Milo's United Methodist Church restored after fire

It has been a long 18 months for Rev. Michele St. Cyr and the members of the United Methodist Church in Milo.

On June 21, 2009, a fire devastated the 98-year-old historic structure. On Sunday, December 5, 2010, Rev. St. Cyr was able to say "Welcome home!" to her congregation. The restoration was entrusted to Paul Davis Restoration and Keith Trembley Builders.

"The fire was a terrible event but the restoration was a great experience," Rev. St. Cyr said. "We really had a good match with Keith and his people. Keith has the patience of a saint! He was so reassuring that everything would turn out ok. He dealt with the insurance building specialist, working out all the details. He and his staff are so professional. From Randy Nason and Joe Oulette who began the dry out and demolition work, to Moe Newland the project manager and Chad Rhodes, the head carpenter whose work you see in the photos, were all excellent matches to not only the job but the people of the congregation. Every one of them exhibited patience with questions, insurance glitches and the occasional spectator! We already miss having them around!"

While work was being done on the church, the congregation used an addition and the fellowship hall in the church basement. When members of the church passed away, a neighboring Baptist church permitted the funerals to be conducted at their facility.

The project was a major undertaking. The fire started in the rafters due to a chafed wire leading to a ceiling light. This caused extensive fire damage to two of the trusses and the underside of the roof decking. The trusses had to be replaced, and that portion of the project was captured on film. Visit http://keithtrembley.com/blog/?p=142 to view.

Scaffolding was needed to reach the peak of the 21-foot high ceiling. All of the heavily damaged framing and decking was removed. The entire roof system was sealed to encapsulate smoke odor.

"We warranty our fire restoration projects for smoke odor," Moe Newland said, "and I'm proud to say this project is smoke free."

Most of the damage was from water while fighting the fire. Water rusted the tin coverings on the walls and ceilings and destroyed the 98-year-old cypress trim and a stained glass window. To replace the wainscotting and trim, 100-year-old reclaimed cypress logs were found in Florida.

The stained glass window was shipped to a company in Connecticut to be reproduced, no small feat due to the complexity of the design. Eight different components of tin were used to produce a product that would tie in with the areas of the church that were not damaged. Because the building is 98 years old, the sags, slopes and dips that occur over time in an older building added an extra level of challenge to the project.

"This was a great project for us as it was a true restoration," Moe said. "As a group, we worked well together and took the time to do the job right. It is very satisfying to see the church today."

The time to remodel is now!

Although we're way up here in the upper right hand corner of the map, Maine hasn't escaped the pitiful state of the economy. During these past few years, just like you, we've tightened our belt and became ultra conservative in our spending. We've stayed focused on what we do best and kept our wallets closed. Like you, our home values have dropped, and so have home investments. Even so, is there a Happy New Year?

You bet there is! The good news is, things appear to be changing. Based on market research and 2011-2012 home market value projections, now is a good time to flip the switch with your home remodeling project. Homeowners are expected to begin to see a better return on their home investments. "Curiouser and curiouser!" said Alice in Wonderland.

Numbers: Taking a broad look at all of the numbers, investing in your home is beginning to make good sense again. Market research (Kiplinger.com) is suggesting the bottom of the market is here. Home remodeling projects that have been on the back burner are now resurfacing and actually making sense. Remodeling delivers the space and layout that you crave, while once again adding to the overall long-term value of your home.

Lower Construction Costs: According to the Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report 2010-2011, construction costs have dropped dramatically. Supply and demand are at work, and homeowners are the better for it. When the remodeling business was booming, contractors could charge more based on the simple overwhelming demand ratios. It's simple economics, if the demand for pizza and beer increases, the supply declines and the cost increases. In construction, when the market is booming, subs cost more, materials cost more, and employees and overhead cost more. After an eye-opening, and gut-wrenching recession, construction costs have found a new equilibrium and are back in sync with reality.

Curb Appeal: Investing in the exterior look of your house is critical to the value and marketability of your home. While the market was almost blind to these subtleties over the last few years, the Cost vs. Value Report highlights that curb appeal and general house like-ability is back on track. Creating curb appeal can come in all shapes and sizes, from simply replacing the front door and front steps, to creating a dramatic new front entry. Depending on the layout of your house, curb appeal can encompass both the front and the back of your house. Working with a proven contractor like Keith Trembley means making sure you create the best overall look for your house while staying within the character and setting of your neighborhood.

General Contractor Availability: Frankly, finding and booking a general contractor before the recession was difficult at best. With the construction boom, remodelers were often over booked and proud of it. While they might promise you an upcoming "slot," they were often backlogged with work and perhaps had to push back your project, again and again. The current market conditions have essentially pushed those "not great" remodelers into the unemployment line. The contractors out there today, with the proper years of experience, are tried and true. They are surviving the storm --largely based on making smart cuts and fostering repeat referral business --and are ready to begin your project right now. They know how to scale up and have the ability to run cost effective projects.

The bottom line, the time is right! When considering cost vs. value in your home remodeling project, take advantage of the lower costs currently available and the experience of a long term company.

Special COUPON!

$500 OFF On Your Next Kitchen, Bath or Basement Remodeling Project! One per household; expires June 30, 2011. To redeem, visit KeithTrembley.com/63011coupon

Our clients say...

I am writing to thank you for the "renewal" of my 50 year old kitchen. My kitchen is very small and needed more lighting. I knew I wanted white cabinets, but beyond that I wasn't sure what to do. Your kitchen designer showed up and made some great suggestions and did all the measurements. The quotes and drawings arrived and she went over everything with us, even to the timetable of how long it would take. The carpenters came, put down plastic on the floors and in open archways and began to rip out the old. A wall oven was removed and replaced with a full stove, new ceiling put in and boxed in the soffit over the cabinets, and moved the dishwasher to be beside the sink. The electrician was right on hand when needed with no delay. The new cabinets were installed, complete with lights under them and new flooring put down. The cabinets were great-- the kitchen design included glass doors in one, sliding shelves, built in spice rack. All making things more effic ient. And, all this was done in the 2 week period quoted--even with one of the carpenters out for medical problems for three days. My "new" kitchen is everything I dreamt of-- Light and efficient. Thanks to all your people that made this possible. -- Dan & Lois Spellman

Referrals!

We love it when our satisfied clients refer us to their friends and family. To show our appreciation, we send up to $100 gas card whenever a referral results in a new client. Thank you!

Our most recent referrals were:

• Dan Trembley, Old Town referred Kraig King, Beddington
• Pam Stillman, Frankfort referred George Parker Winterport
• Gene Schreiter, Old Town referred Rolland Schreiter, Old Town
• Eric Aresenault, Rumford referred Jeremy Volkernick, Rumford

Paul Leonard joins Portland office

Please welcome Paul Leonard as our new General Manager of the Portland office. Paul has a degree in Applied Science and Construction from EMTC and has more than 20 years of experience in construction management ranging from custom home building, to contract administration and project controls on large scale capitol expansion projects in the oil and gas industry. Paul also brings several years of experience as a residential and commercial property adjuster, giving him valuable insight into the insurance restoration industry.