Kitchen Face Lift

Recently we worked on a project in a home we were very familiar with. A home that we had worked on a lot for the previous owner was sold. The new owners bought the home as an investment. They wanted to make the kitchen more neutral, and update the look of the cabinets to increase the value and appeal of the home.

The existing kitchen with blue floor tile, blue back splash tile, and laminate front cabinet doors.


The existing floor tile was solid and installed on a concrete underlayment so we were able to install 12"x12" almond floor tile over it and the 1"x1" back splash tile over the existing back splash tile.

The cabinets were in good shape so we only replaced the doors and drawer fronts.

Timber Frame Roof on Kusa Addition

The Timber Frame Roof on our Kusa Addition is underway. The ridge beam and rafters were sawn from pine logs at a local Amish saw mill.

The 4"x7" rafters are notched to fit the 4"x11" ridge beam.

Framing Begins on Kusa Room Addition

The framing begins at our Kusa Room Addition. 2x10 floor joists are installed 16" on center to support the 3/4 " Advantech flooring panels. Advantech sub floors are both stronger and more weather resistant than either plywood or osb floors, and offer a 50 year warranty.

The floor panels are glued and nailed to the joists to avoid floor squeaks.

The walls on this project are built with 2x4 studs and 7/16 osb sheathing, which is typical for residential construction.

Lake Front Bathroom Remodel Slideshow

Paving Stone Patio

I was recently called by a customer on Nez Perce in Hide-A-Way Hills to replace a patio. The existing patio had been built using 12x12 flag stones. The flag stones had been installed incorrectly and had become uneven and cracked causing an unsightly and dangerous area.


To install the new patio the old stones were removed along with the pea gravel underneath. We then placed a border of pressure treated 6x6 timbers to contain a base of compacted, crushed limestone.


The limestone was then covered with a layer of leveled sand to to provide a stable base to set the paving stones. The patern we chose is called Muster K it is made with offset crosses of 4x6 stones with 4x4 stones filling in .

Foundation at Kusa Addition

The 2 most important parts of a building are the foundation and the roof. If the foundation is put in properly, and the roof is built and maintained well, the building can last for hundreds of years.

The foundation consists of a concrete footer, in this case 24"x10" with two 1/2" horizontal iron rebar. The footers support the foundation walls which are normally made of poured concrete or concrete block. We chose concrete block on this project to match the existing house. The block is covered with a waterproof membrane to keep moisture out of the basement or crawlspace.

A perimeter drain system consisting of a perforated pipe covered with gravel is placed at the base of the foundation wall to carry away any water at the footer.



It is also important that when the foundation walls are back filled and graded that the ground slopes away from the house, which can be difficult on lots of this type.

Kusa Room Addition

This week we broke ground

on Kusa Lane in Hide-A-Way Hills. The sloped lot is typical for H-A-H and creates interesting if not difficult building conditions. Our excavator is very experienced working on these types of home sites and was able to create an area to build on that will minimise the effect of the water from the hillside above.

Floor Tile in Lakefront Bathroom

The drywall on our lakefront remodel is finished, sanded, and primed. Today we installed the tile floor. The owners chose a 1" hexagon tile that we applied over 1/4 " concrete backer board.

Lakefront Bathroom Remodel Continues

The work continues at our lake front remodel. A new 34"x 60" fiberglass shower has been installed to replace the old 32"x 32" unit. These showers are designed to fit in bathrooms that have a standard 5' tub, but worked out great in our new design.


The walls have been insulated and drywalled and the first 2 coats of joint compound have been applied.

Bathroom Remodel on a Lakefront Cabin

This week we started work on a Bathroom Remodel on a Lakefront Cabin in Hide-A-Way Hills. The owners requested a larger shower along with adding a laundry. Because of the age and original use of the cabin, there is not a current laundry. Cabins which are missing laundry facilities are not uncommon in HAH. This is the second laundry addition since March.























The pictures taken at the beginning of the project display the old fixtures , paneling, and the original use of space. By expanding the bath area into a small hallway and reconfiguring the two closets, we were able to create an area to add a stackable washer-dryer.

In our demo, we thought we were removing the original bathroom in the cabin. However, in talking with a long time member of Hide-A-Way Hills, and previous owner of the cabin, I learned he had upgraded this bathroom many years ago. I had never heard of such an item, but it appears the cabin was built with a destroy-let, a toilet without water that used propane burners to incinerate the waste.

Hardwood Floor Installation