3/10/2010

Due to weather events, R. Craig Lord University has rescheduled the Spring 2010 Seminar Series.  New Dates are as follows:

Remodeling 103: “The Plumbing Show”

See the New Products for Kitchen and Bath!

Guest Speakers:

Jeff Perry, Kohler Representative

Cathy Quinn, Weinstein Supply

MONDAY MARCH 22, 2010 @ 7:00pm

Remodeling 104: “Five Steps to a Successful Remodeling Project”

Presented by: R. Craig Lord, President

SATURDAY APRIL 3, 2010 @ 10:00am

Tune Up Your House: “Learn how to improve your home’s comfort and safety while saving money in the process”

*Rebates up to $10,000.00 are available now.

Presented by: Anthony Provost, Certified BPI Auditor

SATURDAY APRIL 10, 2010 @ 10:00 am

All seminars are complimentary and limited to the first 15 registered guests.  To register, call: (856) 235-4237 or email: ines@rcraiglord.com.

R. Craig Lord Construction Co. will be hosting a

food drive for the holiday season.

Donations will benefit Bridge of Peace Community Church.

All non-perishable food items are accepted.  Below are some suggestions:

Canned tuna/ham/chicken- beef stew- chili- peanut butter-canned/dried beans

100% fruit juice- canned fruits and vegetables- instant potatoes- fruit preserves-rice- past & sauce- hearty soups-instant oatmeal

If you would like to participate, please drop off food items at our office:

1237 North Church Street

Moorestown, NJ 08057

Hrs: 8am-4 pm

Give us a call for directions- 856-235-4237

Please contribute by Friday December 11^th, 2009.

As we enter the month of November, days are getting shorter, and so is our punch-list for this beautiful new family room.  Flooring is freshly finished, and will need to be protected during the final days of work.  The days of dangling light bulbs are dwindling, as the electrician gets to work with his finish installations.

New flooring is continuous through to the kitchen.  This feature, combined with the enlarged opening, dramatically improves the flow between the two rooms.

A hanging light fixture is already installed in the new powder room, and it looks like somebody couldn’t help but start decorating…unless the electrician left behind his peacock feathers.  Plumbing fixtures are on site, and will be set in place later this week.

Behold, the barn door shutter!  Susan and Janice approached us early on in the project about incorporating this.  Originally, the idea was to have a set of shutters flanking the french doors, but limited wall area influenced the final design.  The door’s track spans both sets of doors, so the shutter can be positioned over either one.  The door itself was custom built by Gary back in our workshop.

With the new siding painted, we can begin to appreciate the blending of old and new work.  It wasn’t easy matching materials and sight lines, but this looks pretty good.

Back inside, another barn door is hung at the powder room hall.  The door is a salvage piece that Susan acquired, and the hardware was reused from one of the old kitchen doors.  Behind the door, you’ll notice that the wrought iron spindles are also installed.

In the boiler room, the HVAC installers are busy working on the new heating system.  The new wall hung boiler replaces both the monstrous boiler and the hot water tank that completely filled this space previously.  The reclaimed space will be used for a laundry room and storage for home theater equipment.  The rectangular outline visible in the wood floor is the crawlspace access panel.

The work site is particularly welcoming today as a cozy fire takes the edge off a chilly autumn morning.  The floor is completely installed, and now covered for protection while the painter gets to work.

In the kitchen, we get a glimpse of the farmhouse pine floors.  Early next week, the flooring will be sanded and finished with a clear coat.

Back in the family room, vertical wood paneling is installed on the “stall wall”.  Mike is currently working on a frame to house the wrought iron spindles which will complete the effect, meant to evoke the horse stalls that originally occupied the space.

New flooring is on site.  Of course, I use the term “new” loosely.  The reclaimed wood is actually “Farmhouse grade historic heart pine”.  Reclaimed, or antique, flooring is manufactured by deconstructing old buildings that would otherwise be destroyed.  As a result, the material is both sustainable and distinctive.  For more information on reclaimed wood flooring, check out the supplier’s website by following the link below:

http://www.mountainlumber.com/index.php

As a point of interest, Mountain Lumber is currently offering limited edition “Guiness Oak” flooring made from antique vats from the Guinness brewery in Dublin.

At the progress meeting, Craig and Mike meet with  Susan and Janice to discuss scheduling and selections.  In the picture above, we are viewing the new family room from the existing kitchen.  The opening between the two rooms has been widened to improve flow, and kitchen flooring was removed.  Craig is explaining how he intends to address a rather significant hump in the floor between the two rooms.

Mike is applying a jamb to the antique door salvaged by Susan.  This door will be installed at the powder room.

Installation of new wood siding is now complete.  With a little paint, it should blend right in with the existing work.

The modified bitumen roofing at the window wells was finished with a specialized version of the product which approximates the texture and color of roof shingles.

Back inside, sheetrock is hung, taped, and spackled, so it’s on with the fun part…finishes!  Previously in the blog, we alluded to many of the creative uses of reclaimed and re-purposed materials involved in this project, so it’s exciting to see some of these ideas start to materialize.

Outside the laundry/mechanical room, salvaged doors from the company’s office @ 1237 North Church Street are hung.  Layers of old paint were painstakingly removed by client Susan Gamble, and her efforts have been rewarded with a truly unique design element.

In the powder room, wood paneling from the carriage house’s horse stalls are reused as wainscoting.  Careful planning was required to get the coverage required from the material available (they don’t exactly sell this stuff at Home Depot).  Gaps at the bottom will be covered by baseboard once the new floor is installed.

In the main room, a sliding barn door has a new home, housing the electric panel (above left).  On the opposite wall, masonry work is completed for the new wood stove (above right).  The character of the room is certainly starting to take shape, but there’s still plenty of work yet to be done.

Last night, R. Craig Lord Construction officially started the next chapter of the company’s history with an open house celebration.  After nearly 30 years, the company headquarters is back to where it all started, in the mid-19th century farmhouse at 1237 North Church Street.

Over fifty members of the company’s extended “family” attended, including; employees, subcontractors, and clients past and present.  Attendees reminisced over past projects and observed the extensive renovations now completed here at the office.  Many thanks to all who attended and contributed to a very special evening for all of us here at R. Craig Lord Construction.

For those of you who were not able to attend, here’s a little tour (before and after photos included where possible)

The front entrance is transformed thanks to the beautiful custom built door by David Ramsay Cabinetmakers Inc. of Moorestown.  The new door features a 1/2 glass pane that floods the entrance foyer with natural light.  The original doors were salvaged and lovingly restored by Susan Gamble and Janice Stanek for use in their ongoing renovation.  The staircase at right was carefully refinished, preserving the natural beauty of the mahogany rails, maple spindles, and pine treads.

The large first floor family room has been re-imagined as distinct work spaces.  Original pine flooring was uncovered and refinished; the floor has proven to be one of the more remarkable elements of the house.  Built-up crown moulding adds a visual break for the 10′ ceilings, and is accented by LED rope lighting seated behind the moulding (the effect is a bit more dramatic when the room is darkened).

Our new kitchen was designed as a demonstrator.  The materials used are indicative of the work we do. Moreover, the openness of the room reflects its’ intended purpose as a communal space for cooking demonstrations, seminars, workshops, and client consultations.  Appliances and cabinetry were supplied by Apple Kitchens of Moorestown.  Counter tops  were supplied and installed by Westwood tile of Cherry Hill.  (westwoodtile.com)  The material itself is a distinctive blend of recycled glass and concrete manufactured by Icestone of Brooklyn, NY.  (icestone.biz)  Another sustainable design detail is the cork flooring used in the kitchen area.

Lighting for the kitchen and dining/conference area is provided by energy efficient LED recessed fixtures.  The LED television is networked for multimedia presentations.

Out of sight (but not out of mind) are the improvements to the building shell.  Exterior walls were retrofitted with blown in insulation to improve the thermal barrier.  Air sealing and improvements to the storm windows reduced air infiltration nearly 30% (as measured with the blower door, pictured above right)!  These measures have made the building significantly more comfortable, and reduced our energy consumption in the process.

Well, that’s about it.  If you would like to see the office for yourself, stop by when you get a chance.  Also, if you’re interested in hosting a community event/cooking demonstration/ (insert creative function here), we’re open to suggestions, just give us a call.

With insulation in place, sheet-rock is up and running.  This stage of the project is rather time consuming as the spackling  requires significant dry time.  Regardless, there’s plenty of work outside to keep us occupied until indoor finishes are ready.

A close-up shot of the rafters just before the ceiling is covered.  Insulation was applied directly to the roof deck to create an unvented roof assembly.  Commonly, insulation is applied at the ceiling, allowing the “attic” space to reach extreme temperatures as heat is absorbed through the roof.  In this scenario, vents are employed to circulate the air and also to remove built up moisture.  By moving the insulation to the roof deck, the “attic” space is kept conditioned and eliminates the need for venting.  We used a foam/batt hybrid system consisting of a layer of foam insulation, covered with a traditional fiberglass batt.  In addition to increasing the R-value of the installation, the foam offers added benefits in the way of air selaing.

Outside, Gary and Dave install the cedar siding.  Existing siding will be removed to the bottom of the second floor window to blend the transition as seamlessly as possible.  Making the finishes of an addition tie-in with existing work is particularly challenging, but it’s one of the hallmarks of a quality job.

After the holiday weekend, it’s back to work time.  While plumbing and electric rough-ins wrap up, cedar siding is primed in preparation for installation later this week.  At the rear corner of the house, the electrician is trenching a new power supply to the shed.

Initial plumbing and electric inspections are scheduled for tomorrow, with the insulator prepared to follow.

Craig and Gary inspect the new roof job.

The low pitch of the window wells required a membrane roof.  In this case, modified bitumen was used.  The discoloration shown is the result of torching the membrane to fit corners of the well.  A colored finish coat will complete the job.  Some siding repair is also needed to provide a finished look to the transition between original exterior wall and the new roof.