Chad's Carpentry Remodeling Kitchens Bathrooms Basements Madison Wisconsin

This February, I was privileged to travel to Mississippi to help rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I was part of a group of contractors from three NARI Chapters who descended on Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi February 11 – 17. While the trip was very productive, it was also very depressing—given the lack of progress during the last 18 months since the storm.

Our group was made up of 24 people representing 3 NARI chapters—5 from Madison. Chad’s Carpentry and Sweeney Construction represented Madison. One of my fine carpenters, Joe Stahl, accompanied me on the trip. The other two chapters represented on this trip were NARI of Chicago, and NARI Bucksmont (Philadelphia area).

Our arrival on Sunday was very upbeat since we were able to witness the annual Mardi Gras parade in Bay St. Louis. The parade didn’t happen last year due to the disarray from the storm, so it was a joyous occasion for the locals. The joy was offset by the disaster which was still present all around. Everywhere we looked we saw cement foundations without homes and debris scattered far and wide. Most houses that are standing are empty—gutted on the inside even though they appear intact on the exterior. FEMA trailers are everywhere. Perhaps 20% of the homes have been rebuilt or reoccupied. Many people are waiting for insurance settlements (if they ever come) to rebuild. There are predictions that it will take 10 years to fully recover from the storm.

NARI was hosted by the City Team Ministries, out of San Jose, which has set up a semi-permanent base in a baseball park in Bay St. Louis. We stayed in large 10-person tents with heaters, lighting, and linens on twin mattresses. Two paid staffers and about 5 other volunteers (from Mississippi, California and Nebraska) provided us with breakfast, dinner, and even a packed lunch. About ten young adults from the Madison area were also in town to help out, all participants in the AmeriCorp Program, mostly teaching in Madison area schools. Two large tool sheds were full of tools for us to use, and the full-time project coordinator or other volunteers obtained anything we needed. We all worked together to accomplish a lot in a week.

We awoke at 6:00 and departed with tools and materials around 7:00—putting in 12 hour work days. Our focus was completing four homes that were already in the process of being rebuilt. Our tasks included hanging and finishing drywall, framing alterations, plumbing and electrical improvements, and painting. We installed kitchen cabinetry, interior doors, trim, ceramic tile, and laminated flooring.

We successfully completed all four projects for homeowners identified through the local social services department as needy. One homeowner, Mrs. Van Dyke, walked into her home on Thursday with tears rolling down her face. She said, “Why would total strangers come down here and do this for me? This is so beautiful!”

Lastly, after such a week I want to comment on how proud I am to be a NARI contractor. I made friends with a extraordinary people, each of whom insisted on doing things right for clients who may have accepted anything. We determined the rough plumbing was inadequate at our project so it was torn out and redone. Doors were re-hung, switches were moved, and drywall was recoated or torn out. Construction standards may be lacking in Mississippi, but we delivered quality restoration.

Much remains to be done—and most of us are planning to return—but for now I’m happy to report that 5 more Madison-NARI colleagues were inspired by our efforts and will head down to volunteer next week. I hope that you will consider becoming a part of this effort. If you’re interested in more information please feel free to contact me directly at chad[at]chadscarpentry.com.

We are thrilled to introduce our new project manager, Ron Callow. Ron comes to us with over 20 years of experience in the construction industry, with the last ten years in new home construction.

Ron will be filling a much-needed role in our company by working with clients in the project design phase and in the construction phase. He will be dividing his time between the office and the field and will also oversee the Green Built Projects and serve on the NARI Tour of Remodeled Homes committee.

Ron has added insight from a homeowner’s perspective. He designed, drafted, and acted as construction manager of his own home in Middleton, so he knows exactly what it’s like to have a team working in your home.

Ron grew up in Northern Virginia, but his wife converted him to a Wisconsinite. (Except when the Packers play the Redskins.) He enjoys the Badgers, camping, fishing, boating, and has most recently taken up woodcarving.

At Chad's Carpentry, we have always prided ourselves on providing intelligent design solutions and quality craftsmanship on every project. Our clients have always appreciated our knowledgeable and professional staff and we work hard to transform your house into the home of your dreams. As our projects have grown in size and complexity, we have adapted our systems to maintain our quality and attention to detail.

About one year ago, we decided that the time had come to create a full-time project manager position. We looked at how other remodeling companies structure these services in Madison and around the country and adopted a model which we think will best serve our clients. Specifically, our project manager will work with our clients from the design phase through construction and final punch list completion. This approach reduces potential oversights which often happen when projects are transferred from the "design team" to the "production team." Simply stated, our project manager will work with our clients from beginning to end.

To that end, we are proud to announce that Ron Callow has joined our staff as of December, 2006 as our new Project Manager. We interviewed many qualified applicants and Ron was our first choice. We are excited about the higher level of service that we will be able to provide on every job now that Ron has joined our team. (Read Ron’s bio above.)

Local COTY Award

Local COTY Award
Chad’s Carpentry
Best Residential Bathroom
$30,000 - $60,000

Project Partners:
Jodie Amerell of InnerView Kitchen Ideas Center
Havey Plumbing
Academy Electric
Fass Masonry
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®

Honorable Mention
Best Kitchen Remodel
$ 60,000 - 100,000

Implementing Greener Building Practices

Green building is getting a lot of attention both in the Madison area and the world. As the reality of global climate change sinks in, we as Americans have to confront our wasteful habits. Compared to the rest of the world, our homes and offices use much more energy than necessary, which increases our cost of living and reduces our competitiveness globally. (Not to mention the adverse environmental impact.)

The good news is that we can invest a small amount now to improve our homes and businesses; and in doing so, save much more money in reduced energy costs and reduced health care costs for the life of our buildings. At Chad’s Carpentry, we realize that we have an obligation to educate our clients about these issues, since decisions that each of us makes while remodeling will affect the cost of operating a building, and the quality of life for the occupants.

The way we build has a direct impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Here are some alarming statistics. (Taken from “The Natural Step” by Sarah James & Torbjorn Lahti; 2004.)

The way we build and remodel our homes has a big impact on our carbon footprint. Thankfully, we have the knowledge and incentives to change for the better. As a partner in the Madison Green Built Home Initiative, Chad’s Carpentry has embraced the following principles:

1. Durability: By using materials and methods designed to last a long time, we reduce waste and conserve our resources. Using sustainable materials is important whenever possible, but ultimately worthless if the structures we build will not last a long time. As a company, Chad’s Carpentry makes a significant investment each year to train our staff to better understand the best building techniques known to building scientists. The details are critical to assuring a durable structure.

2. Energy-efficiency: Every dollar spent on energy efficiency is likely to pay back $5 dollars in energy savings. It is a standard practice at our company to ask our clients to participate in a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® evaluation. The typical insulation improvement suggested by Home Performance evaluations has a 3-5 year payback, which means that an efficient home costs much less to heat, cool, and live in. You can pay the quality-conscious remodeling contractor, or you can pay the power company. With rising energy costs, the choice should be obvious. The environmental benefits are icing on the cake.

3. Healthy indoor air quality: Toxins, mold, and dust diminish the air quality in a building, and these unwanted guests cause problems in many structures. Many toxins are in the materials that are installed in our homes, such as cabinetry, furniture, paint, and fabrics. Poor ventilation can trap these pollutants, and also contribute to mold and dust problems. Poor air quality diminishes our health, and can lead to costly health problems and expensive renovations. We partner with the Home Performance program to assure that we leave a home with better ventilation, even after improving the energy-efficiency of the structure. Similarly, our partnership with the Green Built Homes program helps us to identify unhealthy building products and to seek alternatives that create better air quality within the home.

4. Alternative products and systems: