Chicago Renovation

Chicago Renovation Leading remodeling contractor in Chicago and North Shore. Kitchen Remodeling, Bath Remodeling, Home Remodeling and much much more....

Remodeling Contractor, Kitchen Remodeling, Bathroom Remodeling, Home Remodeling in Chicago, Glencoe, Wilmette, Skokie, Winnetka, Highland Park, Evanston, Lincoln Park, Old Town, Kenilworth

04/14/2026

Plumbing on an exterior wall. In Chicago. That’s a freeze risk if you don’t handle it right.
So we’re foaming the entire wall—closed cell foam, about 4 inches, R-value around 28. These pipes will be fine no matter how cold it gets.
And this building? Three-course brick construction. Old big boy construction. Not the single-course brick you see today.
This is how homes were built when they built them to last.

04/10/2026

When a client calls you back 20 years later, you show up like it’s your first job for them.
These Brazilian cherry floors? We installed them in 2005. Now we’re renovating around them—with double protection so nothing gets damaged.
Ramboard on bottom. Masonite on top.
That’s how you earn the next 20 years.

03/29/2026

After 45 years, you learn the value of doing things the right way.
Drywall lifting machine. Sheet goes up smooth, locks in place, gets screwed in clean.
No improvised braces. No strain on the crew. No accidents waiting to happen.
Safer. Faster. Better.

03/26/2026

Not every contractor knows what balloon framing is—or why it matters.
In older buildings like this, the studs run continuously from bottom to top. That means fire can travel between floors with nothing to stop it.
Modern construction uses platform framing—each level is built separately, which naturally blocks fire spread.
For balloon frame buildings, we install rock wool in the cavities. It’s fireproof and stops the fire from jumping floors.
Old buildings. Modern safety. That’s the job.

03/22/2026

This entire home is getting smart lighting throughout.
Every light controlled from your phone. Switches everywhere. Full automation.
But here’s what makes it work—there’s a central brain. All the lighting in the house is wired through one area, so if you ever need to override the smart system, you can.
It’s a serious job to set it up like this. But that’s what future-proof looks like.

03/20/2026

It’s not just about how a room looks—it’s how it performs.

Rock wool in the ceilings for sound insulation. Fire protection built in—adds 10-15 minutes of escape time if it’s ever needed.

Speakers placed throughout. Cold air leak fixed with spray foam.

When you think through every layer, the finished product speaks for itself.

03/17/2026

45 years in this business and I still won't walk into a client's home with dirty shoes.
I keep Crocs in my car. If there's salt or mud outside, I swap before I step inside. Wash them weekly.
Even when the floors are fully protected—masonite, Ramboard, the works—I still do it.
Respect isn't something you turn on and off. It's a habit.

03/14/2026

We’re in your home for weeks—sometimes months.
That relationship should be friendly. Collaborative. Not combative.
And if it starts feeling like a fight? I back off. Sometimes that’s a client I won’t work with again.
I want to work with normal people who trust our expertise, want their project done right, and are excited to see their vision come to life.
That’s the job. Make dreams happen—with people who actually want to be on the same team

03/11/2026

Remember that pile of wood acclimating in the corner?
This is what it looks like installed.
We had a tricky spot—different floor heights meeting up. Solved it with a clean threshold. And since we went from carpet to solid flooring, we added base shoe to the baseboard to hide the seam.
Every detail handled. That's the finished product.

03/08/2026

Water damage doesn’t always mean mold—but you have to assume it might.

We opened this wall fast. No visible mold. But we’re still encapsulating the studs with a mold-inhibiting primer before we close it back up.

Then we’re using moisture-resistant drywall.

Why? Because “it looks fine” isn’t good enough when you’re sealing up a wall for the next 20 years.

We don’t just fix the damage. We make sure it doesn’t come back.

02/27/2026

This is what “going the extra mile” actually looks like.
Walls were wavy—some gaps between the baseboard and wall were a full inch. Skim coat after skim coat, we couldn’t get it perfect everywhere, but we got it close.
Now look at it. Clean. Tight. No gaps.
You don’t notice the work. You just see the result.

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Glencoe, IL
60022

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