DreamMaker University

Bringing in Light – Special Event

Curt Trampe — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:56:28 +0000

Ready to take your home from fine to fabulous? Proper lighting in any space can not only improve the functionality of that space, but set a mood or environment to meet your needs. If you love your home and want to take it to the next level, or just want to understand this under-utilized component in your next remodel, then join us for the “Bringing In Light” event at the DreamMaker Showroom.

DreamMaker, along with Springfield Electric/The Lighting Center and Ryan Electric, will present helpful tips regarding how to light your space, what to light with, energy savings, technical considerations, new products, and much, much more! We can’t wait to spend our Saturday morning with you…we promise fun, food, and door prizes.

Class to be held Saturday, September 11, 2010 — 9am – 12am. Register Today

Shower Upgrades

Curt Trampe — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:54:20 +0000

By DiAnne Crown

Correspondent

Posted Aug 27, 2010 @ 12:00 AM

Last winter, Sherman residents Randy and Sue Burge started to feel their age a little bit.

Not a lot, just enough to know they needed to make some changes in their ranch-style home if they wanted to live there comfortably for several more years. To “ease into old age,” as Sue Burge says. The master bath’s standard-issue molded shower stall, whirlpool tub and cabinets needed the most work.

“I have bad knees, and I was facing knee replacement surgery,” Sue says. “So getting in and out of the whirlpool bathtub was a problem for me. And Randy’s mother was staying with us for a month. (She uses a walker and) getting over the four-inch threshold into the shower was hard.”

Besides that, Sue says, the tub “takes time and so much hot water. It would drain the hot water heater. And we couldn’t figure out a solution with grab bars that would work for us.” They called DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen owner Curt Trampe, a certified aging in place specialist and home renovator.

“In our society, people don’t have time to take long baths,” Trampe says. And to make bathrooms more useful for an aging population, he adds, “more people are going with universal designs — such as removing tubs and installing more elaborate showers.”

The new showers may come with a low- or no-threshold design, a wet-room layout without a door rather than a shower box, a variety of contemporary shower heads and many other functional, beautiful options — such as a spa.

“You get features that make a shower easy to get into if you develop mobility issues later on, but with the look you want, not only for you, but when you sell your home,” Trampe says. “That can differentiate your home from others.”

The Burges replaced the whirlpool tub with a no-threshold, no-door shower complete with a teak bench and shelf, two grab bars, one standard shower head and one handheld head that can be used when seated. Decorative tile, glass, and stone details finished the project. And even with the new 4-by-8 shower, there was still enough room for a new make-up vanity in addition to the sink and cabinet.

The options, and budget, to take an existing bathroom down to the studs and replace everything can run pretty high. “The sky’s the limit” in fact, says Trampe of the new shower options, such as:

Multiple sprayers, including massage jets for hydrotherapy, allow people to unwind and relax quickly without having to wait for a tub to fill.

For the opposite effect, volume without extra pressure, oversized shower heads deliver a large volume of water gently, “so it’s more like you’re standing under a rain cloud,” Trampe says.

Versatile handheld sprayers are helpful for anyone who wants more controlled bathing, to quickly wash just your hair or when wearing a cast that can’t get wet; and are great for bathing pets and cleaning and rinsing the shower itself.

Benches and seats in the shower accommodate a variety of ages and stages.

Low-voltage floor heat under the floor tile provides a luxurious, warm floor.

Accent tiles, glass and metals dress up the shower. Manufacturers can now cut granite and marble into very thin strips and create 4-by-eight foot wall panels for an easy-care stone-look shower with minimal seams.

And even shower door options are greater than ever. Glass panels up to one-half inch thick can be customized, cast glass can be heated and poured into a mold, and more.

“It’s all about personalizing your space,” Trampe says. “But compare this cost with the price of living in a facility with these features, and it starts to look more like a good investment. It changes the economic equation.”

For the Burges, the bathroom renovation was worth every penny.

“I use my makeup vanity every day, and we seldom used the whirlpool,” says Sue Burge, who had her knee surgery in April. “It’s something we did for our future years. We have a beautiful bathroom that’s more friendly to us. It’s spa-like. An ‘Oh wow!’ every day. I’m glad we did it.”

Under pressure

Before replacing an existing shower with a multi-sprayer system, Curt Trampe, owner of Dream Maker Bath and Kitchen says, be sure that the home’s existing water supply pipes can deliver the additional volume and required pressure. “Half-inch pipe may not be large enough to supply the extra jets or sprays.”

Our Show & Tell…

Curt Trampe — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:22:51 +0000

Lead-Safe Renovation, Repairs, and Painting Program

Curt Trampe — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:09:40 +0000

As of April 22, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency requires remodelers to take extra steps during the demolition process if the home was built before 1978. First, contractors must perform a lead test in the home. If that test shows lead is present, then contractors need to take special steps to control dust and pollution during the demolition process. This regulation applies to all remodeling contractors, including carpenters, plumbers, painters, and electricians, but not to homeowners doing their own remodeling work.

Before 1978, lead-based products were commonly used in new building construction, especially in paint and glazes, where it was used to enhance color and durability. The older your home, the more likely it was built with lead-based products.

86% chance of lead present in homes built before 1940
66% chance of lead present in homes built between 1940 and 1959
25% chance of lead present in homes built between 1960 and 1978

You will also find lead around windows and window sills, doors and door frames, stairs, railings, and banisters, and porches and fences.

The federal government banned lead-based paint from housing in 1978. Lead is poisonous to people, and high exposure, especially in children, can cause brain and nervous system damage, hearing problems, memory problems, muscle and join pain, and other health issues.

The good news is that most lead in homes today is contained because walls have been repainted or other lead-based material has already been replaced. If lead-based paint is in good condition, it is usually not a danger. However, when we as contractors go in and disturb areas of your home that contain lead, we risk releasing lead particles into the air, which residents and workers can breath in to their bodies.

So, to minimize the risk, the EPA is now requiring specific dust containment and waste removal processes during demolition and remodeling of homes where lead has been found. To start with, all contractors who will remodel or paint in the affected homes must be certified as an approved lead renovating firm and/or contractor. To earn this certification, the company must complete an application and pay a fee, and individual workers must complete classroom and on-site training. The certification must be renewed every 3 years.

DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen has taken all of the required steps to become a certified lead-safe renovating firm, and our employees have completed the training necessary to be certified as well. While federal regulations may seem time-consuming, we understand that this new policy will help ensure the health and safety of our customers and our workers. We will always make the extra effort to ensure we are 100% compliant with the laws and operating a business that is worthy or your respect.

No matter what type of remodeling project you are considering, it is important to ask prospective contractors for a copy of their training certificate that shows they are trained in lead-safe work practices. To find out if your contractor is registered, you can go online to http://cfpub.epa.gov/flpp/searchrrp_firm.htm.

Kitchen Starter

Curt Trampe — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:30:28 +0000

Are you scared to death about the thought of remodeling your kitchen? Then you may want to attend this free seminar that will walk you through a basic frame work of what to consider before you pull the trigger. Think of us as your “kitchen support” group. Come enjoy a relaxed atmosphere at our showroom where we will provide you with information that you will need to know to achieve the transformation you are looking for.

Upcoming Classes – Saturday, August 21 & November 6, 2010 . Register Today

Bathroom Basics 101

Curt Trampe — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:30:22 +0000

Does that 70’s color tub and toilet make your bathroom the talk of your social circles? Does the poor lighting and stagnant air of your bathroom provide you with a less than ideal start to your day? Then you may be a candidate for this class on some of the basic steps to take if you are considering a change to your bathroom. Come enjoy a relaxed atmosphere at our showroom where we will provide you with information that you will need to know to achieve the transformation you are looking for.

Next Class – Saturday, September 11th, 2010. Register Today!

Baker helps Christian groups, one cookie at a time

Curt Trampe — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:48:22 +0000

By THERESA GRIMALDI OLSEN

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER

Posted Jan 16, 2010 @ 11:01 PM

One dozen at a time, in a small kitchen on Lincoln Avenue in Springfield, Lisa Burris baked … and baked … and baked more than 10,000 dozen cookies in 2009.

Chocolate chip, peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate chip and M&M — Burris uses the classic Nestle Toll House recipe. But she says that with her cookies, “Jesus is the added ingredient.”

The cookies are the center of a ministry Burris calls “the batch.” Since May 2008, she has raised more than $67,300 for various charities.

Burris says 100 percent of the proceeds for the cookies are given to charities that have a mission of spreading the love of Jesus.

Most of the cookies sell for $6 a dozen. The cost of ingredients and other expenses are donated by supportive friends or by the Burris family.

Burris says “the batch” is not a nonprofit organization, and she doesn’t have a business license. “The batch” is like a bake sale at church — all the income is given directly to a faith-based organization.

“It’s a ministry, but I treat it like my job,” Burris says. “It’s a way to be grateful for my life. It’s how I spend my days. I can live a purposeful and intentional life through ‘the batch’ ministry.”

Burris is a 47-year-old homemaker who says she is task-oriented and not likely to sit around.
In November and December, she baked cookies for 14 to 16 hours a day. That raised $11,200 for Contact Ministries, which has an emergency homeless shelter for women and children and provides food, clothing and other essentials to people in need in Springfield.

Bill Kienzle, executive director of Contact Ministries, says the money was used to renovate a bathroom that was not functional. Water had been leaking from the second-floor shower through the ceiling to the first floor.

“It (the money) was so very needed and greatly appreciated,” Kienzle says.

Burris says she chose Contact Ministries because she heard the shelter needed help. When Burris heard about the poor condition of two bathrooms, she dedicated the November and December proceeds for one bathroom, and contacted Curt Trampe of Dream Maker Bath & Kitchen to help with the second bathroom. Trampe donated supplies and labor to renovate the other bathroom.

“It’s an incredible testimony to Lisa’s faith, responding to needs both in our community and around the world,” Kienzle says.

‘This was stirring in me’

For years, Burris says she enjoyed making cookies to give away to friends and family. “It’s always been my way of loving on people,” she says.

The ministry evolved. “These cookies have been prayed over,” Burris says.

She recalls one pivotal moment of prayer with friends Jeff and Tricia Nelsen. Jeff recalls that they went to the Burris home to share a meal of chicken chili.

“Lisa is a killer cook,” Nelsen says.

Burris served the cookies for dessert, and they began discussing how to include the cookies in a ministry. And so, they prayed.

“Jeff prays about everything,” says Burris, who attends Westside Christian Church in Springfield.

As the senior pastor at Cherry Hills Baptist Church, Jeff Nelsen encourages people to become disciples like Jesus. He teaches a class called Network that shows people how to discover their spiritual gifts — ways that people are naturally talented. Spiritual gifts allow people to “glorify God and edify others” in unique ways of ministry, he says.

Burris’ spiritual gift of hospitality has taken on a new meaning with the cookies that she has enjoyed baking for years.

The prayers “validated what had already been in her heart,” Nelsen says. “We asked God to show her what she should do.”

Burris adds: “I knew this was stirring in me. I was already doing it. I just needed to put a price on it and give the money away. I just needed to become intentional about it.”

A little for everyone

A few months after Burris prayed with the Nelsens, the cookies began rolling out and the money began to flow in. Burris now makes monthly donations to charities.

Burris says $7,672 that she raised from July through October was given to the Inner City Mission to help pay off their mortgage. Other donations include:

St. Patrick’s School, $1,500
Bognash Water Supply Project, $3,000
Jamaica Van Project, $2,844
Refuge Ranch of Pawnee, $3,000

She says her goal for January is to raise $2,000 for the St. John’s Hospital Parent Helpline. In February, the donations will go to the Living Hope Counseling Center. In March, the proceeds will be given to MERCY Communities.

The Burris family has been committed to missions in Springfield and internationally for years, Nelsen says. Nelsen met Burris’s husband, Rob, while serving on the board for Mustard Seed Ministries, which provides a free clinic and training center in the Philippines. Rob Burris, who is a dentist, has volunteered at that clinic and has organized 15 mission trips to Jamaica to provide dental care.

Lisa Burris says her husband is her hero and “the batch” has become a family operation. Her husband and two daughters Grace, 18, and Jane, 14, who attend Springfield High School, often help.

For several years, Burris also ran a ministry called The Bundle, for which she washed and ironed men’s dress shirts. Recently, she decided to stop ironing and concentrate on baking.

Somehow, Burris says she never tires of making cookies.

“God,” she says, “has blessed this ministry beyond belief.”

the batch

Contact: 793-3473, thebundle.batch@live.com
Prices: $6 per dozen for chocolate chip, peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies; $8 per dozen for M&M cookies. Additional charge for shipping.

Painting Cabinets

Curt Trampe — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:53:26 +0000

Dear Curt

I am thinking about updating my kitchen by painting the cabinets. They are 20 year old red oak cabinets that appear to be in good condition. I’m happy with the layout of my kitchen but just can’t stand the pickled oak look. What would be your recommendation as to how to paint these cabinets and is it even worth painting them.

Richard T. Waukesha, WI

Richard,

I think you are on the right track with the painting of your cabinets. As long as you are comfortable with your current kitchen design and the cabinets are performing well for you I think the painting route would be an economical way to make a big impact on your current kitchen. The world could use a lot less pickled oak kitchens. Understand that because you are painting oak you will have a wood grain that will appear in your finished product. Oak has a very wide grain unlike say Maple which has a very tight grain and provides a very smooth finish. It doesn’t mean that your cabinets won’t look good, just make sure that you are comfortable with that type of look.

Whether you do the painting yourself or hire a professional painter there are a few things you should keep in mind to give the kind of lasting and quality finish you are looking for. First, painting is mostly about the preparation of your surface. After removing all the hardware lightly sand the face of all your cabinet frames, door and drawer fronts. This doesn’t have to be a heavy grit paper just enough to scuff the existing finish.

Next you will want to make a trip your local paint store to consult a paint professional. Find out what would be the best primer to meet your needs and what would be the best paint. Don’t get cheap at this point; there is reason why good paint costs more. Water based paints will typically be the easiest to work with and clean-up after.

If you choose to do the work yourself I would highly recommend finding a professional painter to at least spray the doors and drawer fronts because spraying provides a fantastic brush free finish. Invest your time painting the cabinet boxes and face frames where the finish won’t be as critical. Once you have all your cabinets and pieces painted reassemble using new hardware to update your look.

Hope this provides you with the info you were looking for. Be prepared to spend many evenings and weekends working on this type of project. Be sure to factor in the value of your time and the disruption of your life when considering hiring a painter. It could be money well spent.

Aging Gracefully In Your Home

Curt Trampe — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:02:11 +0000

This is an introductory class that will help homeowners discover some of the ways that they can modify their home or that of another family member to stay in their homes longer than relocating to an assisted living facility.

We will cover :

Benefits to staying in your home
Ways to evaluate modifications necessary
Options to create a safer home
Incorporating universal design to add value to your home

Come enjoy Certified Aging In Place Specialist Curt Trampe as he covers these topic and more during a relaxed atmosphere of learning at no charge to the public. Please “click here” to reserve your spot for this informative and fun morning of learning.

Cleaning your Granite countertop

Curt Trampe — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:21:19 +0000

To keep granite countertops clean, use a microfiber cloth to dust off countertop surfaces. Wipe down the granite countertops daily and as needed using water. Once a week wipe down with a damp cloth and a stone cleaner formulated with a neutral pH. Never use harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners. They can scratch, pit, and etch the surface of the stone.