People often call us and inquire if we have metal siding. Naturally we do because metal siding is just metal roofing used to clad or cover walls. One thing you should be aware of though is that there are some metal roofing panels that do not work well for siding but all in all, metal siding is just metal roofing used for another purpose other than roofing.

Make sure to look at the gallery. See Metal Roofing »

Frosty Effects Showroom Addition

Most people know that I’ve been putting a lot of work into the showroom for Frosty Effects Construction.  Soon you will be able to stop in any time and see it for yourself.

If you can imagine it, you’ll see it here, with the Frosty Effects of course.

The physical property lot makes this a very Non-Standard construction project.  The garage was falling down and according to the property dimensions I could not even effectively replace it with a decent sized attached garage and a detached garage was simply out of the question due to the lot size.

That being the case, we decided to maximize the livable space while modifying the entire floor-plan.  Let’s just put it this way, we did it like this because we can.

One of the most amazing things I have learned doing remodeling came in 2009.  The main floor of this house was divided roughly into quarters.  Each divided by a wall with a 4’ arch opening.  When this whole process started, we removed the walls on the main floor and installed new load bearing beams as needed.

I must explain a little bit about the house.  It was built in 1900 and the windows were original. It was very drafty, even with window plastic and storm windows installed.  We had serious trouble getting the house above 65 degrees while the walls were in place, and that was with a space heater and the furnace running constantly.

The day after we removed the walls and installed the new beams, I came home and it was 95 degrees in the house.  That’s what both thermostats read.The basic explanation for this is the same with the atmosphere and heat gradients.  We all know that hot air rises, and cold air sinks.  This transfer had become very efficient at this house with the siding in bad shape, the insulation being insufficient and the windows drafty as they were.

The point is this, the walls separated the rooms enough to allow the heated air to collect up top and escape through infiltration and exfiltration.

With the walls gone, all that air was free to move thought the house and actually heat the entire space.

Once the demolition of the siding and old insulation was completed from the exterior, we took out some trash.

By trash, I mean the front porch, the back porch, the garage and a bunch of foundation walls.  Once the excavation was done, we poured the footings, laid the block foundation wall and raced Mother Nature to get the addition framed and roofed.  It was a good race and gladly I can say we beat the clock.  With the majority of the new walls insulated and framed it was time to go back to work.

The Addition Phase was completed November 2009; all in all we added a 16’ x 30’ basement, first floor and rooftop balcony.  That’s almost 1000 sf of livable area which will eventually be a guest room on the main floor with a Custom Frosty Bathroom, and a complete basement theater and entertainment room and an additional Frosty Bathroom.

Christmas this year was the first time I was able to dedicate any time to it since.  I was able to take advantage of the holiday to do lots to the main floor.

We finished all the re-wiring of the main floor both the existing house and the addition, we finished the framing of all permanent walls and installed new structural supports to reduce floor deflection, we installed insulation and drywall with knockdown texture throughout the entire main floor and stairwell.

We also installed a custom Frosty Effects wood ceiling and prepped the main floor for something that I have never seen before aside from in my mind.  I will have a stained glass skylight clock as the centerpiece of the main floor.  Trust me, it’ll be pretty cool.

With all the demolition of the old walls, we had to repair quite a bit of the Oak Floor.  As I say again and again, you really do need very durable surfaces in the entry’s of your home.  Installing Porcelain tile with radiant flooring was the most stylish and practical thing for me, especially since I love to cook and spend a good deal of time in the kitchen.

With the oak removed from the entry, we had enough to remove a large section and repair it with the salvaged floor.  Once done we sanded all the flooring and installed the new finish.  It’s a custom blend of some spiced red and aged oak. We installed a water based finish that contains aluminum oxide – a very hard and durable compound which is important when you have two horses running around like I do.

The Frosty Effects ceiling treatments is going to be pretty amazing.  I used some techniques from Julian Beaver to develop the lighting scheme, and as we all know, it’s the way we use light in our construction that sets us apart from everybody else. We installed a custom oak ceiling and soffit specifically designed for the Frosty Effects.

With a couple nice days to work to work with outside, we installed some areas of siding and window wraps.

Once the drywall was painted I couldn’t help myself.  We set up a couch and a pool table in the new main floor, and then we rested.

To be continued.

Lisa had a tiny kitchen; her living room was also crowded with her dining room set.

We came to the rescue and added a new kitchen addition for her. 

As you can see, we removed the back wall area of her house which had lots of wasted space via broom closets and built in shelves. 

We were limited on the size of the addition due to property dimensions, but we were able to maximize the materials by building to nominal unit sizes.

By that I mean that since plywood is available in a 4×8 sheet, we can make a 12’ wide addition and waste very little materials while getting the most bang for your buck.

The kitchen received a new patio door and deck which leads out to the back yard and the garage.  Also included were complete custom cabinets and a built-in breakfast nook which eliminated the extra space for the dining room table and its chairs.

Top the project off with a new vinyl privacy fence and you are able to entertain and enjoy your outdoor living area as well as the new kitchen space.

Steve had plans for a garage addition; a couple years back he started the process in motion.  At that point in time, he got the plans approved with the Building and Safety Department and installed the foundation for his future garage.

Steve looked to the Better Business Bureau for contractors for this Garage Addition. Our A+ Rating in the BBB earned us a shot at the project.  He called us and inquired about finishing the project.  Steve was very helpful as he had all the plans and specifications ready for us.  Everything was nicely detailed and we were able to get the exact siding and roofing materials that had been installed years earlier.

Since the foundation was already in place, we needed to simply frame the garage, install the doors and windows, install the vinyl siding and accessories and tie in the new roofing.

The interior would be bare for now, later Steve plans on finishing that as well.

For now, Steve has an additional attached garage and parking space which is a great place to keep the boat.

This project is underway and ongoing but as you all know, the carpenter works on his house last.  This is partly true, but I am working on this as I am creating a showroom along the way. 

Someday soon the unveiling of the new showroom will be announced and all are welcome to the open house.

The bedroom portion of the Frosty Effects Showroom converted two small bedrooms into one master bedroom as well as the modification of the bathroom area which in turn created more walk-in closet area.

Future planning of the addition meant the installation of an entry door where a window opening used to be.  We re-sized the openings to install the new windows in the bathroom and the bedroom and the entry door indicated above.  The funny part about that door is the fact that it was the door to nowhere for a long time. 

Now the door leads out to the Master Balcony – a 16’ x 30’ roof-top deck consisting of a low slope metal roof system and composite decking.  The Posts and railing are going to be much like that of the Monster Deck with the same methods of Frosty Effects to be included.

The bathroom was re-configured and a massive custom walk-in shower was installed.  The reason for this portion of the project is easy to see.  The roof-line was very low in the tub area.  This area was awkward to access regardless so we moved a wall, encompassed the hallway in the bathroom and created the new and improved custom shower area.

By installing a bench near the exterior we eliminated the head-height problem all together.  Also, the installation of the Clear Polycarbonate Bubble Skylight turned the shower into a natural spa like paradise.

You’ll notice the bench area has an extended headrest in the middle.  This is the lower waterfall; the upper waterfall opening is located on the wall with the shower controls.  The 2^nd valve controls the upper and lower showers heads.

The existing oak floors were all sanded and re-finished in a custom walnut color.  The walls were repaired and a new drywall surface installed with knockdown texture.  There is a bed nook which I designed to be the main area a bed is ever placed.  There are multiple shelves with plenty of outlets for all your electronic equipment, a recessed trash-can area, additional storage benches and as you can see, a spot for the bedroom refrigerator.  Furthermore, we added an upper display shelf which is wired for communications and data lines for the future projector location.

When all is said and done, we converted the 10×10 bedroom and the 10×13 bedroom into a 13’ x 20’ Master Bedroom with a 5’ x 8’ walk-in closet, and a 10’ x 10’ master bathroom which contains the 36 square foot Custom Shower.

Your average tub has 6.75 square feet.  Let me know if you would like to experience the difference 30 square feet can make in your shower.

The Better Business Bureau is responsible for this job. You see, Frosty Effects has a perfect rating in quality and customer satisfaction.  When searching for a contractor, they searched through the BBB.  Frosty Effects Construction has a perfect A+ rating in the BBB as a highly regarded Construction Company.

We were asked for a bid on an addition – basement and first floor.  Once we started talking options we included a deck for storage in the attic.  The total addition proposed was a 16’x38’ area which is just over 1200 square feet additional live-able area and almost 400sf of accessible attic storage area.

We talked about the schedule and decided Mother Nature was going to smile on us and we began right away.  We were lucky with weather until the last day we needed good weather.  We got the roof enclosed, roofing installed and then it snowed.  The blizzard of 2009 was a good one.  Remember being stranded over Christmas 2009?

We got this enclosed and finished before the deadline set of the 2009 Super-bowl.

The project included the demolition of the garage near the house, the excavation of a new basement area, installation of new footings and the underpinning of the old foundation.  Also, we framed the addition matching the roof line keeping the look of the house consistent.

The interior was finished with a spacious 16’x18’ master bedroom, an 8×10 walk-in closet, a master bathroom with custom walk-in shower, a new utility room, a laundry room, and pantry on the main floor.  The basement area contains and additional two bedrooms and another full bath. 

It’s hard to tell that an addition was even added from the outside, but that’s how it should be.

This project involved the complete removal and replacement of the footings, excavation for an addition, footing and foundation replacement including Lite-Form technology, and all the flatwork and concrete finishing.  That’s just the foundation.  We also remodeled and refinished the entire house which is now almost 3500 sf vs. the 1000 sf that originally existed.

As you can see in the pictures, we had to support the house, knock out the foundation walls cut and remove the footings and re-install new footings. 

The foundation walls were re-installed using the Lite-Form system of insulated concrete.  This not only incorporates the R-30 insulation value, but it also offsets a couple costly processes in basement remodeling.

The insulation system has attachment points which you can fasten the drywall directly to.  As far as insulation, it’s already installed.  You simply have to create channels for wiring to run the electrical and move onto the drywall installation.

The patio, window well caps and driveway all used standard concrete methods and materials.  The garage on the other hand did not.

Notice the use of Lite-Deck for the garage floor.  The concrete floor/ceiling is a T-system similar to parking garage “T’s” but on a residential scale.  With proper steel reinforcement and concrete we created an extra room below the garage which measures 15’x25’.  The neat thing is the fact that it only cost about $3000 for the option and they got nearly 375 sf.  That’s about $8.00/sf base cost which is much less than the $100/sf for your average building.  A little more excavation and taller foundation walls, it was that easy.

Kim loves how her kitchen remodel converted her 5’x10’ kitchen into a 10’x26’ kitchen.  Open floor-plans are a great thing, making your space feel open adds layout and decorating options you never imagined.  We re-finished the oak floors and Kim installed her own tile floor including a lovely transition tile centerpiece.  Now they can describe to people easily where the old and new start and end.

The back deck area also adds an extra appealing factor.  The house is officially A.D.A. Accessible.  The way that the back deck and entry incorporate ramp access provides a lifetime of peace of mind.  The Owner will be able to enjoy this home for years and years to come.

There are things you can do with your basement walls if they are failing, some work and some don’t.  Don’t make the mistake of wasting your money on gimmick bracing and foundation ties.  You can’t beat gravity; you can only work with it.

Call us to get a home inspection before it’s too late.

Once backfill and grading was complete, The Owner installed some of their sweat equity and added their touch to the landscaping.  The curb appeal of this addition is a perfect example of why we do additions like we do and how we do it.

It looks original, we included as much of the old house as possible.  This is how an addition should be done unlike the “Box Additions” people slap on the side of homes.

Carolyn was ready to end her kitchen’s existence.  The cabinets were white and she did not care to clean them every time they got touched.  Her flooring was in great shape.

We made out usual suggestions about the features which people are most fond of.  She liked all our suggestions and even asked our guidance in choosing the color scheme of the Granite Counter-top and tile backsplash.

With the custom cabinets installed and the Granite fabrication under way, we installed the wiring and under-cabinet lighting.  Once the granite and Stainless Steel sink were installed, the new tile backsplash was installed and sealed.  Add a Moen Faucet  and the kitchen is complete.

A simple fixture replacement was all the ceiling needed. She also updated her Microwave as well as her Dishwasher.

Carolyn loves her Kitchen.  I love to hear her praise the new counters and sink that is much easier to maintain.  Also, she enjoys the darker cabinets for many reasons.

Thanks Carolyn