Remodeling

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Stay? Move?

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Illustration by Tori Bidwell on Unsplash

Illustration by Tori Bidwell on Unsplash

Recently the Carpenter and I met with a couple to talk about possible updates to improve their small home for their current life situation. They live in a terrific neighborhood where their kids have many friends, and they are surrounded by wonderful neighbors. We discussed a few ways to make their home more conducive to a busy family life. From staying within the footprint of the home to an addition off the back to open up the kitchen/dining areas.

Towards the end of the discussion we came to understand that they were also considering selling. But were feeling torn with the idea of giving up relationships and starting over. A bigger house but maybe not the most welcoming neighborhood.

A few weeks ago we met with a woman who wants to sell the home she grew up in within the next 5 years, and move into a townhome. She wanted our advice on what she needed to do to make her home sellable. She has lived in her home over 40 years and it is full of many loved antiques and collectables. Her elderly mother lives with her and that is a big part of her decision making process.

This past week we met again and asked a real-estate couple we know to join us. We toured the home and the realtors were extremely helpful to the homeowner. Answering all her questions. The idea of selling felt so overwhelming to her. I think the two meetings gave her enough information and peace of mind to be able to make some good steps forward in her future plans.

I did not realize that the real estate market is super hot right now. There is more demand for homes than inventory. And the interest rates are super low.

I’m just writing to make this suggestion. If you are considering a remodel and staying in your loved neighborhood we’d love to meet with you! We have a consult service. https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/services-2 to help you explore your remodel options without committing to us.

I felt like we were able to help in both situations- bring enough information to help both parties make the decisions they were wrestling with.

If you are considering selling we know the sweetest young couple who could help you through the sale process all the way to stepping through the front door of your new home. Just contact us through the website.

In the meantime… stay cozy in your home on this bitter cold weekend ahead!

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2020

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While the Carpenter has been working very very hard… I’ve been feeding baby goats! Heaven on Earth Farm Baldwin, Wisconsin

While the Carpenter has been working very very hard… I’ve been feeding baby goats! Heaven on Earth Farm Baldwin, Wisconsin

I haven’t felt like writing a post. Has felt trivial in a lot of ways. Covid, riots, politics.

To be transparent we had to lay off our crew March 2020 as the pandemic hit and our spring projects all canceled. Thankfully work contacts picked up like crazy shortly after the panic of the pandemic subsided. We couldn’t believe it.

But our crew was too afraid of Covid to return to work in private homes. The Carpenter hired subs, let go subs, hired one employee and let go one employee. Had to keep wearing his “bags on” hat, meet with prospective homeowners, oversee projects, and purchase/pick up most project supplies. We stayed open. And thankfully are still open today.

I made a list of the projects we have worked on January 2020 till today January 2021 just to gather my thoughts …

-Home 1 White Bear Township large basement finish with kitchenette and media area
-Home 2 Maplewood rambler basement update including: guest bedroom, media family room, lower bath, new build recording studio space and first floor bath remodel
-Home 3 White Bear Lake rambler great room addition with shiplap cathedral ceiling, new kitchen countertops, new kitchen windows and cabinet remodel to fit new windows
-Home 4 Vadnais Heights multi level owner’s suite bath update
-Home 5- Maplewood multi level new wood laminate flooring installed on second floor office/hallway and lower level family room
-Home 6 Old downtown White Bear Lake bungalow new craftsman exterior entry door with sidelights installed, and new millwork for interior airlock foyer and entry
-Home 7 White Bear Township 2000 sq ft concrete driveway replacement
-Home 8 Lino Lakes two story dining room renovation into home office
-Home 9 Scandia rambler exterior update/LP Smart Siding, new exterior doors, windows, and custom matched stain to existing interior stain for window millwork
-Home 10 Lino Lakes two story all new interior millwork, laminate wood floors and carpeted staircase– rebuilt to be all wood (stain custom matched to laminate floor) and metal rail spindles
-Home 11 Falcon Heights Cape Cod basement finish including new bath and laundry area

And looking at this list I am amazed at the amount of projects we tackled in crazy 2020. Hopefully 2021 is as busy as 2020 but not as crazy. We are currently looking to bring on sub framers, and trim carpenters. The Carpenter looks forward to project management and meeting with homeowners only in this new year.

Thank you to all our homeowners that signed on with us during the pandemic. We appreciate your patience and confidence in us and the future as we continue to work during this unprecedented time.

PS Photos coming. I’ve been absent from project sites due to Covid. Waiting for some build project photos from the Carpenter’s phone. ;) I also am starting to get some final photos taken and various projects uploaded to facebook.


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Hello...

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the Artist

The Carpenter on a current project. Family room addition built onto the back of a rambler in White Bear Lake.

The Carpenter on a current project. Family room addition built onto the back of a rambler in White Bear Lake.

I’ve been experiencing a creative dry spell. I commented to the Carpenter the other day, that I didn’t know what to write about. I think I have 2020 fatigue.

How has your summer gone? It’s been kind of crazy in many ways hasn’t it? What we hoped was a couple months blip in our lives.. has turned into one long ragged line. The virus, riots, the coming election drama and now hurricanes. We’ve all been touched one way or another.

Early during the pandemic most of our spring scheduled projects canceled. We had to lay off our crew. Then our crew chose not to return.

And then project contacts started rolling in… and in. What?! Home office renovations, basement remodels, bathrooms, decks, siding and window replacements. We came to realize that homeowners “under quarantine” seem to be focusing on what repairs and renovations their homes needed.

So the Carpenter has kept pulling his rig out onto the road every day to keep things moving along. He has jumped back in… “bags on”. Along with good help from subs, we are making it happen. We continue to look for carpenters, lead carpenters and subcontractors to join our team.

We are confident this time will pass. The virus will pass, the storms will blow themselves out and the election.. well we’ll see.

And we can keep on “helping you love where you live”!

PS The term “bags on” refers to the tool bag carpenter’s use while on the job.

Wood and graphite.

by the Artist

carpenterpencils.png

The Carpenter went to a builders show recently and came home with his annual stock of carpenter pencils. I was impressed with the color selection and quantity! They are usually found laying around our home and I’ve never much paid attention to them, other then getting annoyed when I find one in the washing machine! His recent catch got me to thinking.. there must be a story behind these unique pencils.

carpenter’s pencil from the early 1600’shttps://www.makefromwood.com/why-carpenters-pencils-are-flat-and-other-cool-facts/

carpenter’s pencil from the early 1600’s

https://www.makefromwood.com/why-carpenters-pencils-are-flat-and-other-cool-facts/


Some time before 1565 (some sources say as early as 1500), an enormous deposit of graphite was discovered on the approach to Grey Knotts from the hamlet of Seathwaite in Borrowdale parish, Cumbria, England, (which the locals found useful for marking sheep.) The first “pencils” were graphite sticks wrapped in string in the mid-16th century. Around 1560, an Italian couple named Simonio and Lyndiana Bernacotti made what are likely the first blueprints for the modern, wood-encased carpentry pencil. Their version was a flat, oval, more compact type of pencil. Their concept involved the hollowing out of a stick of juniper wood.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pentlandpirate/11368506595

“The first pencil factory was in Germany in 1662, but things really took off during the Industrial Revolution in Europe. The earliest form of manufactured pencil was two small slats of wood encasing a slab of graphite, thus, flat and rectangular in shape. So you could say the earliest pencils were all what we would call “carpenter’s pencils” today.”

https://www.quora.com/Who-invented-the-carpenters-pencil

A carpenter pencil is a pencil that has a body with a rectangular or elliptical cross-section to prevent from rolling off a table or a roof! Carpenter pencils are easier to grip than standard pencils. When sharpened properly.. thick or thin lines can be drawn. The end of the rectangular point can be notched to draw two parallel lines! (Have you tried this Mr Carpenter?) They hold up when used on rough surfaces like concrete. The pencil itself is robust enough to survive in the bottom of a bag with heavy tools. Carpenter pencils are typically manually sharpened with a knife. In fact carpenter’s have been sharpening their pencils this way for 400 years! (there is a sharpener but it creates a finer pencil type point which doesn’t have strength)

Here’s a good little video that shows you how to sharpen… the guy does a little sales pitch at the very end you could skip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUwQZv_HKzA

I learned something today. Even Carpenter pencils have a beginning. Everything has a beginning. And a beginning is all you need to start! Give us a call. We have plenty of carpenter pencils to get your project done!

Having a good ear.

the Artist

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“A sounding board is a good listener, and either confirms what they hear or offers an opinion when the sound they hear is “off key”. ”

The Carpenter, myself and one of our homeowners, made a trip to Preferred Kitchens https://preferredkitchens.com/, and to a granite supplier in Albertville https://stonecountertopoutlet.com/ recently. We helped her pick vanity/color, and assisted in helping choose granite for two vanities. First we met at the project so I could help pick wall colors for the basement and upstairs bath renovations.

She had a good idea what she wanted but just needed someone to bounce her thoughts off of. I’ve always called myself a “sounding board” as part of my design role in Applewood. But got to thinking… am I using the word correctly? Is it just an old fashioned word no one uses anymore? So I looked it up. The Merriam-Webster dictionary says in part.. “a person or group on whom one tries out an idea or opinion as a means of evaluating it.” I like the Urban Dictionary definition…”A sounding board is a good listener, and either confirms what they hear or offers an opinion when the sound they hear is "off key".”

My role in helping our homeowners is to understand their personal style. To be a good listener. To be a good observer. If I have done my homework… when I am asked about a particular choice… I will have a sense that it will work in their soon to be updated space which will compliment their personal style. Still their style… just updated. Freshened.

So yes I am a “sounding board”. I affirm, give feedback and gently direct as needed assisting homeowners make the best decisions for their home.

On these trips I sometimes bring the Carpenter along to make sure selections will fit within the project perimeters. And also bribing him with a cup of coffee doesn’t hurt!

So head to our services page https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/services-2 to find out how to get your own “sounding board”!

PS this was my first time in Preferred Kitchens in White Bear Lake. I was so impressed with the updated displays and services offered in more of a boutique store setting (not big box).

Inside!

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Somehow our crew has an opportunity to work inside for the balance of this winter of 2020. The Carpenter can’t remember when that happened last. We’ve in the past taken on our largest projects in full-on winter- well they didn’t in all cases start in the winter but landed there at some point. Three being… Modern Farmhouse https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/the-modern-farmhouse, Bald Eagle Craftsman https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/bald-eagle-craftsman and the Bald Eagle Barn https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/baldeagle-barn. These projects were renovated and in the case of the Bald Eagle Barn, (new construction) under some periods of brutal wind and temps. And they all were by or near a lake!

We just finished up our last outside project Portland Garage https://www.facebook.com/pg/ApplewoodINC/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2500485810038583 for the winter. A detached double walk-out garage/workshop/storage. It will be painted in the spring along with another project Franklin Project https://www.facebook.com/pg/ApplewoodINC/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2500485810038583 built summer 2019. Will post FINAL photos of the Portland Garage and the Franklin Project on Facebook this spring.

In the meantime we are working on two basement renovations. And the crew is nice and warm!

Oh hey 2020!

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Been thinking about what to write for this post of of 2020. All the traditional accolades have been said.

  • time to organize

  • de-stress

  • work out

  • eat right

  • buy bedding at the winter white sale

  • lose weight

  • practice mental well being

  • set up a budget

  • spend less time on social media

  • be kind

  • get more sleep

  • start planning for that spring/summer home project

  • begin

We hope you had a good holiday season and are well. Please contact us if you are thinking of a home project.

We’d be happy to meet you. And maybe enjoy a cup of coffee on a very cold day!

*Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash

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Love exterior renos!

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by the Artist

I think my most favorite projects are the exterior renovations we do. Because they are exciting to see the “After”, and because any house has the potential to be updated- no matter what the size. You don’t have to move to feel like you’ve moved into a brand new home!

Currently we are working on updating a 1990’s home to one of today’s popular architectural styles. In this case a light blend of Craftsman and Modern Farmhouse.

I love the challenge of updating a home’s exterior. Working with existing roof lines, footprint and windows. I’ve mixed Board and Batten, and shakes with horizontal siding. The homeowners are putting the grids back in their windows. We also are redoing the front porch which is cement. We added a Trex composite floor in a rich mahogany, demoed the concrete steps and rebuilt wood steps with new Trex flooring. The “skirt” of the concrete porch previously was covered up with lattice board. I picked a vertical shiplap that is framed out for a fresh new look that reflects the farmhouse style.

We also beefed out the porch columns, squared off with a frame detail to match the shiplap skirting and new mission style front door. New rail system is being built too. We did change out one window. A small octagonal laundry room window was replaced by a square small awning window that is seen from the front porch.

I suggested two large oiled bronze goose neck barn lights.. centered over the double and single garage doors. As well as recessed lights over the garage doors for added security and ambiance. And last.. nothing like a beautiful mission front entry with side lights to create a welcoming entrance. And the homeowner found some beautiful hardware to showcase their new handsome front door.

Last the color. The siding was white. Three sides will stay white. The homeowner was ready for some color. A gray and dark gray palette with white accents will complete this project. (the white porch and trim will match the three white sides of the home)

This project is almost complete. The homeowner will take care of the exterior board and batten, lap and door painting. Will post final photos on our website when available. We have both enjoyed working with these homeowners. Makes what we do that much more fulfilling!

Project photos below. Final photos after the project is painted spring 2020.

Heading into winter....again

the Artist

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… and we have a fantastic opportunity to build a post and beam wood barn. A year ago we had an opportunity to bid on a “Post and Beam Barn” project from Nebraska. During the bid process and after getting the project, the Carpenter did plenty of research to become familiar with all the unique aspects this project will entail. Earlier this fall, he and crew traveled to Nebraska to visit the company that produces barn “kits”, which are shipped across the country.

Unfortunately the project is finally starting and we are now heading into winter… and here we go with yet another outside winter project! Those of you who have followed us remember some of our large exterior renovations that we worked on during the depth of winter… Bald Eagle Craftsman, The Craftsman Project in North St Paul and more recently The Modern Farmhouse on White Bear Lake to name a few. I’ve created a gallery below to show some of our “Building in a Minnesota Winter” photos! Gallery #1

And of course the kick-off foundation work started the week of extremely cold and blustery October weather. (I visited the site to shoot photos on the absolutely coldest day) This project is just off Bald Eagle Lake and it was miserable. White caps, and snow flurries. See Gallery #2. The landscape was prepared- a large maple had to come down, the hole dug, the foundation built and backfilled, and the floor was poured. Now we wait out the 20 day curing time for the cement floor.

This week the Carpenter met his cement subcontractor to get a bid for a garage type barn near our home. If all the paperwork with the township falls into to place we will be building that this winter too! At least the Carpenter is close enough to home for me to run some coffee or hot cocoa to both barn projects!

So watch as this barn gets raised! And if you are in the area the crew wouldn’t say no to a warm cup of coffee!

And here’s hoping for a “warm winter” that has been predicted! (the Carpenter doesn’t believe it!)




Gallery #1 Building in a Minnesota Winter

Gallery #2 Bald Eagle Barn starts!

Hello!

by the Artist

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How have you been? We've had an interesting summer. Highs and some lows. It's part of life and definitely part of running your own business.

Our projects this summer have been interior updates and repairs on a number of projects. Installing Warm Board in-floor radiant heat system, new wood floors/doors and matching millwork, as well as an entry tile floor and interior joist repair. We are also updating a 20 something townhome's millwork (updating light oak millwork and doors) and changing the facade of a marble fireplace to stacked stone. Beautiful veined marble countertops will bring this townhome into the 2000's!

We will be starting a post and beam barn on beautiful Bald Eagle Lake this fall, as well as working through the design/remodel details of converting a suburban home into a couple's dream of owning their own Bed and Breakfast. 

As we continue always to look for great carpenter's to join our crew... we have hired Apprentice Connor Nash. We also will be welcoming a new member to the Applewood family in February 2019, when Adam our lead.. and his wife Katie welcome their first child! 

So as we step further into fall we will have some interesting photos to show you.

Enjoy this first week of the last three weeks of summer. Fall is on it's way!