West Seattle Remodel | Fine Construction

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Apr 25

Hot Water Heaters – Efficiency, On Demand and more

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Eternal Hybrid Hot Water Heater

Fine Construction has been installing hot water heaters on all our current projects this month, this is not unusual, however, what is unusual is that no two have been the same. This week we are installing the Eternal Hybrid Water Heater unit, the cream of the crop of water heaters. With a 2 gallon storage tank, you won’t have to wait long for hot water like other traditional on demand units. The Eternal is 98% efficient, said to be the most efficient hybrid hot water tank on the market.

GE GEOSpring Hybrid Hot Water Heaterhot water.

The next installation was a space ship looking hot water heater, the GE GEOSpring Hot Water Heater, another hybrid that uses electricity and air, typical of the heat pump technology. It stores hot water like the hot water tank that we all grew up with but with the heat pump technology it can save 25% of the cost of heating hot water.

Rinnai On Demand Hot Water Heater

The other hot water tank Fine Construction installed was the on-demand hot water tank. We specified the need for the Rinnai on-Demand Hot Water Heater, because the home has three bathrooms, and requires an up sized gas line due to the amount of gas needed to heat the water for this size home. These units are of great use if you have multiple bathrooms used for bathing and a large family using water all at the same time, especially a house full of girls, or teenagers in general. With the Rinnai on-demand unit, you’ll never run out of hot water.

This is why I decided to install the on demand unit in our home; with 3 ladies in the house I am usually the last one to shower, with the on demand unit I am guaranteed hot water, Yay! However, there is one downfall to this product, there is a wait time until you get the hot water. Once the demand has been made for the hot water, (turning on the hot faucet), the water starts heating and you have to wait for it to come to you. The great part of the product is not running out of hot water.

Finally the classic hot water heater. With all the energy efficient units on the market, I was surprised when one of our client wanted a regular 50 gallon electric hot water heater. There is only two people in this household so the payback would be a long time for a hybrid unit to pay for itself. But that’s why our suppliers offer all the different models. Call Fine Construction today and we can help you choose the right unit for you. (206) 938-2300

Feb 28

Ductless Heating and Air Conditioning Systems

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Here’s something new! Have you heard about Ductless heating and air conditioning systems? Now you can add heat or air conditioning, or both, to any room or multiple rooms in your home without installing ducts to move the air. If you have a room that you would like to add air conditioning to or several rooms that get a little too toasty in the summer months, this is a great system for you! No extensive installations, no unsightly window air conditioners.

BUT, here’s the best part for all you Seattle City Light customers; They will help you upgrade to a Ductless Heating and Cooling System with a $1,200 rebate. Seattle City Light is participating in this regional effort along with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and other regional utilities. Visit SCL’s Going Ductless site to learn more about the program and to see if a ductless heat pump is right for you.

Feb 20

Fine Construction at the Seattle Home Show this Week

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It’s the 67th annual Seattle Home Show and Fine Construction’s 3rd year! Come on out to Qwest Field Event Center this week and stop by our booth (#520) so we can show you all the great new home remodeling, new build and renovation products and ideas we are using now and in the future. We are very excited to launch Fine Exteriors; a division of our company that will bring amazing and innovative protection to homes in the Northwest.

Here’s what you will find at the Seattle Home Show this year;

Nearly 600 displays of home and garden products plus “IDEA STREET”, featuring landscaped model homes; daily “Meet the Experts” seminars; model kitchens and bath vignettes; the newest in building products and materials; landscape displays; living green, highlighting ways for homeowners to recycle and reduce waste; plus arts & crafts and home decorating ideas; and a special wine tasting area, presented by Lulu Boutique of Lake Chelan.
Show hours; M-Th 10am – 6pm, Fri 10am – 8pm, Sat 10am – 6pm, Sun 10am – 6pm View the Seminar Schedule and we’ll see YOU at that SHOW!

Jan 14

Bellevue Home and Lifestyles Show

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Jan 04

New Project – Brick Tudor Remodel and Restoration

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FINE Construction broke ground recently on a new remodel project on north Admiral in West Seattle. This brick Tudor family home was is in serious need of updating, the bricks were loose and the exterior needed attention. We have almost completed the tuckpointing.

Tuckpointing Definition: The process of repairing a mortar joint in a brick wall is called “tuckpointing.” The term comes from the process of tucking mortar into the damaged mortar joint with the point of a trowel called a “pointing trowel.” Tuckpointing is a critical maintenance task and keeps water from entering the brick wall cavity. If water is allowed to get past the mortar and into the wall, brick failure may occur such as cracking or spalling (popping off of the brick face). In addition to the brick on the gable ends we will be applying traditional 3 coat Stucco, giving this Tudor another 40 plus years of maintenance free life, Yeah!

The electrical is presently a knob and tube wiring system which we will replace as much as we possibly can in this home. The new light fixtures are period reproductions from Rejuvenation Seattle. We are installing a Pella French Door with Mahogany interior millwork. The interior trim for the main floor will be replaced with Mahogany trim and stained. The main floor bathroom is totally gutted and will have a claw foot tub, representing the original 1920’s look and feel.

The back yard has been laid out for a new multi-level deck utilizing IPE Decking to enjoy the beautiful garden.

Nov 15

New Project – Deck Rot – Phase 1

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Our newest project came to us as a deck inspection request with rotten lumber as the main concern. At first glance the decks looked a bit neglected and of poor design from the inception and needing maintenance quite some time ago. Our first step out onto the deck revealed much more than just some rotten lumber, it was unstable and not even safe to walk on.

This project has multiple issues that will complicate a simple deck rebuild. One of the decks is located above a garage that has been leaking in multiple areas. This garage is partially located on a neighbor’s property, which makes this project even more complicated. We asked the neighbor if his garage was leaking also, and yes it was. The neighbor, lucky for us, was amenable to participate in the waterproofing of the roofing decking systems, solving one of the many issues we need to address.

The next issue we needed to deal with is a structural wall that needs to be replaced, yet the budget does not allow this to be completed at this time. There is water saturating the soil behind the wall, so we will have to redirect the water away from the wall as a temporary resolution. Because there are 6 different walls that connect to the multiple decks we had a long day of working on the layout to make it look aesthetically pleasing to the homeowners. We found that that the decks were out of square and in need of leveling which can be solved by installing new framing. We will using Azek decking with a picture frame layout. Stay tuned for Phase II as this project progresses.

Azek Decking left / aged wood right

Sep 25

Remodel Home Tour, October 16 & 17, Fine Construction Shows West Seattle Remodel

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The MBA’s (Master Builders Association) Remodel Home Tour is once a year and features 19 remodeled homes throughout King and Snohomish counties. We at Fine Construction, Inc. have participated in the Remodel Home Tours and the Remodel Kitchen and Bath Tour. This is a chance for contractors to show the public the craftsmanship and great materials used to renovate these homes.

Metal Stair System with Stainless Steel Cables

This is a chance for you to meet and talk with contractors like myself and see, touch and feel the finishes. We have a project in West Seattle. This home was just recently renovated, we added a third story addition

This project consists of renovations to multiple areas of the house. The project was developed by the Fine Construction Design Team and the Homeowners. Our design meetings are simple, we meet to discuss the clients needs and requirements, then we discuss their dreams and wish-list. From this we start off in the right direction, instead of us just designing something to see if the clients like it. We designed the addition to the clients desires.

For these clients they had 3 bedrooms and needed 4 bedrooms. So it made sense to add a new suite for the parents with a new bathroom. The home sits on top of a hill with views to the south and southwest.

It made sense to do an addition to the house by adding a third floor for the new master suite. The position of the addition is great providing incredible views from the bedroom and bathroom. Of course we put a window int he shower and at the soaking tub. As you walk from the main floor to the master suite the stair treads are Tigerwood hardwood flooring, rich colors come out from the wood flooring and the Tigerwood runs through the master suite and into the master closet. The handrail is a black powder coated metal handrail with stainless steel cables running horizontally. For the new windows we applied a mirrored glazing on the exterior to minimize the heat gain, minimizing the heat that comes into t e rooms.

The master bathroom has oval tiles running down the wall, giving the faux look of water running down the wall to the floor with more oval tiles. On the west wall there is a window (obscure glass of course) in the shower, it’s great that they can stand in the shower and open the window and enjoy the incredible views. What a great way to start your day! The bathroom floor is comfortable during the cold mornings with the heated floor under your feet. There are two vanities, with one vanity that has a sink and faucet and the other is setup for makeup. It’s nice that there is plenty of storage with both. On the mirrors are strip fluorescent light fixtures.

The entry is a open space with room to great guest, family and friends. The front door is a Fir, 5 panel door with opaque glass and a custom door lever with a remote entry lock. You can be in your car and unlock the front door. Also at the front door is a video camera and on each floor inside the house are video monitors. For the main floor we added Tech lighting and 7.1 surround sound system for the enjoyment of the living room music system and large flat screen TV. It’s nice having the music going while relaxing in the living room. Tech lighting is a favorite of the owners and we installed several new Tech fixtures throughout the house.

The new concrete walkway to the front door had a dark gray color added tot he concrete and large pavers where placed in a random pattern. A curved retaining wall was built and we installed LED walkway lights in the wall.

The exterior front of the house has a trellis made of clear cedar which is the left of the garage doors. The garage doors are black aluminum with opaque glass panels. The Trellis is made of clear cedar and large timber. In addition to the front of the house, all new siding was installed due tot he installation of plywood to the framing, (the house had no plywood or and shear walls, the siding was nailed right to the siding) we used Hardie Plank siding. With the building of the third floor master suite, this made part of the the deck on the second floor covered for a good portion of it. Now they can cook on the grill and even eat outside under the covered deck and enjoy eating outside. The new deck has Trex decking that was installed with hidden fasteners and a aluminum railing with glass panels, so this doesn’t block any of the view and also cuts down some of the wind.

We thoroughly enjoyed working with these clients, the kids liked having our carpenters see them off to school and their activities. The design provides a nice flow through the house and the addition looks like it was originally part of the house. They will have a great place to entertain and relax. If you would like to discuss your dreams an ideas, contact Fine Construction today to begin making your dreams come to reality.

Aug 11

3rd Story Addition in West Seattle, Completed and Goergous!

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Brazilian Cherry landing and Stairs

This project was a great project from start to finish. The client were great to deal with and we exceeded their expectations.

The entry was very important to the clients. In the original design of the house, when you arrived at the front of the house you didn’t know where the front door was. We moved the front door towards the front of the house by 25′. The exterior has colored concrete with large slate pieces laid in the concrete walkway. In addition to the walkway, we poured a curved concrete wall with LED lights in the concrete wall.

Beautiful Fir Stained Doors and Slate Floor

The entry is so sweet! There is a lot of room in this entryway to comfortably remove your coat, shoes, hat, backpack, skies, snowshoes and roller blades. Now you are ready to stroll thru what we’ve completed. The entry has Fir doors a with clear coat. The floors are a slate 12″ x 24″ tiles. The door has a remote entry so all you do is come near the door and it unlocks. A great feature is the mail slot located outside (of course, better outside than inside) and we made a custom metal chute for the mail to slide to a convenient out of site place for the mail. Another great feature is the video camera the front door with video monitors on each floor so the homeowners can see who is at he front door and communicate with whom ever is at the front door.

A stairway to relaxation

The railing was a great part of this project, we brought the railing design to the clients and together the team approach developed a beautiful piece of art. The top rail is Brazilian cherry mounted to black powder coated steel and stainless steel cables integrated horizontally.

A great place to relax and get reinvigorated

The Soaking tub in this master is just what the homeowners were looking for when we designed this master bath. The added benefit is the window, they can open the window a little and have a view of the sound and the Olympic mountains, soaking doesn’t get any better than that. Quartz counter top with under mount sink and the in-wall faucets set this bathroom apart form your typical bathroom.

Showering in Style, Custom Glass Panel on the Right Wall

The shower provides an experience on it’s own with the tiles on the wall cascading down tot he floor giving the illusion of a waterfall. But look to your left and out the window and you’ll see the Puget Sound waterway and beyond that the Olympic mountains. Showering doesn’t get any better than this.

This project was a true pleasure form the design to the end and now the our clients get to enjoy these wonderful spaces with their family and friends.