Dealing with Ice Dams

Ice Dams Schrader and Company

Oh, winter in upstate New York!

It’s a treasure trove of weather possibilities. Everything from ice to snow to sleet to rain can and will befall us in the course of the season–sometimes all in one day.

This extreme weather impacts us on many levels, and it impacts our homes.

One of the true scourges of a northeastern winter is the phenomena of the ice dam, which can create expensive and far-reaching water damage to our roofs, ceilings and walls.

An ice dam is an ice build-up on the eaves of sloped roofs of heated buildings that results from melting snow under a snow pack reaching the eave and freezing there. Freezing at the eave impedes the drainage of meltwater, which adds to the ice dam and causes backup of the meltwater in a manner, which may cause water leakage into the roof and consequent damage to the building and its contents if the water leaks through the roof.

But ice dams are preventable, and we wanted to share some helpful tips with you from “This Old House” to help you stop an ice dam that has already formed, or better yet avoid a problem before it starts.

Armed with knowledge and know-how, you can protect your home from ice dams all winter long. And as always, feel free to reach out to us for help and advice anytime!

 

Congratulations on 25 Years, Val DeCesare!

Val DeCesare

At Schrader and Company, we believe strongly that our success as a company is down to the quality of the people on our team. This year marks the 25th anniversary of one such highly valued employee, and we feel so fortunate to have had his talent in our ranks for all these years.

Val DeCesare joined Schrader and Company as a Project Manager on July 27, 1993. From that time to now, Val has contributed to our company culture and reputation for excellence with his consummate professional skills, superior customer service focus, and fine leadership qualities.

Val DeCesare

Val is a “do whatever it takes” kind of craftsman, always ready to jump right into any project, take initiative, and tackle the most complex and challenging problems. This high-energy approach is paired with his brilliant, mechanically-inclined mind. Val always keeps an eye on the finest details and approaches each aspect of a job with finesse and great care.

Because of this specialized skill set, Val is entrusted with some of our largest and most complex renovation and construction projects. As a master carpenter, everyone on the team can look to Val for wisdom and guidance. Over the years, Val has proven to be an excellent teacher to newer employees, imparting his vast knowledge and providing encouragement and freedom so others may grow in their own skills.

In addition to this rarified litany of professional skills, Val personifies all that Schrader and Company prizes in quality of character. He is a devoted family man. He gives generously of his time and talents to the Boy Scouts. And he treats our clients as anyone would want to be treated, often welcoming them back into their new and improved homes with a homemade baked good or treat.

We knew we wanted to do something special to celebrate Val and his successful 25 years with our company. As an avid outdoorsman and lover of nature, we hope he will relish our gift of a cross-country trip to the Western part of the country to discover and explore a new landscape with his wife.

Congratulations to our friend and team member Val DeCesare on 25 years of hard work and dedication. Thank you for elevating our company, keeping the bar so high, and for beautifying countless homes across our region. We look forward to many more years of successful renovation with you.

  • 1994

 

 

Investing In Our Team

Investing in our Team Tools

Here at Schrader and Company, we strongly believe that our greatest asset is our employees. Without their dedication, talent, and work ethic we would not be the business we are today.

Because we hold our team members in such high esteem, we are always ready to invest in them. To that end, we recently sent two of our apprentice carpenters to Hudson Valley Community College to take some courses that would increase the depth and breadth of their construction knowledge.

Investing In Our Team Schrader

These kinds of continuing education classes benefit not just our individual employees by adding skills and knowledge to their wheelhouse, but benefit our company as a whole, enabling us to better serve our clients.

“We are proud of the long tenure of our average employee, and funding relevant coursework to accelerate their learning and training is one way that we support our dedicated staff,” says Silas Schrader.

Schrader and Company maintains the related goals of having employees for life, and clients for life, and only by having the team with the highest levels of skills and professionalism can we meet that goal.

If you’re interested in being part of Schrader and Company and learning more about our company culture of growth and respect, don’t hesitate to apply today.

Meet Lynn Fredericks, Schrader and Company’s New Office Administrator

We are excited to introduce our new office administrator, Lynn Fredericks.

Joining us in 2018, Lynn is a very visible addition to our team. She’ll be known to our clients and contacts as the face and voice of the office in her role, and we couldn’t be more pleased about that. Lynn is positive, outgoing, and professional and we know you’ll enjoy working with her as much as we do.

We hope you’ll call or stop by the office soon to meet Lynn and say hello to the rest of the Schrader and Company team of professionals!

On her own time, Lynn:

  • Loves to cook and bake and has an addiction to recipes/cookbooks
  • Is a running enthusiast
  • Loves to hike and has completed the Fire Tower Challenge, Cranberry Lake 50 mile Challenge, Saranac Ultra 6er, and is actively on her way to becoming an Adirondack 46er.
  • Love spending time with family and friends
  • Live on property that has been in her family for over 100 years!

We Are Hiring! Are You the Project Planner We Need?

We are looking for a Project Planner/Sales Professional to join our team!

Could you be the right person for this rewarding and exciting job?

Our ideal candidate is:

  • is passionate about remodeling, new construction and delivering exceptional service to our clients
  • has experience prospecting for new business
  • is able to listen and comprehend our client’s vision and concerns
  • is confident communicating and presenting project budgets
  • has extensive experience, or ability, to estimate, specify and facilitate the planning of complex renovation projects in an accurate and detailed manner
  • is able to perform consultative sales and close the sale
  • is exceedingly professional, motivated and organized
  • is a highly skillful communicator verbally and in writing
  • our clients and prospects would trust and enjoy working with
  • has a strong work ethic and will work productively and efficiently
  • is a problem solver with a “can do” attitude
  • is energetic and optimistic
  • enjoys working with others, but is also self-motivated when working alone
  • is looking to enjoy a meaningful and rewarding career with a great company

Here is what you can expect from us:

  • A competitive compensation package with opportunities to advance
    • A combination of salary and commission compensation, health insurance program, paid time off, holiday pay, cell phone, etc.
  • The challenge and reward of planning high-end, complex home renovation projects
  • Working in a dynamic industry with an energetic and innovative company
  • A truly family culture where the average 18 year employee tenure is a result of care for each other and mutual respect
  • A culture that encourages excellence through high standards and continuous improvement.
  • Encouragement and support of the advancement of your skills through training, seminars, trade shows, etc.
  • The pride of being a part of a company with a stellar reputation for over 43 years

If we have your interest, tell us why you would be successful in our company. Email Ben Cangeleri at ben@schraderandco.com.  Please include a resume and references.

Our hiring process:  1) resume review, 2) phone interview 3) in-person interview(s), 4) reference check 5) assessment, 6) final selection (those who move on in the hiring process will be notified)

 

We Are Hiring Carpenters!

We are looking to add talented, hardworking, and motivated Lead Carpenters/Carpenters to our team of industry professionals.

Our ideal candidate is:

  • is passionate about carpentry and home remodeling who knows the craft or is eager to learn it.
  • can manage, or learn to manage the multiple aspects of home renovations
  • has a strong sense of client service and professionalism
  • our clients would trust in their cherished homes
  • has a strong work ethic and will work productively and efficiently
  • views safety as paramount
  • is a problem solver with a “can do” attitude
  • is energetic and optimistic
  • enjoys working with others but is also self-motivated when working alone
  • is a good communicator
  • is looking to grow into a project management
  • can lift heavy materials, climb a ladder and perform other physical tasks required by the job
  • has tools and a work vehicle
  • is looking to enjoy a meaningful and rewarding career with a good company

Here is what you can expect from us

  • A competitive compensation package with opportunities to advance
    • Hourly compensation, health insurance program, paid time off, holiday pay, Mileage reimbursement, tool maintenance, cell phone, etc.
  • The opportunity to learn and/or enhance your craft skills from some of the finest carpenters in the industry
  • The challenge of building and managing high-end, complex home renovation projects
  • Consistent work hours
  • Working in a dynamic industry for a small, energetic and innovative company
  • A truly family culture where the average 18 year employee tenure is a result of care for each other and mutual respect
  • A culture that encourages continuous improvement and high standards
  • A culture of excellence
  • The pride of being a part of a company with a stellar reputation since 1973

 

If we have your interest, tell us why you would be successful in our company.  Email Ben Cangeleri at ben@schraderandco.com.  Please include a resume and references.

 

Schrader and Company Joins BNI

At Schrader and Company, we are always looking for ways to become more involved in our community and support our fellow local business owners.

We recently joined an organization with just this purpose, and we’re excited to tell you about it. Business Network International is the world’s largest business networking and business referral organization. The mission of BNI is to help members increase their business through a structured, positive and professional referral marketing program that enables them to develop long-term, meaningful relationships with quality business professionals.

We are proud to be part of the local Saratoga chapter, Triple Crown Referrals. Our involvement in this organization has given us the opportunity to get to know other business leaders in our area, to learn about their passion for their particular industries, and to discuss our capital region community and the unique needs of our local consumers.

Every business involved in BNI is excessively vetted, and we have been so impressed with the caliber and quality of the Triple Crown Referrals team. In getting to know one another and educating each other about our own companies at length, we are assured that we share the same guiding principles and goals.

We are pleased to pass along our new network of business contacts to our clientele. Should you find yourself in need of a reputable and respected professional in another industry, don’t forget to check with our team. We might know the perfect person for you!

 

We Are Hiring! Are You the Office Administrator We Need?

We are looking for a dynamic professional to join our Schrader and Company team as an Office Administrator.

Our ideal candidate is passionate about the unique operations of a small business, willing to learn, grow and contribute to the advancement of the company, and can manage the multiple aspects of administration. If you are highly organized, self-motivated, a good communicator and bring a positive, self-starting energy to your work, we are looking for you!

Sound interesting? Here is what you can expect from us:

  • A competitive compensation package with opportunities to advance
  • Hourly compensation, health insurance program, paid time off, holiday pay, etc.
  • The opportunity to learn and/or enhance your skills as a professional administrator
  • Consistent work hours
  • Working in a dynamic industry for a small, energetic and innovative company
  • A truly family culture where the average 18 year employee tenure is a result of care for each other and mutual respect
  • A culture that encourages continuous improvement and high standards
  • A culture of excellence
  • The pride of being a part of a company with a stellar reputation for over 40 years

If we have your interest, tell us why you would be successful in our company.

Email Ben Cangeleri at ben@schraderandco.com. Please include a resume and references. Or visit our website’s “Join Our Team” page.

 

Fall In Love With Your Home Again

Now that the Valentine’s Day roses have wilted and the chocolates have all been eaten, it’s time to cast your attention elsewhere and ask yourself about that other important relationship in your life–your relationship with your home.

What would it take for you to fall in love with your home again? Or maybe truly love it for the first time at all?

March is a great time to start planning for future projects. Maybe you’d like 2018 to be the year you finally cook in your dream kitchen. Maybe this cold weather has you daydreaming about summer entertaining on a new deck or three season addition. Or maybe your growing family needs bigger and better bathrooms, mudrooms, or laundry spaces.

Whatever the goal, Schrader and Company has the team, talent and tools to take your home from barely working to working for you. We want you to love your space, not just live in it.

So give us a call and let us help you redefine your relationship with your house.

It can and should be a love that lasts a lifetime.

New Year, New Goals

Happy 2018!

We hope you enjoyed a peaceful and happy holiday season.

As you celebrate the sense of renewal and resolution that always accompanies the beginning of a new year, we invite you to cast your eye about your home, and ask yourself what you might want to improve or create in the coming year.

The post-holiday quiet is the perfect time to reflect and ask these questions about your house:

    • If you cooked the big holiday meal or baked the December days away, did your kitchen work for you?
    • Would an improved use of that so important space make next year’s holidays run smoother?
    • Did you host out of town family or welcome the return of children and adult children under your roof?
    • Did you have enough space to comfortably accommodate your guests?
    • Did you feel proud and comfortable sharing your living room, bathrooms, and bedrooms with all who entered?
    • As you decked your halls both inside and out, did the reality match the cozy vision in your head?

Just as we embrace New Year’s goals and resolutions for our health and wellness, now is the perfect time to set real, concrete goals for your home. The long, cold days of winter keep us inside, and all too aware of the ways our home might function better for our families if we made some important and creative changes. Now is the perfect time to meet with a Schrader and Company craftsmen and discuss your hopes and dreams for your home.

So as you corral endless muddy boots,wet mittens and soggy snowpants in the coming months, think about what a custom mudroom could do for your family.

On days and nights when the bitter temperatures keep you housebound, consider if improved energy efficient windows and doors might keep your heating costs lower and your home warmer.

And while you whip up the healthy meals that will help you reach all your wellness goals, contemplate a gourmet kitchen with Schrader custom cabinetry. We have it on good authority that even kale tastes better when cooked in a kitchen you love.
As for us at Schrader and Company, our 2018 goal is the same as it has been since 1973–to continue to earn our clients’ trust and loyalty by providing the very best in quality remodeling and construction.

Our resolution is to make your home resolutions a reality.