Answers

Sorry, I have never heard of it. Ipe is very nice, but a bit expensive. Keep in mind, sometimes you get what you pay for.

Marty Brummel

M.K. Brummel, Inc Fine Remodeling and Building

What wiring did they exactly "mess up"? Was it the circuit to power the equipment or the low voltage lines? Either way, they should have used care to keep things where they belonged. If it was going to be an issue, they should have brought it to your attention early and said that you would have to possibly talk to your security people about resetting things. It appears to be a lack in communication during the work process.

Marty Brummel

M.K. Brummel, Inc. Fine Remodeling and Building

As beautiful as wood doors can be, they are constant maintenance. They will always have the potential to crack. Now, being that you will have some protection, it will help. If your house is a period style home with wood windows and doors now, then it makes sense to stick with that type of door. If not, normally I would recommend a ThermaTru wood grained fiberglass door unit or possibly a Marvin clad door with a wood interior. Keep in mind that the more divided lites you have in the door, the busier it looks. We have done doors for customers that are 6, 8, and 10 lite that will leave you with a great look, and not take away from the view to the outside. Good Luck!

Marty Brummel

M.K. Brummel, Inc. Fine Remodeling and Building

The best options really will depend on your budget. You want to have the best "flow" in the kitchen that you can, keeping your appliances within a general 'triangle design". If you are talking options as in granite vs quartz vs Corian vs laminate, budget will determine that. I prefer quartz over granite because of less long term maintenance. The finish on cabinetry is also a detail that can make a huge difference. Glazed finishes are very nice, but can be expensive. Sometime custom cabinetry can be almost as economical as "box" cabinets when you factor in the additional labor needed to install box cabinets. I hope that helps some.

If you are leaving the house, you definitely want to shut the water off to the house, in case the water line bursts. Otherwise, if you can find the frozen area, you can take a hair dryer to the spot to slowly thaw the pipes. Don't het the pipe quickly, as this will most likely cause the pipe to burst. Just always be ready to shut the water off to the entire house and have a bucket near. Good Luck.