Modifying What You Have Can Still Make An Impact

It’s often true that trends come full circle, just look at the current boom in mid Century furnishings, colors and décor. Take for example this original staircase railing, something that frankly resembles an outdoor deck railing only it’s indoors. We can comment because we too once had the same type of “outdoor” railing in our house. What once was popular in the 80’s is now deemed outdated and replaced with a modern twist in its use of iron adapted from the 60’s.

With careful disassembling of the railings, new bull nosed stair tread ends were replaced because the old balusters were notched into the existing ones. New cherry wood newel posts and railings were installed as well as the wall railings adhered by Oil Rubbed Bronze brackets. The balusters are single twisted iron Oil Rubbed Bronze with matching shoes that now sit on the stair treads. And we added a stair skirt to complete the look. Modifying this existing staircase simply gave it a new appeal.

From 20th Century To 21st Century: A Vintage Kitchen Gets A Transformation

There’s something to be said about the charm of a vintage kitchen with its original cabinets containing display shelves and border tiled counter tops.  But for these homeowners it was time for a change. They wanted a sleek new modern kitchen that gave them plenty of storage and entertainment space. The kitchen was gutted and replaced with new Cherry wood cabinets with shaker style doors and modern stainless steel pulls. To incorporate more work space and seating, an island was placed in the center of the kitchen including electrical outlets for appliance capability. And a pantry unit with roll out shelves behind that.

In the nook area, we custom built a banquette with angled seating for comfort, stained to match the cabinetry. The dining table is shaped for additional seating on the outer edge. To utilize an unusual space, the bay window now adorns additional storage cabinetry with a buffet top for additional serving space.  The kitchen counter tops are 3CM Chroma “Pearl White” Polished and the buffet and dining table top is Chroma “Serena” Polished, subtle color differences create distinction in the areas. Glass mosaics add color and reflective light to the backsplash placed from counter top to the base of the upper cabinetry. And a soft green wall color ties it all together.   A custom built transition piece with “rain drop” glass panels hangs in the ceiling to separate the two spaces.  Gone is the traditional florescent ceiling light fixture, now the kitchen has can lighting, modern pendants, and under cabinet lighting to enhance prep and dining areas. The floors were replaced with Bamboo Strand (“Green Product”) hardwoods that coordinated nicely with existing original hardwoods off the kitchen entries.

Remodeling a kitchen should contain some forethought to suit your needs and life style. With a personally designed kitchen plan by Revive, these homeowners were able to make their product selections, ordered, and on site ahead of construction which made the remodeling process go very smoothly.  The end result, a beautiful kitchen and very happy clients.    

When A Deal Can Cost You More

We see it all the time when we are called out to repair a structure that was done incorrectly by others and has now become a problem. Often these clients have hired a neighbor, or a friend of a friend who may have some skills, who are in need of work, and will do the work for a lower cost than the professionals. And now there’s a problem. That deal may not really be such a great bargain after all.

For example, this fence was installed by a neighbor last year, within one year this new fence had eight panels that were leaning and became unattached to the rails due to in properly installed post footings and railing brackets. Now it must be “un done” and reinstalled the proper way, costing the homeowner a lot more money than she had originally paid her neighbor. She has no recourse in going back to the neighbor to fix it as there was no contract, warranty, and he was not a licensed contractor with liability insurance , nor a bond. 

When it comes to your home and protecting your investment, it’s advised to have the work done by a licensed professional who can stand behind their work because they have the credentials, CEU’s (Continuing Education Classes) knowing the latest building codes/permits, licensing, bond, and insurance. It just may end up saving your money in the long run.   

Is Your Deck Safe?

The Pacific Northwest is hard on natural materials exposed to our damp weather. And each year hundreds of people are injured in this country as a result of deck failures. Deck failures are most often caused by faulty construction methods, unsuitable or improper materials, and lack of maintenance. Most experts agree that the average life expectancy of a wood deck is 10 to 15 years. Remember, decks are composed of natural materials exposed to weather, and, as a result, will not last forever. Constructing and using the proper structural connectors and fasteners by code will assure a safe, strong deck.

According to Simpson Strong Tie, to evaluate the safety of a deck, homeowners should look for warning signs that a deck is unsafe: loose connections (for example, a wobbly railing), missing connections (for example, the deck is just nailed to the side of the house), corrosion, rot and cracks. The two critical areas in a deck collapse are typically the deck's connection to the house and the railings.

This deck started out as a repair. Its railings and lattice that was used as balusters were rotted after many years and made it unsafe.  Upon further evaluation the whole structure was rotting and it had to be replaced. Revive Remodeling rebuilt the whole deck with code regulated connectors and fasteners. The new railings were carefully designed so the balusters were attached to both the outside and inside of the railing to avoid any possibility of anyone or thing to break through. The step and stairs are now code compliance in depth and height. And the homeowners now have a sturdy, safe deck to entertain on. Just like your home, it's important to make sure your deck is built right.

Water Is A Damaging Source For Your Home’s Exterior

Fall is here and that means Old Man Winter is just around the corner bringing harsh elements to the outside of your home. Maintaining your home’s exterior is one sure way of avoiding possible further damage to your home that could seep into the inside and cost you more money in the future.

This homeowner noticed some leakage inside near the upstairs window.  The first thought was maybe it was a faulty window, or that it was installed in properly. But after that was ruled out, we did further  exploring and discovered that the original siding was not installed correctly and there were areas where rain water was seeping in and running down into the window inside. This caused the siding to become completely wet and rotted after many years. If this had been ignored much longer the threat of mold certainly would have come into play. We removed the old siding, belly band, etc. and installed new sheathing, Tyvek moisture house wrap, siding, flashing, and heavy duty caulking. It’s pretty air tight now.  

Water is a damaging source for your home’s exterior. Before the big rains hit, it may be a good idea to take a good look at the outside of your home for potential hazards. Your home maintenance plan should include caulking up all the possible seams and places where old caulk may have shrunk or cracked after years of exposure. Get your gutters cleaned for free water flow, check your door thresholds for dry rot, and areas in your yard that may have bad elevation problems creating water flowing back towards your house.  Fix potential problems ahead of time and you can settle in for the Winter knowing your home is safely protected keeping you warm and dry.

No Job Too Small

When we say “no job too small” we mean it…

Okay, we couldn’t resist saying it because of this great shot of our lead carpenter up inside a laundry shoot. Over the summer one of our clients wanted her laundry shoot modified and Chris was just the right size to get up inside and install the new shaft