Author: w00dWisE12

When pollen time arrives, the yellow coating makes it a challenge to enjoy our outdoor spaces. The solution for these homeowners was to change their rarely used screened porch into a sunroom. They can now enjoy their backyard through large windows that keep out the pollen. Large format floor tile and a decorative vaulted ceiling contribute to the fresh look and feel of the room. A Mitsubishi mini-split keeps the temperature just right year round.

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Giving back to the community has always been important to Hank Wall, Wood Wise’s founder and president. Yesterday’s Career Day at Martin Middle School was the perfect way to invest in the next generation. Eighth grade students asked questions about design and construction careers, as well as learning about owning and running a business. With construction being one of the largest industries in our country, we hope some of these bright students will choose the exciting world of building.

A couple of warm days and we are ready for spring! And spring makes us think of ways to be outside. What better way to enjoy outdoor living than to relax in these great spaces that Wood Wise and the homeowners have created: an open deck off the master bedroom, a screened porch off the living room with 16’ sliders, and another open deck with room for grilling. A crushed stone patio adds another way for these homeowners to experience the beauty of the season. Inviting walkways connect all these spaces from the backyard, as well as providing a closer look at the flowers and plants.

As you look around your home, what improvements have you been wanting to do? The new year is a great time to get those projects started. It might be finally getting the kitchen renovation you have been dreaming about, adding a first-floor bedroom, or creating a better layout for your first floor. Whatever it is, Wood Wise can help you bring it into reality.

Wood Wise creates several design options that provide solutions to the problem areas. You then have our best ideas and can combine them with how you live to land on the winning final floor. Our construction team brings the best carpenters and the finest subcontractors in the area to get the job done of highest quality.

Get started today by giving us a call at 919 783 9330 or emailing [email protected] to find out how we can help you enjoy your home more.

Making all the selections for a remodeling project can be overwhelming – unless you choose Wood Wise for your project. Our lead designer Kathy walks with you through the selections process step-by-step, turning what could be a stressful experience into an easy one. Just like she did for our homeowners Mark and Diane Byrd shown here, Kathy makes appointments in the area showrooms for countertops, plumbing fixtures, tile, and more, accompanying and helping you make these decisions. She gets to know your tastes and preferences to guide you towards the best choices. You can feel confident making these important decisions with a professional designer who brings extensive knowledge and experience to the process.

Remodeling and adding on have given this traditional two story  home a whole new personality. Transforming the existing small closed-off rooms into open inviting spaces brings the home into today’s style of living. Widening the opening between the breakfast nook and the kitchen is a relatively small change with big paybacks. The homeowners are now enjoying a nicer sightline, better traffic flow, and more light.

With unique shapes, more colors, and interesting textures, today’s tile choices are wider than ever for remodeling your home. These tiles give you new opportunities to individualize your home’s style statement.

When helping our Wood Wise homeowners make selections, I accompany them to area showrooms to help guide them in their design. Here are some of the latest tile trends:

• Moroccan handcrafted-look tiles offer subtle color variations tile-to-tile for unique backsplashes, floors, and walls.
• Thick (¾”) exterior pavers are perfect to create beautiful patios and outdoor living areas plus they are made to stand up in harsh weather and heavy traffic.
• Large format tiles (24”x 48”) are especially dramatic on bathtub walls, or in a large shower -anywhere the beauty of the pattern can be appreciated.
• Checkerboard patterns with marble using dark gray or black with white, often with large squares from 12”, 18”, to 24”, are both contemporary and classic.

My nickname years ago was Handy Hank. As a carpenter, I had tools and skills to be helpful. Here are some tips to help you be handy at home.

• Cordless drills with the right bit let you use 2” screws to hang pictures and mount chargers or shelf units. Buy drywall screws which have sharp points and don’t need pre-drilling for screwing into drywall or wood.
  • Pro Tip: Scrape a bar of soap or a candle across the screw threads before screwing them into wood, to reduce resistance and effort.
• Cordless saws of every style are very convenient. I recommend purchasing tools that can share identical batteries. I like DeWalt, Porter Cable, Ryobi, and I look for light weight rather than heavy duty for handyman projects.
• Cordless lawn care tools are so much better than stinky gas versions. String trimmers, hedge trimmers and mowers, all without the extension cord hassle, are must-haves.
• My EGO (brand) blower and mower use the same battery and charger. No more cord, gas can, oil, or fumes with these.
  • Less Stinky, Less Noisy: The EGO blower is perfect for last minute cleanup before guests arrive…no lingering fumes in the front yard (or on you).

• Get an electric pressure washer. The best option appears to be Sun Joe SPX3000 (Greenworx, under $200) with great reviews, available on Amazon. It does have a cord but has no smell and is quieter than gas models.

I wash lawn furniture, trash cans, deck and driveway stains, kayaks, muddy tools, (not the pets). My tip is to pre-spray appropriate items with bleach + water (50% max for bleach) before pressure washing, rather than filling the various reservoirs with Clorox.

These handy tools help you enjoy home ownership. Email me with your suggestions for future columns and with any questions you may have.

[email protected]

A clever way to create the illusion of more space is to widen openings between rooms. In this remodel, widening the opening between the dining room/living room and the breakfast room/kitchen resulted in more light, improved the traffic pattern, and enlarged the view. Now, all the rooms feel more generous and accommodate family and friend gatherings more comfortably.

Wood Wise helped these homeowners find a way to create a first floor primary suite without adding on to their home. By combining the dining room and an adjoining small guest suite, plenty of room was found to create a nice size bedroom, generous bathroom, and large closet. A wet area with a soaking tub and large shower is curb-less for easy access.