Beading Anyone?

Hi Gang, We have just been awarded another attic project which will begin in about 3-4 weeks in Holly Springs. The client was a referral from another customer. During getting to know this person, it turns out that she teaches jewelery making at AC Moore. While I'm not into Jewelery, her pieces are quite nice (in my untrained eye). I thought you might want to take a look at her newsletter. You will need to click on the title to see the pdf. Blogger won't let me upload a pdf.

Space Ship Launch

You haven't gotten a Cary Attic Project update in a while. The painting is being finished today and the final details are being attended to for the last step. The owner will be testing the space ship / shower / bathtub today. Here is a picture of it lit up. I may have to grab my bathing suit and give it a go.

Take a gander at this

Hi Gang, I have two friends (Joanne and Jeff) who own Villa Builders in Maryland. the have just posted this awesome project on their blog. Check out the creative use of color and design in this basement project. Just love the shower tile. Click on the title to go there.

An interesting thing happened the other day ....

Last Friday a nice gent came into the office. We thought he was a door to door sales person. When he began speaking come to find out that 10 years ago, I met him at his condo in Cary and gave him an estimate for a screened porch overlooking the golf course in Preston. Well he never did the project, moved out and rented the condo, bought a house in N. Raleigh with his wife, downsized, sold the house in N. Raleigh, moved back to the condo in Preston and now wants a sun room to make the condo just a little bit bigger. When he and his wife were talking about the remodel, he went to the garage and low and behold he found the folder I gave him with all the information. The information was missing but he managed to track us down through two name change, four phone number changes, three physical location changes. That's dedication to a cause. We scheduled a meeting for next week to look over his new project. Does that count for a "loyal customer" discount?

Kitchen cabinets anyone

I saw this today along side of the road, any takers here? Once again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Remodel Boise

My good friend Chad Vincent who owns a similar company to Blue Ribbon in Boise Idaho named Renaissance Remodeling organized a great community service event. You can tell from the video that he had a lot of help and put a lot of energy into his project. Maybe we'll try this later this year. I may be asking for your expertise and help, be warned. Click on title to see video.

A friend needs help for her friends

I have mentioned this person before in the blog. Her name is Meredith Watson and she is an interior designer with a company called Moonlight Interior and Redesign. She is introducing a new concept for service (to be discussed next week) but for now, she needs our help. If you would like to help the folks in Haiti but don't have a clue who you can trust to get the help there fast and efficiently here is a resource for you. Local caring folks with hearts of gold.

From M.W. "These are the nicest people ever .... I donate to them because they are WAY into helping women and children in third world areas. They have a shop in Cameron Village and I am putting stuff together to go. In addition they need feminine hygiene items.

Cary Attic Update

If you like angles, you'll like this. I just love the architecture of the angles that are formed when Sheetrock the sloping ceiling areas of an attic. Stay posted, there are some additional surprises in store for this project.

Lead Based Paint Rule takes effect April 2010

The new EPA rule regarding control of lead paint dust takes effect this year. The rules are very stringent and all surround renovation work on homes constructed in 1978 or before. These homes for the most part contain lead based paint and must be tested by a Certified Lead Renovator. We received our certification via training at the Home Builders Association and are in full compliance with the EPA rules. If you know of any one with an older home that is considering renovation, please have them contact us for more information and a full discussion of the ins and outs of the new rules. Click the title to go to the EPA website.

Now that the holidays are behind us

Maybe I can get caught up on the blog posts now that the holidays are behind us. I hope your celebrations were as good as ours here at my h0usehold. As some of you may know, My daughters live in (oldest) Chicago and (youngest) in Sydney, Australia. Well, what made our holiday special was that both girls were home for our first traditional celebration in about five years. It was fabulous.

Sarah Susanka Website Link

Apparently the link I posted last time didn't work. She has suggestions for the Not So Big House along with books and other information. She is also a local Raleigh person.

A ture sign of the holiday

I hope this is a Christmas Decoration and not just camouflage. Gotta love it.

Home Remodeling Project

I have told so many people about our personal pre-Christmas remodeling project (which began as painting a bedroom) that I thought I'd post some pics. the whole project ended up smoothing the ceilings in the bedroom, master closet, & hall. Then the painting began in those areas. We progressed to new hardwoods in the bedroom, closet and hall which necessitated re-doing the carpeted stairs with oak treads & risers which spilled over into new hand railings and balusters. After five weekends the project is done, and just in time. Notice inspector Lila in the last photo.

PS. stole an idea from Sarah Susanka that Nancy had kept as a newspaper clipping for a decoration on the stair stringer - click the title to visit her website - pretty cool ideas

A cartoon for you

When is a cartoon joke too reflective of actuality?

Space ship, food processor, or bathing system

You decide!!!!! This is the most complicated bath tub I have ever seen, what an amazing unit. It is a combination: whirlpool, steam shower, multi jet shower (just blows the dirt off, no need to wash), TV and surround sound system, with high speed Internet and a trap door opens at the top and drops in food so you can spend your entire life inside. Only kidding about the trap door, but it does have everything else and doesn't need the kitchen sink. I sure hope the sucker doesn't leak when we get it in place. Click on the title block for a link to the website.

Another PR and public service announcement

Click on the header, click on the header, click on the header.

Got a call today from NBC 17 News. They were doing a story on the recession's impact on the construction industry. I was glad to help them out with an on site interview. See Phillip in action. He can't hit a nail when the camera is on, in reality he rarely misses. I understand that, when I am working with Marcia and watching her type on the keyboard, she is all thumbs. I'm the same way when someone is looking over my shoulder and I'm drawing a set of plans. We all have our quirks, after a while you just have to get over it. I love this stuff.

This project is just in the demo stage. It began on Monday with set up, we'll begin framing walls and doors next week. This will be a killer project when finished.

Great new project beginning on Monday

A great new project will begin to unfold on Monday with set up and some light demolition. We are taking an office, master bath and master bedroom and rearranging everything to make it into a fabulous master suite. The bath will feature some very unique items i.e. curved acrylic block wall, a layout that incorporates the shower and commode area, a window high on the wall above the vanity mirror, and a humidity controlled exhaust fan. Stay tuned for periodic updates on this one if you have an interest in high tech design. Habitat for Humanity will be glad to have the recycled items from this bath.

Raleigh Laundry Room Remodel

When we stripped the walls this is what we found, it must have been leaking for a while. The homeowner had no idea.

Cary Attic Project

Tons of pretty work have been happening last and this week. It's a real shame that most of it will never be seen again once the plywood is in place. One more inspection tomorrow and we'll be good to go with the remainder of the plywood placement. Then on to walls.

Notice the clogged dryer vent. Unfortunately this is a problem when the dryer vent runs through unconditioned space. The warm moist air condenses on the inside of the pipe and lint builds up. This can lead to a fire, thus the requirement to use rigid pipe.

New Project Started

Two new projects have begun, the first is an attic in Cary that until yesterday was accessed by pull down stairs. It now has real stairs and we are beginning the work to finish the area as a media room and bath with a really, really, really cool combination steam shower, whirlpool unit including a TV and aroma therapy. Stay tuned for additional photo updates and see this rough space become a thing of beauty.

Time in the trenches

If anyone can figure out how to add about 6 more hours in a work day, please let me know. Business, although I can't complain, is about to over run us. A great problem to have going into the winter holiday season. We have nearly completed the repair and repaint of a very contemporary home in Apex. This is the third project for this family. Their home is unique in that it is a Sears and Robuck kit home about 30 years old. The siding was bad in a few places so we repaired the areas and then R&L Painting did a wonderful job in finishing up the work including staining and sealing the deck.

Raleigh Bathroom Finished

What a great client. They have already referred us to several of their friends.

THANK YOU!

Don't forget this weekend's home tour

Well most of the day was spent preparing and putting the final touches on our (and Sally's) home for the Tour of Remodeled Homes. It's pretty amazing, we are being helped by a friend and colleague who is an interior decorator. Kathy from reInvented Spaces has done the setup and staging and OMG, it looks so good. If for no other reason, you should stop by and see what a decorator can do. There is a flourish that I can't see most of the time, but can enjoy after it happens. Marcia brought the flowers including a silk arrangement she made for the dining room, Sally absolutely loves it. Phillip took care of building the sign and installed it. Final polish in the morning and we'll be open for business. I hope the rain doesn't drive anyone away.

Upcoming event - Remodelers Home Tour

This weekend is the 9th annual Remodelers Home Tour. In the past we have not had an entry but this year, we have a project located in Holly Springs on tour. The project is a sun room addition with minor modifications to the adjacent kitchen as well as the creation of a bonus room above the garage that began as just a pull down stair and open joist floor system. We would like you to join us by visiting our home. (It's actually Sally's home we are just borrowing it for the weekend.) Click the heading to be taken to the press release @ Carolina Newswire.

Home Tour Entry

This slide show is the whole project from start to finish for the bonus room and sun room. The tour is the weekend of October 24 & 25. Save the dates to visit 14 homes that have been recently renovated including our entry in Holly Springs. Additional information will be going out later this week with the address and etc.

Inspiring

I had to pass this along for those who haven't seen it. Follow link by clicking on the title.

Estimating for Remodeling

A forum discussion that I visited today was discussing "discounts" and how now is a great time to remodel because prices are lower. Well yes they are slightly because material prices have come down, but the business cost to keep the doors open haven't, they have actually gone up.

Most people don't understand why things cost what they do. The manner in which they are sold makes all the difference. With major stores i.e. Home Depot, Belks, Sears, Target, when they run sales and give discounts it is on only a select few sale items compared to the thousands they sell. Their strategy is that while you are buying the sale item you'll pick up a few other things while you are there. This is a 180 from the method of remodeling job costing. First we have to draw the plans, Then we count sticks and bricks (along with thousands of other things), then evaluate the labor to get a feel (best guess) regarding total hours, get pricing from our trade contractors (electrician, plumber, etc.), get pricing for all the homeowner's personal selections. Then we pull together all those costs and "give a shot in the dark for unknown items" (contingency). Once we determine to the best of our ability the total project hard cost, we then add what we need to keep the doors open and a markup for profit (yes I know they are bad words, but it keeps us in business) and present the price to the homeowner. All during this time we are hoping that the pricing is near our ball park estimate (that "I won't hold you to it" number) and that the project will move forward into construction.

All of that is an investment in a prospective client,. I sometimes have up 60-80 hours in the whole process and that is why we and all Professional Remodeling Contractors charge for the estimate.

Just in case you needed to know.

HGTV Anyone???

Got an interesting phone call yesterday from HGTV. They would like to speak with my recent kitchen clients to see if they want to be on the "HGTV Bang For Your Buck" show. They found us on the web, go figure. I invited six clients to enter. Could be fun. We'll see if anyone chooses to try their hand at TV. I'll keep you posted