Leak turns into bar project

A leaking pipe and the possibility of flooding last summer led to a basement remodel for Leo and Cris Berger of McCook Lake, S.D.

The Bergers, who have lived in McCook Lake for six years, were told their home was on the lowest street and the levees may not hold, so they should do whatever they could to prepare for flooding.

"We were told to sandbag and do what we thought was necessary. We emptied the basement and in doing so the plumber found a leaking pipe behind the refrigerator. Before that, we were thinking we had groundwater because the walls were wet in the utility room. We didn't know how long the pipe had been leaking. We had a lot of mold back there and had the sheetrock cut out. We didn't think about remodeling until we emptied the basement," said Cris Berger, who works with her husband and sons at Principal Financial Group. 

After they had emptied the basement and the possibility of flooding still existed, the Bergers decided they wanted their washer and dryer upstairs. One thing led to another.

"We wanted a bar down here (in the basement)," Berger said. "We have a big family with six kids (grown) and a number of them live close by. We have a good sized family with five boys who are pretty interested in sports, so we wanted a bar with a TV, and we wanted something to accommodate get-togethers for our family."

They contacted Earl Miller Construction of North Sioux City, S.D. to remodel their basement because the company had done work for Leo in the past.

"We wanted a quality guy and he knew Earl (Miller) was a quality guy," she said.

Miller came to the Bergers' home for a consultation and learned what they wanted to do with their basement, which had just a refrigerator and small corner counter - no sink. The homeowners worked with Steve Struthers of Modern Kitchen Design in Sioux City to choose cabinetry and countertops for their new bar and the vanity in the adjacent bathroom, and draw up the plans.

Miller assigned project manager David Ross and Stuart Cunningham to work with the Bergers on the construction. The first thing they did was tear out everything in the basement that had mold on it.

"The main issue was mold. The family had a problem with allergies. We had to make sure it was cleaned up. We applied mold killer and waited to see what the water was going to do. Before we started the bar project, we had to make sure that water wasn't an issue anymore," Ross said.

In October, they brought in Morningside Plumbing to do the rough-in, then they installed the fixtures to sheetrock around them and started framing the bar area. Struthers laid out the plans for the bar.

Earl Miller Construction sheetrocked the walls in the bar area, blended in the texture so that it matched the rest of the space, and set the cabinets.

An electrician from Vakulskas Electric installed new lighting that was better suited for the bar area.

Earl Miller Construction laid the DuraCeramic flooring in the bar area, bathroom and entryway, and a carpet installer came to lay out the beige carpet from Menards.

In the process, Earl Miller Construction also remodeled two baths.

 "We had a leaking issue in the upstairs bath and the bath down here needed a lot of work," Berger said.

The lower level bathroom was gutted where one of the leaks started to get access to the mold and kill it. Earl Miller Construction set a new vanity and countertop, and installed new sheetrock, flooring and trim.

In the upstairs bathroom, they sheetrocked around the new tub/shower.

The Bergers also asked them to sheetrock around the washer and dryer after they were moved upstairs, and patch where there were cracks in the walls.

Berger said whenever she had a question during the process, she could feel free to talk to Ross and he communicated with her as the project progressed.

"He made sure this is what we wanted and said we can do this or we can do that. He checked in to make sure we were on the same page. I didn't hesitate to call him and he didn't hesitate to call me," she said.

Berger said she felt confident she was leaving her home in good hands when Ross and Cunningham were around.

"I trusted David and Stuart. We could come and go and not have to worry about it.  If you can have a good working relationship with a contractor, it makes all the difference. Everything went very smoothly," she said.

They cleaned up every day and the homeowners experienced little inconvenience until the project was finished around Thanksgiving.

"It wasn't a big deal. Everything was taken care of quickly," she said. "They are very good people. I can't say enough good things about them."

Berger said the family used the basement a lot during Christmas and they love it.

"It turned out beautifully," she said.

 

When Jim and Marilyn Arends of South Sioux City were concerned about a wet cement block in their basement, they called a retired contractor, who recommended Earl Miller Construction of North Sioux City, S.D.

"He said Earl Miller would be one of the most honest contractors around town. I called Earl and within a couple of hours he was at my door. He looked inside our home and outside at the gutters and downspouts. He gave other suggestions as well. He said you really need to raise dirt around the foundation. It was a simple maintenance issue. He gave me a bid for the downspouts and gutters and the dirt work," Marilyn said.

A couple months later, Marilyn called Earl Miller back and asked him to place dirt around the foundation. Earl brought along one of his project managers to explain what needed to be done and the job was completed the following week (as weather permitted) by his crew.

Some homeowners may think that Earl Miller Construction only does large jobs, but they are happy to perform smaller handy man jobs as well. Marilyn had seen Earl Miller's vehicles around town and his crew installing siding on homes, so she thought he was a home builder.

"I had no idea that he would consider doing jobs as simple as protecting a foundation, but he got the job done exactly the way we agreed it should be done. Earl said he felt the extra dirt around the foundation should solve our problem of water in the basement," she said.

Marilyn and Jim were impressed by how well the job was done and the cleanup afterward, so she sent a note of appreciation to Earl.

"I wrote that we appreciated Earl's professionalism, his warm and strong handshake, honesty, and the job being done without delay," she said.

Earl Miller Construction is a complete remodeling specialist, performing jobs large and small. The company repairs or replaces roofs, repairs fascia and soffits, installs new windows, fixes and installs gutters, builds decks, and performs fire and water damage restoration.

Earl Miller Construction also replaces sidewalks, installs exterior and interior doors, applies ceiling texture, patches lath and plaster and performs odd jobs such as moving furniture, replacing doors and hanging pictures, among others.

For more information about their services or to receive an estimate on your remodeling project, call Earl Miller Construction at (712) 251-1033.

Corliss Bianchini of Dakota Dunes, SD recently remodeled their outdated kitchen and bathroom. They had used Earl Miller Construction when they completed remodeled their former house in South Sioux City and they were very happy with the results on that project. "They're very easy to work with, even when I change my mind on things several times. They check with you before doing something such as call and asking me where I wanted the handles and drawer pulls to go on the cabinetry." It's that kind of attention to detail that sets them apart from the rest."

Eric and Kitty Bertness, South Sioux City: Kitty says, "It was nice because you always had someone to go to if there was a question. I was really pleased with the creative solutions Earl and his guys came up with for our project. The men are very multi-talented; I was just amazed" Eric said "They made sure the work area looked exactly the way it was before they came. People really appreciate that." "Earl didn't skip corners. For me, everything was finished perfectly. I know they follow through, they do good work, and they do it in a timely manner. There was a large crew here all the time. The job went fast. We'll call him back when we have more projects that need to be done.

Carold and Marguerite Dahl in Sioux City: Marguerite said, "The workers were also very neat. They were all that you would want in someone working in your home. I would definitely recommend them to someone else. Their workmanship is excellent."

Nancy Narciso, Home Builders Association of Siouxland: "Earl is very attentive to the needs of the people who hire him. He listens well and makes sure the job is done to your specifications. Earl is very easy to get along with and very reliable. If you talk to people on the street who have hired him, they will always recommend him because he does such a nice job."

Andrea Martin of South Sioux City: "We like Earl Miller Construction because they do a good job and the price was right. We had priced several contractors and Earl Miller Construction was the most reasonable.

Colleen Dunagan of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa: She had to travel a lot for her work as a nurse. After one of her many trips, she came home to discover that 40 below zero windchills had frozen water pipes under her kitchen sink and broken them.
"The pipes were placed outside of the north wall, and I wasn't here to catch the water. It flooded the entire upstairs and proceeded downstairs. I saw the frozen water on the garage floor and moisture on the garage door to the utility room when I came home. Icicles were hanging off the windowsill of the front window. There was water throughout the entire house. When I went downstairs it was like it was raining. I had recessed lighting hanging from the wires and all the sheetrock came down from the ceiling. I had a totally soaked couch and television. The whole basement was a total loss," Dunagan recalled.
Adding to her stress was the fact that her father built the house and it holds a special place in her heart.
"I lived here in high school. When I got married, I bought it from my folks. When I got divorced, I bought it again," she said. "It's also home to my kids. My grandchildren enjoy the pool. To them, this is Grandma's house."
Afer surveying the damage, Dunagan immediately picked up the phone to call her insurance agent Kelly Ingenthron from State Farm. He arrived in 20 minutes to a half hour and was making phone calls to get everything in place. He called the insurance adjuster to take pictures of the damage, Davenport Cleaners to remove everything that was salvageable, and Earl Miller of Earl Miller Construction, who came high on the list of recommended contractors for water damage restoration. Miller assessed the situation and told her what she could expect during the restoration process. Together, they came up with a plan for getting the house back to its original condition.
"All of this took place the same day, within two hours of discovering the damage. It was amazing how quickly everything took place on a Friday afternoon (on Jan. 20)," she said.
Earl Miller Construction stripped out the damaged sheetrock, took up the flooring (including carpet that had just been replaced), and got fans blowing to dry up the spaces. They let the house dry for a month before they started construction.
"Everything came out down to the studs," she said. The damage ended 3 feet from the upstairs ceiling; that's how far the moisture went into the sheetrock. Some bedding and clothes and living room furniture from upstairs was all that was left. Everything else had to be replaced or remodeled. I had a feeling of total disbelief. I said, 'This cannot be real.' I walked around when they were tearing stuff up. Everything was totally destroyed and lost."
After everything was dry and cleaned up, Earl Miller Construction with David Ross as the project manager installed new sheetrock upstairs (walls) and downstairs (ceiling and walls), textured and painted the whole house, replaced the interior trim, put in a new entry door and all new six-panel interior doors, installed new toilets and vanities upstairs and downstairs, installed a new tub/shower unit in the main upstairs bathroom, and remodeled the kitchen. Pioneer Cabinetry of Sergeant Bluff, which made the original cabinetry, built new lower cabinets and matched up the stain for the upper cabinets that remained. Earl Miller Construction installed the new laminate countertop, which was also provided by Pioneer Cabinetry. All new carpet and hardwood floors were supplied and installed by Fashion Floors Carpet One in Sioux City.
Dunagan said Ross was very helpful in the restoration process. She had difficulty picking out fixtures for the remodel, so he took her shopping at Menards when she was in town.
"We were picking out things and he was fabulous. I asked him, 'If it were your home, how would you do it?' He'd give some suggestions, then I'd make a choice and we would go from there," she said.
She also appreciated that he communicated with her regularly and he was very well organized to make use of her time when she was home to do things.
"Communication is key when you're out of town and building a house," she said.
Ross said Dunagan was a good customer to work for.
"She was very busy when she got home, but she was cooperative. She came out and made decisions. She made time to be accommodating," he said.
Because Dunagan had to go out of town while most of the construction was going on, she had her father and daughter call to give her updates. She felt confident, knowing she left her house in good hands.
"My dad was checking out the quality of their work. He said it was all good. They put it back exactly the way it was before. In fact, it's better than what it was before. It just looks so much nicer. For a stressful situation, everything turned out OK. They took the stress away from me."
Since parts of the house were being redone anyway, she decided to go to a further extent and have everything done completely the way she wanted, albeit at some cost to herself. She had a new light switch placed on the wall of a spare bedroom and a new tub/shower combination installed in the main bathroom where there had been just a bathtub before. She also had the home's exterior and trim painted a new color.
Dunagan said she is very pleased with the way the project turned out and was looking forward to spending time at home once her traveling was done.
"They (the workers at Earl Miller Construction) do very nice work. Really everything went very well. Everything looks beautiful," she said.

Sherry Flansburg Planning for the future Morningside homeowner asks Earl Miller Construction to make her home more user friendly By Jean Hansen Advertorial writer

Advancing Post-Polio Syndrome was making it difficult for 64-year-old Sherry Flansburg to move around freely in her Morningside home.
That meant she either had to include some universal design features to make her home more user friendly or move to an apartment or Assisted Living facility. Being the independent woman she is, she chose to find out first what she could do to stay in her own home.
Since Earl Miller Construction of North Sioux City, S.D. had recently performed some siding, window and roofing jobs to her satisfaction, she invited him over for a cup of coffee to discuss her options for adding universal design features in her kitchen and bathroom.
"We decided what would work for me without overextending my budget," said Flansburg, a retired schoolteacher.
Flansburg and Miller had several challenges to overcome to make her living spaces work for a physically disabled person.
The main challenge was that her kitchen was U-shaped and very small with cabinetry on all three sides. Flansburg could hardly maneuver her wheelchair around in the approximately 10-foot-by-14-foot space.
"I couldn't get a cupboard open, and I couldn't turn around. I had two corners. The only way to get into the top cupboards was to get out of the wheelchair. I had to crawl to get what I needed," she said.
Access to the faucet was just as difficult.
"The only way I could turn the faucet off and on was to stoop over. I was also having a hard time pulling heavy pots out of the sink. I wanted a side-mounted sink," said Flansburg, a board member of the Human Rights Commission who travels frequently to Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.
To address the challenges in the kitchen, Earl Miller Construction removed the old handmade cabinets and arranged StarMark cabinets from House of Kitchens, Ltd. in an L-shape so that the cabinets were only on two sides of the room. The Red Oak cabinetry in a Bedford style is stained in a Champagne color for a white-washed oak look and dressed with brushed nickel hardware. It is covered with a Wilsonart laminate countertop in a Brune Slate color.
The cabinetry includes pullouts, self-closing drawers and a Lazy Susan for Flansburg's convenience.
"I love my Lazy Susan. It's wonderful. I don't have to crawl into my cabinets to find something," she said.
Another one of Flansburg's favorite features is the easily accessible cutting board, which she said is a necessity for cutting up foods and mixing up brownies.
Since Flansburg still needed a place to put her plates, cups and saucers, project manager Steve Kay suggested they place a cabinet on top of the countertop for that purpose. It solved the problem of Flansburg having to reach up high and crawl around to get her eating utensils when she wanted them.
The sink was another matter. Most single sinks are 27 inches or wider. Because of the size of Flansburg's space in the kitchen, it was hard to find a sink that would fit without having to buy a bar sink, she said. She managed to find a sink that was 20-inches by 20-inches and Earl Miller Construction put it in sideways to accommodate her desire for a side-mounted model.
With the sink in place, they could install the new faucet on the left side.
"I don't have a regular faucet," she said. "I found this one and liked it. Because of the pullout handle, I can fill up pots for soups and stews without having to pull them out of the sink."
Everything else looked new in the kitchen, so Flansburg decided to enhance the appearance of the dark kitchen by having Earl Miller Construction paint the brown paneling a cream color and the trim white. They also painted the doors white to blend in with the rest of the room.
"It really lightened up the space," she said. "Before it was like being in a dark cave."
During the kitchen remodel, Flansburg got something she always wanted, a dishwasher, albeit a small one.
"I would have given up anything if I had a dishwasher," she said. "It's an 18-inch special order dishwasher. For me, it's working just fine."
Brushed nickel light fixtures and slip-resistant sheet vinyl flooring added the finishing decorating touches to the kitchen.
Another challenge they had to overcome was the bathroom doorway. Flansburg wanted to put in a 36-inch door so she could access the bathroom easier with the wheelchair, but the wall that housed the bathroom door was too narrow. Earl Miller Construction solved the problem of limited access to the bathroom by moving the door around the corner, on the side of the kitchen where cabinets were removed, and carving out a space for the new 36-inch door.
To save even more room, they placed offset hinges on the right-hand side of the door.
"Now the door swings back and I don't have two inches sticking out," she said.
Yet another challenge in the bathroom was the placement of the ductwork, which was circulating air for both the kitchen and bathroom. The ductwork was located behind the new bathroom door, so Earl Miller Construction had to move it and put in two separate heating and cooling vents. One was positioned beside the wall where the old bathroom door used to be, on the inside of the bathroom, and the other was put next to a wall in the kitchen.
Along the newly built bathroom wall, where the old bathroom door used to be, Earl Miller Construction placed a thin cupboard with shelving to create more storage space in the kitchen. The cabinet is just the right height and allows her to put her toaster and other small appliances on top. Additional cabinetry is located at the edge of her kitchen facing the dining room to hold her microwave, cookbooks and food storage containers.
For now, Earl Miller Construction's work is complete on Flansburg's home, but more will have to be done later as her budget allows. She plans to apply for grants through Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which has programs for disability determinations and independent living.
"Work on this house is a continuous process," she said. "Soon I will probably take out my stove and put in a countertop stove that I can just slide under. I also want a shower with a low threshold that would be easier for me to get in and out of. My front door is another project. I want an automatic door that opens. It's difficult for me to come home at night."
Flansburg said her story shows that there are things people on a limited budget can do to make their home fit their needs.
"It's important to have a contractor that you can sit down with to brainstorm. You need to find out how much it would cost to make the changes. Earl asked me what my needs were and sent me a great crew in Steve and Carlos. I am thrilled about the work I had done. It's better than I anticipated. Earl Miller is good at working within a budget. He never tried to talk me into anything. He was willing to work with whatever I wanted and within my budget."

 

 

Don and Judy Willoughby's Morningside home.
Small changes make big impact.
A lot of small changes made a big difference in
The Willoughbys wanted to update the look of their '70s home so they hired Earl Miller Construction of North Sioux City, S.D. to perform a variety of handyman jobs.
One of the jobs they asked Earl Miller Construction to do was remove the hooks that hung from ceilings all over the house, patch the holes, texture, and paint. When they were done, the ceilings in the family room, dining room, living room, guest bedroom and master bedroom were seamless, giving no evidence that hooks had been there.
Earl Miller Construction, with David Ross as project manager, also worked on both of the fireplaces.
The fireplace in the family room had paneling above it, and the Willoughbys wanted it removed. After they took the paneling off, Earl Miller Construction put up new drywall, textured and painted the walls, added shelves, and replaced the mantel.
Judy wasn't quite sure what color she wanted the area above the fireplace to be painted, so Ross suggested that she consult with Jim Wolcott, owner of Sioux City Paint & Decorating. Wolcott came right over with samples and she chose the color Arroyo Red, which really made the fireplace stand out as a focal point in the room.
"I got a lot of help," she said. "On my own, I wouldn't have done anything like this."
Earl Miller Construction installed a new mantel above the living room fireplace as well. Judy said she and Don will have the mantel painted after they choose their new flooring and paint colors.
Another project was remodeling a small bathroom for the Willoughbys' son, Mike. Earl Miller Construction textured and painted the walls and ceiling, installed a new floor covering, replaced a vent, installed a new vanity, sink, toilet and wall cabinet, replaced the baseboards, and added new showerhead fixtures to their recently resurfaced shower.
"Before the bathroom was remodeled, most of the space was taken up by the large vanity and sink. You couldn't open the door. It was very cumbersome," Judy said. "Now there is plenty of room to open the door to get in and out."
The plumbing part of the bathroom remodel required going into the adjacent bedroom and putting a hole in the wall. Earl Miller Construction patched the hole, and textured and painted it.
Judy was very pleased with the way it turned out.
"You can't tell there was a hole there," she said. "They matched everything so well."
Among the other small jobs they did was install a grab bar in the master bedroom and repair a stress crack between the hallway and living room.
Judy said she is happy with all the work that has been done to this point.
"Everything looks so different," she said.
Most of the work was completed while Don, a strategic communications consultant, was away on business.
Don said he didn't worry about leaving the work in Earl Miller Construction's hands when he was gone.
"Earl Miller has a very good reputation. Anyone we've talked to is just as happy as we are. They've taken the projects on and done an incredible job. And I know Judy has faith in their crew. She has them on speed dial," he said.
Judy, who coordinated the projects with Earl Miller Construction, said she appreciated Earl and David's experience and gentle way of guiding her throughout the process.
"They have a great way of steering you to the right thing by making subtle suggestions," she said.
She especially appreciated their kindness and consideration. Knowing Judy has breathing problems, and any kind of dust or smell would aggravate her condition, Earl Miller Construction did staining off site, hung plastic to contain the dust, and applied no odor paint. Or they told her she might want to go to the basement while they were doing a particularly dusty project.
They also cleaned up after themselves every day. They even did some saw work in the garage and cleaned up afterward.
"I never walked through crud," she said. "They used a shop vac and swept a lot."
Judy said she and her husband used other contractors in the past and they never knew for sure when the contractors would come back to finish the job. She had a much different experience with Earl Miller Construction.
"When I called, Earl called me back right away, the crew was here before 8 a.m., and they stayed here until 5 p.m. They even took their lunch and breaks here. They were absolutely great to work with," she said.
Ross said he enjoyed working on this job with the Willoughbys.
"It was a very nice job to do and Judy was easy to work for. She knew what she wanted; she just needed a few ideas. It's a pleasure to work with customers like her and Don," he said.
For Earl Miller Construction, work with the Willoughbys isn't over. Some kitchen and living room projects are planned in the near future.
"We're not done with our remodeling," Judy said. "We're going to have them back. We would definitely recommend them to other people. Everyone we know who has dealt with Earl Miller Construction speaks very highly of them."

2nd Job - Want a new kitchen? Reconfigure it!
You don't have to replace your cabinets to get the new kitchen you've always wanted. You can have them reconfigured.
That's what Morningside homeowners Don and Judy Willoughby did in their '70s home. After having other projects done by Earl Miller Construction, the Willoughbys called them back to perform a kitchen remodel using all but a few of the original Oak Riviera kitchen cabinets.
Earl Miller Construction led by project manager David Ross removed a leg of upper and lower cabinets in the kitchen, and set aside some of the leftover cabinets to create a beautiful and functional new island.
They removed the remaining cabinets as well as the soffits, fluorescent light fixtures and the old linoleum flooring, and moved the dishwasher, which was on the leg that was taken out. They repaired the ceiling and walls where the soffits were, installed new electrical outlets, and drilled holes for new canned and pendant lights, and accent under cabinet lighting. The Kichler Brinbourne pendants with an Anvil Iron Finish and Satin-Etched Cased Opal Glass, and Westek under cabinet lighting with high and low power came from Lessman's Lighting Center in Sioux City.
The crew at Earl Miller Construction also textured and painted the walls in a Shaker Beige color, and built up the floor.
Once all the prep work was completed, Earl Miller Construction rearranged the old cabinets where the Willoughbys wanted them, then put the island together with some of the leftover cabinets and two new drawers from House of Kitchens, LTD, in Sioux City. Mark Shook at House of Kitchens designed the reconfiguration.
They also added some new StarMark oak cabinets in a Royale door style above the refrigerator with a leg down the side of it. All the cabinets top and bottom received new Amerock hardware in a graphite finish and oak crown molding from House of Kitchens. The sink and faucet were replaced with modern fixtures from Briggs Inc. in Sioux City.
Earl Miller Construction dressed the island and kitchen cabinets with Hanstone quartz solid surface countertops in an Odyssey color, also from House of Kitchens.
The crew at Earl Miller Construction laid new Teak Indian Red laminate flooring from the kitchen to the master bathroom.
They also installed all new appliances: a GE Profile stove, dishwasher and refrigerator from Kollman Appliance in Sioux City.
Twenty-four inch bar chairs from Miller Bros. Furniture in Sioux City completed the look in the kitchen.
In addition to the kitchen, Earl Miller Construction finished several other projects around the house.
The whole house got painted with no odor paint from Sioux City Paint & Decorating in Sioux City, and oak baseboard trim was replaced throughout.
Earl Miller Construction remodeled the main floor powder room. They removed all the old turquoise fixtures as well as the flooring, then installed a new toilet, sink, and oil rubbed bronze faucet from Briggs Inc., and a linoleum remnant that Judy liked from Fashion Floors Carpet One. They had Pioneer Cabinetry of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, make a floor to ceiling corner cabinet for storage and installed it for the homeowners. They also added a Progress pendant bar in Weathered Bronze and a Kichler pendant in the Eileen family with an Olde Bronze finish and Umber Etched Glass from Lessman's Lighting Center.
Earl Miller's crew remodeled the master bathroom as well. They replaced the double vanity with oak Showplace cabinetry in a Covington door style and Amber color with an Ebony glaze, and covered it with a Sioux marble double bowl countertop in Chocolate, all from House of Kitchens. They added two oil rubbed bronze faucets from Briggs Inc., new Berenson hardware in Venetian Bronze from House of Kitchens, two mirrors from Handy Man Remodeling Center in Sioux City that coordinate with the bronze fixtures, and customized vanity lighting featuring Kichler pendant bars/brackets in Tannery Bronze, and pendants (stems) from Kichler's New Street collection with an Olde Bronze finish and Lombard Marble Glass from Lessman's Lighting Center.
They painted the master bathroom walls in Blue Kentucky Haze and Brown Tar, and continued the colors in the master bedroom. They also painted the guest bedroom and hallway a Muslin color.
In the Willoughbys' entryway, Earl Miller Construction removed some of the wallpaper, painted and textured the walls, and laid new laminate flooring in Rustic Honey Oak to replace the ceramic tile. All the laminate flooring in the house came from Fashion Floors Carpet One in Sioux City.
In the living room, the crew painted the mantel Crownsville Gray and installed a new granite hearth in white and black from Haberl Tile in Moville, Iowa. It differs from the granite hearth in the family room, which features the colors of black, brown and red.
Earl Miller Construction also installed Lee carpet in a Tea Biscuit color from Fashion Floors Carpet One in the living room and dining room, in the hallway, and in three bedrooms. They installed a piece of Lee Wheatland carpet in the stairway leading to the basement.
Previously, the crew did work in the family room, so there wasn't a room in the Willoughbys' home that they didn't touch.
With all the remodeling that the Willoughbys had done, you would think that they would be tired of it all, but that isn't the case.
“Earl Miller's crew is modest, fun and easy going. It was no inconvenience at all. We enjoyed every day of it. Everything went so smoothly,” said Judy.
The Willoughbys say they love every bit of their newly remodeled home. They're so proud of it that they often invite people over to see it.
“Every time I look at it, I think 'Wow! It looks so different,'” Judy said.
If you need some projects done around the house, call Earl Miller Construction at (712) 251-1033.