Every Renovation Has a Story

Everyone who renovates has a reason for doing so. Some people need more space. Others are tired of an outdated house. For one of our clients, they wanted to return their home to it's "former glory". We received a call last year from a lady who was looking at a house that had some history for her family. She and her husband built the house in 1978. In the mid eighties, they ended up moving away, but she always dreamed of moving back.
When we received a call from her, it had been 25 years since she left, and she wanted it back. This is what it looked like:

The inside, although not HORRIBLE, had not really been updated in years. It needed a ton of work. We ended up designing an addition above the garage, and virtually re-built the home, aside from the original framing.

Here is what it looks like today:

 

It was really cool to be able to work on  such a cool project with such an important history to the owners.

I realize that not every renovation story is dramatic, but believe me, every renovation has an interesting an very unique story. It's what makes renovating so much fun.

Crown Moulding

Crown moulding is beautiful stuff. I may be biased, but I absolutely love it. In my opinion, it will be your best visual impact for the amount of money and time spent.

I guess I should throw in a disclaimer here. Properly installed crown moulding is great.

Yes, it's harder to install than baseboard or window casing, but it's totally worth the effort.

Here are a few things to think of when considering crown moulding:


1. Ceiling height.  Yes, you may love the massive, 8" wide crown moulding that you saw in a show home, but if your house has 8' ceilings, it will make the room feel crowded. Look at a 4 or 5" moulding; it will look much better once on the wall

2. Style of Moulding (Profile): If you look at the two pictures above, they are both really nice mouldings, but each one fits a certain type of home style. Try to blend in your crown moulding with the look and feel of your house.

3. Layout:  While it may seem great to have crown moulding installed throughout the entire house, consider your layout first. Does your spare bedroom really need crown? Probably not. We often end up installing crown in the following rooms:
- foyer/hallways
-living and dining room
- master bedroom
- kitchen  (if there is not already crown on the top of the cabinets.

Keep in mind that bathrooms are really hard on mouldings. The moisture can cause expansion and contraction of the trim, so if i can avoid mdf trim in bathrooms, I will.

Deck Boards

Yes, fall (and winter) are right around the corner, but as it stands right now, it's absolutely gorgeous outside, and I want nothing more than to be sitting outside on a deck. 

I'm not the only one, as many of our clients are building new decks or renovating their existing ones. When renovating decks, there are so many options, and narrowing it down can get a bit overwhelming, so here's a start:

1. Pressure Treated decking: ( $)
essentially, this is regular lumber that is dipped in a pressurized chamber filled with a preservative, that is forced into the wood to help it last longer.


Pros: - it is the cheapest, and lowest cost deck board available.

Cons:
        - it can "bleed" the preservative resin out for up to two years, making it hard to stain or paint

        - it is prone to cracking over time.
         - The chemicals injected in the wood are artificially created, and aren't great for the environment.




2. Cedar:  ($$)
Cedar has a naturally occuring protective resin which allows the wood to last a very long time.


Pros: - It looks beautiful, is long lasting, and natural.

Cons:
- around twice as expensive as pressure treated
- can give some nasty slivers
- fades to a dull grey over time (which isn't a bad thing if you like the look).




3. Trex, Timbertech, or other composite deck boards. ($$$-$$$$)
Trex and Timbertech (which I prefer) both offer composite decking boards which range from a wood-composite material to a pvc deck board.

Pros:
- incredibly low maintenence
- fire resistant
- 25 year warranty on most products
- easy to install



Cons:
- to get a true, wood-looking composite, you'll need to buy the higher end, pvc wrapped products.
- still doesnt look exactly like real wood.






4. Brazilian Ipe "Ironwood":  ($$$$$)


Pictured at the top of this article, this Brazilian hardwood is dense, durable and gorgeous.


Pros:
- will literally last a lifetime if cared for properly. It is dense and very tough.
-beautiful, rich grain
- rarely causes slivers, or cracks.

Cons:
- one of the more expensive decking options
- timely (costly) to install
- made of a foreign wood; not the most local or environmentally friendly product possible.



When looking at what deck boards for your decking project, consider the initial investment, but also look at the care, maintenance and longevity of the product. A pressure treated deck may be the cheapest option right now, but in 10 years, when it's time to be replaced, or requires plenty of maintenance, will you be wishing you had invested a bit more in cedar, Timbertech, or even Ironwood?
There are plenty of other types of decking out there, but I thought I'd review some of the more popular choices.

Check back later this week for tile/rock and vinyl decking options.

 
 

Why the Design/Build Process?

As a homeowner, or business owner, when you're looking to start a renovation, it's hard to know where to start. Do you first find a contractor, then search for an architect/designer? Or do you work with a designer, then a contractor? In my opinion, the most efficient system is to find one company that does both.

In the industry, there are many examples of each kind of system. At Mountainside, we typically use the design/build system. We have trained designers on staff, who work directly with our project manager or lead carpenters to ensure the project runs smoothly, and problems that arise are dealt with head-on, and effectively. Why do we like this system?

1. Accountability. So many times, clients who hire separate designers and contractors complain that if (when) a problem arises, it becomes nothing but finger pointing. The designer doesn't need to take the blame, if he or she can blame the contractor. Contractors love blaming bad designers too.

2. Cost Effectiveness. I've been to so many meetings where homeowners want me to provide an estimate to complete their addition or renovation. They have the drawings in hand (that they have spent thousands of dollars on). When they start getting the pricing feedback, they are shocked. Many times, they've designed something that they can not possibly afford. With design/build, budget is as much of a design factor as the condition of the existing foundation of the house. You won't be paying to have a designer draw up a beautiful, but completely unattainable plan.


3. Streamlined Communication. Because our designers work with our construction team on a daily basis, we know how to read and understand the drawings, our carpenter can call the designer to site whenever needed, and we all know how to work well with each other. This saves time, and money.