Crimson Design & Construction

New Methods To ‘Get The Led Out’

Neil — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:23:39 +0000

Being a former (and current) Ledhead, when I think lead – I think Zeppelin. Especially when I hear the phrase “Get The Led Out,” which comes from The Loop’s daily late night radio salute to the Kings of Blues-Rock. But lately “Get The Lead Out” has taken on a whole new meaning in my life. Beginning in April the EPA will require new rules and procedures for the removal of lead-based paint in America’s older homes.

The EPA will require contractors to use more extensive and rigorous methods to dispose of construction debris than ever before. The new rules require posting signage to warn of lead danger, HEPA filter vacuums for clean up, the use of air exchangers to remove dust in the air, wet-washing construction areas after demolition and being registered with the EPA for lead-based renovations.

The new rules were enacted to protect children from the dangers of lead poisoning. Lead is harmful to both children and adults. In children, a tiny amount of exposure can lead to neurological damage, and in adults, lead inhalation can lead to hypertension, muscle and joint pain, fatigue and nausea among other symptoms

All housing, childcare and school structures built before 1978 are affected by the EPA program. If your house is of this age then you need assume that lead is present in your home and make sure your remodeling company is trained in safe lead paint removal. Naturally, the new procedures will add an expense to your project not required in newer homes.

Crimson has applied with the EPA to register as a certified renovation firm. We will also be receiving training and investing in equipment to comply with this new regulations to keep your family safe. Now I’ll be able to “Get The Lead Out” safely.

Share This Content

Would You Remodel If It Was Free?

Neil — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:59:44 +0000

We all know remodeling is expensive, right? It represents a large financial investment in your home and your future. But most people accept this because they see the value of the enhancement in their day-to-day lives and the increased value of their homes. But what if your remodeling project didn’t cost you a single dollar? Would you still do it?

We’ve all heard that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, or a free remodel for that matter. What many people don’t take the time to consider are the other ‘costs’ associated with remodeling. I call these the emotional costs of remodeling.

Emotional costs cover all the things you must endure to reach a remodeled state. These range from the inconvenient to the downright stressful depending on your personality and more importantly the company you hire to complete your project. Obviously these are dependent on the size and scope of your project, but here are a few things that might be included in emotional costs:

Losing your kitchen for weeks (yes you will eventually HATE eating out)
Losing your washer/dryer for a time
Having your water/power shut off for a day
Not being able to park in your garage/driveway/street
Having strangers at your house everyday (they might eventually become friends)
Dealing with anxious pets who don’t like the noise
Dealing with inevitable bumps along the way
Your neighbor’s curiosity
Cleaning out twenty years of stuff before the project can begin
Having the city/village dictate aspects of your design
Keeping your kids out of the construction area
Just seeing your house torn up and not livable can be very stressful

As a remodeler, I will be the last person to tell you not to remodel. However, I will tell you to go into any project with eyes wide open. Understand that you can never eliminate the emotional aspect of a remodeling project — but you can minimize it.

The most important thing you can do to minimize the emotional costs of remodeling is to hire a remodeling company that understands that you are paying more than just money and can help to shield you from the stresses. One of your remodeler’s primary goals should be to communicate with you on a regular basis. Nothing adds to stress like the unknown. A schedule outlining key steps in your project and weekly meetings (whether formal or informal) are a must.

Make sure that you have 100% accounted for all money you will need for the project. This is not just the cost of the construction itself, but all the other expenses you will incur along the way; eating out, new furniture, new window treatments. Also plan a contingency above and beyond the quoted price of your project for unforeseen extras and the inevitable extras you will want to add along the way. Your remodeler should be able to tell you what their historical average is for changes (both unforeseen and client driven).

Have a plan for alternate living conditions for the duration of your project. Where will the kids do their homework? Where will you cook meals? How will four people get ready in the morning with one bathroom? Some remodeling companies (us included) will help you set up a temporary kitchen in another location in your house. Try to segregate the construction area from your living area with temporary walls to contain kids, pets, noise and dust.

Plan a vacation during the loudest, dirtiest part of your project. Many times I have scheduled a project around a client’s vacation. Demolition, drywalling or hardwood floor refinishing are all great things to miss out on firsthand. If you want to be a part of it, have your remodeler email you photos or video of your project in progress while you are on the beach!

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a free remodel. But with these tips, maybe you can enjoy an emotional cost free project!

Give us some feedback. What emotional costs do you want to avoid in your remodeling project?

Share This Content

Oswego Bathroom Renovation

Neil — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:44:01 +0000

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.

Share This Content

Yahoo Weighs In On The Value Of Your Project Investment

Stephanie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:38 +0000

Most of us love our homes, but I think everyone dreams about making at least one or two changes if not more. And as it gets colder and darker earlier we think about spending more cozy time indoors with family and friends, and those changes become more important in our thoughts. The kitchen is the heart of the home where everyone tends to congregate and by making that the most functional and beautiful place you not only increase your own family’s contentment, but you make a smart financial decision for the future if you move on some day. Yahoo has published as one of it’s top news stories today, November 11, 2009, a concise article on increasing the value of your home through remodeling, but I would like to add that the value is not only monetary, but should also be measured by your quality of life and enjoyment in your home.

Share This Content

National Child Safety Month and Your Home

Stephanie — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:06:02 +0000

In recognition of National Child Safety Month we would like to share some safety tips as well as some free offers to take advantage of in October to make your home a safer place for your children and pets.

According to the US Comsumer Product Safety Commission, since 1990, more than 200 infants and young children have died from accidental strangulation by window cords.

FREE OFFERS
1. If you plan on keeping your older window treatments, a FREE retrofit kit can be obtained to bring these blinds or shades up to today’s safety standards. Contact the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) toll-free at 1-800-506-4636 or visit the website at www.windowcoverings.org.
2. Several window covering companies are offering FREE CORDLESS on selected blinds and shades. Contact Stephanie at Crimson to find out if one may work for you.

SAFETY TIPS
1. Replace window treatments manufactured before 2001 with todays safer products.
2. Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall.
3. Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children and pets.
4. Make sure tasseled pull cords are short and continous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall.
5. Make sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit the movement of innner lift cords.
6. Lock cords into position whenever blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a window sill.
7. Install cordless window treatments wherever young children play or sleep to eliminate the hazards of dangling cords and maximize safety.

You can also visit www.graberblinds.com to see what they are doing to promote safety.

Crimson offers window treatments as a finishing touch on all of our projects.

Share This Content

Casual for a Cause

Jen — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:36:42 +0000

Crimson participated in ‘Casual for a Cause’ on September 21, 2009, in honor of World Alzheimer’s Day. Employees could purchase a sticker to don casual attire for a suggested donation of $5 – $10. We are proud to announce that our entire team participated in this event!

Crimson was able to show our commitment to the fight against Alzheimer’s by dressing down in jeans and purple tees. Our company donation helps provide funding for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association.

35 million people worldwide have dementia. Crimson is proud to have been a part of this wonderful cause. For more information on Alzheimer’s Disease go to www.alz.org.

Share This Content

Interior Renovation Will Create A Slice of Heaven in St. Charles

Neil — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:54:05 +0000

If this was the view out your back window you would never want to leave! Well that’s exactly the attitude of the homeowners on our newest project in St. Charles. They have a beautifully secluded piece of property and they don’t want to give it up. Unfortunately, the house, built in the 50’s, doesn’t fit the dream. Therefore, they have hired Crimson to give all the bedrooms and bathrooms in the house a major overhaul. Over 1000 square feet of the house will get a face lift to make better use of space. One of the bathrooms will be a new luxurious master bathroom complete with walk-in shower. Additionally, the master bedroom will get a new walk-in closet and a large sitting room with a view through a newly installed twelve foot wide patio door. What a great place it will be to sit and read on a spring or fall afteroon.

As you can see, everyone is hard at work demolishing the old. With 1-1/2″ thick plaster walls in the two bathrooms that hasn’t been easy. As you can see from the picture, the shower and tub would have made a great fallout shelter. But after two full dumpsters (sent to Hoving for recycling) the old is out and it’s time to start building new. This week the framing will be completed and the new rooms will take shape.

Watch for new updates as this project progresses.

Share This Content

Bolingbrook Addition Completed

Neil — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:24:47 +0000

It’s been a few weeks since we completed our addition project in Bolingbrook. I thought I would get some photos up that I shot with my phone. The homeowners are still busy moving all their belongings back into the house. In a couple of weeks maybe we can get some good after pictures to add to the gallery. Until then these will have to do.

On this project we added fourteen feet to the back of the house to double the size of the kitchen, add a laundry room and double the size of the master bedroom. We also added a large deck and a three car garage and a full basement under the new addition. The project took about six months to complete. During that time we had to work with the city of Bolingbrook to obtain a zoning variance to allow the new garage structure to be built in its current location. All-in-all a very challenging project.

Share This Content

Work Begins on Batavia Mother-in-Law Suite

Neil — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:02:12 +0000

We recently started the renovation of an existing basement in Batavia to accommodate a mother-in-law suite. As you can see in the photo, the first step was to add a new exterior basement stairway. This is not as impossible as most people think. The stairs took about two weeks to get to the point you see in the photo. We still need to add a railing and some landscaping to complete the stairs.

Inside work is underway to create a full bathroom, kitchenette, bedroom and living room. It’s almost a complete house in a basement. Because of Batavia zoning regulations there are some things we cannot add to make it a fully independent home. However, it’s still a great way to have an older relative live independently will still having them close if help is needed.

This project has been a great way for Joel to put to use his Certified Aging in Place designation (CAPS) from the NAHB. CAPS takes into account everything from shower grab bars to locations and style of light switches. As people age and their physical skills become less agile many things can be done in a home to make living there more convenient. This is something we have seen a lot in the last couple of years as the baby boomers plan for their future.

We’ll keep you updated on this project.

Share This Content

Remodeling The Oswego Landscape

Neil — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:22:18 +0000

My wife, Jennine, and I spent the morning renovating the landscape. We, along with other volunteers of the Oswegoland Park District, spent the morning planting native prairie plants in the Waubonsie Wetlands. This watershed connects the Waubonsie Creek to the Fox River. Over decades of development the natural topsoil has been removed and replaced with clay, sand and gravel. The park district is attempting to return this area to its natural environment.

We spent the morning in 80+ degrees weather digging holes in the rock-hard clay for new plants. The plants include: liatris, prairie dropseed grass, black-eyed susan and prairie geranium.

Dave Margolis, Oswegoland Park District’s Natural Resource Manager, was very pleased with the progress we made this morning. We planted over 200 plants! Not bad for a hot day. Dave hopes that by next year the roots have taken hold and the plants are multiplying to fill the entire area.

Share This Content