“The Home Improvement Show with Scott Mosby”
Saturday, June 2, 2007, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Topic: GuttersScott will take your calls at 314.436.7900 or toll free at 1.800.925.1120.

Our wet spring has been good for lawns and gardens, but makes our gutters work overtime. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to check that your gutters are working and draining properly. Clogged gutters cause damage to:

● Landscaping, lawns and shrubbery

● Walls and foundation

● Basements and crawl spaces

TYPES OF GUTTERING

Steel gutters generally perform better than aluminum or vinyl. Aluminum gutters move too much during weather changes; the expansion and contraction causes nails and screws to loosen up. Vinyl guttering comes in 10-foot lengths, meaning there are lots of seams that need to be sealed.

CLEANING

If there are a lot of trees around your home, check gutters numerous times throughout the year to make sure the troughs remain clear. Even without trees around, asphalt shingle pebbles can accumulate in gutters, and when mixing with water and dirt, can form a heavy paste.

● Clean gutters only when dry

● Scoop out debris by hand and only use a hose to flush out remaining debris

● Do not ever lean ladders against the gutters

● Gutter guards are a good investment

● Better yet, hire reputable companies to clean and maintain them for you.

Adrienne, our Project Planner, just received notification that she is now a Certified Kitchen Designer!

After studying 8 thick books covering every single detail of kitchen design, she went to Kansas City for the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s (NKBA) exam in March. The exam is 2 hours of multiple choice, 6 hours of planning and drawing a kitchen project, and is graded on a simple pass/fail basis.

To her surprise, the multiple choice exam included some questions that were not covered in the books, but because Adrienne works daily with estimating and construction, she knew the correct answer from experience.

The drawing test was also a surprise because in this day of architecture and design done in AutoCAD and Chief, the exam project was done by hand, with pencil to paper. But she obviously sailed over any hurdle because 2 and half months later, she got her “report card” stamped with a big “PASS.”  Adrienne is now finishing the remaining paperwork in order to be listed in the NAKB registry as a certified professional.

As a Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD), Adrienne is “qualified by education and experience to research, design, plan and supervise the installation of residential style kitchens. The expertise of a CKD lies in researching the personal needs of the client and designing the most functional and aesthetically pleasing arrangement of space. The designer is trained to plan for efficiency, cost and mechanical installation unique to each individual project. They are also experienced in supervising the physical development of the project according to set industry standards that protect the long-term investment of the client.

“The designation of Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) is based on the documented proof of knowledge, ability, and experience in the design of kitchens. Individuals must have a minimum of seven years experience within the industry before being eligible for the exam.”

Above is an example of a recently-completed kitchen Adrienne designed for a Mosby client. Click here to see more details of this fabulous kitchen. This is one in a long series of outstanding designs she has done with us, and her CKD designation is an official recognition of her abundant talents. Congratulations to Adrienne for such a distinguishing achievement.

Oh, she also plans to do it all over again in September when she goes for her Certified Bathroom Designer exam!

The equipment and uniform room for the Kirkwood High School Marching Band, as seen in the above “before” picture, was disorganized and in need of a coat of paint. The “after” came about with the help of some Boy Scouts, an Eagle Scout and Mosby Building Arts.

Steve Sharp is a graduating Kirkwood High School senior, a member of the marching band, and part of Scout Troop 313. For his Scout Service Project, he chose the remodel of the band’s equipment room. One of Steve’s friends is fellow Scout (Troop 360) Ryan Mosby, who asked his remodeling parents – Scott & Judy Mosby – if they’d like to help make this project happen. Their hearty “yes” came with a bonus.

Mosby carpenter Justin Lane just so happens to be an Eagle Scout member of Troop 360, so he wholeheartedly agreed to be the skilled, hands-on supervisor for the shelf building project. Last Sunday, Steve Sharp, Ryan Mosby and other members of their respective troops brought their materials to the Mosby workshop in downtown Kirkwood. Justin looked over the drawings (above, in the blue shirt), and soon the table saw was ringing.

Among Justin’s “labor” was Judy Mosby herself (above right in the yellow shirt)! Within 3 hours, all pieces were cut, loaded back into the truck and ready for assembly on-site at the high school.

Naturally, we at Mosby love a good remodeling story, much like the photos above. Steve’s mom, Lorraine (who provided the before & after photos), thanked Judy, Scott & Ryan Mosby for their help with the band room improvements, saying it may have never happened without them. Let’s add Justin’s efforts to the list, and you’re welcome! Mosby is always happy to help out the community it’s been a part of for so many decades.

Renovating a Webster Groves Century Home towards a more age-appropriate look was a real satisfying project for us. The homeowners have returned for a new screened-in back porch, and with the design phase nearing completion, construction is scheduled to begin soon.

We were CC:ed on an e-mail the owner sent to Paul Harris and Carol Daniel at KMOX. Attached to it was an awesome up-close photo he took. The e-mail reads:

Subject: My Friend Who Lives In My Deck Railing

Unfortunately, when they abandoned a couple of their apartments, some Yellow Jacket squatters moved in.

There goes the neighborhood! We have declared the neighborhood blighted, and have exercised Eminent Domain. Scott Mosby will be evicting all of the residents and tearing down the tenements and replacing them with a nice new back porch to go along with the beautiful front porch that he finished a year ago.

Yes, there is a buzz about this project. Project Planning is busy as a bee preparing construction documents for the Mosby Carpenter Bees… Thank you, we’ll bee here all week. Remember to tip your waitress.

The NAHB publishes many specialty publications, and the current edition of their Certified Aging In-Place Specialist magazine has Scott on the cover. What a nice surprise!

If you’d like, click here to get to a version large enough to read.

A homeowner needed details taken care of before and after extensive foundation repairs, and she called us to handle that. Read the back story here.

Mosby carpenters had the unique challenge of removing items in the basement and when foundation work was finished, putting everything back in place just as it was before. Sounds simple, but it’s an exacting process to carefully remove materials so they can be reinstalled.

From professionals to Do-It-Yourselfers, we’re used to removing items to install something new, so the condition of the removed item doesn’t matter much. But if you have to re-use it, removing it properly becomes more important than installation. We carefully dismantled the wood paneling, trim and carpeting in the room above. Once Helitech completed their work, we put it back into place. When you see no difference in the Before and After photos above, then we did it right!

In the laundry area of the basement, we had to move a water heater away from the wall for easy access to the repair area. The heater could take one move, but it’s not advisable to move it again, so the heater was left in its new resting place (above).

In the bathroom, the sink had to be dismantled and toilet pulled out in order to remove the paneling. We reinstalled it with no problems. The floor was another issue. It was old sheet linoleum that cannot withstand being removed, much less re-installed. So, the owner picked new linoleum flooring for us to install, and we were able to re-use the original rubber cove molding.

This project was akin to a giant jigsaw puzzle, because rather than transform a space we had to dismantle, reinstall and leave it looking as if it had never been touched. It was a good exercise in being conscious of every action, and the reward was pleasing the customer who relied on us to meet this unique challenge.

We are excited to have an esteemed addition to our Architecture & Design department, Robert Lutz.

Robert Lutz is a respected veteran of residential and commercial architecture in the St. Louis metropolitan area. His pedigree includes time with Ittner & Associates, HOK and Cohen Architects before founding and managing his own firm for 23 years, Robert Lutz Architects, which later became Lutz & Strutman Architects.

Bob is a registered architect with a masters in Architecture from Washington University, where he later returned to teach “Architecture and Energy,” for 8 years.

He has earned national recognition and contributed vital information to his architectural peers. Scott Mosby highlights that, “Bob was a major energy advocate in St. Louis long before it was a priority, and his time has come again. Bob’s passion and expertise will well strengthen our Green Remodeling initiative. He knows the importance of ‘build it tight and vent it right,’ which is the thrust of Green Building: energy and health.”

Bob’s specialty is tailored architecture creating energy conscious homes; a talent applied to new and remodeled custom designs for a large roster of clients wanting unique and responsible homes.

We look forward to the new directions Bob introduces to Mosby, and Scott adds, “He has valuable design experience and architectural leadership. He promises to be a great coach and mentor to our Project Planning department, and bring a new level of possibility and beauty to our clients.”

Welcome to the Mosby family, Bob!