Centerville Lower Level – Paint and Doors

The Centerville Lower Level is almost complete!  Paint is on the walls, doors and trim have been installed.  It won’t be long now until our clients can move back in to their lower level.

          

As you can see by the miter saw and nail gun, Chad is still finishing the baseboard and door casing.  Baseboard is installed before carpeting and about a half inch from the sub floor.  The reason for this is so the carpet installers have enough room to tuck the carpet underneath the baseboard.  The baseboard, along with the tack strip, helps to hold the carpet in place.

     

The doors our clients chose are all nice 6-panel, solid core, stable doors.  The only doors that are not 6-panel are the doors to the storage/utility room and the laundry room.  These rooms need good air circulation and the louvered doors allows that to happen.

          

The bathroom vanity is something Chad is still working on as well.  The countertop, vanity doors, and faucet still have yet to be installed.  He ran into a bit of a problem because the faucet we helped our clients chose was too tall for the mirror/medicine cabinet to operate.  He couldn’t move the medicine cabinet up because then it would get in the way of the light fixture.  Chad came up with a couple of ideas to solve the problem, so we’ll check back in next week to see how he worked it out.

The carpeting is scheduled to be installed next week.  By that time, Chad will have the trim work and bathroom complete.  The shower door will be installed by then as well.  The shower door is measured after the shower base is put in place.  This is the only way they can get an accurate fit.  It takes several weeks for shower doors to be manufactured and is usually one of the last things to be installed in a bathroom this size.

          

The next time you see this lower level, Chad will have the space finished and ready for our clients to use.  The transformation is almost complete!

West Chester Kitchen – Finish Cabinets and Paint

Although it hasn’t been too long since the last time we were in West Chester, big changes have taken place.  The first big change is that the upper cabinets are in and the second change is the paint color in the family room!

    

The upper cabinets are not installed with the doors because it makes them that much heavier.  Our guys all install their cabinets by themselves.  It truly is amazing to see them holding a 36″ x 39″ cabinet in the air against the wall with one hand and screwing it into place on a level line with the other hand.  Then you throw in the difficulties with walls not being square and it can be a bit of a challenge.  The shims, again, are helping to keep them plum with each other.

     

The cabinets are held about 3″ down from the ceiling in order to give crown molding enough space to be installed.  Again, even the upper cabinets have to be level in order for the crown molding and back splash tile to look right.  Brian will normally draw on the wall exactly where he wants each cabinet so he can visually see the proper spacing while holding them up.

In this cabinet, you’ll see an outlet in the top left-hand corner.  This is for the low-voltage, LED, under-cabinet lighting to be installed later in the project.  This outlet will be linked to a switch on the wall so our clients can turn the under cabinet lights on from there.  They will also have remote control that will dim the lights as well as turn them on and off if they choose.

     

Our clients chose the light blue color in the family room, along with Beth’s help, to match and coordinate with some artwork that is very special to them.  Now that paint is complete in this room, Brian is ready to start doing finish carpentry and baseboard.

    

The fireplace tile has begun and the TV mount above has been installed.  The cutout underneath the TV mount is a spot for one of the speakers.  The other two speakers will be going on either side of the TV/fireplace.

     

The laundry room tile floor has been completely installed.  Brian has not grouted the floor yet, but will be doing that soon.  Most likely, he’ll be waiting until foot traffic coming in and out of the garage door is down to a minimum.  There will be less chance of getting dirty.

     

The surround sound speakers have also been installed in the ceiling in the front and back of the room.  They are flush with the ceiling and almost disappear.  This will be a great room for 3-D Action movies!

    

The next major change we’ll be looking forward to will be the granite countertops.  I’ve seen the actual slabs of granite they chose, and the color will absolutely blow your mind!  The granite has tons of movement and lots of character that will blend wonderfully with the cabinets and flooring.  I’m very, very excited (I know our clients are too)!

Springboro Kitchen Project

Although Randy had a bit of a slow-down dealing with the load-bearing wall, the project is still moving along quite well.  Randy and Erich met with an Engineer who confirmed Randy’s assumption that they needed a triple LVL Beam to hold the upstairs load.  The picture on the right shows where the new LVL Beam was tied in to the existing framing.  The new beam consists of three 2″ x 9.5″ planks lined-up, glued, and nailed together running horizontally in the picture.  From now on, it will be much easier to photograph this space because it’s so open with the wall gone.

   

In the shot on the left, the triple LVL Beam is at the top of the picture.  It’s sitting on a post that is four 2″ x 4″s wide.  Randy buried the post behind drywall and created more framing in front because he still needed to run a return air duct from the basement to the main floor.  The drywall makes it easier to create a chase to put the duct in.  The vent is the metal rectangle at the top.  The shot on the right is where the custom-built bar will be.  Hot and cold water lines have been added as well as the waste line for the bar sink.

          

Rough electric took quite a while to finish in this large space because so many recessed cans were added to help lighten up the kitchen and family room.  As you can see, Randy had to drop the ceiling in the kitchen area because so much woodwork had consumed it previously.  He did not have to drop the ceiling in the family room area and was able to snake the wire through where he needed it.

    

The kitchen area looks empty now, but once the drywall and cabinets start to be installed, it will really take shape as a kitchen.

    

Now that rough electric and plumbing have been complete, drywall, paint and flooring will be the next main tasks over the next couple weeks.  The entire main level will be getting gorgeous new hardwood floors.  This kitchen will be one of a kind!

    

West Chester Kitchen – Cabinets

Now this is going to be a beautiful kitchen!  Brian has accomplished a lot since our last post.  Once our carpenters get moving on these types of projects, it’s tough to interrupt them.  Brian finished the drywall, moved right into painting, and refinishing the hardwood floors came immediately after that.

   

Brian has started to set the base cabinets in the kitchen because the countertop measurement is a very critical date.  It takes several weeks for granite countertops to be fabricated and to keep the project moving along, Brian had to get the base cabinets set first.

    

As you can see, the island has been removed completely and our flooring experts have weaved and blended new flooring with the old.  They sanded, stained, and refinished all the wood floors in the house so it looks as though it has always been that way. Brian takes great pride in protecting the work he’s completed so far.  This is why you see cardboard taped in place to the floor so he can protect them from cabinets, tools, appliances, etc.

   

The small strips of wood you see underneath the cabinets are called “shims”.  Brian uses these when the floor slopes to make sure all the cabinets are level.  If that does not happen, the countertop, backsplash tile, etc. won’t be level either.  For everything else to be installed correctly, it’s imperative the cabinets are all in one level line.

   

The beautiful new floors you see below are in the front entry.  Our Designer, Beth, put a lot of thought into the new stain of the floors.  She wanted to blend the floors with the existing wood work in the house as well as compliment the new, lighter, cabinet color.  She ended up choosing a Cinnamon color for the crown molding, which then blended with the floors.  This is going to tie the new kitchen in with the rest of the house.  It will be absolutely gorgeous.

The fireplace is completely framed and has been wired for the television and other audio/visual equipment.  The hearth has been eliminated and porcelain tile will replace the face frame.  The beautiful mantle our clients chose will be installed after the tile.

The next step for Brian will be installing the upper cabinets, countertop and fireplace tile.  This is the really exciting part of a project, when you start to see big changes and the rebuilding starting to take place.  Check back to see how the kitchen transforms again before your eyes!

Centerville Lower Level – Drywall

After the installation of drywall, this lower level is really starting to take shape.  We’re now able to visualize what a fantastic space this will be!  Recessed can lights have been installed, the floors have been cleaned of all the drywall dust, and paint is ready to be applied!

The storage room has been framed, drywalled, and doors are ready to be installed.  Anyone needing access to the water heater and furnace will have optimum space.          

The fireplace room has been cleaned up and the walls have been skimmed.  The term “skimming” means applying a very thin layer of drywall mud to any imperfections in the wall or where drywall sheets have been taped together and screwed to the wall.  This is done to make absolutely sure the wall is flat and prepped for paint.  Chad also skimmed the areas where the chair rail was removed.

          

The hallway to the laundry room, bedroom, and bathroom has been completed as well.  Chad framed in the doorway to the washer and dryer which is ready for a new door.  The new doorway into the bathroom is ready and will provide much easier access now that the traffic pattern doesn’t force you to enter through the bedroom.

          

The bathroom is now ready for flooring, vanity, toilet, and plumbing fixtures.

          

The electric panel has been upgraded with Arc Fault Protection, a much safer panel for our homeowners.

          

The column and stairs are also ready for finishing touches.

          

The next step for this project will be to paint throughout the entire lower level.  Then the electrical work will be completed, including the installation of energy-efficient LED light kits.  Chad will also be installing all of the doors and trim, and working on the bathroom.  Carpet will be the last item to be installed.  Check back soon to see the color our clients chose for the walls!  They are very excited to see things taking shape!

Springboro Kitchen Project

Welcome to our Springboro Kitchen Project! This project began in January, but we’re going to try and catch up. When we first saw this client, their goal was to open up their kitchen and breakfast nook to the family room for more of a “great” room feel. They needed more storage, better organization, and new appliances. This project actually got started because their oven was held shut by an old-fashion clothes hanger.

The final design that Erich, Beth, and our clients decided upon called for the wall between the kitchen and family room to be removed, an island with the cook top, and a custom-built bar. Randy is our Project Manager on this particular project and will be taking the lead.

Below I am comparing the “before” pictures and the “demolition” pictures from the same angle. The first angle shows the peninsula, garden window, and ceiling with bead board.

These two are showing the wall between the family room and kitchen and the same space without the wall. Before Randy began demolition, he and Erich did quite a bit of research to make sure that wall was not supporting the upper level. After studying the basement and the original floor plans and drawings, they were 99% sure the wall was not load bearing. As Randy began demolition, he unexpectedly found a column and an air supply buried in the wall. The silver rectangle you see is the supply duct that circulated air to the upstairs bathroom and the column is to the left. As a result, a beam will have to be installed the entire width of the room to distribute the load. Another column will also have to be installed in the basement to carry the load all the way down.

This is where the desk area was and where the new bar area will be going. As you can see, the fake beams on the ceiling were removed to lighten the space and allow for new can lights.

This is where the kitchen table was before the cabinets were stacked waiting to be donated to Montgomery County Material Reuse Facility. The picture on the right is showing the cabinets, wall, and flooring removed.

Visit us next time to find out how Randy removed the column and the ducting to totally open up that space. He also dropped the ceiling in the kitchen area because there were so many recessed can lights to install. Our Drywaller will have a bit of a challenge matching the complicated plaster design on the walls and ceiling. Check back to find out how she ties everything together.

West Chester Kitchen Project – Fireplace and Wall Removal

Our West Chester project is moving along very well.  Brian has made a lot of progress since the last time we visited.  The entire center of this home is being remodeled, so right now it looks like a construction site.  Brian was still working when I came to take pictures and clean-up had not taken place yet for the day.  Remodeling isn’t a clean process, but our carpenters do a very good job of trying to reduce the stress that comes along with updating your home.

The fireplace has been completely demolished and he has started to rebuild it with non-combustible material.  Brain ran into a little bit of a surprise when he was deconstructing the brick and hearth.  The fire box wasn’t built exactly the way we anticipated which brought up a few questions about how to place the mantle where the clients wanted it and construct it according to code.  Brain cannot attach the mantle the clients chose directly to the concrete block because it would compromise the fire box structure.  Our options were to choose a larger mantle that would attach to the wall outside the firebox or pad the wall out in front of the fire box so the mantle has something from which to hang.

We have an interior designer on staff, Beth Spegal, who plays a major role in our design process and works very closely with our clients to generate a look and style they love without compromising functionality.  To Beth, a larger mantle was absolutely not an option because it would not look proportionate to the fireplace.  Our best bet was to pad the wall out, which is what you’re seeing in the picture below.  The metal surrounding the box is non-combustible.  The wires you’re seeing are for the TV, speakers, and various AV cables so our client has all the recent technology at his fingertips.

The old carpet has been removed all the way down the hallway in preparation for new.  New carpet won’t be installed until the very end of the project.

Brian has removed the portion of the wall that’s opening up the space.  New can lights are being installed so proper lighting will be available over their new peninsula.

        

There was quite a bit of electrical wiring placed in the soffits that Brian removed.  A decent amount of time had to be spent reworking those wires to get them out of the way.  When that happens, the insulation tends to become a mess.  All the insulation that has fallen will be reinstalled or replaced after drywall is installed.

Brian was working on removing and widening the doorway from the garage into the kitchen for better wheel chair accessibility.  Again, all the wiring and switches in that wall had to be shifted over to the left to accommodate the new opening.

After the rough electric and framing has been completed, drywall will be the next task on Brian’s list.  There’s a lot of drywall work to be done with the new soffits, new door opening, new fireplace face, and new peninsula wall.  Now it’s time for the rebuilding to begin!