Getting a House Built in Jamaica (or anywhere).

No house can stand the test of time without a good, sturdy foundation. That why you need to be very careful when choosing a contractor to build your home. It’s unfortunate that scammers keep popping up all the time, giving a bad name to the construction industry in Jamaica, but it’s still possible to find a good contractor if you look out for certain characteristics.

For one, find out where they get their materials–and how. You’ll want to be sure that they buy quality supplies from a reputable organization (like Stewart’s Hardware), and that they have sense when it comes to storage and weather-damage avoidance. Also, see if they can provide photos–LOTS of photos–of work they’ve done, and be sure that they send you plenty of visual updates of your own home as they build it.

A good contractor should also be able to give you low, medium, and high price estimates based on the material quality–a choice that is yours (if you suspect that differences in price mean a difference in work quality, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction).

Be sure that the contractor you choose gives a reasonable time-frame …but don’t forget to be reasonable yourself. Give some leeway for delays, and above all, facilitate good communication.

A good contractor should allow you to explain what you want, and not try to push his own personal ideas of what you should (or what he/she would) do. He or she should let you know if something you’re suggesting is unsafe, unpractical or illegal, but not try to tell you what you should like to have.

Save Money by Doing It Yourself

When you think about the time and effort it will take to repair some part of your house, you may be tempted to grab a phonebook and call the nearest professional. But is it really worth it to pay a huge fee just to have someone replace the rubber in your faucet?

Depends on your time budget, right? If you’re one of those people who works nights and weekends, then an extra hour of sleep might be worth a lot more than the money you pay to a plumber. But if your schedule is any less hectic, you mind find that changing the way you spend a “lazy Sunday” might keep more dollars in your pocket.

Many of the things that go wrong in a house are have very simple root causes. Leaking faucets, broken tiles, problem toilets, and peeling paint can all be fixed relatively easily, with a few common tools, and a good dose determination.

You don’t have to have a clue what you’re doing. There’s so much out there in the way of step-by-step guides and tutorials you can borrow from the library or discover online. You might even be lucky enough to find a relative willing to teach you–without an argument about who knows what.

Ackee: Jamaica’s National Fruit

Since Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence from Britain has just passed, we though it would be nice to do some short features on this fair land’s national emblems. We may sell hardware, but we’re human after all, and we’re as proud of our country as anyone else.

So let’s start with the most interesting symbol:  the ackee. This is the only edible emblem we have, and so I guess it tops the list (combined with callaloo and fried dumplings, of course).

Jamaicans are some of the few people who actually view this interesting fruit as a food item. In most places where it exists, particularly in Africa, it is used for decoration (ahhh, they don’t know what they’re missing…). The fruit is made up of three jet-black seeds surrounded by (delicious) yellow flesh and a tough green skin which turns red ready the fruit is mature. That skin is initially closed, concealing the seeds and flesh inside, but once the ackee is ripe, that red skin bursts open, revealing the yummy contents inside.

Now, when we say “fruit”, we’re being technical. You can just pick an ackee off a tree and eat it. No, no, we prepare and cook this thing like scrambled eggs (or tofu, if you’re vegetarian). It’s tastes divine and it never fails to remind us of Jamaica with its green leaves, black seeds and yellow flesh. Even the red skin throws in the Rastafarian element. But, that’s a topic for another time.

Stewart’s Top 10 Home Improvement Website Picks

Well, we’ve been glued to our desktops scouring the web for information. Ah … not just any old bits of information now, but good stuff–in particular, sites one can visit for home improvement tips and tricks. And guess what? We found some. Yes! Somewhere among the billions of pages out there, we found 10 sites that made it past our discriminating taste buds. We’ve mentioned some big guys (like The Home Depot) and some little guys . And now, it’s our pleasure to present them …to you:

• D-I-Y (Do-It-Yourself) Network
• This Old House
• The Home Depot’s How-To Section
• Rona Home & Garden
• Better Homes & Gardens
• HGTV (Home & Garden TV)
• Home Improvement Biz
• The home how-to section of Popular Mechanics
• Home Improvement.com
• Lowe’s Home Improvement

Share Your Story

Do you have a story to tell? It could be about anything home, garden or hardware related. We love hearing our reader’s experiences, and we’re pretty that you will enjoy reading each other’s stories too.

In fact, we just had an idea for future blog posts.

Why don’t you send us your stories in an email, and we’ll consider them for publishing? Sounds like fun. Let’s give it a try.

Our email address is info@stewartshardware.com.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Ruined your screws?

That very screwdriver you’re holding could be the reason why your screws have big O’s instead of + signs.

Screwdrivers come in a variety of sizes, and for good reason. See, screws come in all sizes as well, and each screw is meant to be used with one and only one size screwdriver. If the one you’re using is too small, you will destroy your screws, sooner or later. So work smart! If you don’t have the right tool, buy it! It’s better to spend a little now on the right tool, than to spend a lot more money on repairs and replacements later.

How to Enlarge a Tiny Bedroom

Okay, so I guess we aren’t going to actually e-x-p-a-n-d the amount of space you have physically, but we are going to tell you how to make your bedroom appear a whole lot larger.

When you think about the various items you’d imagine in a decent bedroom–bed, dresser, chest, a pair of nighttables, a lamp or two, a small couch–you begin to wonder where it’s all going to fit, and if it’s going to be possible to have anything close to your dream bedroom after all.

That’s where a little creativity comes in.

Who says that everything has to be on the ground? That’s a sure way to eat up floor space. Remember: there are four walls to every room. Use them! For example, get lights mounted on the wall instead of table lamps. You can keep your dresser with the

How To Buy Paint

If it needs brightening up, paint it (your spouse and children being a big exception). Painting is a lot cheaper than buying something new, and so you may want to get familiar with a few terms and tips before you come out to Stewart’s Hardware, or your nearest paint store.

One of the first things you’ll need to know is exactly what paint is best for your project. You have two basic choices: latex, and oil.

Getting A New Kitchen Countertop

Photo from www.trendir.com.

Some kitchen counters are just plain ugly. That shouldn’t be–it takes all the charm out of the kitchen! Planning to remodel? Let’s talk about the things you need to take into consideration.
Kitchen counters are more than decorations–they’re highly functional, and no kitchen is really a kitchen without them. From cooking to storing to serving, it forms the platform from which nearly all food-prep activities take place.

So, let’s suppose we’re going to shop for new counters. What do you need to

Celebrating Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary!

August 6th, 2012 marks 50 years since Jamaica gained full independence from Britain. Jamaicans at home and all over the world will be celebrating our country’s ‘golden jubilee’ …and Stewart’s Hardware is no exception!

Two notable events include the “This Is It!” art exhibition on the 28th of this month,  under the theme “Celebrating Jamaica’s  Golden Jubilee” and featuring Jamaican artist, Andy Ballentine.

Following close behind will be the Independence Parade in which Stewart’s Hardware will have a decorated float, displaying what we do in a fun and vivid way! The parade will run from August 1st to the 6th, with Stewart’s float appearing on the 4th and 5th.  The float will pass through May Pen and other areas. More info soon to come.

Part of our unspoken mission here at Stewart’s Hardware is to build up Jamaica and our fellow citizens. For 50 years, this country has enjoyed independence, and though we’ve come a long way, we’ve got much further to go.

Our vision is to become Jamaica’s best and most reliable service and hardware company. As we celebrate the steps we’ve taken, let us all never forgot how much farther we can go.

Selecting a New Bathtub

Photo from www.top-hottub.net.

It may seem like a simple decision at first, but there’s a lot more to renovating your bathroom than picking the colours you like. Let’s talk about one of the most important elements of a bathroom: the bathtub.

Being so frequently used by all members of the family, it is important to think about it from all angles when deciding to purchase a new one. After all, you can’t just take it back after it’s installed.

First of all, you’ll want to ask yourself, “who is going to be using the bathtub?” Do you have small children, or elderly parents? Are any of the potential users disabled? Will more than one person need to be in there at time? Questions like those will guide your decision-making, and help you to select

40 Years and a Bicycle Shop

Stewart's Hardware, May Pen Location

Over 40 years ago, a young man stood in a bicycle shop. He didn’t know what the future would hold, but he had a dream and determination. Following in the footsteps of his business-minded mother, Baron Stewart formed the concept for his own hardware store in 1970.

By 1973, Stewart’s Hardware Ltd. was incorporated.

From the beginning, we’ve faced stiff competition from established hardware dealers such as Storks de Roux, Reid’s and Son, Baugh Brothers, and Shagoury’s. But Mr. Stewart was never intimidated.