Oct 07

Fine Construction’s Newest Project – Design Build for a 1950’s Home

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Fine Construction, Inc. was hired for a Design/Build project for this 50’s style home located North of Burien, WA nestled on a hilltop with an incredible view of the Puget Sound.

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.

May 07

Now’s a Great Time to Replace those Windows and Doors

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Fine Construction wants to encourage all  homeowners to take advantage of this time of year and get those windows and doors replaced.  Not only is this great for heating and air conditioning costs but the are tax deductions and benefits are optimal with home improvements.  AND…Fine  Construction is offering discounts on installed products like woodclad, fiberglass and vinyl windows.  Below we have listed some of the product materials we offer. Now’s the time for a new window package. Call us or visit our website today.

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…
Jan 20

Pella Windows and Doors

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Ready for new windows and doors but don’t know where to begin? Pella, doing business since 1925, makes window and door replacement virtually effortless. Fine Construction trusts Pella products and will help you select the products that fit your needs, to installing them, to hauling your old windows away.  Our experts will be with you at every step.  When you choose Pella window and door replacement, your windows and doors are built with custom, quality craftsmanship.

One of the most common reasons to replace existing windows is to increase the energy efficiency of your home — which reduces your heating and cooling bills and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. You’ll notice the savings immediately — because poorly performing windows and doors cause heating and cooling loss in a home. You’re literally throwing money out the window!

Pella has a proud 85-year history of environmental stewardship and has been recognized for its energy efficiency leadership and sustainable business practices. You can feel good about choosing Pella windows and doors. Fine Construction, a green contractor,  is very of this fact and highly praises Pella for it’s 85 year commitment to the environment and great craftsmanship.

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.

Sep 09

Renovation in West Seattle, Arroyos is Underway

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The Floor is Framed and ready for walls

We’ve got the next renovation underway and a deadline in mind. This renovation consists of expanding the house to the North increasing the size of two bedrooms, relocating one bathroom and adding another. With this addition we are reconfiguring the front of the house for better street appeal, so friends and family members know where to go tot he front door.  The last project had the same problem.

I love the front of the house, why change it?

The homeowners had ideas of what they wanted and we sat down and started drawing. it didn’t take long to take their needs and put it on paper and then refine their ideas and our suggestions to come up with a nice flowing addition.  Thee design process went well. We produced a simple expansion so we could spend money on other parts of the house.  Stand by for Phase II coming up soon.

What I am enjoying right now is working with wonderful people. It’s nice when we communicate and keep the channels open and discuss what is coming and how it’s going to happen and what the impact will be for the clients so thy know what to expect.  The homeowners asked if they could stay int he house during the renovation and I said yes, but you will most likely be uncomfortable. Dust, inconvenience, interruption of utilities during the day, especially for the husband who works from home.

Out of my way, I've got concrete in my shovel

Out of my way, I've got concrete in my shovel

We excavated out the foundation and used Pacific Rim Equipment, Lee Forte is great and I’m glad he’s back in the game. We hauled out 30 yards of soil and for Phase II coming up shortly, we are looking at 40 yards and the only access is a small buggy, oh that’s going to be labor intensive.

Jeffery's On-site and Checking that everything is neat and organized

The Floor is framed and ready for walls

of We’ve got the trailer on-site, I’m so glad I made that investment, misc. parts are keep in it, in addition to some items being saved, especially for Seattle a place to keep things out of the rain.

The walls will be going up next and the following week we’ll get the trusses installed and ready for a roof.

Stay tuned for updates on this project, and watch for the next project, we’ve got in design. It’s a cute brick Tudor with a client that is organized and ready to make her dreams come true.

Aug 11

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

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What a great entryway to come home to

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.

Jul 02

New! Screen that Reduces Sun Penatration

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Stop the UV Rays in

I recently found a great product that is relatively inexpensive, it is a screen for your windows and it reduces the sun’s heat gain by 80%, WOW!  I don’t know if it is truly 80% but it does cut the heat gain and reduces the visibility some.

Stop the UV Rays in

The product is made by Phifer and the product is called Suntex. They offer an exterior screen and an interior shade, so no matter your application it appears they have a solution.

Neat product, especially when the sun is beating down on some of your windows.

This is significantly less money then installing a film on the glass or changing windows/glass with new windows/glass that have mirror glazing (glass).

This item is mildew resistant

Check it, or if you need new windows, contact me. 206-938-2300 x201

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