Your house can easily be enhanced by installing crown moulding. Crown moulding quickly adds elegance and beauty to any room of your house. In fact, when purchasing my own personal home, crown moulding was the first remodel I performed. The cost of installing was nominal to the appearance and transformation it made to the room(s).

In this photo we installed 5 1/2" crown moulding in the kitchen and throughout the living room.

Crown moulding also greatly enhances:

• Kitchen cabinets.
• Mantles
• Bookcases
• Wall shelves
• Window treatments

Crown moulding comes in many different sizes and many different styles to pick from. You also have the option to pick a different species of wood or you might prefer the painted look. You just need to pick the right combination for the room you are decorating.

 In this photo the room was decorated with painted crown moulding. You can easily see the richness and value that was added by installing crown moulding.

If planning to install yourself or hire a carpenter, keep in mind that crown moulding can be very tricky to install. A professional carpenter will be able to tackle the job with little to no waste and understand how to make tight mitres even in the most crooked of homes. Ask for references to ensure you have a qualified carpenter because I have seen many carpenters that claim to know how to install crown moulding and completely ruin the entire project.

Let WMB Construction enhance your home with a crown moulding upgrade!!

No matter what room in your house, Pergo has a floor that will completely transform the appearance. Pergo is the company that invented the floating floor system that mimics the real wood appearance. Pergo floors offer extremely high durability and easy clean up. Get rid of those rugs that hold in dirt and debris and create the perfect ecosystem for bacteria and allergens.

Basements are one of the areas I find Pergo flooring to be very useful. Real wood floors are extremely difficult to install in basements because basement floors are made of concrete. With the inability to nail into the concrete, real wood floors must be glued to the concrete. Pergo floors float right over top of the concrete with the aid of a vapor barrier. Pergo floors also have a more durable finish that real wood floors.

What you gain by installing Pergo flooring:

• Added value to your home.
• Easier clean up time than carpet.
• No sanding and smells of polyurethane that contain high VOC's
• Ability to change flooring easily.
• High durability.
• Cheaper purchasing and installation than real wood floors.
• Great for pets. Does not hold hair and dander like carpet.

Most of us with homes have basements and most of us with basements have no outside access doors. This holds true in many cases especially if your basement is fully below grade. With Bilco basement door systems it is possible to create outside access to your basement. 

Bilco doors allow you to easily access your basement like never before. Moving furniture and appliances are a tremendous task to maneuver through the house. With basement doors installed you cut down on possible damage to walls and doors and easily move furniture and appliances in half the time.

Many of us with homes already have basement doors. We've replaced many in the past due to their age and failure in keeping water out. The older basement doors were constructed of wood. While they served the purpose they always leaked, warped and rotted.

Wood doors have no channels built in for catching and diverting water. Bilco doors are fabricated of all steel construction and applied is a baked on primer from the factory. Bilco is by far the leader in basement door construction.

If you have always dreamed of having Bilco basement doors, now is the time. The added convience alone will make you realize how you ever lived without them. It is also an excellent fire escape in case of an emergency. 

it is very common now a days to see most contractors using cement board on the walls in tub/shower areas. It has largely replaced moisture resistant sheetrock which has been used for years especially before cement board was available. Moisture resistant sheetrock is still used everyday and is an excellent product for all the walls and ceiling of your bathroom, just not in the tub/shower area. When sheetrock is used in the shower area it will most likely fail due to the fact that it is moisture resistant and not water proof. Once water infiltrates under the tile sheetrock becomes susceptible to water damage and may crumble.

Today moisture resistant sheetrock has been replaced in the shower area with cement board creating a more sound base that will last. Also a superior product for your floors underlayment before installing tile and can even be installed in thinset and screwed down for a thorough installation. Cement board is a water proof product and will not deteriorate when in direct contact with water. Cement board is made using actual cement with a fiberglass mesh exterior. 

Common cement board uses:

• Bathroom walls and floors.
• Kitchen countertops
• Soffits in bathrooms
• Exterior uses before stucco or cultured stone is installed.
• Kitchen floors.

The conclusion is that cement board is the only product you should be using when there is any chance of contact with water. Many times it's what you don't see behind the walls that has the biggest impact for  longevity of your project. Toxic mold is usually unseen until the damage is too late and run the risk of rotten wall studs that can ruin the integrity of your homes structure and attract unwelcomed insects such as carpenter ants and termites that can do a vast amount of damage. Especially the presence of termites are hard to detect as they tunnel inside of wood rarely seeing daylight leaving appearance of wood on the outside perfect while the insides are hollow. This is mostly a concern with structures on ground levels that are close to the ground as they return to the soil where they live.

When you think of the word basement it may come to mind of that dark gloomy area of your home. It is the area of your home you most likely dread going to do laundry, store some can goods, or maybe change the filter in your furnace once or twice a year. Open ceilings, exposed electrical wires, hanging insulation, exposed plumbing lines, etc......... Doesn't really sound like a fun place to be in your home.

Just imagine that area of your home remodeled with heat, lighting, and walls and ceilings. It is easily converted into usable living area and will most likely be the biggest room of your home. Most basements are the same square footage as your entire first floor. When you start thinking of remodeling your basement, the ideas become endless. You can go from a standard open floor plan to adding bathrooms, wet bars, bedrooms, closets, sauna room, weight room, kitchen; the ideas become endless.

Five key factors for remodeling your basement:

• Substantial amount of added living area.

• Added value to your home.

• By finishing you basement you eliminate most of the mildew and mold common in unfinished basements. Heat and light create a more mold free atmosphere.

• Basements are the perfect area to create a mother/daughter apartment.

• Added entertaining area. Basements with an open floor plan create great entertaining areas.

What you should know before your basement conversion:

• You are required to maintain a minimum ceiling height of 7 ft from finished floor to finished ceiling.

• You are required to maintain a minimum height of 6'-8" measured from finished floor to all beams, girders,ducts or other obstructions.

• You will be require to have some form of fire escape from your basement. Exit through a garage is not a legal escape. In some cases you will be required to install a egress window with a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 sq. ft.

• Note if your electrical system is up to date and can handle added circuits.

I meet with customers almost every week that request a quote on renovating their kitchen. Many are surprised by the quote they receive because kitchens can run a good penny. Cost of cabinets, countertops, flooring, lighting, etc. can easily run you way up in the thousands.  That is not to scare you away from your dream kitchen, but your dream kitchen is not too far away if your original cabinets are in good condition. Simply a new countertop, sink and faucet, tile backsplash, floor, and you are in a brand new kitchen for a fraction of the cost of a new kitchen. What is better than saving money?

Here is a kitchen we applied a WMB Construction upgrade to a kitchen over 30 years old. Plus check out our blog on creative kitchen ideas where we create an open floor plan for your kitchen.

Key factors to reviving your old kitchen:

• As long as your cabinets are in good condition, you will save thousands.
• Very short renovation time for you and your contractor to produce a final product.
• Quick upgrade if you are looking to sell your home. Kitchens are the biggest sellers for a home.
• Create a new atmosphere in your kitchen and have enough money left to take that cruise you have always dreamed of!! lol

Bi-levels and split level ranches are a very popular homes that took on a very economical floor plan that transfered rising heat from the lower floors to the upstairs. The layout was such a great design that they could be seen all over the country. The only problem was that the walls were always very confining leaving it not to be unique to more modern homes. The kitchens of Bi-levels/split levels leave you closely distant from the kitchen to the living room and dining room.

We find that most Bi-level kitchens are:

• Uninviting

• Closed off from the rest of the rooms in your home

• Have poor cross air ventilation when windows are opened

• Have less natural light flow

• Is harder for heat/air conditioning air flow to maintain a steady temperature

THIS IS ONE GREAT WAY TO OPEN UP YOUR BI-LEVEL/SPLIT LEVEL

These photos were taken from a recent remodel where we removed half the wall, constructed a oak countertop and added lights. You can easily see without a before picture what a difference an open floor plan makes. We also added a quick upgrade to the kitchen with new handles, countertop, sink/faucet, floor and tile backsplash. It is obviously the most dramatic renovation you can perform to your kitchen/dining room to create an open enviroment for your home. 

Benefits to an open kitchen floor plan:

• Creates an instant modern look to your home.

• Cross ventilation when windows are open.

• A full view of your beautiful kitchen.

• Added value to your home. Open floor plans sell.

• Added entertaining  area. More seating plus easier communicating with all of your guests.

• Ability to supervise your children while in the kitchen.

• Heat and/or air conditioning temperatures are more consistent and stable with an open floor plan.

• Watch your favorite television shows from kitchen while preparing meals.

Let WMB Construction perform your next remodel.

Therma Tru entry door systems are the brand that most builders and remodelers prefer. They offer a wide variety of door choices and performance packages that are unrivaled in the industry. By installing a Therma Tru entry door system you should expect to see an increase in comfort, energy efficiency and performance; not to mention an increase in the perceived value of your home.

Since pioneering the fiberglass door industry in 1983 Therma Truredefined the industry with high style, high performance products. Before then the only door options were steel and wood. While steel and wood doors are still widely used today, fiberglass doors have been up and coming due to their durability and low maintenace.

A few reasons to consider a fiberglass door:

• Fiberglass will not rot or rust.
• Fiberglass will not dent.
• Therma Tru offers Accugrain technology for their fiberglass line which is a door casting process that gives you the beauty of a natural wood door without the maintenance.

Therma Tru has a line and style to fit any budget. WMB Construction has been installing Therma Tru entry doors for years and strongly stands behind Therma Tru products. Allow us to work with you on your next remodel.

The thought of a new bathroom remodel is always exciting to most of us. Removal of all those old contents in your bathroom should be enough inspiration to work towards the goal of a new bathroom remodel.   

 These are before pictures of a bathroom that we recently renovated. As you can see the bathroom was over 30 years old and over due for an update. We removed the shower doors, shower base, sink, toilet, floor, and diverter. 

We installed a new shower base, single hand diverter, cement board on walls and floor before tiles were applied.

Tiles were then installed on the walls and floor and grout was applied the day after allowing the tile glue to completely dry.

New sink and vanity installed, toilet, paint and Century neo-angle shower door with DFI treatment installed. The customer decided to go with a more modern decor on this bathroom instead of a more traditional decor. These are some of the bathroom ideas you must consider before you start renovation of your bathroom project.

Tips to renovating you bathroom:

• Decide what decor you will be working with so you have direction when choosing products to be installed in your bathroom.
• Choose a reputable contractor that will be honest about start and finish times.
• Keep your distance from companies that promise to be done in a few days. Mother nature does not allow glue, grouts, caulking,  etc. to dry that quickly leaving tiles falling off the walls. Your bathroom probably has waited 20-30 years to be remodeled, what is an extra couple of days?
• Install cement board on walls in shower areas and on floors. Cement board is not affected by contact with water.