Enjoy the before and after slideshow.
All after photos are right below.

This Dutch Colonial home in the Burns Park neighborhood of Ann Arbor is about to get an upgrade with a new kitchen, master suite and guest bath. Please scroll to end of blog to see the transformation.

November 18, 2019

Starting every job by laying down protection.

November 26, 2019

Busy week leading up to Thanksgiving…

The railings come off the previous second floor balcony, to make way for the new master bathroom and closet.

We are demolishing the abandoned brick chimney that ran through the center of the house.

Temporary walls are built to support the ceiling while we open the walls. Mike, our lead carpenter stops for a minute to discuss progress with Susan and Glen.

December 3, 2019

This is our time of discovery, when we find crazy and unsafe practices from previous work.

These kitchen cabinets are the last thing to be removed.

The chimney used to be an obstruction in the kitchen, taking up valuable countertop and storage space.

December 10, 2019

This poorly laid out bathroom is being demolished and will become the master bath and the guest bath.

This old cast iron tub is coming out.

The future guest bath.

We turn our attention to this dormer next, enlarging it and adding a window.

December 16, 2019

The insulation at these walls was ¼” thick.
Everything here is coming out and will be built correctly.

This opening will get filled-in to separate the areas into two bathrooms.

We found an old soil stack that we believe is abandoned and will be removing it once we are sure.

The plaster is stripped from the walls at the dormer in preparation for new framing. We are modifying windows for required emergency egress.

December 24, 2019

The old balcony floor is removed. The first floor ceiling joists remain, keeping finish materials intact, below.

A mess of plumbing and heating is uncovered.

Once the old plumbing and heating is removed, the new floor framing for the second floor addition is underway.

January 6, 2020

Happy New Year to all!

We’ve removed the old second floor ceiling framing because it was inadequate for the span.

A new dormer window is framed, and larger structural header will carry the new ceiling and roof framing.

Demolition continues in the kitchen.

January 11, 2020

Happy New Year!!

New walls are built under the existing roof.

The wall between the old and new spaces is opened, and new interior walls are built.

The new second floor space is roughed in and John cleans up for the day.

The old dormer is being removed to make way for the new egress window.

January 17, 2020

We’re taking out the bearing wall to open the kitchen up into the dining room.

The kitchen walls are stripped to studs.

January 26, 2020

Safety is the most important factor on the job. John is working 2-stories up on the new dormer, and uses a harness to protect him from a hard thump.

Brian gives his expert advice.

The gable wall of the new dormer will be filled-in and finished with siding.

February 5, 2020

A new door is cut through the wall.

The fir flooring is removed.

While we have things opened up, we remove old knob and tube wiring.

The new wall goes in, which will separate one long room into two.

February 12, 2020

The rough opening is framed for the new window at the sink.

…and the window is installed.

The large window goes in the new dormer.

February 19, 2020

Spray foam insulation is used at the bond, getting into the nooks and crannies to minimize drafts.

The client complained of really cold closets in the winter, and it was because there was no insulation.

We used a spray foam here, too, to get the highest R-value in the shallow depth of the wall framing.

Mechanical hvac ducts.

Rough plumbing supplies and drains are finished.

Electricians have run their rough wiring.

February 26, 2020

We’ve rented a lift to get to the tricky parts of siding behind electrical wires.

Once the weather gets nicer, the new siding can be painted.

A vapor barrier is installed where we are weaving in new siding.

March 4, 2020

Over the past few weeks, we’ve insulated and drywalled.

This is the master bath vanity area.

The kitchen is much brighter now. It doesn’t hurt that there is finally some sunlight coming through the window.

March 18, 2020

All walls are primed and first coated with paint, and now hardwood flooring work begins.

Kitchen wood floors are sanded and have 1 coat of clear finish.

A break in the weather allows some exterior painting and building of a small rear deck.

Kitchen cabinetry being installed.

Hall bath shows the Schluter-Ditra substrate, in-floor heating cables, and porcelain tile in a herringbone pattern.

Wall tile in the hall bath.

Master Bath floor with in-floor heat. Rubber drainage 'pan' is installed in shower.

And with that, we are shutting the project down for shelter-in-place. Stay safe!

May 15, 2020

We are so glad to be fully back at work!!!
And although we would wear masks anyway when doing tile work,
we do have new COVID-19 rules and procedures that we’re following to keep everyone safe.
Read them here.

Tilework is happening in the guest bathroom.

While in the kitchen Zack is setting the appliances and door.

May 19, 2020

Tiling the masterbath floor.

May 27, 2020

The quartz benchtop is installed and 1” marble mosaics line the shower walls. A solid marble tile finishes the mosaic edges and gives a good base for shower door connections.

A laser line keeps the tiles level and straight.
Final pieces are installed, and the tile is grouted.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen…

Appliances are installed and countertops are templated.
A maple butcher block countertop is used at the new dining room display cabinet.

June 4, 2020

Quartz counters arrive from the fabricator. A microwave drawer is installed at the peninsula. The backsplash is measured once the top is installed. Now that countertops are in, we can begin the plumbing installation.