Here are a couple of pictures of a fire place a customers asked me to redesign for them so I’m asking for your input. Let me know if you have any ideas for this area. I want to let everyone know about a great resource for home remodel design ideas call houzz. This is a website, which works along with an iPad app, to deliver awesome ideas for home remodeling at your finger tips. Go to houzz.com to see more.
Today we built some shelving for a customer to help the organize their garage. We built these shelves out of melamine wrapped particle board. Using this material allows for an easy build with minimal finishing required. You are limited on color, white being the main choice, but melamine is paint-able. (We can talk about that some other day) These shelves are 24 inches deep and the tallest one measures in at 7 feet. The side piece near the door is for shoe storage, with an 8 inch spacing for the majority and 11 inch on the bottom for boots. When creating your organization plan for your garage or other area in your house i recommend looking through what you are planning to store and measuring it to make the most use of your space. If you choose to make your own shelving as opposed to buying pre-built ones you can maximize your space and create the exact storage solution you need.
Here are a couple pictures showing the transition of a fireplace remodel. We started with a simple sketch which showed the customer an idea of what we were going to do. Next, the work began with the demolition of the old faux brick paneling, installation and finishing of new drywall. We then installed new backer board where the slate would be installed and began setting the stone. We not only put the slate behind the fireplace but also across the front of the platform as well. With the stone inplace, we painted and installed the stained wood trim. I think this turned out great and the customer was extremely happy.
Today I started using my newest tool, the Fein Multimaster. This tool is an oscillating tool which is extremely useful in home remodeling and repair work. The Multimaster is equipped with multiple heads ready to do jobs from sanding and cutting to scraping and stone grinding. It is especially useful because I can attach it to my Festool vacuum system. This is a tool I will use on a daily basis for everything home remodel and home repair.
We’ve started refinishing the wood floor in my brothers house, which is about 70 years old. This particular floor is maple and it’s amazing, as you can see from the photos, just how beautiful it is under layers of old finishes and everything else that happens to a floor over a long period of time. There is much to be desired in a refinished floor as opposed to a new one. One of the bonuses of old flooring is that the wood, because it is older and worn, will have marks and stressing that cannot be obtained in new wood. You also get, what I think is a nice feature,the space between the planks being not entirely even. I think this adds to the character and interest of the floor. Another of the great advantages is the pieces of flooring, at least in this house, actually run the entire length of the room. I think this is one of the very desirable things to be gained from old wood floors. This means no seams and a very straight clean look. I also have to mention that the steps on this floor are each a solid piece of wood and once refinished will look great. I will post more photos as we continue with this very unique and special project. We are using my Festool 6″ random orbital sander and vacuum system for the job. It truly is a dust free sanding experience. I love my festool tools. http://www.festool.usa.com
Here is a time lapse video of me performing a simple drywall repair. Doing a repair in this method allows for the wall being ready for paint in less than half an hour. This method works great for small home repairs. The same method can be applied to larger home repairs but will require more time. So here is what I did and the products I used – first i cut a piece of new drywall slightly larger than the hole I’m repairing. Next I used this new piece to mark where I need to remove the old drywall. Once I have cut out the old drywall I install a couple of wood blocks to be my backing for the new patch. I attach these pieces of wood with normal drywall screws, these are attached to the old on the top and bottom of the hole and are then ready for the new drywall to be attached. I then apply mesh tape to the joints and I’m ready to mud. I use Silverset 20 hot mud, this product will dry hard in approximately 20 minutes. If you mix with hot water it will set up quicker usually 5 minutes. I apply a couple coats of mud while making sure to feather out the edges for a smoother finish. After every coat of mud use a wet sponge to smooth and knock off any little ridges. The vital point on a drywall repair is between old and new surfaces, and using the sponge on the edge will help to blend the to surfaces. Once you have completed a couple coats of mud your ready to spray your texture. The fast dry texture is a great tool to use and if you run the can under hot water for a few seconds prior to spraying it will result in a finer textured spray. Regardless of the heaviness of the texture i always spray a fine layer first and work my way up to a heavier texture till the desired look is achieved.
Here is time lapse video of a laminate floor installation we just did. This project involved removing the old carpet in the living and dining rooms as well as the old laminate and vinyl in the kitchen. A laminate floor is a great choice for most any room. It work great in your house except in bathrooms with showers or tubs. You can even install these types of floors in your basement or garage if you use a proper vapor barrier. The choices for laminate flooring are quite large, coming in most types of wood looks. Laminate flooring also holds up well to pets, especially dogs. One of the important things to look for when getting laminate flooring is to get a quality pad. The right pad goes along way in muffling the sound you would have if no pad or a cheap pad was installed. We use sound muffler pad in all the floors we install.
Here are a couple photos from the completed remodel project we did in Des Moines. This project involved replacing the walls, ceiling, floors, countertops and base trim. We also redesigned the fire place area to make it the vocal point in the living space. The rock around the fireplace is a multi-colored slate with a stained hemlock wood trim wrap. The countertops are granite with a single slab cut and placed on the old table to match the rest of the kitchen countertops. All the walls and ceilings were removed and redone with new drywall and texture. The floors are a hickory laminate floating floor. There are also new light fixtures by the fireplace and in the kitchen. The changes on this house make it a warm, inviting and comfortable place to live. I know the new owner is very happy with these upgrades.
Today we started a new project for a new customer. This project is a little unique in that we are finishing a remodel the home owner was hoping to do themselves and have finished a year ago. First we are finishing the wall, and ceiling drywall and applying a hand texture to match the rest of the house. Then we are installing a vanity, tiling the floor, around the tub, and the countertop. Posted here are a couple of before pictures, so you can get an idea of where we are starting from. One of the ways we can take care of customers is with our flexibility, we are willing to come in and complete projects that you have started but aren’t able to complete.
Williams Contracting Inc 