You just found your Billings remodel contractor at Johnson Construction. This team focuses on Honesty, Quality and Reliability when it comes to anything they construct, including a challenging remodel of your home, or part of your home.

A premier remodel job requires attention to detail that so many contractors don’t employ. Older houses and even newer homes can have some tricky elements involved with a remodel. Johnson Construction understands the bigger picture of the realities of a remodel job and its process. Not to mention, the Team is a joy to work with.

It is common to encounter surprise issues when completing a remodel job on any home. Your experts at Johnson Construction will help you understand and plan for your project.

Your Billings Remodel Contractor Johnson Construction understands the common issues:

Water Leaks: Poor sealing, bad pipes

Moisture can hide itself for years, until it finally penetrates walls or destroys structural components. Pipes, seals and drainage need to be checked and repaired.

Cement Foundation Cracking

Older homes have older cement foundations, and did not have the same codes to follow as today’s. It is important to address foundation cracks as they can be a inside/outside water leak source, and more importantly can be a source for Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

Lead & Asbestos

Hazardous sources of lead in an old home are: plumbing pipes (drinking water) and interior or exterior paint (failing paint/chips can be ingested or fall into a garden area). Asbestos siding was common years ago and needs to be handled with care when holes are drilled or siding is cut or removed. The same goes with interior asbestos flooring and duct materials.

Electricity

An older home may not have been required to have grounded electrical outlets. But times and codes have changed. Not sure if your outlets are grounded? Check them — if they’re two-pronged, and not three-pronged, they are not grounded outlets. But even if they are three-pronged, we can help be sure a ground is present. Special ground-fault-interrupter outlets are required in bathrooms and kitchens, garages in some cases.

Windows

Older windows are most likely a single-pane glass, with a “storm window” insert for winter if available. Many older homes have sneaky windows that you might not notice with a single pane, cracks and poor seals in the walls. New double-pane glass windows are far more efficient.

Tanks

A basement remodel is a good time to review the conditions of a water heater and plumbing to a drain field. Even older homes may have had a well, cesspool or septic tank on the property that did the work of modern water and sewer systems, which may still be buried in the backyard.