KD Construction LLC

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KD Construction LLC KD Construction is your local husband and wife custom home building team. We specialize in custom home builds and remodels. Credit and debit cards accepted

We offer ground up projects in the north Iowa area. KD Construction has 5+ years of construction experience in both commercial and residential construction. We specialize in siding, doors, windows, framing, drywall installation and finishing, all things kitchens, decks, fences, trim carpentry, and room additions. Fully licensed, bonded per job and insured.

Installing stone veneers has changed a lot in 13 years. When I first learned to install fast stack stone veneers you jus...
10/25/2026

Installing stone veneers has changed a lot in 13 years. When I first learned to install fast stack stone veneers you just installed some tar paper, mesh, and threw up a scratch coat of spec mix.

Fortunately quality has caught up to the process and water management and longevity has taken hold. Aside from swapping traditional tar paper with synthetic roofing paper we are now utilizing weep screeds, polymer mixes, and rain screen materials in our stone installation. We picked this updated process up last year and I'm a big fan of it.

It all starts with a simple weep screed at the base of your project. These pictures are on the mailbox of the project we did this one so we did not have a drip cap included like we have on the house. The weep screed allows any water that has permeated the scratch coat layer to enter a rain screen material behind the mesh and exit out the bottom of the structure via the weep screed. So we have a weep screed at the bottom covered by a layer of synthetic roofing paper to protect the osb layer. Over the paper is a layer of rain screen material. On top of the rain screen is your traditional metal lathe that accepts the spec mix scratch coat. To adhere the stone materials we are using polymer modified setting materials from Tenon (masonry veneer mortar). This product is similar to thin set as it has a slack time that requires a remix and an open bucket time. The mixture includes small fiberglass strands that help with the materials integrity.

What may seem like a lot of extra materials and extra steps is actually helping keep your structure dry and ready to tackle the harshest rains.





Finally getting some black dirt spread today. The excavator had a lot of sand and fill to move around and luckily we had...
10/23/2026

Finally getting some black dirt spread today. The excavator had a lot of sand and fill to move around and luckily we had a deal with the neighbor to move the extra fill into their yard to help level it off. Now that the sand is gone and black is spread out landscaper Alex Bruggeman can start irrigation and sod work.





Dark and moody color schemes or neutral light and airy colors? Our current build is utilizing both aspects throughout th...
10/18/2026

Dark and moody color schemes or neutral light and airy colors? Our current build is utilizing both aspects throughout the house. Laura Ann DeBettignies and I are partial to the dark and moody colors ourselves. We tend to use these darker mid to deep tone colors in half baths and bedrooms. What's everyone doing for color schemes lately?





Started something a week ago that we don't normally do. Stone work... Unfortunately the guy that was supposed to do the ...
10/16/2026

Started something a week ago that we don't normally do. Stone work... Unfortunately the guy that was supposed to do the stone work bailed on us and then bailed on another job he was supposed to do elsewhere for someone else. So instead of trying to find someone to match the original bid we opted to do it ourselves to help our client out. I used to do a lot of stone work when I worked for my previous employer and then did some stone work when I went off on my own.

This would be Laura Ann DeBettignies 2nd or 3rd time doing stone work in some capacity. This time she is getting involved in it from rain screen, to scratch coat, and to finish. We have a couple different stones going in this project so stay tuned for some reveals!





Countertops are going in! Getting closer by the day with this one. I'm trying not to give too much away for the final pr...
10/13/2026

Countertops are going in! Getting closer by the day with this one. I'm trying not to give too much away for the final project photos but it's coming together nicely. The Stone & Steel crew did phenomenal on the quartz tops throughout the house.





Finished stairs always look best at night. I love working with COREtec Floors. Their single piece flooring matched stair...
10/03/2026

Finished stairs always look best at night. I love working with COREtec Floors. Their single piece flooring matched stair treads and pre finished risers help keep the flooring flow throughout the house. Let's keep making staircases a stand out piece of your home!





Worked a little bit later than normal tonight to try and get some base trim wrapped up. I walked outside on the lower co...
09/26/2026

Worked a little bit later than normal tonight to try and get some base trim wrapped up. I walked outside on the lower covered patio and you really don't notice how large of space this is until you walk out at night with all the lights on. This space will make the perfect entertaining extension from the lower kitchen area through the 16' patio doors. Rain or shine with our upper deck gutter system and large retaining walls blocking the wind you could use this space throughout the year with the built in natural gas line for any fire pit!





09/24/2026

Why do I really like the steady set windows from Pella Windows and Doors? Trim out is made really easy. Since the steady set windows are designed with clips placed around the window jamb they provide built in shimming on all 4 sides when it comes to jamb extension install. Since we install our jamb extensions and window casing in one step (pre build our jambs with casing installed prior to setting) the clips provide the necessary backing on all sides. This eliminates having to add shimming prior to jamb extensions to keep the jambs from tipping in or out in the opening. This creates a perfect 90° return to the windows. Measuring is also easy as we can just measure from clip to clip for accurate measurements and even reveals.

This same process can be done with drywall returns and self taping drywall screws. Since the clips are rigid enough drywall can be fastened directly to the clips for a solid, clean, modern looking return.

We don't just use products because they are new, trendy, or all the rage. We use products that help with installation, timing, and overall quality of the end result. These steady set windows from Pella allow for an easier and safer window install, a more solid install, and an easier trim install stage.





As we laid our way into the shelter room and got around the corner I noticed we had a floor drain for the dehumidifier t...
09/22/2026

As we laid our way into the shelter room and got around the corner I noticed we had a floor drain for the dehumidifier that I requested to be roughed in. The guys set it like all floor drains should be set lower than normal floor grade. Well I didn't think prior how are we going to get the flooring to look good around this drain. Sashco Inc. Lexel and some full 5 gal buckets of infloor head transfer fluid to the rescue. As we laid our COREtec Floors flooring up to the drain area we laid some healthy beads of Lexel all around the flat portion of the drain area and then really laid some beads on the sloped areas. We made sure the locking tabs of the flooring had a decent bead under each one as well to help assist in keeping the flooring set in place. We floored over the entire area then placed the buckets down over the center of the drain and all around the drain to pull the flooring down tight. We let that set for +24 hrs then cut out the floor drain cover hole. We placed a bucket back over the now cut out hole for another +24 hrs to really help the lexel "set". Since Lexel is naturally stretchy we had to give it some help during the curing process with the buckets. After a week of no weight on it the flooring is still laying down with the slope and the locking tabs are all still engaged. Even the storage room deserves the same finish as the rest of the house.


flooring


When the customer said they wanted registers that matched the Coretec lvp and lvt I knew Fittes was the best choice. We ...
09/18/2026

When the customer said they wanted registers that matched the Coretec lvp and lvt I knew Fittes was the best choice. We have been using fittes products for a while now and they add the perfect amount of elegance without going overboard. We will use these in the master bathroom area with the actual tile flooring as well.

For those wondering my HVAC guy did check on these and the cfms of the HVAC system is not compromised. There is a possibility of static pressure increasing but we have not noticed a difference in the HVAC system sounds.





Address

Clear Lake, IA
50428

Telephone

+16419031302

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