Four Brothers' Blog

• Five Tips for Green Remodeling

  1/28/2012 6:48:19 PM

  At Four Brothers Carpentry, it's no secret; Our team works hard to practice green habits.
  

  Both on job sites, and in the office, our green practices are always a part of any project. A home remodel is a large project, and using some energy is necessary. So we encourage our clients to move into going green a few steps at a time.

   

  If you are planning a home remodel, please consider the following five steps to help keep your project green, and your home energy efficient for years to come:

   

  • Reuse or donation of deconstructed or recycled building ...

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• Remodel Tip: Custom Built-Ins for Your Bathroom

  1/13/2012 3:26:41 PM

  Redesigning a bathroom can be difficult. While bathrooms are generally one of the smaller rooms in a house, they are a vital to the function of a home. The perfect combination of design and functionality is crucial to a bathroom's overall beauty.

  One solution that adds style to your seemingly tight space is the addition of custom and built-in cabinets. Built-in cabinets are designed specifically for your space, so they fit your spacial needs, but add just the right amount of your personal flare to the room.

  Four Brothers Carpentry designs and builds custom cabinetry and built-ins to fit ...

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• Behind the Design - Bethesda Kitchen Remodel

  10/2/2011 9:41:30 AM

  One of our recently completed projects was a full kitchen design and remodel in a beautiful old house in Bethesda, Maryland. The existing kitchen was small and cramped with room only for two runs of cabinetry. It was connected with a doorway to a small pantry, and on the other side of the pantry was the dining room. The wall between the pantry and the kitchen was a structural wall that supported the weight of the guest bathroom and office above. Perpendicular to this, and separated from the kitchen by another wall, was a day room with a powder bath ...

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• Behind the Design - Upper Marlboro Kitchen Part 2

  9/25/2011 9:26:01 AM

  One of the first and most important things to consider in a kitchen design is the layout. This focus on functionality ensures that the kitchen is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also convenient for everyday use. In the Upper Marlboro kitchen, we wanted to maintain roughly the same layout as the existing kitchen, with the sink underneath the window, and an island in the center.
  
  In an effort to open up the space adjacent to the patio door, we moved the fridge to the other end of the kitchen. The old electric range had been in the island, however, this ...

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• Behind the Design - Upper Marlboro Kitchen

  9/18/2011 11:33:36 AM

  One of our recent renovation projects was a full kitchen remodel in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The existing kitchen had been in service for almost thirty years, and there were a number of things the clients wanted to change. When we embark on a design/build project like this, we like to start with an initial design meeting, where we try to get a very broad idea of what the client's goals are in the renovation. Things to consider are: problems with the existing design (functionally and aesthetically), possible solutions to these problems, scale of the renovation desired, design goals, preferred design ...

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• Living Room

  9/10/2011 9:22:55 PM

  The Fairmont living room was designed with entertaining in mind. This theme called for a largely open floor plan that provides a close connection to the kitchen. In place of a structural wall, we used a salvaged oak post and beam to shore up the floor above. Aside from being structural, this post and beam also serves to break up the large expanse of ceiling and draws your eye back down to the wide-plank hickory floor that remains a constant throughout the house. In the front bay, the original plaster walls were preserved, and the decrepit windows were replaced with ...

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• Master Bath

  9/4/2011 4:28:46 PM

  The master bath was a design challenge due to the relatively small size, and the fact that we needed to fit in closet space as well as a functional bathroom. Rather than squeezing in a bathtub, we decided to stick with a walk in shower. A floating vanity is designed to allow the eye to see the floor extend all the way to the wall, giving a feeling of spaciousness and allowing for easy cleaning of the bathroom floor. The tile on the main floor of the bathroom is a continuous running bond in large format porcelain. The grey grout ...

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• Kitchen Cabinetry and Countertop

  8/24/2011 4:13:25 PM

  The all-important kitchen was even more so in 753 Fairmont St. Because of the open floor plan it was designed to be an anchoring element for the entire front room without becoming overpowering or ostentatious. To accomplish this, we chose a contemporary flush slab door style for the main cabinetry in a dark stained oak finish. Even the dishwasher has a matching panel. The white glass upper cabinets provide a nice contrast, and keep the main cabinet run from becoming too heavy. These will tie in nicely with the white glass backsplash still to come. The island has two legs ...

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• Powder Bath

  5/1/2011 11:28:26 AM

  Our client had very specific instructions for our design team for the lower-level powder bathroom: “Design and build a space that inspires conversation.” Initially this seemed like a strange request, but it began to make sense as our client explained her motivations further. Being a big entertainer, the powder bath (located adjacent to the kitchen towards the back of the living room) might well receive more traffic than any other area of the house over the years. She wanted a unique bathroom that would prompt guests to ask questions about the materials and design – her recommendation was towards super ...

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• Guest Bath Tile and Design

  3/24/2011 10:58:29 AM

  One of the distinct advantages of the design/build model is that most, if not all of your design is done in-house. This means that projects are designed with the end goal in mind: a beautiful space that is both buildable and functional. It’s easy to design something that is functional in theory and extravagant on paper but ultimately, is impractical and impossible to build. In residential remodeling it is particularly important to bear the end goal in mind when designing kitchens and bathrooms, as these areas lend themselves to creative expression and unique design. At Four Brothers, LLC, we are ...

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• Shower Pan and Waterproofing

  1/28/2011 3:37:13 PM

  Constructing a water-tight shower pan and drain is an art, but is arguably the most important step when installing a tiled shower during a bathroom renovation. Grout joints between tiles are not watertight, so water will inevitably leak through these joints to the shower pan below. Therefore, the shower pan must have a system whereby leaking water is channeled into the drain, without seeping through to the plywood subfloor.
  
  Back in the boom years when demand for remodeling trumped the supply of skilled workers, showers were often slapped together with little or no concern for waterproofing. During the average month, ...

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• Curb-less Shower

  1/24/2011 4:27:07 PM

  Designing accessible master bathrooms on both the first and second floors at 753 was of particular importance to our clients as they have an elderly in-law who is confined to a wheelchair. Therefore, our design team recommended curb-less showers for both master bathrooms. One of the main concerns with a curb-less shower is controlling water flow and splashing. When designed correctly however, a shower without a curb can be just as efficient as your standard shower built with a curb. 

  Additionally, when designing and installing a curb-less shower, thorough planning from the beginning of the remodeling project is required. Coordinating ...

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• Flooring

  12/27/2010 9:02:50 AM

  During the design process our design team and client considered a number of different flooring layouts and materials. Initially, the homeowner was interested in marmoleum in the kitchen, hardwood in the living room and halls, tile in the bathrooms, and a thick jute carpet in the bedrooms. Eventually this idea was abandoned for hardwood flooring throughout (with the exception of the bathrooms which would be tile), as it would present a consistent look, and simplify cleaning.
  
  In the spirit of conservation, our designers recommended reusing as much of the original heart pine flooring as possible. Heart pine has a striking ...

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• Exposed Brick

  12/27/2010 8:54:40 AM

  The party wall separating the two units at 753 Fairmont Street from the adjoining residence was constructed with a double row of bricks and mortar. As was the case throughout the house, this wall was finished originally with a thick layer of plaster which we removed near the beginning of the remodeling project with the rest of the demolition work. (See http://fourbrotherscarpentry.com/BlogPost/09-08-26/Demolition.aspx for more information on removing lathe and plaster construction.) 
  
  About half way through the framing stage of the remodeling process, our client sheepishly approached our design team with a question: “Would it be too late to tweak the ...

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• Tile Backer Board

  10/1/2010 2:15:58 PM

  Although water resistant sheetrock is an acceptable covering for walls exposed to a limited amount of moisture (above a kitchen sink and bathroom ceilings and walls), it should not be used in areas that will be subjected to heavy wetting, as it will eventually disintegrate.  These areas include but are not limited to shower stall walls and tub surrounds and enclosures.  Instead, a cement based, or specialized gypsum-core board should be used as the backing on which wall and floor tile is installed. 

   

  Much like sheetrock replaced the labor intensive lathe and plaster wall finish, tile backer board has ...

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• Drywall

  9/30/2010 3:47:18 PM

  During any remodeling project there are aha moments.  For lack of a better definition, an aha moment can be an abrupt period of clarity where “all the pieces fall into place” or, “a light bulb suddenly flashes on in your head.”  Typically, the first aha moment during the actual construction phase of a project occurs once demolition is complete.  It is always interesting to observe the progression of emotions – shock, disbelief, surprise, and ultimately joy – that play across the homeowners face when they return home from work to discover what was her fully furnished kitchen or bath ...

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• Behind the Design; Teak and Tile Master Bathroom

  9/9/2010 4:06:51 PM

  We recently renovated a master bathroom for a customer who was looking for a number of improvements throughout their home.  Firstly, they needed a larger space in their bathroom that would let them both use the room at the same time.  They also needed their space renovated in a way that would give them more closet and storage space.Finally, they wanted their bathroom designed as a contemporary space,which at the same time wouldn’t clash with the more traditional elements in the rest of the house.

  In order to give the customers the space they needed, a completely new layout was ...

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• Design/Build and Historic Architecture

  8/31/2010 1:01:24 PM

  Most people living in DC are aware of some of its architectural history.  We know we live in a planned city--in the 19^th century a French architect, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, was commissioned to design the layout of the nation’s capital.  We have experienced firsthand how he did not account for current city traffic in his plan.  We know how the main streets radiate out from the capital, and how four avenues dissect the city into four (unequal) quarters.  We know of a height restriction on all buildings in the district, which contrary to popular ...

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• Close-in Inspections

  8/12/2010 6:39:22 AM

  During the course of almost any remodeling project, periodic field inspections are required to ensure that the scope of work is aligned with the permit, and is being performed in compliance with local building codes.  Special attention by the inspector is given to things like footings, plumbing systems, electrical wiring, fire blocking, and insulation.  In the District of Columbia, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) oversees this process.  (Acquiring necessary permits for remodeling or home renovation is also supervised by the DCRA and was covered in an earlier post - Permitting).  Inspections can be performed by a ...

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• Insulation

  7/28/2010 2:45:00 PM

  In order to conserve energy and maintain a sound-proof interior, a building must be adequately insulated. With this in mind, our designers developed a three-pronged strategy for insulating the exterior and interior walls at 753 using Icynene® spray foam, rigid foam, and fiberglass batt insulation. These materials along with their specific application in this particular remodeling project are outlined below.

  Icynene® Spray Foam
  As outlined in their website, Icynene® is a cost effective, expanding soft foam insulation for use in all types of construction. Its unique characteristics allow it to simultaneously insulate and air-seal the building.  Icynene® manufactures its ...

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