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With so many things to worry about life, such as work, financial pressures and family issues, is it any wonder that men tend to overlook or neglect their health? Ask any doctor and they will agree that men too often put their health on the backburner, because they are too busy doing other things. And, unlike women, there is a social expectation that so-called ‘real’ men do not complain about health niggles. As ridiculous and potentially life-threatening as it is, there is still an unwritten code amongst men that they ignore health problems, in order to be stoic and tough. Just getting men to attend regular health checks can be a major battle.
Given that men are so unforthcoming about their overall health, it’s not surprising that it is even harder to get them to communicate problems that concern their private regions! Mention the phrase “prostate health” to most men, and they will run a mile! All jokes aside though, the overall health and well-being of men depends on the condition of their sexual organs. Things above and below the belt need to be operating properly for life to be enjoyable and fulfilling!
One very unpleasant problem that can afflict men is prostatitis. In a nutshell, prostatitis is any sort of inflammation of the prostate gland. Many men don’t know much about the prostate gland. Indeed it’s generally not until something goes wrong that men think about their prostate at all! It might come as a shock, but some studies suggest that prostatitis may be responsible for up to a quarter of visits to the doctor by men suffering from genital or urinary complaints!
The prostate itself is a small gland, about the size of a walnut. It is situated at the base of the bladder and surrounds your urethra. Given that is right next to your urethra (the tube that transports urine between your bladder and your penis) if the prostate gland alters in size or shape, it can have an enormous impact on your ability to pass urine.
And indeed the prostatitis symptom you might see is pain on urination or ejaculation. Inflammation of the prostate gland can also place pressure onto your rectum, which can lead to great discomfort during bowel movements, as well as general back and pelvic pain. Men with a prostatitis symptom can also experience chills, “frequency” (the constant urinate even when there is little or no liquid to pass); fever and aches and pains, especially in the lower body and pelvic area.
While there are several theories about what causes prostatitis, one thing the medical community agrees upon is that it is a problem men shouldn’t have to endure. And as there are several forms of prostatitis symptom types (namely acute or bacterial prostatitis; chronic bacterial prostatitis; chronic pelvic pain syndrome or asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis) you should investigate all possibilities. Discomfort in your pelvic area, or pain on urination could indicate any one of these conditions. The treatment of prostatitis will depend on which particular type the patient presents and in some cases, treatment may be as simple as taking a course of antibiotics. So the message to men is clear: do not ignore your prostate health. If you show a prostatitis symptom, be sure to visit your doctor straight away.
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Zenegra Generic Viagra is an Impotence drug launched by Alkem and used to help men suffering from Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence) in getting and sustaining erection while sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction or Impotence is a medical condition under which a man does not able to get and / or sustain an erection for long enough time. Zenegra does not cure ED but provide a treatment for getting erection only if he is sexually stimulated. The Ed can be cured only if it's primary causes can be tackled. Zenegra can be an aid for enhancing sex life in men even if they are not suffering from impotence. Men taking Zenegra have reported an amplified sex drive, increased stamina, and quicker recharges. Taking just half of dose of Zenegra will increase erection efficiency tremendously. Zenegra works together with sexual stimulation to help achieve maximum sexual satisfaction. Zenegra is sold online at cheap prices.
How Zenegra Works
Zenegra is composed of a chemical called Sildenafil Citrate. In man suffering from Erectile Dysfunction, production of cGMP breaks down which actually relaxes the arteries in the penis by a an enzyme called as PDE5. Because of which arteries do not sufficiently dilate and so enough blood does not reach in the penis to cause an erection. Zenegra inhibit the effect of PDE5. When a man takes Zenegra, sildenafil Citrate enters his bloodstream and flows throughout his body. Sildenafil citrate of Zenegra attaches to the PDE5 enzyme in his penis and disables most of it. When the man becomes sexually aroused, the brain sends the normal message to the NANC cells in his penis, which produce nitric oxide as usual. The nitric oxide creates cGMP, which starts relaxing the arteries in his penis. Since the PDE5 has been disabled, the cGMP in the penis does not break down. Instead, it builds up and lets the arteries in the penis fully dilate. His penis inflates with blood, and the man gets a full erection. In this way Zenegra solve the Erectile Dysfunction problem.
Zenegra should be taken by only MEN either suffering from Erectile Dysfunction or willing to enjoy sex life by having good erection. Zenegra is not for CHILDREN and WOMEN.
Zenegra is taken by mouth as needed 45min before sexual activity. Take only as directed, usually half a Zenegra 100mg pill once daily as needed. Zenegra works along with sexual stimulation to help achieve an erection. Zenegra starts showing it 's effects within 30 minutes and last for four hours. Only half of Zenegra 100mg is sufficient. It is advisable to take Zenegra once in a day.
Before taking Zenegra it is advisable to consult to a physician. If you are taking any medicines that contain nitrates either regularly or on need you should never take Zenegra .If you take Zenegra with any nitrate medicine, your blood pressure could suddenly drop to an unsafe level. You could get dizzy, faint, or even have a heart attack or stroke. Also tell your doctor if you had or have any heart problems, a stroke Low or high blood pressure, a rare inherited eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, any kidney problems or any liver problems ,any blood problems including sickle cell anemia or leukemia, a llergies to Sildenafil of Zenegra or any of the other ingredients of Zenegra tablets, so that he can advise whether to take or not to take Zenegra.
Like other Erectile Dysfunction drugs,Zenegra also has some side effects. -Most common Zenegra side effects include headache, flushing of the face and upset stomach. -Less common Zenegra side effects that may occur are temporary changes in colour vision,eyes become more sensitive to light ,blurred vision. -In rare instances an erection can lasts even more than four hours as Zenegra side effect. Heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeats and death is also noticed in people taking zenegra. Zenegra may cause other side effects besides those listed on this sheet.
Zenegra can be stored at room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) away from light and moisture .Also Keep Zenegra away from children. For more click Zenegra
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Everyone has split personalities within them where separate intelligences are split off from the central stem of your Soul and use the Archetypes created and used by the Hurt Inner Children.
Hurt Inner Children, split personalities are split off from the Central Soul personality when the person gets traumatised usually more in childhood by the painful and corrupt actions in life.
These Hurt Inner Children flow in and out of your consciousness and it is these split personalities which use the Strategies like the Violator, the Poor Me and the Selfish Competitive Star in order to get the attention and the Love of everyone around them.
Also these splits within yourself are like idiot children which have abilities above the normal like Dustin Hoffman in “The Rain Man” movie.
The special abilities I want to talk about this time are the splits ability to be in control of your Love and Sex Life. They can manage your psychic sexual connections between your lower chakras and the lower chakras of the person THEY Choose!!
These childish split personalities within you choose your husband, your wife and then they cut off the sex connection with your partner and transfer the connection to someone else, thus creating adultery, or the serial monogamy many people practise. The split off parts of your personality are the cause!
Gurdjieff said that a normal person, split into many parts, “Cannot make a Promise”. As Gurdjieff said, "The person that says I will get up early in the morning is not the same personality who throws the alarm clock out of the window!!."
And the split falls in love with a person for childish reasons, and the split again falls out of love for the same childish reasons. Because they control the Psychic Sex Connection, streams of energy between the sex organs, the penis and the ovaries and between the abdominal relationship chakras, all you notice is that the energy of sex is there in full one day, and the next it is gone!!
To my Energy Enhancement students, I often ask the Koan, “Who is in Charge?” And the answer in nearly all cases is that the split off parts of their personalities are in charge. As we remove the Soul Split Personalities. As we integrate them, through healing them back into the Central Soul Personality. Our central Soul personality becomes more in charge. We find more and more, We Can Make A Promise! Sex becomes better, day by Day!!
This is the real Sexual Tantra.
The problem is that these ego strategies always hurt the people around them because they change every day. One day in love and whispering sweet nothings, the next the violator personality to gain attention!!
Eventually the ego strategies they use to gain attention stop working and the people around them throw them out. With ego strategies, if you are rich everyone puts up with them, their job depends on it, but no-one likes them. If you get thrown out then you move on to another victim.
Without someone pointing out the discrepancies in your behaviour, you probably will not notice them.
The Denial and the justification of past mistakes come from the childish split off parts of yourself.
As the False Negative Emotions of Anger, Manicism, Seeking Sympathy and Attention, Depression and Fear are Eliminated, Emotional Integration with the Intelligence results in Willpower and the Power of Doing.
This higher functionality is the result of healing these Inner Children splits! Which use the Strategies of the Poor Me, The Violator, The Selfish Competitive Star, The Aloof, The Interrogator, The Don Juan or the Vamp, The Pleaser, Blamer, Critic, Tyrant and Last but not least, the Self Destructor!
The first thing is just to notice when you get mad or sad and how you use these strategies, and have used them since you were very young, to manipulate all around you into giving you attention and love.
With the traumatic nature of life, the Strategies become stronger and then your strategies will get stronger and more intense. People eventually get sick of this strategy manipulation for attention and so-called Love.
If it worked when I was a child, then surely it must work now? WRONG!!! Alcoholism and drug addiction to make people sorry for you. Wife beating to get their attention!!
This is not the true way to gain friends and influence people.
You need to actually see that it might be a good thing to STOP!!
Then you need to find out how.
Everyone will use all of these strategies at some time in their lives. Usually people cycle between them. As one fails they try another, stronger one. And then will be sorry and swear that they will never use them again.
We are all Dependent Vampires, stealers of energy.
The only way out is through the advanced techniques of meditation Energy Enhancement. To connect to a higher level of energy, which can never fail and to integrate these split off parts of your personality back into the Central Soul Stem. Then we do not need the energy and attention of people around us. We start to give energy. Everyone becomes happy in our presence!
We become Independent.
Then we can comfortably destroy these negative split off thoughtforms in our lives.
It needs an Ancient Advanced Synthesis of Effective Techniques for Gaining More Energy - Meditation, Shaktipat, Energy Circulation, The Kundalini Kriyas, The Five Elemental Paths Of The Chi Of Chinese Alchemical Taoism, The Grounding Of Negative Energies, V.I.T.R.I.O.L, The Art Card Of The Thoth Tarot, Access To Kundalini Energy, Strong Psychic Protection, Learn The Merkaba, Pyramid Protection, Power Tower Protection, Create The Antahkarana, Soul Fusion, Monadic Infusion, Logos Infusion. The Painless Removal Of Stress, Trauma And Negative Emotion
However, to remove these sub-personalities completely, the more Advanced techniques of a Synthesis of Ancient Meditational Techniques are absolutely necessary:-
Leading onto the more advanced Techniques of The Karma Clearing Process. Learning how to clean The Karma From Past Lives, Future Life, Future Lifetimes, Integrating Soul Fragmentation And Retrieval of Inner Children, Selfish Ego Sub Personalites, Life Destroying Strategies, The Aloof, The Interrogator, The Violator, The Selfish Competitive Star, The Vamp Or Don Juan, The Pleaser, The Blamer, The Critic, The King, The Self Destructor, All The Destructive Vows From This And Past Lifetimes,.
Which results in The Creation Of Self Love, Love And Service.
Ponder on this…
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"My girlfriend dumped me because she says I 'wasn't there' when we made love. She's not the first to say this. I know something's wrong. Can hypnotherapy help me?"
Your sexual dysfunction means you engage in sex more as an observer than as a participant.
You hold yourself back from entering a trance state; you have difficulty "letting go."
There are several ways in which a qualified hypnotherapist can help you to conquer this problem. Before using hypnosis it is essential that you receive competent medical advice.
Hypnotherapy will have a particular focus depending on whether the problem is organic or psychological.
Organic sexual problems require medical intervention. Hypnotherapy may be used as an adjunct, for instance, in helping you to heal faster after an operation.
More frequently, sexual difficulties treated by a hypnotherapist concern psychological issues.
Since the process deals with your mind all sexual activity during hypnotherapy takes place only in your imagination.
What you learn through hypnotherapy is practiced privately elsewhere.
Hypnotherapy may be used to heighten your sensual involvement and to help you to be fully present while engaging in sex.
A common, effective use of hypnotherapy is to lower your anxiety.
The anticipation of failure (particularly for men anxious about their ability to have or to maintain an erection) brings on anxious feelings.
These in turn bring about the failure. Hypnotherapy ends this vicious circle and replaces the anticipation of failure with the certainty of success and confidence.
Traditional sex therapy methods are more readily accepted by you when in hypnosis because the conscious, judgmental, analytical part of your mind is temporarily set aside.
Your subconscious then absorbs the new, positive messages you've asked the hypnotherapist to create.
Precisely because hypnosis taps into the autonomic nervous system, a person can use it to improve or alter functions that normally happen without conscious control, e.g., a man's erection.
Charles, a 27-years-old former sailor and currently an electrician, consulted a hypnotherapist because he was too fearful to have sex with his wife.
They'd been married three years and had had sexual difficulties since the birth of their daughter eight months previously. Charles was afraid he'd been embarrassed once again if he tried to make love.
"Kim laughed at me the first time and now she just gives me a look of disgust." Why? Because he couldn't maintain an erection.
Charles felt humiliated and frustrated; he worried that he'd never again have satisfactory sex with his wife. His dream of fathering a son seemed unattainable.
He told the hypnotherapist that he had no problem masturbating when alone. This was a likely indicator that Charles' problem was psychological, not organic.
As was Charles' report that he always had a firm erection when having sex with the occasional housewife in whose home he was doing electrical work.
To be on the safe side, the hypnotherapist advised Charles to be examined by a medical specialist to be absolutely sure there was no organic cause for his ED.
The doctor confirmed that Charles' trouble was "100 per cent psychogenic," meaning that for some emotional or psychological reason, he could not maintain an erection.
Of course, the more Charles tried, and the more he worried, the more flaccid was his penis.
The hypnotherapist explained to Charles that hypnosis could be used to uncover the cause of his trouble, or to tackle the symptom, or both.
Charles, being the impatient type, and of course eager to end his humiliating experiences, opted for the "quick fix."
Over the course of three sessions of hypnotherapy, Charles relived successful love-making episodes from his younger years as a Navy "stud."
Then the therapist used a melding technique to encourage Charles to see himself (in his imagination, while hypnotized) from now on once again enjoying a full, firm erection well beyond the time needed to satisfy his partner.
Positive suggestions were also made by the hypnotherapist to Charles about his prowess, his confidence and his desirability to his wife.
For three months Charles and Kim had a wonderful sex life. Then he lost an erection just as foreplay had become hot and heavy.
Kim, hurt and disappointed, reacted with sarcasm. All Charles' fears and anxieties rushed back. He returned to the hypnotherapist.
This time Charles agreed to investigate the cause of his impotence.
The hypnotherapist used various approaches -- age regression, age progression (in which the "future" Charles was to explain how he'd conquered the problem) analogue symbolic imagery -- but nothing worked.
In a subsequent session, with Charles relaxed in hypnosis, the therapist told Charles he'd have a dream. His subconscious would provide this dream as a way, either directly or symbolically, to explain the origin of his impotence.
Three nights later Charles dreamed he was outside a factory. It was night time and the factory loomed dark and mysterious.
Charles felt a strong urge to scale the steel fence that surrounded the factory. Then he tried to find away in. All the doors were shut and padlocked. A security guard ("very scary, because he had my face," said Charles) told him to go away.
But Charles persisted in his eagerness to enter the factory. He ran from the guard, to the back of the building. Here was the loading dock. Charles saw a bulldozer there. He jumped into its cab and began to operate the controls.
The guard reappeared, feebly told Charles to get off the property, to go to his own place. In the distance, Charles could see a stately castle which he somehow knew belonged to him.
But his only interest was in the dark factory. The guard shrugged. Charles started up the bulldozer and charged the heavy machine toward the small back door of the factory.
As the bulldozer began to rumble forward, Charles awoke -- with a massive erection.
The dream puzzled Charles. But it enlightened the therapist. To him it revealed that Charles was in the grip of the Madonna/Whore complex.
This is the attitude that divides women into "good" and "bad." Thus, a man's wife and especially mother, are "good." Prostitutes, other men's wives and and women of ethnic groups other than the man's own, are "bad."
"Bad" women are exciting; "good" women are boring. Sex is forbidden with "good" women but possible with the "bad."
A man with this complex may have sex with his wife occasionally, or until she becomes a mother, or while a post-hypnotic suggestion lasts. But his heart is not in it. Neither is his penis.
However, with a "bad" woman he has no commitment, no respect. She is there to be used.
His conscience (the security guard) barely bothers him about penetrating the stranger (the dark factory) but, perversely, does prevent him enjoying "his" woman (the castle).
When Charles heard this explanation, he nodded in agreement. This was indeed his view. And that of his father, uncle and most of his friends. He had no serious interest in changing this outlook, especially since Kim had announced she was pregnant. The hypnotherapist's suggestion that Charles and Kim seek marriage counselling fell on deaf ears.
A lawyer we shall call Mathilde did seek help from a psychotherapist. She had told the referring doctor that she rarely had an orgasm. The truth was that Mathilde never had an orgasm -- with her husband.
She'd been faking it for years. But she had climaxed with previous boyfriends. Also during a two-night stand a few months ago.
Mathilde had been a speaker at a lawyers' convention a thousand miles from home. There she met Roger, a brooding electrical engineer who had been trouble-shooting the hotel's elevators.
"He was not particularly good-looking but he had these soft grey eyes," Mathilde confided to the therapist. She smiled. "He was brutal in bed."
Mathilde was mildly surprised to find herself telling the male therapist details she had not felt comfortable confiding to her female doctor.
There was no question of her wanting to leave the marriage. She loved her husband, had a marvellous life. All that was missing ws the joy of orgasm. It was something she yearned for.
Until she met Roger the lack of orgasms with her husband had not bothered her much. Mathilde had become used to pretending -- and to satisfying herself in secret.
The therapist faced two dilemmas:
i) perhaps, despite Mathilde's conscious denials, there was some problem between her and her husband
ii) the therapist usually worked with couples, not individuals, on such sexual challenges.
He decided that, given the husband was not present and would be unlikely to come to future sessions, he would work with Mathilde, and he would use hypnotherapy. If the outcome was successful, there would be no need to explore possible conflicts between husband and wife.
First the therapist explained a little about hypnosis and how it could help Mathilde. Her first session was devoted to her simply relaxing into hypnosis, and becoming familiar with how safe and peaceful it felt.
In Mathilde's second and third sessions of hypnosis the therapist suggested Mathilde silently relive an earlier experience of orgasm.
In her mind she was to take particular note of the physical and emotional feelings which allowed her to climax.
When the orgasm in her imagination was over she would open her eyes, though remain in hypnosis.
Then the therapist pointed out, and Mathilde confirmed, that she had been internally very relaxed just prior to making love. And that during foreplay and intercourse, she became "lost" in the pleasure.
The therapist asked Mathilde to again close her eyes and this time to imagine herself in bed with her husband. Again she could relive the details silently, no need to tell the therapist anything, except when the imagined lovemaking was over.
When Mathilde compared the earlier experience with how she felt when making love with her husband she immediately noticed her tension.
"I am not relaxed and I don't get lost in the act." Sometimes she thought about cases she was working on and at other times she focused on making sure her husband was satisfied.
In the next part of the session the therapist first gave Mathilde suggestions that she could allow herself to relax with her husband, that she could allow herself to climax with him.
The therapist again waited silently while Mathilde played the scene through in her mind.
When she signalled (with a broad smile) that the scene had reached a successful end, the therapist closed the session with positive suggestions about Mathilde allowing herself to be relaxed, focused on pleasure and allowed to climax when making love with her husband.
And so it was.
* * *
Hypnotherapy has also been used successfully to overcome other sexual problems such as overlubrication, exhibitionism, and to uncover the reason a client became a transvestite.
Before seeking help with a sexual difficulty it is important to be sure it really is a problem. For example, a man may go to a therapist because he believes he suffers from premature ejaculation. But if the man is married to a woman who dislikes sex, indeed "wants it over with as soon as possible," that's exactly what is happening, so where's the problem?
Twenty-five years old Eugene's problem was real enough: he could not become erect. A handsome, single, bus driver, Eugene had had several medical examinations; all the doctors had concluded there was no medical cause for his impotence.
At first, hypnotherapy did not help Eugene. He became more and more despondent about his failure, scared to date and unable to sleep at night.
The hypnotherapist had used approaches one or more of which usually resolve psychogenic impotence:
> positive suggestions
> aversive therapy
> satisfying imagery
> arm rigidity
But nothing worked.
The hypnotherapist finally decided to enlist the guidance of Eugene's subsconscious through finger signalling and direct relay of images in response to questions.
(With finger signalling -- also known as an ideodynamic technique -- a hypnotized person allows the subconscious to answer questions with predesignated fingers that represent "Yes," "No," "Don't Know," and "Not yet ready to answer").
This approach proved fruitful, although at first puzzling.
Hypnotherapist: "I'm going to ask your subconscious some questions. There's no need for you to think about the questions or the answers. Simply allow your subconscious to respond through the fingers it has selected.
You will probably feel a tingling begin in the finger that the subsconscious selects. Then it will lift as though of its own accord.
Now, I'd like to ask your subconscious if there is a purpose served by Eugene's impotence?"
[This question is often answered "yes" and subsequently leads to an explanation such as a desire to punish self or partner for some reason].
[Fimger responses are indicated with ( )].
Eugene: (No).
H: "Does the cause of the problem lie in Eugene's past?"
E: (Yes).
[This response steered the hypnotherapist along the wrong path. He took no account of the literalness with which the subconscious absorbs information. Consequently, the hypnotherapist understood the "Yes" response to mean that there was a specific event, a trauma or a message, that began Eugene's impotence. As was later revealed, the "cause in the past" referred, not to a particular event, but to an ongoing process.]
H: "Did the cause happen before Eugene was 20?"
E: (Yes).
H: "Did the cause happen before Eugene was 15?"
E: (Yes).
H: "Before 10?"
E: (No).
[Now the hypnotherapist, who erroneously assumes some single event happened, switches from finger responses to image responses].
H: "Okay. I'm going to ask the subconscious to present to your mind an image that is somehow connected to the problem we're dealing with."
E: "I'm in a shop. I don't know how old I am but a man picks me up. I'm very scared. He holds me to him. Someone else comes in and tells the man to put me down."
[The hypnotherapist thinks that it is possible something happened in the shop to subsequently cause Eugene to become impotent. However, further questioning reveals that Eugene sees little more than he has already reported. There appears to be no abuse, no negative messages (such as "You'll never be a man.")
The session is drawing to a close so the therapist reverts to ideomatic questioning. He decided to check the medical verdicts].
H: "Does the problem have any medical basis to it?"
E: [Long pause]. (No).
H: "Is there something physical that would help?"
E: (No).
H: "Is there something missing in Eugene's diet, or something he should not be eating or drinking?"
E: (Don't know/don't want to answer yet).
[Eugene snaps out of hypnosis, much to his own surprise. In previous sessions for other problems Eugene had enjoyed hypnosis so much he had been reluctant to emerge. He puts himself back into hypnosis].
H: "Okay. Our time is nearly up. I want to thank your subconscious for its help. I'm now asking it to provide you with a dream that will give you a strong indication on how to solve the problem that brought you here."
[Eugene once again snaps out of hypnosis].
H: "Wow. We're clearly close to something significant, otherwise you wouldn't come out so suddenly."
E: "I don't understand why. But while you were talking about me having a dream something floated into my mind: smoking."
H: [Incredulous]. "You smoke!"
E: "Yes, a lot."
H: "There you are. That's what your subconscious was telling us: the cause of your impotence is smoking! Have you stopped before?"
E: "Yes. For a while."
H: "And did you have erections okay then?"
E: [Thinks back]. "Yes, I did. I did."
[And the shop? Why did the subconscious throw that memory into Eugene's mind? Perhaps because the shop sold cigarettes.]
Copyright (c) 2005 Bryan M. Knight
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1. Planning Renovations
Any project will be more successful, given well-defined goals. In every household project, the following three points can be applied:
FORM: What do you want it to look like?
FUNCTION: What do you want it to do for you?
COMPATIBILITY: What factors exist that might limit what you can do, and will the finished product look good on your house?
Once you've completed this part of your homework, it's time to decide if you'll built it yourself, hire a contractor, or be your own contractor and perhaps sub-contract some of the work. Sub-contracting may sometimes seem to over-complicate things and even look wasteful, but just remember - some jobs can look deceivingly simple until you actual get into the nitty-gritty of them. A general contractor's job is to co-ordinate and orchestrate the whole schmozzle to completion.
2. Finding A Contractor
My card...The process of finding a good contractor is essentially the same, whether you decide to hire a general contractor, or one or more sub-contractors. The best reference for a contractor is word of mouth from a satisfied client. If you don't know anyone who has had renovations or repairs done in the area you need, look for work trucks or signs in your neighborhood. Knock on doors, and ask the homeowners if they are satisfied with the work being done. Once you contact a contractor, ask for references, and follow through by calling their previous clients with a set of questions that will give you the information you are looking for.
The following are samples of questions that could be asked of any reference:
1. Did the job come in at the quoted price?
2. Did the job come in on time?
3. Was the work site left clean each day?
4. Was the quality of the workmanship satisfactory?
5. Was the quality of the materials used satisfactory?
It is always recommended that you talk to more than one company, so that you have a basis for comparison. Listen to their technical information, and note their customer relation skills. If the contractor doesn't do a very good job of communicating with you before you hire him or her, there may be a higher likelihood of miscommunications during the work.
Sometimes the best companies will be very busy and you will have to wait for their services. Other times, good companies may have time slots between large projects that smaller jobs can fit into. Ask what the company's schedule has been like for the past 6 months to a year. Reputable companies are usually busy all year round in any economic situation.
3. The Estimate, or Quote
Meeting the Contractors
Remember that the contractor you choose could be spending a lot of time in your home, so look for someone you feel at ease with. You should meet individually with each potential contractor. Be prepared to discuss products and designs; know what you want and how much you can spend. Take note if the contractors are on time, if they listen and answer questions, willingly give information about their company and their customers; and if they seem to have any aversion to your ideas.
The Estimate
This is where you'll likely make your choice of contractor. Each potential contractor will present a proposal, including design and cost information. Review the estimates, ensuring that they accurately relfect your wishes, and make comments and/or any changes that are required.
How Are Jobs Estimated?
Work that involves structural changes to the home, custom designs, or enlargement of some of the mechanical systems is typically quoted by the job. It can be very difficult for a contractor to know exactly how much time an intricate custom job will take, particulary if a number of trades are required, and the different parts of the job are interdependent.
Get it in writing!Simpler, straightforward jobs are often quoted by the square foot. Examples are laying sod, painting, roofing, drywall or refinishing floors. The quoted price will typically be set to include everything (ie. labour, materials, travel, etc.).
Smaller jobs may also be quoted buy the hour, and if the job is fairly routine, such as installing addtional electrical outlets or drywalling, the figures are typically in line. In this situation you will pay the tradesperson for time, plus the cost of the materials used in the project.
The Final Design and Quote
If you have a contractor with good references and the estimate looks good, you now need to get a firm quote, including final designs. The design should include detailed specifications for the work and the materials to be used.
(Another option is to have an architect or designer produce the plans and ask the contractors to bid on the job, based on these plans.)
Make sure the final specs are accurate and reflect your wishes, and make your final comments and changes. After you accept the final quote, the cost of further changes will likely be added to the job. Ask how long the stages of the work will take, so that you can monitor progress.
4. The Paperwork
Cash is King, however...
... take care, lest the cash deal of the century turn into the mistake of a lifetime! One reason for cash payment is the avoidance of paperwork and taxes. Taxes and other legalities aside, the absence of contracts and permits can be extremely risky.
Ooh, I love to save money!Cash contractors often don't pay Workers' Compensation fees, and you could be held legally responsible for any worker injured on your property. If the contractor gives you the product warranty cards, you'll be covered for defective materials provided they were properly installed, but don't expect good follow-up service on a cash deal. You would also have difficulty supporting any legal actions without any paperwork. The overall quality of a project may be compromised in the absence of paperwork, and cash paid in advance (rather than by cheque) will be all but impossible to retrieve if things go sour.
Building, plumbing and electrical codes may require that all or parts of your project be performed by licensed tradespeople, and sometimes licenses are required to obtain the permits. If the tradespeople aren't licensed, the contractor probably isn't insured. And if your contractor isn't insured, then depending on the nature of the job, neither is your house while he works on it.
The Contract
Agreements in writing are less vulnerable to miscommunications, than are verbal ones, and far easier to enforce. Some of the points included in a good contract are:
1. Full job description, including all aspects of the work; demolition, renovation, reconstruction and finishing.
2. Material specifications, including type, model, number, color, and size where applicable, and who's supplying what.
3. Start and finish dates.
4. Payment schedule; 40/40/20 is generally acceptable.
5. Permits, and who's responsible for obtaining them.
6. Clean-up and trash removal.
7. On site behaviour.
8. Change order clause: Have any changes to the original job specifications in writing with a requirement that you "sign off" any change before the work is performed.
9. Arbitration: Aree how disagreements will be handled before the work begins.
10. Contractor's insurer and policy number.
5. The Work MORE POWER!
Problem Avoidance: If you've carefully chosen your contractor, and made adequate preparations (including making the site ready for the trades people and workers), this part should be easy! The actual work should closely follow what was written into the contract, however you still need to monitor the ongoing project, and in some cases you'll be required to make additional decisions. There are often unforseen difficulties, or you may simply wish to ask for changes as the work proceeds.
Site Preparation: Remove furniture and stored articles from the work area, and cover carpets and other items that may not be moveable. It is in your own best interest to make arrangements for storage, clean-up and refuse areas convenient to the work area.
Project Coordination: Effective communication is the greatest secret to successfully completing any project. Maintain regular contact with your contractor(s) so that the unexpected can be dealt with expediently.
Hidden Conditions: A thorough inspection performed in conjuction with estimation should preclude any major changes, however there are structural and mechanical conditions initially hidden from view, which even the most experienced renovator may not be able to predict. Be prepared to negotiate changes for "hidden conditions".
What to do if a problem develops:
1. Bring all problems, perceived and real, to the attention of your contractor(s).
2. Is it major or minor? If minor, and the contractor is present at the time, discuss it and negotiate a resolution. If it's minor, and/or looks like it can wait, start a list of minor observations that you can bring to his or her attention when appropriate.
3. Major problems should be dealt with immediately. If your contractor is not present at the time, make every effort to contact him or her as soon as possible. This may avert furtherance of the problem.
4. Given that your contractor responds satisfactorily, carry on. If not, try again and if necessary, write a letter. If you still don't get satisfaction, look to a third party such as the Ontario Renovators Council or the Ontario Home Builders Association. These agencies should be approached only if you are certain that a resolution cannot be achieved with the contractor. Legal counsel should be an absolute last resort. There's no use making a mountain out of a molehill, and thereby delaying succesful completion of the project.
THE BOTTOM LINE: careful contractor selection + a good contract = successful job
