Weidmann & Associates is now being recognized by new blogs that focus on the best contractors in the area. Journalists are ranking Weidmann at the top because of the company's innovative design, quality construction, and outstanding client satisfaction ratings.

General Contractors Magazine named Weidmann & Associates as the #1 General Contractor in the state of Georgia. "We are thrilled with this honor, and it definitely reflects the work of the entire Weidmann team", said Dan Weidmann, the president of the firm. Weidmann also ranks in the top Atlanta general contractors list.

The criteria used to rank each remodeling includes: work history, customer ratings and reviews, trade association recognition and awards.

Weidmann & Associates is also listed in the Top 14 general contractors in Atlanta by Atlanta Architects, a new blog focusing on the remodelers and architects in the metro Atlanta area. 

For more than twenty years Weidmann has made the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Top 15 Residential Remodelers List. In addition, Weidmann won the exclusive client service award presented by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.  

As the kitchen’s role as the hub of the home continues to be the key impetus for kitchen remodeling projects, kitchen design has evolved to meet this need.  No longer a prep space for meals that are served in the formal dining room, the kitchen has become a gathering space for family and friends.  In an older kitchen, this frequently results in congestion and challenging working conditions – with guests or family members often standing in or walking through the work triangle, which consists of the sink, cooktop and refrigerator space.  
As the number of family members and guests present in the home increases, people will eventually be forced out of the kitchen and into other areas of the residence.  If the kitchen is isolated from the rest of the home, these guests will be disconnected from the “action” and no longer able to easily interact with the cook.   These issues create the demand for new kitchens that can comfortably accommodate more people, while keeping the work space clear.
A reconfiguration of the work triangle can usually minimize bystander interference with the cooking function.  However, creating space to allow more people to gather in the kitchen is a bit more challenging within the confines of an existing home.  While an addition might address this problem, it is generally a more expensive solution.  Alternatively, the objective of creating a more spacious kitchen can frequently be achieved by simply opening up between the kitchen and adjoining spaces to provide better visual connection between the kitchen and adjacent interior and exterior spaces.  
By reducing or eliminating the physical barriers that separate the kitchen from the rest of the home, family and friends will be more likely to gather outside the kitchen and still feel like they are connected with the activity in the kitchen.  Not only does this reduce congestion and improve the working conditions in the kitchen, it results in a better use of the home.  The downside to this approach to expanding a kitchen is that it requires the removal of walls and creating new or larger openings.  With less wall space, there is less room for cabinetry.  
New kitchen designs address the reduction of wall space with creative solutions to the storage issue.  A common approach is to place the refrigerator, sink and cooktop in the core of the kitchen, but ovens, microwaves, warming drawers, less frequently used small appliances, and the bulk of the storage being located away from the primary work space.  This could be in an area adjacent to the work triangle or in another room completely.  (Infrequently used formal dining rooms often provide a great space for the secondary functions of the kitchen.)  It just requires a little imagination.
In addition to creating storage opportunities outside the main kitchen space, there are a lot of storage options available to better utilize base cabinets to make up for the loss of wall space.  These include microwave drawers to replace the traditional countertop or wall mount variety, spice drawers, roll out shelves for easy access to small items, double utensil drawers, pot and pan pull outs, and plate drawers.  Many of these options can be retrofitted into existing cabinets, if a full kitchen remodel is not needed.
With multiple options available to create a more functional kitchen for family and friends, developing the best solution for your particular home depends on a variety of factors.  Key questions to consider are (i) what challenges are associated with the current configuration in day-to-day living, (ii) what issues arise when you entertain, (iii) how often do you entertain and how large are the gatherings, (iv) where do family and friends enter the home and where do things get dropped, (v) does your entertaining focus on food and drinks, or is it more about football, and (vi) is cooking part of the entertainment?  In answering these questions, identify the features of your home that work well and those that do not.  Design options can then be explored that retain the positive attributes of the dwelling, while addressing its deficiencies.  Where compromises must be made, focus on the changes that will have the biggest impact on the enjoyment of your home.  
Ultimately, a kitchen that provides both great functionality in the workspace, while operating seamlessly as the hub of activity, will serve you well for years to come.
     
President Dan Weidmann, VP Lake Oconee Kris Marshall, and their team at Weidmann & Associates, Inc., provide a complete Design-Build remodeling solution to Metro Atlanta area and the Reynolds community. Services include architectural design, ARB approval, interior design, and construction. Remodeling in Atlanta as well as in and around Lake Oconee gives Weidmann & Associates the chance to work with a variety of clients.

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REMODELING AT REYNOLDS
Outdoor Living – Maximum Views
Whether your residence overlooks a well landscaped back yard, a fairway on one of the community golf courses, or the lake itself, a great view is a key benefit of a Reynolds home.  With these views comes a natural desire to go outside and enjoy them.  Unfortunately, mother nature can easily undermine the experience in the form of rain, pollen, heat, humidity, bugs, a winter chill, or blazing sunlight. 
Fortunately, a covered porch can provide a dry area during a summer storm and a shady space when the sun is overhead.  Adding screens will hold back the bugs.  Ceiling fans and misters can moderate the heat.  A fireplace or heaters can take the bite out of a cold evening.  Barriers to pollen infiltration can be added and, if the space is elevated, railings will keep the occupants safe.
The potential problem is that the structure aimed at allowing homeowners and guests to enjoy a beautiful view can become a significant obstacle to the view itself.  However, with proper planning, a well thought out design, and the right choice of materials, you can achieve the best of both worlds – a comfortable outdoor living space that preserves the views that the home offers.
The most critical decision when considering a covered porch for your home is its placement relative to interior spaces.  For many homeowners, the initial thought is to build a porch where a set of doors leading out to a deck or patio already exists and/or as a direct extension of the family room.  Regardless of where it is placed, it is going to impact the view outside from the interior, as well as cut off the flow of natural light into the home.   As such, it may be helpful to explore alternative locations for the porch to minimize its effect on views and light.
Ultimately, if the best location for a covered porch will restrict the best views from the home or significantly reduce the flow of natural light to the interior, the next step is to design the structure to minimize the impact.  This is best accomplished using high ceilings, skylights, minimal support columns, and light colors on the porch.  Collectively, this brings in more light and reduces the visual obstruction created by the structure itself.  If a fireplace is desired, it should be located outside the primary sightlines to the best views of your property.  Indeed, a fireplace makes a great screening element, if you want some privacy from your neighbors.
If the porch will be level with your backyard and no screening is desired, your work is done.  Alternatively, if the porch is elevated and/or screening is needed, material selection is going to be important for preservation of your views through or from the porch.  Since screening will be at eye level, this is the first area where product selection is important.  
Since traditional screens dull the view you would have if the screen was absent, there are a number of options to consider.  The least expensive upgrade would be to use more transparent screen material.  One example is a product called Better Vue Invisible Screening.   There are also screen systems available that allow you to easily remove screen panels when they are not needed and quickly convert your space into an open porch.  These same systems offer vinyl window inserts that can be installed to make the porch more of a four-season room, with minimal impact on your views.  Finally, there are retractable screen systems that allow you to convert a porch from screened to open with the flip of a switch. 
After the screens, the next major element to address is any railings needed for fall protection.  Here your options are going to be more limited, due to the restrictions of the Reynolds Architectural Review Board (the “ARB”).  In this regard, the two systems that do the best job of making railings “disappear” from view are cable railing and glass panel railing – which the ARB deems to be too commercial looking for residential application and are not allowed.   
As the cost of cable railing systems continue to drop and it becomes a common element on homes outside Reynolds, this option will inevitably be sanctioned by the ARB.  Until then, dark colored railings do the best job of minimizing a railings impact on the view beyond.  This is because the eye tends to focus on light-colored railing.  Conversely, when looking at a dark railing, the focus moves to objects in the distance and the railing fades out of the view.   (You can test this yourself by looking at a railing with white spindles versus one with black spindles.)
In brief, with a little planning, a covered porch can get you closer to nature, without suffering from the experience or detracting from the view.
President Dan Weidmann, VP Lake Oconee Kris Marshall, and their team at Weidmann & Associates, Inc., provide a complete Design-Build remodeling solution to the Reynolds community. Services include architectural design, ARB approval, interior design, and construction. The firm’s Lake Oconee office is conveniently located at 1110 Commerce Drive, Suite 104, Greensboro, Georgia 30642.  Find out more by visiting www.WeidmannRemodeling.com or calling 706-749-7300.

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Many of the original homes in Reynolds, as well as in North Metro Atlanta are now 20, 30 and some nearly 40 years old.   Unless changes have been made, the floor plans in these residences are probably showing their age, since homes are built differently today.

While a formal living room and dining room, isolated kitchen and separate great room may have been perceived as the ideal layout in years gone by, a more open floor plan is the continuing trend for new home construction.  In lieu of a formal dining room and separate breakfast room, homes are being constructed with a single dining area that is more in keeping with today’s informal lifestyle on the go.  The kitchen is no longer just a place for meal preparation, but now serves as the hub of the home.  Formal living rooms have been replaced with home offices, libraries, reading rooms, craft spaces – in essence, flexible spaces that can be tailored to fit the specific needs of the homeowner.

Basements are no longer dark, dreary places that frighten toddlers, while providing an escape for teenagers.  Instead, they have become a natural continuation of the main floor, with features that entice all members of the family and their guests to venture down to more fully enjoy this part of the home.  Whether they include a bar area, game space, home theater or guest suite, the new “terrace level” has become a natural extension of the main living space in the residence.  

What changes in construction facilitated this evolution?  Nothing more than the elimination of interior walls.  What impact has it had on the remodeling industry?  It fuels a significant amount of the business, as homeowners seek to incorporate features of new construction into their cookie cutter homes. For many, the natural inclination is to expand their home, with a new addition that would provide the open space they seek.  However, this is rarely the best approach from an aesthetic, functional, or financial standpoint.

Adding a large addition, which is inconsistent in scale with the existing rooms in the house, does not feel right and screams “REMODEL”.  To the extent that the addition becomes the go to space in the home, existing rooms in the house that may have seen some use prior to the expansion, might be wholly abandoned.  (In essence, problems with the original layout of the home are not addressed, but simply ignored.)  Finally, building new space is almost always more expensive than reconfiguring existing space.  

So, if an addition is not always the best solution, why is it frequently the option homeowners pursue first?  For many, it is because they believe or have been told either that an interior wall cannot be removed either because it is “load bearing” or, alternatively, it would be expensive.  The first is not true and the second is a subject to dispute. 

 A load bearing wall can be removed, it just needs to have something installed in its place to carry the load – it is called a beam.  If the load is minimal, a beam constructed of traditional lumber may be enough.  A larger load may require the use of engineered lumber or even steel.  If you want it to be buried in the ceiling, instead of being exposed in the room, it’s just a heavier beam.   However, simply stated, a load bearing wall should not prevent you from enhancing your home.   

Will removal of a load bearing wall be expensive? If it negates the need to build an addition, it will be cheap by comparison.  If it provides a transformation to your home that justifies the expense, it will be money well spent.   If it results in an aesthetically pleasing, well-functioning space for less money than any of the alternatives, it will be a great value.   It starts by envisioning the advantages in function, flow and feel that you would obtain by removing the interior walls that separate spaces, block off the stairs between floors, and limit the use of the existing square footage of your home.  

Even if you cannot envision how to create an open floor plan in your home, there are plenty of professionals to help, including architects, architectural designers, and design-build remodeling contractors.  With the ideal design in mind, an engineer can then define the structural work needed to make it happen and the opportunity to transform your home is virtually limitless. 
 
President Dan Weidmann, VP Lake Oconee Kris Marshall, and their team at Weidmann & Associates, Inc., provide a complete Design-Build remodeling solution to the Reynolds community as well as serving the North Metro Atlanta area. Services include architectural design, ARB approval, interior design, and construction.

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There are both advantages and disadvantages associated with an active and engaged Architectural Review Board (“ARB”), like the one that serves Reynolds Lake Oconee homeowners and property owners.  Charged with enforcement of the architectural guidelines, the ARB is responsible for sustaining a consistent and cohesive look within the various Reynolds communities.  To the extent that this helps maintain property values, it provides a direct benefit to everyone Inside the Gates.  Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of the individual homeowner that wants to make a change or improvement that the ARB deems to be inconsistent with the architectural guidelines.

As the first in a series of articles focused on the unique challenges (and opportunities) associated with completing a remodeling project at Reynolds Lake Oconee, we begin with the limits of ARB oversight.  In brief, any project that changes the exterior of a home or the property is subject to ARB review.  This includes maintenance work such as reroofing, repainting, window and door replacement, driveway replacement, and landscaping.  Of primary concern are colors, materials, as well as window and door styles.  On a more expansive exterior remodeling project, the ARB will be interested in shape and size of columns, transition points between materials, the overall color palette of the home, roof connections, door and window configurations, among other things.  Certain communities within Reynolds are also limited by the amount of conditioned space within the home However, the ARB’s authority does not extend to interior work, where you can fully express your individuality – as long as the modifications satisfy the building code requirements of Greene County.

While there are a number of hoops to jump through as part of the ARB review process, it is not overly difficult.  It starts with a good understanding of the guidelines applicable to your project.  Whether you take on this task personally or hire someone familiar with both the architectural guidelines and the ARB to assist, this is the first step to a successful project.  Not sure how to begin or if you even need ARB approval for your project? Just call the ARB and speak to one if it’s team members.  You will find them very receptive to your call, with a sincere desire to help you achieve your goals.  They can point you to the provisions within the guidelines that are applicable to your project, explain the review process, clarify what information will be needed for submittal to the Board, and the upcoming dates for both submittal and review.  

In addition to initial guidance, it is also advantageous to seek input from the ARB as a project develops.  By getting feedback early, you can avoid investing significant time and money creating plans, selecting materials or identifying finishes that are likely to be rejected by the Board.  As a result of a conceptual review by the ARB, you will receive valuable insight into the aspects of your project that will potentially derail it during the official review process.  While you are not obligated to make suggested changes, a little flexibility goes a long way with the Board and greatly increases your odds of getting approval on your first submittal

Ultimately, the requirement to obtain ARB approval for exterior improvements may prevent you from making desireable changes to the exterior of your residence.  However, it also prevents your creatively challenged neighbor from making modifications that would bring home values down.  It’s a delicate balance, but with proper planning, ARB assistance, and a cooperative approach to the process, it can be a win-win for everybody.

Key Contacts at the Reynolds ARB
Marc Strickland, ARB Administrator (706) 467-1475
Heather Dion, ARB Coordinator (706) 467-1217

President Dan Weidmann, VP Lake Oconee Kris Marshall, and their team at Weidmann & Associates, Inc., provide a complete Design-Build remodeling solution to the North Metro Atlanta area and the Reynolds community. Services include architectural and interior design, ARB submittal and coordination, as well as project construction. 
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