One of the new laws taking effect on January 1, 2007 deals with carbon monoxide detectors. Beginning on that date, all new homes and apartments constructed in Minnesota will be required to have carbon monoxide detectors installed within 10 feet of sleeping rooms. As part of my service in the state legislature I supported this bill and worked with the author to gather enough support to pass it into law.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can kill you. It is produced as a byproduct of combustion. Faulty equipment, or faulty equipment installation can let the gas collect at dangerous levels in homes and buildings. People being harmed by carbon monoxide do not think clearly and most of the time they do not know what is happening to them until they are overcome by the gas. This can generally be prevented by having an operating carbon monoxide detector in the building.

Many years ago state law required the use of smoke detectors in homes and apartments. I believe most state now have similar laws on the books. In Minnesota the laws regarding smoke detectors have been modified several times, usually increasing the number of detectors needed. Presently a detector is needed in each sleeping room as well as outside the sleeping room and on each level of the home. The detectors are to be hard wired together so that when one goes off all the others in the building sound off.

Indoor air quality is a topic that continues to be addressed by building professionals on a regular basis. Sealed combustion furnaces and water heaters help reduce the possibility of carbon monoxide buildup, but it is still a good idea to incorporate carbon monoxide detectors in new home construction. On January 1st it will be the law.

Posted by Ray Cox at 11:09 AM | Link

 
I hope all readers had a very Merry Christmas. This area has had an unseasonably warm and snow-free winter so far. That has been easy on our heating bills and snow handling efforts, but not so good for young ones wanting to skate, ski and sled.

This is the time of year that we decorate our homes and spend time with family and friends, whether for Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or other celebration.

After hosting Aunt Tilley, Uncle Randolph and their six children all weekend, you might find yourself thinking about adding a spare bedroom/study….or an extra bathroom. We are prepared to help you plan and construct any project to improve your home. Maybe a refurbished kitchen is in order….new countertops, lighting, cabinet doors and flooring. Maybe something simple like ‘bumping’ out an entryway with a coat closet is in order. Or maybe, after August’s hailstorm, you would like to upgrade your windows, doors and siding.

Whatever you would like to do to make your home better suit your needs, Northfield Construction Company can assist you. We offer competitive rates with a true commitment to customer satisfaction. Call us, 507-645-8975, or stop by our shop at 1600 Riverview Lane to take a look at our photo portfolios of completed jobs. Improving homes since 1972, I’m sure we can help improve your home....and have it ready for your next holiday event.

Posted by Ray Cox at 5:34 AM | Link

 
We are coming down the 'homestretch' with the work at the Faribault Subway restaurant. Most of the exterior work has been completed, with just some signage remaining to be installed.

The interior looks very nice. This Subway has a new color scheme in the tile, trim work, etc. I like the use of crown moldings against the suspended ceilings. The tile colors are warm and inviting.

The Subway is situated just off the Sakatah State Trail as it comes into Faribault from the west. The trail winds through a little wooded area just behind the Subway. I can envision lots of trail users in this area during warm weather.

It won't be long before the kitchen equipment arrives and the owners will be serving sandwiches from the new facility!

Posted by Ray Cox at 7:48 AM | Link

 
On Saturday Ellen and I traveled to Superior, Wisconsin for a visit. The main purpose was to see the Fairlawn mansion.

This home was constructed in 1890 by Martin Pattison. Mr. Pattison made his fortune in lumber and mining in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He built this 40 room home for his family. It truly is a remarkable building, costing $150,000 at the time it was constructed. It included an indoor swimming pool, two bowling alleys, a small elevator, and many other features. Like many of the fancier homes of its day, it was constructed using both electric lights and gas lighting. It had indoor plumbing from the start, and also steam heat radiators.

The home was decorated very nicely for the Christmas season with trees in many of the rooms.

One of the things that fascinated me was the use of curved walls and windows. The turret has a fairly tight radius on it. The windows in the turret are curved---the wood sashes and the window glass. You could see the glass was the original glass, with waves and imperfections.

Other parts of the home also had curved windows….

The detailing of the home was superb. The exterior has fine clapboard siding as well as shingle siding. Part of the restoration work involved adding a fire rated stairway and modern elevator. This required a small addition at the rear of the home, which was tied very well into the main home. I appreciate seeing excellent detailing like this on an historical project...and appreciate the care the workers who created it used.

The interior woodwork is beautiful. In the dining room the ceiling has curved quartersawn red oak beams….

It also has a lovely china cabinet….

It must have been a treat to work on a home like this in 1890!

We crossed over the harbor back into Duluth and found the aerial lift bridge operating. This is a real engineering work of art. Tons and tons of metal are lifted up out of the way of ships as needed---and the deck comes right back down into position for vehicles to travel over..

We also saw a fine old Corps of Engineers building in excellent condition overlooking the harbor…..

Our trip that day ended with one of my favorite structures….a gas service station. This one is in Cloquet and was designed by world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The canopy seems to float out over the pump island. Wright included a glass enclosed second floor room that he imagined would be used as a reading room or community room….good ideas!

Posted by Ray Cox at 7:10 PM | Link

 
Work on the expansion for Astral Technology continues to move along well. Our workers erected the main steel frames late last month, and now have completed most of the exterior wall steel sheeting.

Once the wall sheeting is properly fastened the workers move on to the roof system. This is a bit more complicated work, as it involves intalling bands to hold insulation and a vapor barrier in place. Once that work is completed the workers can start installing the insulation and the steel roof panels. You can see the vapor barrier being installed in the far bay in the photo below.

Using a pre-engineered steel building like this allows owners to have large, clear spaces inside the building. The steel frames span the entire strucutre without using interior columns. The building also will have a very high insulation value, keeping operating costs low for the owners.

Posted by Ray Cox at 8:13 AM | Link

 
Wednesday evening I attended the annual Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce holiday gathering. It was again held at Grundy’s in downtown Northfield. As in past years, it was very well attended by area business folks. Local blogger coach Griff Wigley was there snapping photos of us enjoying outselves, and posted them to the Grundy's website.

Grundy’s had a nice selection of food and treats. After selecting some I sat down with Maggie Lee. Maggie is a wonderful lady that was very good friends with my mother Marjorie. They shared a passion for purple clothing and seeing that the Northfield News was printed without typographical mistakes. My mother is no longer with us, but Maggie carries on her love for the color purple.

Attorney John Ophaug was dressed with his Norwegian heritage sweater. I’m sure John was looking around to see if there was some lutefisk somewhere. John is the one fellow I know that truly loves lutefisk. Last Thursday I ran into him at the dinner before the St. Olaf College Christmas Concert and he was thoroughly enjoying his lutefisk. I’m generally fine letting him have my assigned portions.

Northfield is all 'dressed' up and looks very festive for the Holidays. This morning we even got a sunrise that matched our Holiday spirit.....

Posted by Ray Cox at 5:25 AM | Link

 
Every year for the past few years the Northfield Arts Guild hosts a winter celebration. Part of the celebration includes a Christmas tree decorating event. Area businesses sponsor trees that local people decorate. The trees are then auctioned off to raise funds for the Arts Guild.

Northfield Construction Company has been a regular sponsor of a Christmas Tree….and often the tree artist has been my sister, Sarah Currier. This was the case again this Saturday as the trees were unveiled to the public at the downtown Arts Guild. Sarah’s tree, as shown in David Perez's photo, looked beautiful and helped raise funds for arts programs…..

It was fun to be at the Arts Guild chatting with folks and enjoying the start of the Christmas season in downtown Northfield.

If you want to experience more downtown fun, don’t miss the ‘Winter Walk’ tomorrow evening, sponsored by the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce. The fun starts about 5:00PM when Santa's elves start giving out candy canes. There will be caroling, model trains, story telling, live reindeer, horse-drawn wagon rides, and all sorts of activities for everyone.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:26 AM | Link