Kowalski Carpentry LLC

Kowalski Carpentry LLC Builds or repairs cabinets, doors, frameworks, floors, or other wooden fixtures used in buildings, using woodworking machines, hand tools, or power tools.

Wishing all a Merry Christmas 🎄
12/25/2022

Wishing all a Merry Christmas 🎄

Deck. Composite decking, aluminum rails.Some details:The very first challenge (after design and layout) was the soil typ...
01/25/2022

Deck. Composite decking, aluminum rails.

Some details:
The very first challenge (after design and layout) was the soil type and water level. The upper layer was sand, which would fill in as rapidly as it was dug out. Before reaching 42" it hit water, and then a layer of hard clay. To dig the post holes I used oversize sonotubes (concrete forms) as a barrier against the collapsing soil and accumulating water, digging out the center and working them down to depth. When set into the clay at the bottom they kept out the water quite well. I removed any excess water with a sump pump and wet/dry vac and then compacted washed gravel into the base to stabilize it, a researched and proven method of stabilizing questionable soil. The footings went on this.

You can see in the photos of the framing the black fabric on top of some of the joists. There is no requirement for this, but I decided to use tar paper over all doubled joists because the space between is the most likely to accumulate moisture and rot prematurely. Flashing tape is another option, which I decided against because the tapes are generally also a v***r barrier, whereas tar paper is not. V***r generally moves upwards, and I wanted to allow any moisture that does get in (even with tape it will find a way in) to have that passage out.

The stairs I opted to attach directly to the beam with a Simpson stringer/rafter hanger. There are other methods; in this scenario this method was superior. I tried their adjustable stringer hanger and was very disappointed in how flimsy they were, but due to space considerations I needed them on the two end stringers and so reinforced them with a joist angle on the other side of these two stringers. The stringers are spaced at 10" because that is what the manufacturer recommended. I also hung a 'beam' of sorts at the midspan and put blocking across as well to keep them in line and make them more solid, and they terminate into a beam hung between two 4x4s at the base.

Connection with the past. Time was not kind to Grandpa's bench plane, and I decided I needed to put it back into action....
12/06/2021

Connection with the past.

Time was not kind to Grandpa's bench plane, and I decided I needed to put it back into action.
I cleaned it thoroughly, removed all rust, oiled it, sharpened it . . . and then proceeded to plane everything in sight.

On the local restaurant theme I also left a mark with Zingerman's a while back when I had the privilege to lead this pr...
12/02/2021

On the local restaurant theme I also left a mark with Zingerman's a while back when I had the privilege to lead this project for Rebuild. We built a new loading dock to the Zingerman's warehouse in Ann Arbor. I was pleased with how it all lined up at the door as I wanted the path to be as smooth for the workers as possible; I thank Rebuild and Zingerman's for the opportunity and I hope it has worked out well for them.

Zingerman's

The wine cabinet at Paesano Restaurant and Wine Bar in Ann Arbor was falling apart and propped up on books to keep it f...
11/08/2021

The wine cabinet at Paesano Restaurant and Wine Bar in Ann Arbor was falling apart and propped up on books to keep it from tearing apart and collapsing from the wall. I went one morning in 2020, removed the cabinet, repaired it, reinforced it, and reinstalled it just in time for opening. When you visit to dine, you can check how it's doing. (There's 2, mine is the one on the left by the TV).

I always line up the tops of casing as much as conditions allow. This homeowner specifically requested level casing, so ...
08/23/2021

I always line up the tops of casing as much as conditions allow. This homeowner specifically requested level casing, so I paid special attention when installing and trimming the doors and gave what he asked for.

I had originally been passed over for this project. The previous individual hired (not associated with me) had not installed the doors or casing correctly or to the customer's satisfaction (regardless of level: they did not function properly and attachments were insufficient). The homeowner received a refund from this individual, removed it all, and hired me to do it the correct way.

Thank you for choosing KoCarpentry.

The most recent custom staircase that I worked on with it's designer, Matt Nicholas of Shaw Design (http://shawdesignco....
07/06/2021

The most recent custom staircase that I worked on with it's designer, Matt Nicholas of Shaw Design (http://shawdesignco.com/).

I did the staircase itself (minus the ballustrade) from demolition to finish trim and painting.

Matt designed it and also installed the ballustrade (custom handrails, newels, and those black ballusters) and applied the finish.

Using Matt's method, I leveled and spaced the existing stringers to the exact spacing we wanted and then cut and installed the skirt boards being careful to make the joints parallel and plumb. I then cut the risers. Meanwhile Matt custom-made the treads, which I then fastened to the risers and installed. I was proud of how well the miters lined up between the risers and skirt boards and how precise the spacing is between each step.

This 3rd staircase done by Shaw Design and Kowalski Carpentry is a beautiful work of quality craftsmanship that I am proud of.

Here is a deck repair I lead for Rebuild in 2019. They were a great team to work with and we were able to level and resu...
07/05/2021

Here is a deck repair I lead for Rebuild in 2019. They were a great team to work with and we were able to level and resurface the deck, to raise the porch roof and give new posts with more solid bearing, to replace the fence boards and eliminate an unused gate, along with some repairs to the adjacent garage as well.

A closet organizer built for my wife, the lovely Ana. Normally I would use plywood; due to budget constrictions I made t...
06/08/2021

A closet organizer built for my wife, the lovely Ana. Normally I would use plywood; due to budget constrictions I made this one using melamine. Melamine is not only a less expensive material to begin with, but also does not need to be painted.

The main concern was the higher tendancy of melamine to sag over time; this was considered and addressed in the design when determining span vs width of the shelving and also what load the shelves would most likely carry. This is why the top shelf has a 1x2 nosing as extra reinforcement as it was intended for longer term storage of potentially higher loads (there is more space above it than the others)

The small shelf on the left between the two rods is not always practical, as the hanging clothes will take up most of the storage space, but in this case we elected to include it to increase potential versatility.

The drawer box was made as deep as possible (while still allowing bifold doors to close in front of it) for maximum storage. The top shelf is higher than the door, meaning it needs to be narrow enough to allow items between the front of the shelf and the wall above the door. There are varying ways to transition from a wider base to the narrower top shelf, the best combination of a clean look and practicality in this case was to make this transition at the top of the drawer box.

The opening above the drawer box was left for later addition of either a mirror or adjustable shelving

In the bottom right at the floor I also added a sloped shoe rack.

Despite budget and time constrictions, we were able to create a sturdy and organized closet system.

(In this particular case I also did the framing, the drywall, the painting, the carpet, and the trim).

Address

Manchester, MI
48158

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17348274068

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kowalski Carpentry LLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Kowalski Carpentry LLC:

Shortcuts

Share

Category