The usual way that home building or home renovation project gets done is to start by working with a designer to create the home designs and then the full architectural plans.  Then you put the project out to bid and contractors compete to do the work.

A design-build contractor does the whole thing.  From day one they work with you until you move into your new home.

What are the Advantages of the Design Build Process?

A design-build contractor takes care of EVERYTHING.  From your initial home design consultation to the architectural plans, to color selection to building, framing, drywall, painting – the whole process.

This means that responsibility is put in ONE PLACE.  Have you ever had the experience of working with multiple contractors and had them blaming each other for the problems you are having?  Or a contractor blaming the designer for not designing it right and the designer is blaming the contractor for not building it right?  I have certainly seen this and it isn’t pretty.

So get it all done under one roof!  Or more specifically, under one person’s responsibility.  There is a world of difference between having one person who takes responsibility for the whole show and having different people taking responsibility for random little bits of the contract.

You wouldn’t have an army without a general right?  You wouldn’t have a team without a coach?  So why have a bunch of little teams tackling your job who could just end up fighting with each other! Talk about dropped balls.

Responsibility All in One Place with Design and Build

A complete in-house design build process means that you always know who to go to if you ever have a problem or a concern.  And if you have a contractor with a complete team then he (or she) will be very interested in making sure everything runs smoothly.

If you don’t have that person who takes responsibility for everything running smoothly then guess what? TAG you’re it!  Have you ever run 5 different sub-trades before?  Then hire a pro!

Home Design Quality Improves with a Design-Build Contractor

Quality, quality, quality.  This is one of the great advantages of having home design services included when you use a design-build contractor.

When the contractor and designer are working hand in hand you can get an agreement on the level of quality and efficient pricing right from the beginning.  When they don’t work together then the contractor may try to get away with less quality.

Think about this, if you are a sub-trade and only have to do your one little part of the contract you want to get in and out as fast as possible and do as little extra stuff as you can get away with.  Even if you are a good, upstanding worker you will be tempted to cut corners.

But if it’s your company, your design, and your name all over the project you are going to want the highest quality possible!  If you are taking pride in it from start to finish then you’ll do it right.

Choosing a design build contractor means basically this: someone will look after the whole job.  From start to finish there is one person who will handle it all, and make sure that you get just exactly what you started out wanting in the first place.

And isn’t that the point of getting the job done in the first place?

Greg Nelson
Greg Nelson is the owner of Nelson Construction & Renovations Inc. He is a Florida State Certified Building Contractor, creating artistry in all areas of design and construction projects. He is a musician, and artist. A husband and father, Greg appreciates all the wonderful elements of family life.



Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Nelson Construction and Renovation, Inc. and a clickable link back to this page.

It seems these days that a lot of the “latest things” are just rediscovering old traditions: buying from local farms, using natural clothing, eating organic, even hanging your clothes to dry!

Well the same can be said of the resurgence of Venetian plaster.  The old world grace and style of Venetian plaster are always in fashion.  And with the added durability and “Green Living” benefits, it will be a welcome addition to your new home design.

What is Venetian Plaster?

Well one thing Venetian Plaster is NOT is a “faux finish.”  The word “faux” means “false” and Venetian plaster is definitely the real deal.

If you look up Venetian Plaster online you will find a lot of “how-to” videos that will tell you how to do a faux Venetian Plaster look using a trowel to apply heavy layers of paint.  This is what most people mean when they use the word.

Real Venetian plaster is a tinted limestone mixture which is applied to the wall with a trowel by a skilled artisan.  It is then polished to the desired finish.  The final result is classic, beautiful and long lasting.

A simple touch of the finger will reveal if it is a faux finish or the genuine article. A layer of paint simply doesn’t compare to a rock-hard, textured, hand-crafted work of art.

Why Use Venetian Plaster in your Home Design?

There are several reasons to go with genuine Venetian plaster when building or renovating.  But to me, the reason above all the others is the look!  When you are designing and building your dream home you want to have a look you can be proud of for years to come.  After all, you’ll have to see it every day, why not give it a top-notch look with depth and class? Venetian plaster finishes have layers and textures that just can’t be beat.

And let’s not forget to mention the colors!  The plaster itself is almost white so you can add any sort of pigment or coloration to it.  You can even add different textures.  You can customize it so it matches your design ideas perfectly, whether they are cutting-edge modern or old-world classic.

But there are Other Benefits Too!

I always talk about the looks of a product first because I love to deliver a product that looks great.  But Venetian plaster has other benefits that are almost as good.

• Durability – Limestone doesn’t look like rock.  It IS rock! Once the product is fully dried you essentially have a rock coating on your walls.  Unlike paint it will resist dents and scrapes.  It also has a little bit of flex in it so it resists cracking.  This is especially important in a newly built home as there is often a little bit of settling which can crack ordinary surfaces.
• Mould, mildew and bacteria resistant – Speaks for itself!  Who wants this stuff growing on their walls?  Get the look of plaster and cleaner air as a bonus!
• No toxins – The plaster is made with 98% organic materials with only 2% resins meaning that you aren’t filling your home with the constant off-gassing that comes from regular paints and finishes.

Classic Look, Modern Benefits

Venetian Plaster gives you a classic old world look with a lot of the benefits that people look for today in modern home products.   I guess it’s time to take a tip from the old masters and use a product that is build to last and looks great!

Greg Nelson
Greg Nelson is the owner of Nelson Construction & Renovations Inc. He is a Florida State Certified Building Contractor, creating artistry in all areas of design and construction projects. He is a musician, and artist. A husband and father, Greg appreciates all the wonderful elements of family life.



Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Nelson Construction and Renovation, Inc. and a clickable link back to this page.

If you want to truly express your own personality, look into concrete countertops for your bathroom or kitchen; outdoors; anywhere you need a space to set things on.  In this world of unique interior design, you can set your home or office apart with custom made concrete countertop.

Custom Concrete CounterTop

 Concrete Countertop Color

Pick up your interior design colors with concrete, or make your home, office or retail store look uber-modern with an industrial gray tone.  You can mix colors or embed items in the concrete for a truly one-of-a-kind look that is exclusively yours. Designing your own embedded concrete countertop can give you an incomparable design experience as well as be personal, incorporating objects that are meaningful and memorable.  Concrete can create an unmatched increase in the value of a home or office.  And the possibilities of unique design and color are endless.  How often can you say that about a structural component of a building?

Sometimes people can’t imagine how vibrant the colors of concrete can be.  There are multitudes of gorgeous hues that can be used.

Distinctive Designs Come With a Concrete Countertop

Come and see the Concrete CounterTop

Not only the color can distinguish the look of your countertop; you can create various edges, thicknesses, and shapes with concrete.  It can even be practical and functional; with ‘drain board grooves’ built into the concrete to drain into your kitchen sink; or ‘trivet-type’ metal rods can be inserted to place hot pots on.  Concrete is smooth and can have rounded edges to go with a variety of shapes.  If you can think of a shape, it can be made in concrete, because it is so versatile.

Do You Like To Create a “One of a Kind Personality” in Your Interior Design?

If the answer is yes, then a concrete countertop will be more than right for you.  Your one of a kind design idea will set the space apart from all others.  You don’t have to be a professional interior designer to express your own particular individual style.  Be extraordinary, be novel and be original.  It can all be accomplished with a fabulous concrete countertop that incorporates all of the fresh and innovative ideas you have.

Laminates and granite are getting tired and boring now.  A concrete countertop is a spectacular upgrade that no other person or space will have.

Remarkable Retail Spaces with Concrete Countertops

What weighs about 1100 pounds, is green, flat and shiny?  You guessed it, a 12 foot long and 3″ thick concrete counter top! Check out this cool top just finished for Fitlife Foods, Inc. in Clearwater, Florida.  A special color and a nice curved design make it aesthetically pleasing and just avaunt-garde enough to be unconventional.




Join the concrete countertop revolution!

Greg Nelson

Greg Nelson is the owner of Nelson Construction & Renovations Inc.  He is a Florida State Certified Building Contractor, creating artistry in all areas of design and construction projects.  He is a musician, and artist.  A husband and father, Greg appreciates all the wonderful elements of family life.

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Nelson Construction and Renovation, Inc. and a clickable link back to this page.

No matter how many marketing campaigns a construction company does, most people will go straight to their friends for a recommendation. This is understandable. Marketing is just that, marketing. You can’t necessarily trust what a company says in its Yellow Pages ad or on its Website. Anyone can say anything in a marketing campaign. So you go to a friend you can trust and ask them for their experiences and if they have any recommendations for who to use or who to avoid.

But while the recommendation of a friend is valuable it may not tell the whole story. A contractor may be a very skilled tradesperson and a friendly and agreeable guy (or gal) and your friend may have had a good experience with them. But they may just be one or two people literally working out of the back of a pickup truck.

This means that on a small to medium sized job where everything goes smoothly they may do great work. But if the job gets larger or should something go wrong they don’t have the resources to take care of the problems.

What to Look For in a New Home or Remodel Building Contractor

That is why, especially on larger projects, you need to look at several points, not just one recommendation.

Contractor Size

How large is the company? Do they have the resources to tackle a large project? If there is an unexpected illness or injury will there be someone else who can keep your project moving? Or will you be sitting around in a half renovated home for weeks while someone recovers from a fall?

Contractor Longevity

– This is simple. How long has the company been in business? Some companies claim to have been in business for 70 years or whatever. Often this means that the name of the company is 70 years old but they may not have been continuously in business for that long. Or perhaps no one associated with the business at the beginning is still working there. One good way to check the actual longevity of a company is to see how long they have been registered with the BBB. This is available on the BBB website.

Contractor Insurance, Workers’ Compensation

This is where you have to do your homework. Anyone can say they have insurance and Workers’ Comp, but it is your responsibility to verify this. They may be able to give you their Workers’ Comp number, but if they haven’t paid their premiums then they are not covered. That means that you could be liable for any workers injured on your property. And that’s a hassle no one wants. Always check for yourself whether a) your contractor has insurance and b) whether they are valid and paid up.

The best way to verify a contractors insurance to make sure it’s up-to-date including the Workers Comp, is to ask your potential contractor to have his insurance carrier fax or mail an updated insurance certificate. In the commercial construction world, its very common for contractors to get certs from all their sub-contractors; so the insurance companies are very familiar with this.

It is a daily affair for them to send certificates out to business and individuals. Any honest and legitimate contractor knows that it’s a quick phone call to his insurance people and they will send out the cert to wherever. This goes for Workers Comp as well; all you have to do is ask the contractor to get the certificate of coverage sent to you.

If your potential contractor seems to resist getting it sent or says he will do it if he gets the job, beware. It doesn’t cost him any money to have his certificates sent to you — it’s just a simple phone call.

Contractor Reputation

Ok, here is where the recommendations of your friends come in. But there are also a lot of online tools you can use now to check a company’s reputation. You can just Google the name of the company. A word of caution though: don’t let one bad review taint your whole opinion of the company. Everyone knows that you can’t please everyone. Some people are just plain hard to please. So try to get an overall view of the company from a number of different sources.

Just keeping in mind these simple points will help you to get the right contractor for your project. Then YOU can recommend them to YOUR friends!

Greg Nelson

Greg Nelson is the owner of Nelson Construction & Renovations Inc. He is a Florida State Certified Building Contractor, creating artistry in all areas of design and construction projects. He is a musician, and artist. A husband and father, Greg appreciates all the wonderful elements of family life.

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Nelson Construction and Renovation, Inc. and a clickable link back to this page.

Everyone wants to live in a home they are proud of. It’s a great moment when you are finally in the position to turn your house into that dream home you’ve always wanted. It’s a chance to be creative and own something you will truly be proud of. You get to look through magazines and home design shows and you start to get an idea of exactly how you want everything to look.

But then the dream collides with the ugly reality of having to hire a Building Contractor. This is the point where you have to communicate your dream to another person and you have to trust them to make it happen. And hopefully, without any nasty hassles along the way.

But if you have never worked with a contractor before then how do you know who to work with? And how can you make sure it all goes smoothly.

Hiring the Right Licensed Contractor

Obviously it all starts right here. Hiring a trustworthy contractor is the number one problem and one that scares a lot of people to death. No one wants to feel like they have made a mistake. And no one wants to be telling their friends about the nightmare they had with that one supposedly great contractor.

Knowing what to look for in a contractor can help a lot.

Get it in Writing, Get it in Writing, Get it in Writing

Did I mention to get it in writing?

This is really what it is all about when it comes to making sure things go according to plan. After all, how can things go according to plan if there isn’t a plan??

If your contractor is dishonest then this protects you against scamming. If your contractor is honest then this protects you against misunderstanding. And if your contractor is just plain human then this protects you against forgetfulness.

There are many great reasons to get everything in writing and agreed to before any work is done. There is only really one reason not to do it: is a bit more time consuming to write something down on paper. But believe me, a trip to small claims court is far more time consuming.

What Should Be In Writing?

After discussing the project with your contractor he should provide you with a very detailed description of the work to be performed. To protect yourself you should take the time to read this carefully. Keep a close eye on the details and make sure that everything you expect to happen is written in.

Very often during the final negotiations before signing the contract there will be some verbal agreements made. The contractor will be very eager to agree with your requests because he is about to get the job. He may just nod his head enthusiastically and then forget when he walks out the door with your deposit check. Make sure that whatever you agree to (“Don’t trample my azalea bushes” “Make sure your workers take off their shoes to walk through the house” “Make sure that skylight is horizontal not vertical” etc. etc. etc.) is written in and signed by both of you.

A huge number of hassles can be avoided with these two simple precautions:

1. Hire Carefully
2. Get it in Writing

Happy Renovating!
Greg

When you are designing and building your dream home, the luxury home you have been dreaming of for years, you want to make sure to get it right. You want a home that will look amazing and will feel luxurious.

One of the best ways to elevate the look and feel of your home to that uber-classy level is top-quality wood detailing.

Wood Details Make a Home Remodel Stand Out

The vast majority of home remodelling today is done on the cheap. Homes are designed and built to be temporary. Many people actually strive to make the house look bland or plain because they are thinking 5-10 years ahead to when they will be re-selling.

They don’t want to put too much of their own creativity into it because likely it will be all torn out when the next owner moves in. If they get too creative then it can look like a lot of work for the potential new buyer.

Wood Details Count

But it’s different when you build for yourself, when you are designing the home that you have always wanted. That’s where wood details can take things to that next level.

Custom woodwork is built just for you and is designed to last. The look and feel of custom wood details cannot be matched by off-the-shelf design products. Look at these examples and see how they make the difference between “cookie-cutter” and “dream home.”

Custom Wood Work in Home Design

There are a number of different terms for wood details in a home. The glossary below should help you sort out which is which. Here are some examples:

See here the use of wainscoting (wood paneling extending up to 1.5 meters up the wall) in a dining room. You know, just looking at this picture that this dining room “ain’t no Taco Bell,” you know you are walking into a top-notch dining establishment (even if it’s your own home dining room).

The standard big-box stores now sell a number of fancy-looking baseboards that are made of particle board and designed to look like custom mill work. But you still just can beat the look of true custom mill work in your home. It’s the details like this that really make it pop.

Anyone can frame a door but not just anyone can make a custom casing. Details like this around every doorway in your home shows the care and attention that you only see in the upper end of home designs.

When you are designing and building the home you have always wanted you know you will want to live there for many years. You may want to live there for the rest of your life and possibly even leave it to your children. So you can take that extra step to make it a place of luxury and quality. And top-notch wood trim is a simple but elegant way to make it the sort of home you will be proud to live in for years to come.

Glossary of Carpentry Terms

Molding is a strip of material with various cross sections used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from wood or plaster but may be made from other materials such as plastic.

Base or Baseboard Molding is a wooden board normally three inches to twelve inches high, covering the lowest part of an interior wall. Its purpose is to cover the uneven edge where the flooring meets the wall. As a secondary function, it protects the wall from kicks and scratches and sometimes prevents furniture from being pushed right against the wall.

Crown Molding is a decorated plaster or wooden trim along the top of interior walls where the walls meet ceilings.

Chair Rail is a type of molding fixed horizontally to the wall around the perimeter of a room. Although the purpose of the chair rail is mainly aesthetic in modern homes, it provides the wall with protection from furniture and other contact.

Wainscot or wainscoting is a paneling style that, today, is used mostly for decorative purposes. It is applied to the lower portion of an interior wall up to around 1.5 meters. It extends from the baseboard up to the chair rail. It is traditionally constructed from “tongue and groove” boards or decorative panels such as a wooden door might have. “Wainscoting” may also refer to other materials used in a similar fashion.

Casings or Case Molding is the molding that is used to trim a doorway, windows or archway. Its design and weight must be balanced with the architecture and other moldings.

A typical mantle is the shelf that projects from the wall above a fireplace.