The Beauty Behind The Walls

As I have mentioned in previous post, I am working on a complete home renovation.  The entire house was gutted, and now it has to be repaired and brought up to current building code standards. This means that I have had to replace all of the house systems, including...

Adding A Metal Roof

A metal roof can change your exterior from ordinary to beautiful. A homeowner wanted us to modify their porch roof.  They added a gable over the front door, and that simple addition added style to their suburban home.  I suggested that they go one step further and add...

Using An Odor Encapsulant To Block Smoke Odors

I am doing an extensive rebuild of a fire damaged home in Naperville.  One of the biggest problems has been to eliminate the smell of smoke.  The house was gutted and all charred parts were removed.  I also used a professional odor elimination fog (Odor X/Thermo...

Hidden Damage (Part II)

Last week I showed you the damage that can happen to a joist when it is not properly flashed. To repair the area below the patio door we had to jackhammer the stoop to remove it.  The old joist was taken out, and it was replaced with a new board of treated lumber. ...

Hidden Damage

I am doing an extensive post-fire remodel on a home in Naperville.  It is always interesting to see how other builders do construction improperly. As we were doing fire deconstruction I came upon the ring joist behind the concrete step under the patio door.  The door...

Drink Water!

Tools and manpower are needed to successfully complete a complicated project, but other factors are needed too.  Common sense is another critical component.  A hot day and hard work means sweat.  The loss of water can make you overly fatigued and mentally cloudy.  I...