For most families, the kitchen serves as not only the heart of the home, but also the dinner creation station, entertaining central, and the hub of all activity. As such, it is not a stretch to argue that the kitchen design can set the tone for the rest of your

Here at Excel, we have been busy wrapping up a six-week remodel of a 1960’s Edina home.  The homeowner was interested in giving her outdated bathroom a complete face lift.  In addition to improving the room’s visual appeal, we were also brought on board to updated the home’s electrical and

One of our more recent projects involved a three-week remodel on a Chaska home. The homeowners asked us to help create a smooth transition from their home’s basement out into their backyard. The home in question – a 2000 Rambler with a walkout basement – sported a stucco rear exterior. Past landscaping projects had left

Your front door serves as your guest’s first impression of your home.  Therefore, we put a lot of stock into the kind of door that we are willing to install!  One of our favorite door products is the Therma-Tru Door line.  Why are Therma-Tru doors on our must-have list?Innovative: Therma-Tru doors offer the

A few weeks ago we compared cedar and composite decking options.  This week we wanted to take a moment to stack cedar up against another popular option – green treated decks! CEDAR DECKSAesthetic: Cedar has a beautiful natural aesthetic and a distinct grain.  When left untreated, cedar fades to a

Roofing can protect up to ninety-five percent of a home’s assets. Yet, after being exposed to wind, hail, snow, rain, sun and ever changing weather patterns, your roof can also be relatively delicate. A failing roof can be dangerous to you and your family and, as such, is nothing to

The focus of this featured project is the process of removing a load bearing wall or structure.  As you can see from the photos (photos below) this project started out as a kitchen remodel, although to fit the final design we had to open the kitchen up. Located in one

A few weeks ago we compared vinyl versus aluminum windows Today, we would like to focus on vinyl versus fiberglass windows. VINYL WINDOWS Aesthetic: Vinyl windows are made from polyvinyl chloride or PVC (the same material used to make plumbing and electrical pipes).  Vinyl windows are available in a variety

In a recent post we discussed the difference between aluminum and vinyl windows. This week we would like to look instead at window aesthetics. The windows of your home quite literally shape the way you view the world. And yet, most homeowners have, at best, a pedestrian understanding of window

With spring roofing projects underway, now is as good a time as ever to discuss roof vents – a key to successfully roofing the Minnesota home.  Roof vents (and ventilation in general) are essential for circulating air, keeping your home fresh and helping to reduce moisture.  In fact, the American Institute of