CARPENTRY
Wendel Klein Builders specializes in fine carpentry. Our highly talented staff of carpenters brings years of building experience and proven construction methods to each and every project. We pride ourselves on every detail--from reproducing Victorian details, custom cabinetry and built-ins, to decks and porches. At the end of a job, we make sure no detail has been overlooked. Our goal is to provide our clients the same level of excellent workmanship that we would want in our own homes. As carpenters, first and foremost, our main concerns are quality of craftsmanship and aesthetically pleasing final products.
ACCESSIBILITY
As lifespan and the cost of health care increase, more and more people are opting for in-home care for their loved ones. This can create many challenges to a home’s functionality. At Wendel Klein Builders, we are sensitive to families’ needs and can help anticipate modifications that might be required to accommodate clients’ changing needs. Whether doorways need to be enlarged, thresholds eliminated, or a new bathroom or living quarters are required, we can help. These particular renovations are often time-sensitive. Wendel Klein Builders can offer solutions that can be efficiently implemented without compromising the character or integrity of your home.
PAINTING
In order to assure a full range of top-notch services, we decided to expand our business to include painting services. We now employ an in-house painter with over fifteen years of experience in high quality interior and exterior finishes. This not only allows us to seamlessly coordinate painting of our remodeling projects, but also provides clients with painting as a separate service. Our expert painter is available to discuss the use of a variety of projects and finishes, including “green” and / or low-VOC paints.
BUILDING EFFICIENCY AND INSULATION UPGRADES
Living in older homes ourselves, we understand the frustration of leaky windows, poor or no insulation, and outdated heating and cooling systems. Working alongside industry-leading building scientists, we can develop a plan to get your home working more efficiently. By reducing your home’s energy needs, you can help both the planet and your pocketbook.
As part of a previous renovation, the walls of this home were insulated, but the house remained uncomfortable during cooler months. By investigating the entire home, we were able to identify weaknesses in the insulation envelope and to choose the best course of action. We insulated the basement walls and blocked off the multiple air leaks from the outside into the basement and from the basement into the living space. The simple choice to insulate the walls rather than the ceiling of the basement had a beneficial effect on the performance of the house as a whole, not just in its heat retention characteristics. Rigid Styrofoam insulation board was applied to the inside of the foundation walls. This allowed us to directly insulate the coldest areas of the house-- the aboveground foundation walls. Below ground level, the earth acts as an insulator and requires less insulation. In fact, the basement floor averaged a moderate 50 degrees year round and required no insulation. This approach to insulating, along with blocking the movement of cold air with the use of expanding foam had another equally valuable effect of creating a “warm” environment in which the heating and hot water systems operate.