St. Charles Deck Project Comes To A Close
August 8, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Outdoor Living Updates, Remodeling Projects
Do you remember this old concrete patio in St. Charles? This is what the patio area looked like just eight weeks ago. By this time, we had already replaced the patio door and cut-in two new Pella windows to overlook the new deck. You can see the door and windows in the upper left corner of this photo. Since this time we have been busy with backhoes, bobcats, saws, shovels, concrete trucks and landscapers to get the project to its completed state.
The new deck has Azek composite decking making up the floor, skirts and benches. The new rails are constructed of stainless steel posts with stainless steel cables for balusters. It’s a very cool look that goes great with this contemporary home!
You can see in the photos the new concrete storage shed that we constructed underneath this deck. The shed is 8 feet by 14 feet and has fiberglass doors to keep out the weather (and critters). Check out the great stone wall constructed by Western DuPage Landscaping. The two walls together hold back about seven feet of earth and make for some great planting beds. In the next couple of years once the plantings fill in this will be a great space.
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Naperville Addition/Kitchen Wraps Up Construction
August 1, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Home Additions, Kitchen Remodeling, Remodeling Projects
We recently wrapped up construction on the second-story addition/kitchen renovation project that was in progress on the North side of Naperville. We are happy to report that the homeowners are thrilled with the results and wasted no time moving back into their kitchen. These photos were taken in our last full week at the project so you will notice some things not quite done and temporary plastic and floor coverings in place.
The kitchen features Alder hardwood cabinets from Fieldstone Cabinetry. Caleb did a great job installing them and they are full of features such as roll-out shelves, a spice rack an apothecary drawers. The countertops are New Venetian Gold granite and the sink and faucet are from Kohler.
Paul did an awesome job installing the backsplash tile. Unfortunately for him the pattern worked out that he needed to install 75% of the tile pieces individually and not as sheets as they were designed. Luckily he stuck with it and it turned out beautifully.
The new floor is red oak that was stained in place and finished with three coats of a water-based finish. All the appliances were from the existing kitchen and we laid out the new kitchen to accommodate them.
I will need to get this kitchen into the before and after gallery just as soon as I get some real photos (no offense iPhone) of the completed project.
Landscaping Begins In St. Charles
July 17, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Outdoor Living Updates, Remodeling Projects
The new deck and storage shed are now framed and the landscape work has begun. This week there were several crews on site from Western DuPage Landscaping building retaining walls from block and natural stone found on the property. The lanscapers also created a new walkway from the deck to the driveway and they have started on a new paver patio in front of the house as well as a new front sidewalk and porch.
Next week we will begin to trim out the deck with Azek deck boards. We will also add low-voltage lighting in the deck to illuminate the stairs at night. The railings have shipped and will be installed soon. They are all made of stainless steel posts and cable. Very modern!
The landscapers will soon have the hardscapes done and will move on to plantings and grass. It won’t be much longer before the owners can enjoy and quite evening on a marvelous deck!
Back In St. Charles For A New Outdoor Deck
June 8, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Outdoor Living Updates, Remodeling Projects
We’ve been invited back to St. Charles to work at this gorgeous property once again. You may recall that last year we spent a few months gutting and renovating over fifty percent of the interior of this fifties ranch to make a new master bedroom suite. Evidently the owners really liked what we did, because they asked us to come back this summer and make a new outdoor living space for them.
We started by cutting in two new windows and a patio door into the brick exterior of their home so they will be able to take advantage of the great new view we will be creating. As you can see, our masons and to disassemble most of this wall to bring these views into the home, but it will be well worth the work!
The main scope of the project is to take a fifty year old concrete patio (with a pool buried somewhere underneath it) and turn it into a great new maintenance free deck with storage space underneath. The concrete is crumbling from fifty years of weather and it will be good to remove it and make something newer, safer and much more useable.
The new deck will be made with Azek decking (one of our favorites). It will have two levels, built-in benches, hidden lighting and stainless steel railings. It’s been a shame to waste these great backyard views. A new deck will be just the thing to make backyard lounging a great pastime! 
Second Story Addition Gets Foam Insulation
June 8, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Home Additions, Remodeling Projects
Work continued on our latest Naperville project today with the installation of the spray-foam insulation. It’s very similar to Great Stuff, only on a much larger scale. The foam we used on this project gets a whooping R7 per inch! That allows for up to an R25 valued in a standard 2×4 exterior wall. That’s a far cry from the standard fiberglass insulation products that only allow for an R13 in a 2×4 wall.
On this project we used 2-3/4″ of foam for an R20 value. This new 650 square foot addition will be far superior in insulation value to the existing home. As well as offering a superior Rvalue, foam also acts as a great barrier to air infiltration. The foam seals virtually all gaps in the walls allowing for no air movement. It is also impervious to water so no moisture can move through the wall. It really is a great product and we are looking forward to using it more on future projects.
Naperville Second Story Addition Underway
May 15, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Home Additions, Remodeling Projects
After almost a week-long rain delay we are getting started on our latest project: a second story bedroom addition in Naperville. The addition will be over the garage and have space for a bedroom, bathroom, closet and laundry room. All told we are adding about 600 feet of space.
On Friday we installed a beam in the garage that will support the weight of the addition.
We also took advantage of the crane on site to move several units of lumber into position. Thanks to our friends at Conley Steel for the help!
Work Almost Complete On Downers Grove Kitchen Renovation
April 25, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Kitchen Remodeling, Remodeling Projects
We are nearing the end of the Downers Grove Kitchen remodeling project. As you can see all the cabinets are installed and we will be installing countertops next week. That only leaves painting and appliances.
The cabinets are by Fieldstone Cabinetry in cherry and painted maple. We will be staining the cherry crown to match the cabinets. The new oak floors are covered in these pictures to protect them during the project.
The next photos should show a completed kitchen!
Downers Grove Kitchen Project Is Underway
April 20, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Kitchen Remodeling, Remodeling Projects
Recently we started work on a kitchen renovation in Downers Grove. The house was built in the fifties and I don’t think the kitchen has had much done to it since. It definitely needed updating for the family of five that live there. These photos were taken on the first day of work. On that first day we removed all the old appliances, cabinets, vinyl tile flooring and countertops. We also are taking out all the soffits to allow room for the new cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling. This will allow for a lot of extra storage space in the new kitchen.
The new cabinets will be cherry wood with a medium finish from Fieldstone. We are also adding granite countertops and oak flooring. The appliances will be moved as well as a couple of doorways to make for better traffic flow as well as to make more wall space for cabinets.
All-in-all it’s a fairly complicated kitchen, but it will be well worth it for the family that lives there.
NARI To The Rescue Project
April 4, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Bathroom Remodeling, Remodeling Projects
Crimson Design & Construction is a proud member of NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, specifically the Greater Chicagoland Chapter, which headquarters is in Des Plaines, IL.
Crimson Design & Construction is a proud member of NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, specifically the Greater Chicagoland Chapter, which headquarters is in Des Plaines, IL.
Recently Joel Kristianson, A.I.A., and co-owner of Crimson Design and Construction, was asked to participate in a community service project led by Tony Tripp, of Tripp Builders, and his committee NARI to the Rescue.
NARIGC is active in a wide array of community service activities to help families in need of remodeling assistance for any number of reasons. Contractors are asked to donate time, services and/or materials on a project.
Tony found a family in need of assistance remodeling their outdated 1960s home, a small 3 bedroom ranch in Elk Grove Village. With its narrow doorways and hallways, 2 very small bathrooms and a small kitchen area, Mr. and Mrs. Evans were looking to update their home to better accommodate their special needs children.
NARI to the Rescue wanted to help the Evans’ family by making their home more accessible for their 16-year-old handicapped daughter who was diagnosed with a severe form of Cerebral Palsy. The family’s most important need was for a handicap accessible bathroom in order to give Ms. Evans the privacy and independence a teenage girl needs at this time and in the future. Currently Mr. and Mrs. Evans have to physically lift their daughter in and out of the bathtub to bathe her because the small bathroom has a traditional step-in bathtub/shower. A proper toilet support system also must be installed as well as opening the narrow hallways and doorways to allow Ms. Evans wheelchair to easily move from room-to-room.
Joel was asked to volunteer his time and expertise to this project by designing architectural drawings for a fully accessible bathroom, complete with a handicap accessible shower which would allow Ms. Evans to roll her wheelchair in and out of the shower base without assistance. Joel enlarged the new bathroom space by approximately two feet by taking two feet from the rarely used dining room. The hallways and doorways were enlarged to allow Ms. Evans wheelchair to fit through, giving her the freedom to move about the house on her own. The plumbing system also needed to be updated to maintain the handicap accessible toilet system.
“I chose to participate in this project because I believe that NARI to the Rescue is a good way to give back to the community. This story especially touched me, and then, after visiting with the family, I was thrilled to have been a part of such a worthwhile cause. The Evans family is a very kind and special family,” Joel said.
Joel started by first meeting with the Evans family to discuss their needs and wants. He then came up with a concept that would best incorporate their goals for the project while keeping within the allotted building codes and housing limitations. Joel then created the drawings and met with the client and the committee to discuss the changes. Lastly, the permit drawings were turned over to the Village of Elk Grove for final approval. Once the drawings were approved by the Village, the materials were ordered and the subcontractors began demolition on this exciting project.
The Greater Chicagoland Chapter of NARI is a not-for-profit trade association committed exclusively to the service of the professional remodeling industry; representing professional remodeling contractors, product manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, trade and consumer publications, utilities and lending institutions. NARI represents the spokesgroup of the industry and an ally to the nation’s homeowners .
Crimson Design and Construction is proud to be a supporter of community service projects and other national philanthropic organizations.
Oswego Bathroom Renovation
February 28, 2010 by Neil
Filed under Bathroom Remodeling, Remodeling Projects
We just recently wrapped up a bathroom remodel in Oswego. The picture to the right is a before shot I took on the day we started. The bathroom is very small (only 4′ x 10′) but it still has a full shower, vanity and toilet. We also managed to find space for a utility cabinet next to the toilet when it was done. The new shower is a combination of slate and porcelain tiles. The shelves in the shower are made of solid slate – really cool. The shower has a custom base to best use the space available. The shower door is a frame-less glass door using glue chip glass to give some privacy to the shower. The new vanity is from Fieldstone Cabinetry and is made of cherry. It was customized to make it shallower than a standard vanity to increase the floor space of the room. The countertop and the shower threshold are a variety of granite that closely resembles soapstone. The sink is stainless steel. All the plumbing fixtures are from Kohler.
Overall, we were able to pack a lot of function into a very small room.
