Even Adults receive Mirracles around Christmas.Nothing spruce young parents spirit than large job completed: on budget, on time which turn ordinary home to trully one of the kind.
One Super Lucky couple just received almost complete interior home remodeling. It's trully amazing to see what can happen to the home if you remove Old carpet, standard builder grade cheapest door and windows trims. Remove flat hollow doors, $ 10 ceiling lights from 1970. Remove 10 time painted electric switches covers with modern dimmable lights. New Square outlets with seamless covers and take over year to collect material on bargain prices on close outs, etc.
Flooring:
Brazilian Walnut 3.5" wide plank was installed on the floors. This floor was found at close out warehose and cost only 4,80 sqft for highest grade normally comapred at over $13 sgft.Leska reused the floor covers for HVAC and spray paint the covers with 3 colors to closelly duplicate the variable pattern of the floor.
Radiators:
Thin Metal Tubing covers were painted over, were falling apart but surprisingly once the actual covers were removed the thin fins were clean and staright. Radiators received all new custom Wood radiator covers in each room. Front Screen mesh was made out of stock HD aluminum screen spray painted white. The actual radiator box seams are all connected with biscuits and glue like fine furniture to prevent worping. 
Trims:
Leska design pride.
each piece was milled from pre painted white fascia. Custom trims were all made at Owner garage. Series of saws, table saw and router tables and jigs created all the ornamental molding on display... In addition Three Rooms received additional fully custom additional wall trims. All new solid Jeldwen pine doors with new trims around doors and windows create illusion of larger windows and add character to each room. Both kids rooms have individual feel and style. 
Fireplace:
Original Family fireplace room had bare brick and brass door with mantel top.
This firepalce received fully custom ornamental wood work. Gas Insert will be installed after holliday to make sure Santa and present delivery to the 2 little kids will not be interrupted.... Slate tile and slate flooring will finish the Fireplace.
Boy Room:
Additonal Trim work was designed and installed with extra thick door jambs and casing. Extra tall wall trims prevent wall damage. Blue wall and brown furniture create nice visual soothing contrast from bare white builder grade room.
Girl Room:
As any girl being special this room have all unique trim, extra crown molding, wall decorative inserts, and pendant light. 
Family Room:
First formal room from the door entry. This room will recieve much more details also down the line in the future with 10' extension, recess lights, more built in custom made cabinets and shelwing by Leska in years to come. 
Happy holiday
Builders in most cases do cut corners when and where they can resulting in long term property damages as the required maximum 2 year warranty is many times not long enough.
This CMU chimney whch was not even properly parged from outside, or had proper crown mortar cap resulting in water getting inside the home. The long term exposure of the water have made the top row of the blocks fully damaged....
We have re builded the last row, and to secure the entire chimney installed wire mesh on all 4 sides with 2 coats of Sto Power walls stucco with reinforcing fiberglass mesh also draped over the top. This wrap now bonds all 4 sides securelly together. The reinforcing fiberglass in this mix keep the stucco from miscroscopic cracks and mainly from places water can enter the interior.
The final stage was instalaltion of the thin veneer stone. Both chinneys received this very nice treatment not really complicated treatment and what use to be sore point on the home have become focal point. Hydroscpoic concrete was used as final layer on top if the NEW chimney mortar cap.
I want to share with readers especially those who either love, own or rent in HOA who only allow Cedar Roof products...
Anybody who own a cedar roof have two fold dillema. Its really beautifull roof, but even with proper oiling and maintenance in Dc metro area is you get 24 years you are rock star. Many regular medium shakes without treatment and maintenance will fail as early as 15 years.
We have being involved with one comunity in Ashton MD where owners were asking for most realistic synthetic cedar shake availbale and have even come up with criteria for product to have:
1. Must be multiple width
2. Must have multiple colors
3. Must have solid pieces option for valleys and rakes so any exposed or overlapped cut shakes will not show hollow back.
4. Must have at least 50 year warranty
4. Global Hybrid roofing made the cut.
Our first roof was installed in 2007, followed with roofs in 2009 and just last week we completed anither roof in same neighborhood (2011). I'm very very excited to see that not only this neighborhood does see the value and superior quality product and appearance. But there is also huge economic and money saving by using this product.
It have over 80% of recycled content that means recycles plastic, rubber etc.
Saves cedar trees and also uses less fuel in transportation over cedar roofs who are shipped from farther away.
But the simple mathematics that one synthetic roofs=3 regular cedar roofs in same life cycle is what makes the biggest impact while also the synthetic roof will look always clean, crisp and like this color already comes preaged...What else to say.
Please check out or gallery of completed synthetic roofs which includedes Tile, shake and also slate and give us a call for free writen estimate.
We are your MD, DC, VA distributor and also certified installers.
This DC row home received Six skylights on this 18'x30' unit. Model S06 was choosen. Main bedroom now have four S06 units in 2x2 configuration. Custom framing with LVL beams supports the opening. Actual original Structural exposed beam separates the windows. Leska have used rough salavdged wood to cover the beam and provide the rustic look.
The new 3 layer no leak skylight is great upgrade in all aspects of the waterproofing and energy saving to its older models.
To controll light Leska have installed 4 solar shades which do no not require any wiring and will help controll light per customer need and desires.Because the excesive height we have selected Snowload glass. Velux offer extensive line of glass options to choose best fit. From snow load, Tempered, Laminated, Impact glass, White laminated and even Huricane rated glass...
All new glass now comes standard LoE3 Glass for greater energy saving and clearer view. The new flrame is lower profile.
The nicest addition to already mist popular skylights is actually its fairly NEW Solar water heating skylight.
Double layer of criss cross Johns Manville Fiberglass insulation and wapor barier totaling R 72 now provide much cooler attic.
Leska have just completed re designing 2 troubled small flat roofs. Rear roof received small shimming, new Roxul insulation, solid 3/4" Plywood and pre tinend Copper flat seam.
Tied Chimney in close proximity with old 3" of tar layers received new cricket to divert water and more copper with nice hand seam panels. We have also replace the valley and solder the valley to the flat roof.
Please take a look and we will love to hear some feedback on what you thing.
The idea our our work is long term performance and prove that there is still high craftsmanship available around DC area.
Please enjoy. This is one of our extensive line of our LONG TERM flat roofing solutions.
Standing seam metal roof on historic home in Olney MD, with Stainless soldered flat seam in the cricket. Past critical place receive major upgrade.
Flat-low slope have tendedncy to fail faster over steep slope roofs. Therefore its our philisophy to use more supperior (or longer lasting products) on the low slope roofs.
Seem that this is not comonly used practice.
When we provided proposal to the client to install new pre painted metal roof the biggest issue owner had was the rear flat cricket roof. The leak got so bad that ceiling collapsed.
My imediate material choice was to use Follansbee roofing TCS II (Terne coated stainless). This is trully wonderfull product and architect and other home owners who have registed histric homes and must have only original terne or tin roofs should really consider this material as it have same surface but the body is stainless. So this terne looking product have core of its body made from stainless.
With creating single lock flat seam, using proper follansbee flux and recomended 95/5 solder the entire cricket have flat seam virtually impenetrable surface. The next great thing is that the follansbee stell acn be completelly painted. So We used metal red oxide primer and low gloss metal alkyd paint. At the time picture was taken the paint was still wet and had slightly darker shade. I will re take the image soon.
we also re coat painted metal roofs and have entire range of products with Kynar aquatec being our top of the line paint product- field applied kynar or same paint found on factory pre painted coils....
Pre Metal roof panels are completely compatible with the stainless flat lock seam. Stainles and metal do not have electrolytic corrosion reaction on contact.
Copy of price increase
ABC supply, Bradco, Roof Center etc have sent to all roofers leter of price increses.
The increase have been announced for Septemder 5th in the 5% to 10% range. These incresses apply to steep-slope and low-slope asphalt roofing materials as well as single -ply membranes and accessories. Iso insulation is also scheduled to go up.
As a result of these increses, we paln on passing along our incresed costs on or about September 19th.
Although these issues create a challenging business environment especially given the recent earth quake, Hurricane and rain downpours. (Attached is scanned letter from (ABC, Bradco).
Please keep the above increses in mind when considening on signing contracts. This blog page will be designated to all future price increses.
9/11/2011 day We will never forget. To all lives lost, and in honor of the Fallen Hereos who sacrificed they life.
Absolutelly patriotic and moving opening game of Ravens VS Steelers.
Freedom is a priviledge, and many people around the world can't say that.
I'm so thankfull to live in a free Country.
I have lived under Comunism grip in Czech Republic for all of my young life. I think that because of the restictions and limitations I have felt even as young kid and teenager the hard grips "of ever present fear and uncertianty I appreciate so much more the Freedom I have now.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart to all the men and women in the uniform and keeping us safe.
Most important Thanks goes to the famillies who have lost they son, brother, daughter, cousin, husband... THANK You.
I have being wery busy inspecting many leaking roofs last 2 weeks.
The sad part is that less than 10% have failed flashing due to age of the flashing- rust out, mechanical hole due to sliding slate or tile...creating hole.
80% of the time its the improperly installed Roofing Flashing to begin with. I will advise any owner who is planning to have they flashing replaced, repaired or is thinking about new roof with new flashing ask for 2 things:
A) Detailed pictures of completed flashing with many angles, and close ups before final payment or even best before middle payment so the roofer realize that he is dealing with knowledgable homeowner.
B) For your benefit stay away from Aluminum Flashing. Aluminum will not rust but is very fragile, can be really ahnd seamed and force the roofer to create primitive details. (Look at images bellow for beter understanding)
Hint:
Copper, Rhenzink, Stainless, Pre painted metal 26 ga can be hand seamed to form fully waterprrof seam, or for the less skilled first 3 material mentioned can be soldered- creating fully waterproof permanent seal.
The common details of overlapping metals and use caulk and sealants have to stop. There is pin hole and rely on caulk & stick and peel underlayment or underlayment is not good practice.The owner then is stuck with not only replacing the flashing but also with expensive repair of the damage caused from the leak.
#2. If there is improperly installed flashing owners often create the second mystake:
A) They opt for what seem like the cheapest fix- recaulk the flashing. Most roofers will not give you any warranty on this "patch" Just good bill and its generally know ans good money maker. We dont belleive in this unless the owner say (I plan to replace my roof within 2 -3 years and I need to ride it up till then). But be aware caulk will never fix your problem. Its a temporary patch at best.
B) Interview quality roofers and use "only those" who can show you many flashing details. sk about material used. How about caulk ? Check they references. Ask also for " this week current roof job" they are working on now. Every roof have some flashing details. & Reguest before, during and after images.
Hope This helps. I will be aadressing all most common roof problem areas in following posts. Make sure to sign up
As many DC, Maryland & Virginia residents are still recovering from Earthquake damages (mainly Chimneys, foundations & other structural dmages) and Fallen trees from last week huricane huricane Katia is gaining strenght.
Bellow is latest CNN report on the storm. http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/09/04/atlantic.katia/index.html?eref=igoogledmn_topstories
We will be monitoring this storm and post updates on our blog and facebook page.
