Around Your House

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Accessibility Modifications
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Room Conversions
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Landscaping & Fencing
Chimneys
Roofing & Ventilation
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Free Information Center

We at Around Your House are dedicated to helping educate homeowners about our industry and about the best, most cost effective ways to approach your home improvement projects, thus helping you as consumers to make the most informed decisions possible when you're ready to talk to a professional. Therefore, we have prepared a host of articles covering many industry-related topics for you to read, free of charge, available to you not only on web pages, but also in printer-friendly pdf format for you to print out and review at your convenience. You can also access all of our many picture galleries from here, and find links to other industry resources. Our Free Information Center is just another way for us to help you Around Your House.

Use the navigation menu to the right to find exactly when you're looking for, or simply scroll down the page. All articles and galleries are arranged alphabetically by title, and may cover many types of remodeling issues at once.





Articles About Your House

Here are some helpful articles covering a host of home improvement related topics, available to be read as web pages or to download as printer-friendly pdf files. Just click in the appropriate column to make your selection!


Answers To Questions About Re-Siding

Here are some answers to five of the most common queries made about siding projects.

Avoiding The "Peter Pan" Mindset

We're all going to grow older eventually, and our physical needs are bound to change. It's time to face up to the reality and prepare for access modifications ahead of time.

Bath Accessibility Issues: Two Reports

Here are two short articles that discuss accessibility issues with regard to the smallest room in the house.

Chimney Maintenance

Here's a quick look at the basics of how to keep your chimney in good health.

A Cold Roof: Good Health For Your Home

One of the best ways to avoid moisture problems is to properly ventilate your home, starting at the top.

A Common Sense Approach To Painting

If the paint is peeling, covering it up isn't going to solve much for very long. Here's some important information to consider.

Condensation and Humidity: A Year- Round Problem

The problems are there even when you can't see the signs, 365 days a year. Read all about it.

Dangers Lurking About Our Homes

It's highly toxic stuff, and it's literally covering the walls of many homes. It's lead, and here's what you need to know about it.

Fall Preparation Ideas

Need to know what to look for when the time comes for the leaves to drop from the trees? Here's a home checklist.

Landscaping With Limited Mobility In Mind

Access modifications don't need to stop once the ramp is built and the interior has been taken care of; there's the exterior landscape to consider, too.

Maintaining Your Home Is A Year-Round Investment

You've spent a fortune on the place; now it's time to protect the investment you've made with proper care and maintenance.

Overcoming Obstacles For The Physically Challenged

When faced with physical challenges and disabilities, home can feel like an unwelcome place, until the obstacles are removed.

Panic And Mobility Awareness

The new realities that come with physical challenges can be a shock; however, panic isn't the answer when looking to remodel your home for accessibility.

Planning Decks & Patios

You know you want a new deck or patio, but what can you do to make sure that the end result is a good one?

Planning the Perfect Bathroom, Realistically

We've all seen the magazine spreads, but most of us don't have 10'x20' bathroom spaces. Here are some tips for realistic bath planning.

Planning Your Kitchen

A dream kitchen is a dream kitchen only if you can actually work in it. Here are some planning tips.

Realities Of Re-Roofing

Here are some things to consider when it's time for that roof project.

Safety Grab Bars: Not Just A Steel Pipe

Just because accessibility concerns demand the installation of safety grab bars, that doesn't mean you're stuck with unsightly silver pipes.

Skimping On Ramp Construction: An Unsafe Investment

You're having the ramp built to allow for safe access to your home; don't make matters worse instead by having it built unsafely.

Spring Maintenance Planning

Once Old Man Winter is gone, how can you get your home ready for Spring? Here's a checklist.

Tracking Down Home Heat Loss

Wonder why your heating bills are so high this year? We may have some ideas about that.

Valuable Information About Your Windows

They're more than just panes of glass - learn more about what goes into your windows.

What To Consider When Buying A Door

It's the first part of your home a visitor will see - make the right choice when picking out a new door.

What To Expect From Your Alterations Contractor

When you need access modifications done to your home, make sure you have the right firm for the job.

Window Advances In The Past Decade

There have been some great leaps forward in window technology; read all about them.





Picture Galleries

Wondering how projects get done from start to finish? Can't quite visualize what your project might look like when it's done? Or maybe you just want to get some ideas. This is the perfect place to look - it's our colelction of start to finish picture galleries from both "typical" and "unique" jobs we've done over the years. There are also a few "informational" galleries to be found here, as well. Have a look and see what we can do for you Around Your House!


A Basement Conversion

In this complicated project, we're turning a large portion of our client's basement into useful office an rec space, compelte with custom cabinet work.

A Bath Renovation

Here's a look at a very simple renovation for a typical 5'x7' Milwaukee bath that has fallen victim to rotten walls.

A [Second] Bath Renovation

This renovation is a bit more elaborate, with a literal floor to ceiling transformation of the bath area, as well as fixture replacement.

A Bay Window Renovation

Here we replace a bay window that has fallen victim to rot and carpenter ants.

A Brand New Roof

Here we remove a home's old roof coverings and replace it all with new material.

A Complete Kitchen Renovation

Everything is being replaced here, from the sub-floor to the ceiling lamps to everything in between.

Fallen Tree Damage Repaired

A massive tree has been uprooted and crashed into someone's home. Watch us repair the damage.

From Modern Hutch to Victorian Door

A Victorian style home gets an interior facelift courtesy of a new door.

A Laundry Area Renovation

In this extensive project, we're taking a cramped, heavily obstructed basement corner and turning it into a bright, open, functional laundry area.

A Look At Moisture Problems

This informative picture gallery shows some of the symptoms of moisture problems in the home, from stains in the basement to peeling paint everywhere else.

The Making Of An Ice Dam

Here's a graphical description of just how those pesky ice dams that plague Wisconsin gutters get formed, and what kind of damage they can cause.

New Patio Doors

Not one but two patio doors get replaced in this project.

A New Porch & Patio Door

Here we take what used to be an ordinary window and replace it with a full patio door, as well as a porch to lead up to it.

A New Prime Entry Door

It's time to replace an old prime entry door that's seen its day with one that will do more to enhance the home's appearance and reduce its energy costs.

A New Ramp In Tight Quarters

Access ramps to the front door don't always work out well, and when the only other door to the house leads to a driveway, one might think it's a problem, but wait until you see how we've made that into a convenience.

A Patio To Deck Conversion

At the beginning, there's a big concrete patio area there, but when we're done, it'll be a beautiful wooden deck.

A Porch To Ramp Conversion

A porch out front used to work just fine, but the homeowner's accessibility needs now demand a ramp. Here's how we make the change.

Proper Venting Illustrated

This informative graphical illustration will show you how a proper passive ventilation system works to create a "cold roof" and a more energy efficient home.

A Property Line Makeover

Landscaping, a retaining wall, and a fence are the components of this project. Oh yes; there's a gargoyle, too.

A Roof & Dormer Repair

The area around this home's dormer requires reapiring. Here's what we did.

A Room Extension

What good is walk-in attic space when the room next to it is too small? Watch us extend the room into this previously wasted space.

Second Story Balcony Replacement

Here we replace a second floor balcony that has become to unsafe for use with a sturdier new construction.

Skylite = Not Right

In theory, skylites look pretty, but they are a leakage hazard, especially in Wisconsin. See what happens when it's time for a leaky skylite to go away permanently.

Two Window Replacements

Watch as we replace two windows.

Veranda Remade

Here we replace a lovely veranda (wraparound porch) at a Wauwatosa home.

A Very Unique Chminey

While working on a roof replacement, we also take the time to replace a home's unique triangular chimney.




Links To Other Resources

Still need more information? Here are some links to other resources on the web related to our industry. We'll always be here to help you find the answers you need, of course, but here are a few other places worth checking out. Linked pages will open in a new browser window.

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