We are frequently called upon to employ our somewhat unique spectrum of expertise that we?ve accrued via decades of practice?

?working on every kind, every material type, brand, make, & model of door and window known to mankind

In this case, the expertise needed came in the form of knowing how to safely finesse a large insulated glass unit up onto a scaffold.

Getting the scaffold to the deck and thereupon erected was a bit of challenge in and of itself.

Much more than the brute strength needed to handle the weight, was the knowledge of how to safely handle such a large & potentially dangerous insulated section of annealed glass.

One of our earliest fire egress basement window installations.

The white blocks in the foreground are the masonry foundation pieces we cut out.

The rough-opening is covered up with some surround materials specified by our client.

The window-well structure is in position.

And the soil is backfilled.

A fresh coat of paint on the new interior wood-work and voila!

A modest, yet exquisitely laid-out and continually improved upon and exquisitely maintained home up on the Burlingame area hillside.

Time for a well thought-out touch of architectural personality right across the prominent face of the home.

Our client wants to remove the existing window assembly, create new rough-openings and upgrade with new Marvin wood-clad double-hung windows flanking a sliding patio door assembly.

Although even the sliding door assembly is being used more as a unique window, than a door, because the balcony we will be installing is primarily decorative in nature. We were also contracted to replace several other window assemblies with new Marvin wood-clad windows, but this was the centerpiece of the project.

Everything being thought out and carefully ordered with the help of Portland Millwork’s Brian Dana, we were able to get the products ordered to the specifications necessary to fit our new rough-openings as needed.

An important part of the project included our installation of structural blocking being installed into the walls behind the siding that provided the…

…necessary anchorage for the installation of our wrought-iron Juliet Balcony. Remember, you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

Due to the expertise & skill of David Schlicker Art Glass, we were able to install art-glass inserts into the top-sash of the flanking double-hungs that replicated the same design as some glass in the original overhead garage door directly below. Go to www.davidschlicker.com

Unfortunately for our “After-Shot” photos, the original cloth awning structure somewhat hampers the light that might otherwise shine through to highlight this classy architectural detail. As well as somewhat hiding it from view on the exterior (see next photo).

Nonetheless, this was a classy improvement that proportionately reflects the classy client who patiently worked with us as we researched the various options with her as she figured out what her preferences would be.

Client with bungalow from early last century, wants to turn some of the living space…

…into sleeping space.

As most people know today, current building code requires sleeping quarters to facilitate…

…a minimum opening for fire egress. Yes, we did do the excavation, the concrete cutting & the laying of the blocks.

A handsome abode in the Bonita neighborhood of Tigard, near the High School.

A second story bathroom slated for a little “light-therapy.”

The study of the effect of light is an intriguing one. Phototherapy, also known as heliotherapy is claimed to have a profound effect upon certain folks.

Wikipedia notes that the… “Common use of the term is associated with the treatment of skin disorders (chiefly psoriasis), sleep disorder and some psychiatric disorders. Light therapy directed at the skin is also used to treat acne vulgaris, eczema and neonatal jaundice.”

“Light therapy which strikes the retina of the eyes is used to treat circadian rhythm disorders such as delayed sleep phase disorder and can also be used to treat seasonal affective disorder, with some support for its use also with non-seasonal psychiatric disorders.” – Wikipedia

We have no idea whether or not our client’s interest fell beyond an aesthetic desire to brighten-up an otherwise dark room.

But one thing is for certain…Tim Afonin, one of our lead field technicians suffers not from a lack of light therapy.

The moisture-barrier is carefully applied and all related components properly flashed…and then the siding.

A small, unimpressive addition…perhaps.

But being among those who install and repair windows, doors, skylights, tube-lights, sunrooms, solariums & conservatories for a living…we share a keen appreciation for what “a little light accent” can do for anyone’s living quarters.

Budding young families and relatively small houses sometimes…maybe frequently go together.

So it’s pretty easy to understand why there is a market to economically turn general-use living space into…

…a bedroom, which translates into the need for there to be safe egress in the event of a fire.

As most folks can easily imagine, this is considerably less expensive than an add-on bedroom…

…or trading up to a larger house

The finished sill of an egress window cannot be higher than 44 inches above the finished floor.

When the window is fully open, the opening must be at least 5.7 square feet in area.

A classic Northeast Portland Home.

A previous kitchen remodel that apparently lacked the forethought to consider the hours spent at the sink with nothing but a tile wall to look at.

Our client, the most recent owner had it in mind to correct this misstep.

So there was ceramic tile to carefully cut on the backsplash.

There was cabinet structure to be modified and removed. There was a plumbing vent pipe to reroute.

There was siding to carefully cut and era-styled interior and exterior trim components to install.

Russell skillfully applies the finishing touches.

Now the interior trim has been installed, it’s beginning to look as though it has maybe always been there. You can click on the photo to enlarge it for a slightly better view if you like.

But we can acquire and install anybody’s window or door product of choice.
Note the era specific trim details.

Once the homeowner fills in the horizontal-mortises’ along the sides of the cabinet and applies the finish paint, no one will believe there hasn’t always been a window above the sink.

A well-appointed bungalow with owners who possess exquisite taste.

The therapeutic properties of “light” once again come into play in our business.

A living Room.

And an upstairs bathroom.

Tim Meyers puts on the finishing touches

And now we see the light.

A Milgard Vinyl Awning Window in the bathroom provides a little ventilation, as well as some light.

For those wondering, we did do the drywall ourselves, after installing a 4 X 12 header support beam.

Rock, tape, mud & texture, the whole works. This shot is dark, so you can see the narrow-reed glass.

Looks like they’ve always been there, don’t you think? Yeah, the trim still needs to be painted.

Another candidate for a basement egress window.

One thing to keep in mind if you’re thinking of having a basement egress window…

…installed that requires a window well dug is that the cost to contend with a…

…buried boulder, or tree-stump, or a drainage-pipe, plumbing, gas-line, even…

…underground electrical conduit or wires is not included in our price.

We can deal with it. But the costs to do it will need to be covered in a subsequent change-order.

Another thing to consider is that the concrete cutting process involves getting a certain degree of water…

…on your floor. Many basements have concrete flooring, but if you have carpet, there will likely be…

…the need for temporarily pulling it back. If it’s wood or linoleum, we might get away with skillfully draping plastic.

The finished product.

Not far from the Counsel Crest area overlooking downtown Portland.

EIFS Stucco Siding. Also known as “pseudo-stucco,” stands for Exterior Insulation & Finish Systems.

North American builders began using EIFS in the 1980’s, first in commercial buildings…

…then applying it as an exterior finish to residences–mostly wood frame houses.

EIFS layers bond to form a covering that doesn’t breathe. That’s fine when no moisture is present behind the…

…covering, but if moisture seeps in it can become trapped behind the layers.

Thus it is that EIFS has garnered a horrific reputation in the Willamette Valley with numerous lawsuits.

The verdict however, seems to be that the problem is related to the installation, or more specifically, the…

…flashing techniques employed. Once again highlighting the importance of employing the expertise…

…of genuine, experienced, professionals. Especially as it relates to structural exterior envelopes.