GAF - Quality you can trust from America’s largest roofing manufacturer. Also, try out GAF’s Roof Wizard

This video is truly inspiring! Builders are challenged to construct a home with all US building materials, every screw, nail, board, everything! and they did it…take a look.

Contact Fine Construction today for your home improvement and building needs. 206.938.2300

Here is what the school and some of the students have to say about their new Science Lab;

“Thanks to a great deal of effort and generosity by many people, OLG has a brand new science lab!  The new room has impressed Mr. Franck and has definitely added a science “feel.”  The new room features brand new cabinets and 24” wide granite countertops in the back of the room, six stainless steel sinks, electrical outlets throughout the perimeter of the room, drop-down outlets for microscopes, 36” high lab tables and new stools.  The sleek design has been an inspiration to the students.  The room design allows students to stand or sit and increases the workspace, which has improved the organization and work flow of the lab.  Eighth grader, Katie French, had this to say about the new lab, “Overall, the new science lab is an awesome place to be.  I can’t wait to do science now!”  Mr. Franck and his students are extremely grateful for all the hard work that went into generating the funds for the lab last year and creating the new space over the summer.  There is an open invitation to come by and check it out.  Special thanks to Tom Fine for coordinating the effort and to Brian Flack for his electrical expertise.”

Fine Construction is a builder / remodeler for all kinds of diverse buildings and projects.

The house was in need of refreshing and we accomplished that. Fine Construction partnered with Kathy Banak of Authentic Home to work with the clients for the material selection and color choices. Kathy also worked with the owners for the furniture selection.

The owners had great ideas and we all collaborated to make this a successful project. The family actually occupied the lower level while Fine renovated the main floor.  Upon completion of the main floor the owners moved upstairs and Fine moved to the lower level to complete that portion of the project.  Timing worked well, while the owners made arrangements for several long trips and a couple of long weekends, making floor finishing and other dust producing tasks, a non event for the owners and a less stressful event for Fine Construction and its subs.

New interior doors are Fir. We applied a clear coat to see the nice wood grains in the doors. New mill work throughout was installed.

The scope of work consisted of removing a main wall between the living room, kitchen and dining room. The North wall had many windows to take advantage of the view of the Sound.  Fine designed the removal of the windows and installed a large sliding glass door to open up the living space to the outdoor deck.

The outdoor deck was not structurally sound and rot was found hidden between boards. New stainless steel railings where installed with new waterproof decking membrane applied with a pattern to the new decking. Lights are installed in the railing to provide accent lighting at night.  Powered screens were installed to help reduce the sun light heat gain, in addition to the new powered awning to provide a relief from the blazing Seattle sunlight.

The interior walls were realigned to provide a good flow throughout the house.  New French doors were installed in the hall leading to a garden patio. A large 4′ wide fir door was installed to provide separation from the living room to the master suite.  Both bathrooms were modernized.  We added a new Frame-less shower door in the master bath to give it a new fresh modern look adding a more open and larger look and feel to the bath.

On the exterior, Fine installed a custom front door with an integral weatherization system. Fine also installed new fences to keep the owners important little house guests, their dogs, close to home and so they don’t leave their wonderful new palace grounds.  Also added to the exterior;  lighting on the house and low voltage lighting for the driveway.  Finally the exterior of the house was cleaned and painted, bringing this home back to life for many years to come.

Come to the open house on October 15 and 16th.  Contact Fine Construction for any information regarding renovations to your home.

Well that all went really well…and they were very pleased, so they asked us back! I wish I had a before photo to show you, BUT the after, as you can see, was a great success! This is a craftsman style home and they had the typical dated 1970’s kitchen, that needed renovating very badly. We are so proud of this one, it came out really, really nice and we came in right on budget and under schedule even with added work.

Today we completed another interesting project, we used a crane to move a prefabricated swim spa from the front driveway to the back of the house for a new additional area leisure area to house the swim spa and hot tub.
The delivery driver of the pool supplier showed us a video of a crane accident that happened a week ago when a crane crushed into a house trying to lift a pool into place, this only gave me more anxiety about the porject, AH! But, today all went well and the pool was placed, all the straps held the pool, and no damage was done, Yeah!

Check out our fun little slide show that shows the process of the assembled and coordinated lifting and placement for the 18′ (Long) x 8′ (Wide) x 6′ (deep) pool. The pool is manufactured by Endless Pools. Fine Construction built an enclosed spa room with colored concrete and southern windows to allow the sun to naturally light the pool/spa room. The owners are thrilled with their new outdoor recreation area. WHEW!

Here is how the room looked on day one of the transformation.

Today Billy Brandt, of Billy Brandt Painting, gave the fir ceiling in the living room a new look. He applied a white washed finish to lighten up a rather dull and dark living room ceiling. A mixture of 1 quart of glaze to 2 quarts of Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ in the Champagne on Ice color provides a fresh new “shabby chic” look to the room. Tomorrow he will be painting the walls!

As you can see the light ceiling will brighten the whole room and give all the elements, including the fireplace and windows and doors, a whole new look and feel to them.

Follow along as we show you the progress on this room makeover project and provide remodeling tips and inspiration to help you with your next project. Subscribe through RSS and get our updates in your preferred reader or check our blog every week for the update, enjoy!

There are many options for flooring. First, consider how you will use the room.  In a kitchen you will want to install a floor that is easy to clean and will stand up to spills and high traffic. In others areas such as a family room, den, bedrooms or living rooms, carpet will feel the best under foot. Wood flooring may be a better choice for some homes if residents have allergies and desire easy maintenance. In a dining area, hardwoods or laminates will be easiest to maintain. In entryways and bathrooms, ceramic tiles withstand moisture and dirt.

Flooring choices:

Wood Floors. We install many wood floors, mostly oak, because they look great and are very durable. Prefinished hardwoods like Lauzon, Mirage and Muskoka save the mess of sanding and sealing when installed. Specialty woods like hickory can make a home’s decor look more unique. Wide plank flooring is also gaining popularity with homeowners. A product we’ve installed is Carlisle wide plank flooring. Finishes are durable and the floor feels good underfoot.

Stone Flooring. Stone floors include slate, travertine, marble, limestone and even granite. Stone is mostly selected for aesthetics. If you are interested in stone flooring, spend some time doing research about its care. Some stone products are more porous and difficult to clean. You may want to purchase a piece and place it in the area where you would want it installed. Take off boots and place them on the stone, walk on the stone with muddy shoes, high heels or rubber soles. Try cleaning the stone with various products.  Since stone flooring is expensive, it makes sense to “try it out” before making a major investment.

Ceramic Tile. Ceramic tiles are being produced in fascinating new designs and colors. Some ceramic tiles look like wood floors or marble. Glazed ceramic tile is durable and easy to care for. If you install tile flooring in your home, always buy extra tiles in the event that a tile becomes cracked or chipped and requires replacement. Tiles may be discontinued or are produced in runs where colors may vary. It is good to have extra tiles on hand if you need to replace them.

Carpet. Carpet is versatile and more than 90 percent of products available are made of synthetic fibers, primarily nylon which holds its shape and resists stains. Carpet comes in two basic styles – looped and cut loop. Wool is probably the most expensive carpet and nothing beats it for its comfort under foot and durability. When purchasing carpet, don’t forget the pad. Padding not only provides comfort but adds insulation. Padding comes in various densities. The thicker the pad, the better it will perform. Vacuuming frequently will add to the life of the carpet. Professionally clean the carpet every year to year or two to refresh it.

Vinyl and Linoleum Flooring. Today’s vinyl and linoleum floors mimic more expensive flooring. Congoleum has a product called Duraceramic which looks like stone or hardwood. An interesting feature of this product is that it can be installed with grout. The 16 x 16 tiles have a limestone composite base and are scotchgarded, making them easy to clean. According to HGTV, linoleum is an eco-friendly product and is bio-degradable.

Laminate. Wood and stone “look” laminates mimic the look of more expensive flooring. If you’re considering installing a laminate floor be aware that there are significant differences in the quality of products that are on the market. Better quality laminates will cost more. Laminates are good for recovering existing flooring or areas where there is a concrete sub-floor. Some laminate products are “green” and use less wood than solid hardwoods. Laminates are also being produced with environment-friendly cores.

New Flooring Options. Cork flooring has resurfaced in homes because it is both eco-friendly and durable. Cork is harvested from the bark of the “Cork Oak” and trees are not cut down to produce the product. The largest cork suppliers are counties of Europe and North Africa, particularly those along the Mediterranean coast. Parquet flooring was once a valued feature of a home in the 1980s and is once again desirable in both new and older homes.

What is your favorite flooring?

Window Replacement
The type and quality of the window frame usually affect a window’s air infiltration and heat loss characteristics. Many window frames are available–all with varying degrees of energy efficiency. Some of the more common are fixed-pane, casement, awning, single and double-hung and horizontal sliding.

Fixed-Pane

When properly installed, fixed-pane windows are airtight and inexpensive and can be custom designed for a wide variety of applications. But because they cannot be opened, fixed-pane windows are unsuitable in places where ventilation is required.

Casement and Awning

Casement and awning windows with compression seals are moderately airtight and provide good ventilation when opened. Casement windows open sideways with hand cranks. Awning windows are similar to casement windows except that their hinges are located at the top of the window instead of at the sides. Windows with compression seals allow about half as much air leakage as double-hung and horizontal sliding window with sliding seals

Single and Double Hung.

Double-hung windows have top and bottom sashes (the sliding sections of the window) and can be opened by pulling up the lower sashes or pulling down the upper sash. Although they are among the most popular type of window, double-hung windows can be inefficient because they are often leaky. Single-hung windows are somewhat better because only one sash moves.

Horizontal Sliding

Horizontal sliding windows are like double-hung windows except that the sashes are located on the left and right edges rather than on the tops and bottoms. Horizontal sliding windows open on the side and are especially suitable for spaces that require a long, narrow view..

Frame Materials

Window frames are available in a variety of materials including aluminum, wood, vinyl, and fiberglass. Frames may be primarily composed of one material, or they may be a combination of different materials such as wood and vinyl. Each frame material has its advantages and disadvantages.

Aluminum

Though ideal for customized window design at low cost, aluminum frames cause conductive heat loss and condensation.

Wood

Wood frames have higher R-values, are unaffected by temperature extremes and are less prone to condensation, but they require considerable maintenance in the form of periodic painting. If wood frames are not properly protected from moisture, they can warp, crack, and stick.

Vinyl

Vinyl window frames, which are made primarily from polyvinyl chloride (pvc), offer many advantages. They are available in a wide range of styles and shapes, have moderate to high R-values, are easily customized, are competitively priced, require low maintenance, and mold easily into almost any shape. But vinyl frames are not strong or rigid, which limits the weight of glass that can be used. In addition, vinyl frames can soften, warp, twist, and bow.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass frames can be made in a variety of colors and can hold large expanses of glass. Some fiberglass frames are hollow; others are filled with fiberglass insulation.

More on door replacement products and choices in our next blog entry…

Authentic Home and Fine Construction Companies are very excited to get started on the living room of these lucky winners, and they seem pretty excited too! We met with the couple in their lovely home and discussed their personal lifestyle, family and vision for their living room.

Here are some of the tasks will be undertaking;

• select a new paint color
• paint the wood tongue & groove ceiling to give the living room a fresh new look and tie it in with the rest of the house
• update the fireplace surround with new tile
• rearrange the furniture to accommodate conversation, musical enjoyment as well a place for their young daughter to play
• rearrange the wall coverings and accessories

These before pictures of The Hamilton’s living room, show what a beautiful home they have and the wonderful room we have to work with. We will be updating our blog regularly with the step by step process, including pictures, paint colors used, design process and more…check back soon!