Work continues on the Oil Can Henry project. The exterior of the building is looking very nice with the windows installed.

The roof is on, work is going on inside the building. The drywall is being installed.

We also have the steel stairways to the basement in place. There are several steel tanks for the various fluid...new and used...that need to be stored on the site.

Brent did a vey nice job fabricating the roof overhang brackets. He made them in our shop and bolted them in place unde the rakes of the roof.

It won't be long before you will be able to get your oil changed at this nice new facility.

Posted by Ray Cox at 5:15 PM | Link

 

We have had a crew working for the past week or so at the Northfield Historical Society’s Scriver building in downtown Northfield. I think the Scriver Building is the ‘premier’ anchor of Bridge Square. The Northfield Historical Society has owned this building for about 25 years. They take good care of it and keep working to preserve and protect the great old stone structure. Northfield Construction Company has done several projects over the years in the Scriver, including a major lower level remodeling for archive storage.

The work we are doing now is mainly in the display rooms. We are installing a lot of new lighting that will be used to showcase their exhibits. We also are doing some security work. Shortly after we started we discovered some structural problems with the floor system. SMSQ is handling the architectural work and they arranged for structural engineers to examine the conditions and determine what we need to do to strengthen the floor.

Chris Smisek is the Project Manager for the work, and Mike McKeag is the site foreman. They have enjoyed working with Mark Fagerwick, the Executive Director of the Northfield Historical Society.

Posted by Ray Cox at 5:09 AM | Link

 
Weather has been perfect for framing on the Millstream Commons project. We are moving along nicely. Millstream Commons is a 45 unit assisted living facility that will be operated by Three Links Care Center.

We are just finishing installing the second floor system. Some of the workers have started framing the second floor walls and others are at the other end of the building completing the floor system.

The employees working on this site are doing a great job. A few fit in the job trailers every day for lunch, where I caught them yesterday.

Our neighbor on the site, The Village on the Cannon, is also moving along well. Last week they installed some shingles on portions of the roof.

The Village is a condominium project where individual units will be sold. The Village and Millstream will look great when completed and are an excellent use of this downtown Northfield site.

Posted by Ray Cox at 3:48 AM | Link

 
Last Saturday the Northfield Home and Garden show was held a the new Middle School. It was a perfect day for a home show….sunny, warm weather, but the ground was still frozen so people were not working in their yards. They were thinking about home and garden projects and showed up at the show.

Phil Olson, Chris Smisek and Tristan Cox staffed the Northfield Construction Company booth this year. We had photographs of completed projects, project portfolios and exhibits of work in progress. This year we also had door prizes…four $49.95 oil change gift certificates at Oil Can Henry’s, currently being constructed across from Target. We also had some rulers, pencils, pens, and yard sticks as gifts this year.

Tristan was able to chat with a lot of people he knows, including the parents of some of his high school friends.

There were lots of area businesses at the show. Some, like Northfield Construction Company, have been attending the show for many years. For others this was their first year. A couple of long time participants are Kes Water Equipment and Knecht Nursery and Landscaping.

Mark Lange, owner of Careful Painting, had a good booth and was dressed in his usual ‘painter whites’.

Folks from Just Foods, the new cooperative grocery store in Northfield were there. It was good to see this new business there getting the word out to people about the great foods they carry.

Diane and Lori from Young’s Paint were there to answer all your painting questions. Young’s in Dundas is a full service painting supply store. You would be hard pressed to find a more complete paint and accessory store.

It is a long day to be at the Home and Garden show all day. Chris Smisek had his wife and children stop by to see him at the show.

The 2005 Home and Garden Show went very well in its new location....and we had a very busy day.

Posted by Ray Cox at 6:51 PM | Link

 
Saturday my wife Ellen and I attended the Three Links 'Gala' event in Northfield. It was held at the Great Hall at Carleton College, which was decorated beautifully for the event. This is the second annual Gala fundraiser for Three Links.

Three Links is a senior care facility in Northfield. Formerly known as the Minnesota Odd Fellows home, they operate a nursing home, Alzheimer's unit, apartments, etc. The Gala was well attended by many local and area people. We had great food and nice things to bid on a the live and silent auctions.

We are working with Three Links on their newest project....Millstream Commons. This is a 45 unit assisted living facility in downtown Northfield. Located on the site of a former grocery store, it is an excellent location for an elderly population.

I was glad to participate in and support the Three Links Gala event. Three Links is an integral part of our community, providing excellent care facilities for senior residents. I'm glad we are part of the team building Millstream Commons for them.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:12 AM | Link

 
This fall we finished up a nice remodeling project west of Northfield. We worked with the owners for several months getting things just right for the project, matching budget and design standards.

We added a second level to the home. When the project was completed it is just about impossible to tell which is 'old' and which is 'new'. The work blends together very well.

We changed several of the windows in the existing portion of the home. The second level includes bedrooms and a bathroom.

It is hard to take photographs of the interior but these photos give a feel for the project.

We thoroughly enjoyed working with this family to make their home suit their needs for years to come.

Posted by Ray Cox at 7:06 PM | Link

 
As part of my legislative duties, I was invited to speak with the Trondhjem Lutheran Church adult forum last Sunday. Northfield Construction Company just finished up work on their expansion and remodeling project. A week ago was the first church service in the 'new' sanctuary.

There was a nice group of people assembled in the new fellowship hall. Located on the east side of the building, it catches lots of morning sunlight and is a very nice gathering space.

They included a fireplace in the fellowship hall which I'm sure will be well used on those cold winter evenings.

I espcially like the covered entry area. Cars can pull up on a circle drive and drop-off or pick-up parishoners, all the while staying out of the rain or snow.

Trondhjem Lutheran Church is a busy, growing congregation. Earlier in the morning I attended a Lions Pancake Breakfast in Lonsdale. I chatted with Mayor Tim Rud and he commented that Trondhjem is always in use....he said it doesn't matter if he goes by at 9:00AM or 9:00PM it seems there are cars in the parking lot.

I'm glad we were able to assist this congregation with their building needs and that they are enjoying the new facility.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:10 AM | Link

 
We just finished another project for a client that lives in a geodesic dome home east of Northfield. We’ve done a lot of work for Dean and Joyce…remodeled the kitchen, remodeled the basement, added a deck and gazebo, new doors, etc.

This recent project involved some new windows. Because of the dome configuration the windows are unique shapes and sizes!

The overall effect of the new windows is dramatic in the home. We also were able to devise a screen system for their operating skylights.

It is great to have clients that know our workers and appreciate their talents. As a full service general contractor we are able to meet the remodeling needs of our clients, whether it is a kitchen, bathroom, deck, window replacement or any other work.

Posted by Ray Cox at 7:51 AM | Link

 
Energy use continues to be a major factor in the building business…both energy used in production and energy consumed by the final product.

Energy used during production of a home or building generally gets included into the cost of the final product. This includes the cost of fuel to run vehicles and lifting equipment, cost of fuel to deliver products such as concrete and lumber, and the cost to provide temporary power and heat to projects under construction. When energy costs increase the cost of products and materials increase.

The other big energy concern is how much energy it takes to operate the home or building. This is impacted by the choice of fuel, type of heating and cooling devices, insulation, appliance selection, design of the structure, and many other factors. Northfield Construction Company works with all our clients to review these issues during the planning phase of a project.

A lot of work is being done with photovoltaic systems. These are generally flexible, thin film materials. They turn the sun’s energy into electrical energy.

Non-mechanical devices, they work silently creating electricity from the sun. We installed photovoltaic shingles on a house a couple of years ago and will be doing so again shortly.

United Solar, General Electric, Sharp, and Shell all make various photovoltaic products. I suspect over the next decade there will be real advances made in this industry.

But the number one way to reduce energy in buildings is through conservation. Conservation of energy gives the biggest payback, and is the least expensive way to reduce energy needs. If you never have to make or purchase the power, because you reduced your overall use, you get 100% payback for that power not used...the highest rate of return you can get.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:53 AM | Link

 
Oil Can Henry's is back on track and moving forward again. We had a delay because the structural wood beam supplier was not able to furnish the beams on schedule.

This project has a complex roof structure. It consists of a series of wood beams covered with structural insulated panels…..or SIP's. SIP's consist of a thick layer of foam insulation sandwiched between two layers of oriented strand board (OSB). The OSB is glued to the insulation to make a very rigid panel that can span several feet. SIP's create a very tight, well insulated building.

The workers have set most of the beams in place and are working on the SIP's now. One nice thing about this system is that once the roof is decked it is insulated as well. We can introduce some heat into the building and it doesn't escape as quickly as in some other conventionally framed projects.

As you can see in the above picture, the building has windowed dormers. The dormers will bring in a lot of light into the work bay.

When the beams come together at the ridge of the building they create an interesting pattern.

For high school students sitting through geometry classes wondering if it will ever have a practical use, my workers can assure them it will. Figuring out roof pitches, angles and cuts is all geometry…a necessary part of this job.

Posted by Ray Cox at 9:38 AM | Link