Here is a new geothermal system that is a retrofit in an older building in Barre VT. There is still some tinkering left to maximize the efficiency of the system, even with-19F, the system handled the heat load well, and the existing steam boiler that is used as back up for now, did not fire once during the last cold snap. Once all the kinks are worked out, we'll be converting the steam boiler to water so we can remove the steam radiators and route all heat - primary and back up - to the convection units. This will free up loads of wall space for furniture.

There was a retro fit of the heat dirtibution, the client chose some Myson convection heater that enable the client to take advantage of house wide air conditioning that the geothermal system provides in the warmer months.

We also did an extensive kitchen remodel and an addition, but that will be a different post in the blog.

Thanks for reading!

This is a pantry we created after we installed the kitchen.  The clients were upset with the "box store" cabinets  after a major onsite overhaul (making them fit and function) of a couple of the cabinets, we created a simple, competitively priced pantry for  now happy clients.  

A few more pictures of the pantry to follow.  A nice cherry table top with cherry facing on the pantry shelves all the way around.  

In the past months we've created some great little rental cabins for the State Park system that will be available to rent next year.   They are being used for seasonal housing this summer.  Hurricane Irene flooded the seasonal housing creating too much mold/fungus for the seasonal employees to move into the existing buildings.  We created the buildings on site with the ability to remove the  roof structure to load and move the structures in the fall to their final site in the parks system.  I'll try to get some photos of these cabin.  The seasonal employees have some of the best accommodations in the park system.  I'll post some photos of these shortly.  

We've been busy on the geothermal/addition/garage/deck/kitchcn remodel project I mentioned previously.  The tile shipment was delayed, stuck in customs, for about 6 weeks or so.  The addition is almost complete after the arrival of the tile.  Many of the final details relied on the tile.  We are in the middle of the garage and the deck, and about to get started on the kitchen remodel.  We have included in the project planning for the addition to be a retreat for the clients, so that we interrupt their daily lives as little as possible.  While we're busy with the kitchen remodel, we'll install the heating distribution system upstairs and finalize all of the geothermal mechanicals.  I'll post some photos of this project shortly.  

Well it's been awhile because we've been quite busy since September.   We've completed many projects since my last post, and I'll post some pictures soon.  

Some of the projects we've completed have been:   
-Bathroom remodel where we added a dog house dormer, created the custom vanity with a custom tiled/glass shower enclosure.   At the same project we did a small kitchen remodel which consisted of replacing the counter tops, and replacing the vinyl flooring with a beautiful tile floor.  We also added a custom Island.   

-We created a free standing porch roof system for an old client.  

-We finished out a modular home by adding custom stair balustrade out of local cherry.  We put on a large back deck, installed the siding, and front entry.  

-We designed and created a kitchen for a client who had a very sentimental attachment to some hickory that they've been saving in their garage for almost a decade.   We were able to incorporate the hickory into a hickory/cherry kitchen.  We also created all the vanities and built ins for this new construction project.  

-We've been working with Sam Clark Design on a couple of kitchen remodels, some in progress, some completed.  

-We're currently working on a project with a geothermal retrofit heating/cooling system.  We're also building a highly air tight, super insulated  addition for the client, deck, garage, and working with Sam Clark Deign for the kitchen remodel.  We are currently looking at the existing house to achieve certain levels of air sealing and insulation values.  While doing this, we're taking a close look at the air quality of the house to make sure there are the correct number of air changes per hour per house resident (ACH).  When a building's envelope is drastically changed, it effects many other factors with in the building that need to be looked at.  

Thanks for looking, I'll post some photos of the mentioned past projects soon.

We're working on a great transformation of space.  It's an old cape that we're creating a master suite in a space that was an unused attic space, and using 1/3 of  a bedroom to create the space with a shed dormer.  They're adding close to 500 square feet to their house!  On a purist/restoration stand point I feel bad bastardizing this beautiful old cape by taking out the old structure, but the dormer is on the back side of the house, we're using all the old floors and re-using some of the old structure for collar ties in the shed dormer.    The home owners are really happy about the space.




More pictures to come..

In the house we've been working on finishing, we salvaged some floors from an old house, we're waiting to put on the last coat for a few days until some of the work on the bathrooms are done (gives some room for taking out scratches), they look  amazing.  These pictures are off my phone, so they don't do the projects justice.

We have some fun projects going on right now.  I have about an hour left on three craftsman style cherry doors until they (jamb, sills, exterior trim and doors) are ready for some finish.  We use a local tung oil product from North Hyde Park, VT. We're about to blow the roof off a joint for a shed dormer.  The timing has been tricky with the recent weather patterns of rain every afternoon/evening.  


We're gearing up to create a kitchen, the doors and drawers will be made out of local maple.  We have a root cellar on tap for later this month, it should be done by the end of August, giving conditioning time for food storage.  


More blogging to come, this is a quick one, my first one.  Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather.