Great Northern Builders Blog

At Great Northern Builders, we thrive on challenges that push the boundaries of traditional building practices. So when we were tasked with creating a building for a local summer camp in the shape of a hexagon, we were thrilled for the opportunity.

The challenge was clear: design a structure that not only embodied the unique shape of a hexagon but also maintained an open space without any support poles to interrupt a circle of campers within. Our solution? A meticulous turnbuckle system that would provide the necessary strength and integrity without the need for vertical support poles.

While many builders might have stopped there, adhering to industry standards and producing a solid structure, we saw an opportunity to elevate the project even further. We take pride in our attention to detail, and ensured that the turnbuckle system aligned perfectly with the rafters of the building above. It may seem like a small detail, one that might go unnoticed by most, but to us, it was essential.

Our team believes that quality extends beyond mere functionality. It’s about the care and precision we put into every aspect of our work, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Our dedication to going above and beyond industry standards is what sets us apart, ensuring that every building we create and renovate is a testament to our unwavering commitment to our core values. That’s the Great Northern Builders difference – where quality isn’t just a standard, but a core function of how we operate.

This Dover Point Road kitchen didn’t need to be rebuilt from the ground up – it just needed a refresh! Great Northern Builders helped the homeowner refresh some of the main items in place, but also install new appliances.

One small floor plan shift was incorporated to the design. The countertop was built up with a bar height overhang to be used for additional seating. The homeowner never used this feature and chose to cut this back to gain back some usable floor space.

We sanded the 500 square feet of oak flooring and added a fresh coat of polyurethane.

Embarking on a home remodeling journey is often likened to an adventure, or an “emotional rollercoaster”—a thrilling yet sometimes daunting experience filled with twists, turns, and unexpected discoveries. As a design-build remodeling company, we pride ourselves not only on our craftsmanship, but also on our ability to guide our clients through this exhilarating process.

From the initial spark of an idea to the final inspections, every step of a home renovation holds its own challenges and rewards. However, there’s a particular moment in the process that never fails to inspire both our team and our clients—the completion of the drywall phase.

Drywall installation marks a significant milestone in any remodeling project. It’s the moment when the abstract visions and meticulous plans start to take tangible form, transforming the space from a canvas of possibilities into a glimpse of the final masterpiece. For homeowners, seeing the walls enclosed and smoothed with drywall brings a sense of accomplishment and excitement as they begin to envision themselves living in the renovated space.

But beyond the practical aspect of enclosing the structure, the completion of the drywall phase carries a deeper significance—it represents progress, resilience, and the culmination of collective efforts. Symbolizing the overcoming of hurdles, both anticipated and unforeseen, and reinforces the trust and partnership between our team and our clients.

As a home remodeling company, we understand that the journey to the finished product is just as important as the result itself. That’s why we strive to make every phase of the process as seamless and enjoyable as possible, offering guidance, expertise, and unwavering support along the way.

Standing amidst the lingering dust, gazing at the freshly installed drywall with a sense of anticipation and pride, we savor the moment of inspiration. For it is a testament to our commitment to excellence, our passion for craftsmanship, and our unwavering dedication to making our clients dreams a reality, one wall at a time.

This project began as a result of the homeowner recognizing that their second story shower was not properly waterproofed and water had found its way into the ceiling of the floor below.

Rather than replace only the subfloor and shower, the homeowner decided to expand the scope of work and renovate the bathroom in its entirety.

With the Great Northern Builders team, the homeowner considered a number of bathroom design iterations. The final layout winner was a shift of the previous space in a pretty big way.

The existing bathroom design had the sunken bathtub nooked into a space in the bathroom that was beneath a staircase going up to the third story. The homeowner decided that they were willing to shift the access to the third story of the home to allow for a layout change up that would line up the new bathtub to have a view out of the large windows.

Great Northern Builders incorporated best practices using the Schluter Systems waterproofing materials for the new shower.

Additional items that stand out in this renovation are the custom built vanity that is finished in reclaimed wood and Dekton countertop with ‘Nilium’ finish. The sunken tub deck is also finished in the Dekton ‘Nilium’

The shower is finished in Dekton ‘Trilium’. The flooring is finished in Genrose Stone ‘Concord White’ modular mosaic and include radiant floor heat beneath it. The vanity backsplash and tub surround are finished in a slate gray sliced wall tile from Bati Orient Tile.

The homeowner chose to incorporate the original window trim moulding and sliding barn door (also finished in reclaimed wood) to complete the room.

Watch the transformation here…

As a part of a larger project, these homeowners wanted to refresh the hallway bathroom that is the primary bathroom for their three young children.

The original layout included a partition wall and door that separated the bathtub/shower and toilet from the vanity. This wall and door made the room feel much more cramped than it needed to be. As a part of the project, we removed the partition wall and doorway, as well as updated the fixtures to new modern materials.

The shower walls are Swanstone. The floor is a porcelain tile with new radiant heat to replace the hydronic baseboard heater that took up some valuable real estate in the room. The vanity was also updated to a new wood base and matching swanstone top.

One sticking point for the family was always the question around – where do we place the cat litter box?. As a part of this project, Great Northern Builders helped answer this question. A built in kitty nook, complete with it’s own exhaust fan, now holds the family cat litter box.

When we first met these homeowners, they knew exactly what they wanted to do. They wanted to convert an unfinished space above their garage to create a new nursery space for their growing family.

The space above the garage was ample usable square footage, but cutting off half of the space for the nursery left the other half of the room a little short on head space. With this in mind, our design team put together an option that called for a full width dormer on the back of the garage to allow for additional space and head room.

Once we had the space for the interior figured out, we worked with the client to design what the exterior would look like! We presented a few different design options and ultimately the home owners chose to finish the gable with similar scalloped shingles that match the front of the garage.

They also opted to finish the vent pipe for the furnace with evolve stone.

The interior space is finished in a shade of purple that is color matched to the homeowners’ own childhood bedroom color. Each room is finished with custom built in storage spaces.

The three bathrooms in this home were ready for an update. The homeowners opted to include natural materials and colors including stone in the shower and natural wood vanities.

Paints are by C3

In the first bathroom, the homeowner chose a white porcelain floor tile and a SynMar shower surround in ‘Desert Carrara’ with built in bench.

The finish on the WoodPro vanity with shaker style doors is ‘Maple Beachside’. The countertops are quartz in ‘Charlestown’.

The finishes in the bathroom are all brushed nickel.

The bathroom refresh also includes the installation of the Halo mirror.

The main bathroom on the first floor of the home received similar materials for the vanity and plumbing fixture finishes, but the shower was finished in Dekton ‘Keyla’ and also includes a fold down teak shower bench.

This kitchen refresh project was a welcome update for these homeowners. They were tired of seeing the textured ‘popcorn’ ceiling, the older linoleum flooring, and the cabinets were dated – but solid.

The homeowners had just updated their appliances and countertop relatively recently, so they were thrilled to learn that Great Northern Builders could help refresh the existing kitchen cabinets so that they would be able to keep the countertops in place.

Working with Sherwin Williams, our painter was able to color match to meet the clients preferred colors. The lowers were matched to ‘Celeste’ and the uppers to ‘Sea Salt’

The linoleum flooring was replaced with CORETek Pro Plus XL vinyl plank in “Phoenix”

We also included a favorite kitchen amenity: under cabinet lighting. We also scraped the textured ceiling and refinished the ceiling with a new skim coat to smooth it out.

Kitchen remodel projects don’t have to be a full gut job. We’re always happy to meet with you to discuss your unique kitchen situation.

Fall greetings to our friends and neighbors, 

As GNB winds down its 21st year in business, and we enter the season of Thanksgiving, we are taking a moment to reflect upon our industry and Great Northern Builders’ role in the Seacoast community.  

Great Northern Builders mission is to “Create Home”. We wake up each day with the goal to improve the lives in our Seacoast community with thoughtful design and construction built to last into the next generation. 

Our industry moves fast, products change, styles come and go, but Great Northern Builders is solidly in place, anchored to our Core Values. 

One Core Value that I am most thankful for is our company commitment to building relationships. We are only as good, and as strong, as our relationships.  To maintain healthy relationships, we have to continually give, seek to improve, and listen.  

We seek partnerships with vendors and trade partners who also know the value of strong relationships.  Our relationships in the community continue to power our success daily. 

With our clients we address issues in a timely manner, taking the same care in their warranty phase as we did in the design or construction phase. 

Internally, we continue to invest time in being together as a team, caring about each other, helping each other out, and supporting each other both professionally and personally.  At GNB, we know that work family is . . . family, and we strive to build a safe and supportive environment so that our team can thrive. 

As we turn toward the new year, I hope that you have heard about a new program we are unveiling for 2024: Refresh: Straight-forward projects, fast-tracked and budget conscious.  This program is GNB’s response to the rising costs of construction, the lengthy delays and wait times in our industry, and a correction to the tendency to ‘over-design’ which is at least partly responsible for the excessive cost we are seeing in today’s residential construction and remodeling industry.  

Wishing you a great Thanksgiving and holiday season. 

Be well,

Maya

Coming in 2024, Great Northern builders presents REFRESH

REFRESH

Refresh =

Easy

Facelifts (that)

Revive

Everyday 

Spaces (in your)

Home

The REFRESH program is a new approach to updating the spaces in your home that have the most impact on your day to day life. 

When we think of projects that are great candidates for the REFRESH program, we’re thinking about the spaces in homes that have the highest volume of usage or spaces that become outdated more quickly. 

Many homeowners want to take a room down to the studs and start from square one, but there are many times that we don’t need to take it to that level. 

Spaces that could be a good fit for a REFRESH project could be any area of the home that doesn’t need to change a layout, but just needs an update in materials and finishes, this could include:

Bathrooms

Kitchens

Basements

Bonus Rooms

Living Rooms