In order to make this kitchen more functional and create a better layout, we opened the area and completely reconfigured the space. Because this house was built before 1972, we had to take special precautions during demolition and clean up to contain any lead hazards. We are an EPA Lead Certified firm, equipped and qualified to contain the potential dangers of lead in older homes. We opened the wall to the dinette area by six feet allowing a clear view to the backyard from the kitchen. An island with seating was installed providing extra storage and prep space. Everything from the cabinets and countertops to the light fixtures was carefully installed by our qualified crew, making the kitchen more functional to accommodate a busy family. Neil Landino Photography

Inspiration for an eclectic kitchen remodel in Boston with blue cabinets

When we first saw this 1850's farmhouse, the porch was dangerously fragile and falling apart. It had an unstable foundation; rotting columns, handrails, and stairs; and the ceiling had a sag in it, indicating a potential structural problem. The homeowner's goal was to create a usable outdoor living space, while maintaining and respecting the architectural integrity of the home. We began by shoring up the porch roof structure so we could completely deconstruct the porch itself and what was left of its foundation. From the ground up, we rebuilt the whole structure, reusing as much of the original materials and millwork as possible. Because many of the 170-year-old decorative profiles aren't readily available today, our team of carpenters custom milled the majority of the new corbels, dentil molding, posts, and balusters. The porch was finished with some new lighting, composite decking, and a tongue-and-groove ceiling. The end result is a charming outdoor space for the homeowners to welcome guests, and enjoy the views of the old growth trees surrounding the home.

In order to make this kitchen more functional and create a better layout, we opened the area and completely reconfigured the space. Because this house was built before 1972, we had to take special precautions during demolition and clean up to contain any lead hazards. We are an EPA Lead Certified firm, equipped and qualified to contain the potential dangers of lead in older homes. We opened the wall to the dinette area by six feet allowing a clear view to the backyard from the kitchen. An island with seating was installed providing extra storage and prep space. Everything from the cabinets and countertops to the light fixtures was carefully installed by our qualified crew, making the kitchen more functional to accommodate a busy family. Services provided: General contracting Space planning Demolition Framing Cabinet installation Countertop installation Window installation Lighting installation EPA-compliant lead safe renovation Neil Landino Photography

When we first saw this 1850's farmhouse, the porch was dangerously fragile and falling apart. It had an unstable foundation; rotting columns, handrails, and stairs; and the ceiling had a sag in it, indicating a potential structural problem. The homeowner's goal was to create a usable outdoor living space, while maintaining and respecting the architectural integrity of the home. We began by shoring up the porch roof structure so we could completely deconstruct the porch itself and what was left of its foundation. From the ground up, we rebuilt the whole structure, reusing as much of the original materials and millwork as possible. Because many of the 170-year-old decorative profiles aren't readily available today, our team of carpenters custom milled the majority of the new corbels, dentil molding, posts, and balusters. The porch was finished with some new lighting, composite decking, and a tongue-and-groove ceiling. The end result is a charming outdoor space for the homeowners to welcome guests, and enjoy the views of the old growth trees surrounding the home.

When we first saw this 1850's farmhouse, the porch was dangerously fragile and falling apart. It had an unstable foundation; rotting columns, handrails, and stairs; and the ceiling had a sag in it, indicating a potential structural problem. The homeowner's goal was to create a usable outdoor living space, while maintaining and respecting the architectural integrity of the home. We began by shoring up the porch roof structure so we could completely deconstruct the porch itself and what was left of its foundation. From the ground up, we rebuilt the whole structure, reusing as much of the original materials and millwork as possible. Because many of the 170-year-old decorative profiles aren't readily available today, our team of carpenters custom milled the majority of the new corbels, dentil molding, posts, and balusters. The porch was finished with some new lighting, composite decking, and a tongue-and-groove ceiling. The end result is a charming outdoor space for the homeowners to welcome guests, and enjoy the views of the old growth trees surrounding the home.

When we first saw this 1850's farmhouse, the porch was dangerously fragile and falling apart. It had an unstable foundation; rotting columns, handrails, and stairs; and the ceiling had a sag in it, indicating a potential structural problem. The homeowner's goal was to create a usable outdoor living space, while maintaining and respecting the architectural integrity of the home. We began by shoring up the porch roof structure so we could completely deconstruct the porch itself and what was left of its foundation. From the ground up, we rebuilt the whole structure, reusing as much of the original materials and millwork as possible. Because many of the 170-year-old decorative profiles aren't readily available today, our team of carpenters custom milled the majority of the new corbels, dentil molding, posts, and balusters. The porch was finished with some new lighting, composite decking, and a tongue-and-groove ceiling. The end result is a charming outdoor space for the homeowners to welcome guests, and enjoy the views of the old growth trees surrounding the home.

In order to make this kitchen more functional and create a better layout, we opened the area and completely reconfigured the space. Because this house was built before 1972, we had to take special precautions during demolition and clean up to contain any lead hazards. We are an EPA Lead Certified firm, equipped and qualified to contain the potential dangers of lead in older homes. We opened the wall to the dinette area by six feet allowing a clear view to the backyard from the kitchen. An island with seating was installed providing extra storage and prep space. Everything from the cabinets and countertops to the light fixtures was carefully installed by our qualified crew, making the kitchen more functional to accommodate a busy family. Credits: Cabinets: Bender Kitchen & Baths, New Haven, CT Countertops: East Stone, Stratford, CT Electrical Work: KMB Electric, Branford, CT "Thank you so much for the wonderful job you did with the kitchen! Honestly, this renovation was such a breeze to live through. It couldn’t have gone any smoother. John and Jim were so professional, talented, and timely—a pleasure to be around! This is a huge compliment coming from a pregnant woman in her third trimester. Thanks again for your vision, we couldn’t love the kitchen any more!" – Kim, Kelly and Haley Robison, Homeowners, Branford Neil Landino Photography

Many young homeowners either have been told or believe that since I have a gas fireplace, there’s no need to sweep it. That is a false. Plain and simple. There are many ways you can hurt yourself, family and home by not following the recommendation of the National Fire Protection Association and the Chimney Safety Institute of America. What do they say? Whether you use or never use a wood burning or gas fireplace, it must be swept once per year. Why? Let’s discover the risk factors together. Risk #1 Blockages and Poor Ventilation It may seem like there’s nothing going on in the fireplace, but there’s a lot of activity that you won’t see. The volatility of wind in Chicago is undeniable. This causes leaves and debris to fly around landing in the chimney. Next, with Fall upon us, raccoons squirrels birds bats and other critters are finding a warmer place to camp for the Winter, and your chimney looks pretty good. Blocked by the wind and cold, the fireplace is a good place to sleep for the season. Not only are these blockages dangerous, but carbon monoxide (CO) can back up into your home instead to going up the chimney and outside of your home. Risk #2 Carbon Monoxide Did you know that gas fireplaces produce carbon monoxide? Without a clean and clear vent, carbon monoxide continues to build up inside of your home. What are the side effects? This can lead to dizziness, headaches and feeling sick to the stomach. This can be a serious problem if not caught in time. Risk #3 Damages! If the fireplace and chimney goes for extended periods of time without servicing, moisture can build up inside of the chimney causing damage and a big repair job. But let’s not forget that without good ventilation, the airflow again gets restricted. Now you’ll be stuck with your gas fireplace shutting down or even overheating. Risk #4 Potential for Fire Most times when you purchase a home, someone else lived in it. We don’t ask their habits, we just hope everything works. Before you start that fireplace, do you know if it was used? Do you know if it was a wood burning or gas fireplace? Was it always used in that way? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, it’s time for a fireplace sweep & inspection. Here are some warning signs that you have a potential problem: • The smell of gas • A hint of burning smells • Moisture on the glass fireplace doors • Smoky smell • Headaches, dizziness • Carbon Monoxide detector goes off • The discovery of debris • Efflorescence or white color staining • Having trouble keeping the fireplace lit • Sooting or irregular flames Contact Superior Chimney today at 877-244-6349. So, when you hear someone say, I have a gas fireplace, no need to sweep it, you now know what you need to tell them.

When the weather begins to get colder, this can be a dangerous time for trees. There are many reasons how the cold and other elements during winter can harm your trees and surrounding landscape. This also means that there are many ways in which you can help prevent any unfortunate accidents due to the weather. Some of the most common reasons trees can get damaged from the cold weather are as follows: -Root damage -Extensive bark -Core chewing from pests We here at Five Star Tree Services want to provide you with the right information on how to help prevent winter tree damage. Root Damage Prevention Unlike the rest of the tree, which includes the stems, branches, and buds, the roots are the last part of the tree to go dormant for the winter. This means that they are more vulnerable when the weather takes a sharp cold turn. The reason this tends to happen is that the soil temperatures stay warmer than the air, hence why the branches go dormant first and the roots take longer. There are also a number of different things that dictate soil temperatures. For instance, dry soil gets colder quicker than sodden soil. Making it so that there is more ice present in sandy or dry soils, which is how it gets colder in temperature. If you want your soil temperatures to be higher, mulch and snow can help insulate the ground and keep it sheltered from the harsher elements. If you have recently planted a tree, the disturbed soil will now allow cold air to get at the roots, which will hinder any root development or even kill newly grown roots. How To Prevent For newly planted trees, you should cover the roots with 3-4 inches of wood mulch. The best thing to do is make a 6-inch circle surrounding the base of your tree but make sure to keep it away from the trunk. Doing this is going to help support the tree during the winter and help stop unusual roots from growing. Before you lay your mulch down, you should also be checking for holes or breaks in the soil and fill them in before laying your mulch down. In the fall and spring, the soil is continuously being defrosted and refreezing again. This makes the soil contract and expand and can hurt newly planted roots. It can also be enough to push them out of the ground completely! Making mulch even more important since it can provide more consistent temperatures in the soil. If you are experiencing a dry fall with little to no rain happening, you need to give your tree a really good watering before the ground starts to freeze. Doing this is going to lower the risk of your tree getting infiltrated by ice or frost. Pest Damage Prevention There are plenty of things that can harm your trees when the weather turns cold. Some of these other things include: -Sunscald -Dieback -Brown evergreen foliage -Salt damage But aside from weather related ailments, you also need to worry about the damage done by certain pests as well. This can include: -Mice -Hares -Voles -Deer These seemingly harmless animals are known to do major damage to plants during the winter when they are foraging on things like twigs, bark, stems, and leaves. They have even been known to completely eat bushes, right to the ground, and kill trees when they destroy their bark. One of the only ways to prevent animals from chewing on the bark is by building barriers around your trees in order to keep the pests from getting at them. Luckily, making these barriers isn’t as hard as you might be thinking. There are numerous potions for you to choose from that are easy to assemble and disassemble that you can find at your local garden center or landscaping stores. How Five Star Tree Services Can Help Colder weather insights many potential negative things for your trees that can severely harm them, damage them, or even kill them if they are not properly protected. It is always important to make sure that your trees are properly prepared for the winter months ahead. This means utilizing preventative measures to alleviate the risks of things like root and animal damage. If you require help to prepare your trees for winter, our team at Five Star Tree Services is here to help you with our tree care services in Richmond Hill, don’t wait until it’s too late, give us a call today at (416) 990-3355!

Effectively maintaining your landscape and trees take a good amount of time and effort. Often, homeowners will delay trimming or pruning their trees out of laziness or simply because they don’t know how to correctly care of their trees. But, you should know that tree trimming should be at the top of your to-do list for many reasons. Pruning, proper maintenance, and fertilization are all critical if you want the trees in your yard to thrive to grow strong. For homeowners that are unable to handle the tasks on their own, our professional tree trimming service can help. Five Star Tree Services has put together a list of the top three reasons why you need to trim your trees on a regular basis. Healthier Trees Regular tree trimming will keep your trees in their best health while also promoting growth. Sometimes trees may have dead or broken branches, removing them prevents decay and can even prevent an infection from spreading. If you leave damaged or rotting branches on your tree, it can spread the condition to other parts of the tree or even to other trees in the area. When you prune your tree on a regular basis, it also promotes the growth of new leaves and branches. Reducing the thickness of the leaves and branches also opens up the inner part of the tree to the sun. Furthermore, air circulation is critical for a healthy tree and regular trimming ensures that your tree always has access to the fresh oxygen it needs to thrive. The healthier your tree is the better quality oxygen it will produce for the surrounding area. Improve Property Value Well-kept trees greatly improve the aesthetics of your home. Decaying branches or trees that are overgrown are not only unsightly and dangerous, but they can also have a negative impact on the curb appeal of your house. If your house is on the market, seeing an unkempt yard with untrimmed trees can leave potential buyers with a negative perception of your property. Keeping your trees trimmed and neat show that you care about your home and how it looks. Work hard for your property and it will turn the best profit when you finally sell. Prevent Environmental Damage Tree branches that are rotting or weak pose a safety hazard to your home and your family. Dead limbs or even overburdened are more likely to fall off of the tree and strike your home. There have been plenty of reports of dead or overly heavy branches suddenly falling on people as well. Trees that grow close to power lines also pose a threat if they are not trimmed on a regular basis. Limbs can grow too high or too long causing them to brush against the power lines. This may trigger a fire or even a power outage. Sick trees with limbs that are diseased are more likely to cause the entire tree to tip over. This can cause damage to your home, vehicles, or even a person if they are unlucky. How Five Star Tree Services Can Help If you are not sure about how or when to trim your trees, Five Star Tree Services is here to help. We offer a wide range of Toronto Tree Trim Services and pruning services for both commercial and residential locations. Our passionate team of tree care experts will keep your property safe and ensure that your trees are beautiful and can continue to grow in a healthy state. Give us a call at (416) 990-3355 to find out more information about the services we offer.

Tom le Grange
Inspiration for a craftsman exterior home remodel in Other

A comfortable bedroom with a gently vaulted ceiling features a recessed niche showcasing a favorite surfboard. Warm white walls create a spacious backdrop highlighting the intentional inclusion of a few dramatic elements. A vertical mirror doubles as a hidden closet door, well chosen artwork hints at the perpetual, potentially dangerous nature of the sea, a slatted walnut dresser provides horizontal stability, while a well balanced surfboard, in three tones of gray keeps one's thoughts aloft.