lights unattended with children around.

There are many products available to help keep your Christmas décor in tip-top shape for next year. To ensure your strings of lights don’t tangle, you can purchase a Christmas lights storage reel or a light cord wrap online or at the nearest hardware store. For a DIY approach, empty coffee cans are also able to the trick.

Take special care to always keep smaller or breakable ornaments and display pieces out of reach of children. When dealing with spun glass “angel hair,” wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation.

Reusing containers such as an empty egg carton or wine box is a great way to store ornaments and reduce waste and extra cost. There are also numerous ornament storage boxes available as well. Group and pack displays together to prevent lost pieces and for easy access next year. For artificial Christmas tree storage, you can use a Christmas tree duffle bag to neatly store your tree. Using the box it came in is always a good idea, too.

There are a lot of different portable generators on the market today, and you really want to know that you are investing in the right make and model for your needs. No, a portable generator is not an investment on the scale of a whole-house generator. However, that doesn’t mean that you want to waste money on power that you won’t need, or that it is OK to have an underpowered generator compromising your good time. That is why you should keep a few points of consideration in mind.

With a portable generator, you may choose from a few different fuel sources. Natural gas is out of the question, of course, but gasoline, propane, and diesel are all viable options. Do some research, as all offer pros and cons. Gasoline is readily available, for instance, but has a short shelf life and fluctuating prices. Propane is readily available as well, but some people may not want pressurized cans of fuel laying around. Diesel is another option to consider, though typically a bit more expensive than gasoline. Diesel engines require little in the way of maintenance and repairs, though.

The whole point of having a generator is to power any tools, appliances, and electronics that you may want to put into use at your tailgating event. If your generator is not of the right size for the job, then you will have to make compromises or potentially use alternate power sources, such as your car battery. Make sure that you are choosing a portable generator powerful enough to handle the demand that you have in mind.