Deck Living

Summer is almost here in Minnesota. It’s time to enjoy the outdoors and entertain family and friends with grilling and parties. A new or remodeled deck can expand your living space to the outside with comfort, convenience and beauty. There are many decking options to make your outdoor living just right for your home. Here are some ideas:

• Enclose your deck with a roof for shade and a decorative addition.


• Get Creative - rail systems can be made from wood, metal and cable or as a combination of materials


• Add accents around your deck with: Lighting, built in seating, planters and more


• Feature metal accents as pole caps, accessories and other interesting creative ideas


• Build a store closet on your deck to hold and organize items for your deck


• Add Vinyl flooring for decks, a choice that is becoming more popular as an excellent alternative to wood

In addition to the top of the deck, you can add a water drainage system to allow you to comfortably use the space under a high deck. These systems divert water away from the deck to create a dry space below – now having double the outdoor living area.

Hail and Storm Damage

Hail and storm damage to your home can be stressful. It’s a necessary repair from the unexpected that needs to be addressed immediately to restore your home. Sometimes home owners don’t even realize they have damage from hail - small to moderately-sized hail can produce roof damage and result is not always visible. Hail can affect the life expectancy of your roof and you should have it checked out by a professional.

Damage to siding, gutters, roofing and windows from hail or structural damage from wind should be inspected with a contractor that has set processes in place to handle your storm damage insurance claim. We do at Integrity Home Projects.

The first step is a thorough inspection of your home for qualifying damage repair, next is a meeting with your insurance adjuster. At IHP, we handle the meeting and manage the paperwork, supplemental claims, depreciation recovery, and final distribution settlement. We work to make a stressful situation a process that makes it easy for you.

9 Years for IHP!

Integrity Home Projects was founded in April of 2002 with a vision of creating a remodeling services company that would stand out in the industry with notable ethics and professionalism. We started this company to help people realize their dreams for their home. Integrity Home Projects has enjoyed steady and continuous growth since the start of the company keeping us busy and happy to be working with our customers. With over half of our business based on direct referrals and repeat business, satisfied customers are the key to our success. We thank all of our customers for their business and referrals. We wouldn’t be here without them.

At IHP, we will continue to provide outstanding service for our customers through our professional approach and detailed process-based business philosophy. Thanks for a great nine years!

-Dan & Brian

Home Exteriors

Spring is here. It’s time to refresh and give your home a new look and lots of curb appeal. Changing the look of a home's exterior with a facelift can bring a new modern look to your home or just give you the style you want. Something as basic as using new paint colors can update a home. A plain exterior can be made more distinctive by adding a package of coordinated trim. Or you can go for the truly dramatic by adding porches, columns or dormers to totally change the character of your house. Some ideas for giving your home a new look are:

• New paint color(s)


• New trim packages, colors or accents


• Adding stone to exteriors


• Including columns and archways


• A new patio or front porch Switching siding to hail-proof Hardie Cement board siding http://www.jameshardie.com/

Before Exterior Remodel

After Exterior Remodel & Design

For more ideas that bring a new look to your home, call Integrity Home Projects.

Selecting Wood Species and Finishes

The selection of the cabinet wood species and finish will have a significant impact on the overall design and look of your kitchen. There are several things to consider when choosing the wood species for your home.

Maple is excellent as a durable wood that you may need to meet your lifestyle. European Country design with traditional styling may be appealing with a painted cabinet, possibly incorporating more than one finish color. The key to a successful kitchen-remodeling project is keeping all elements of the overall home and room design in mind throughout the design process. This needs to be balanced with your lifestyle and use of the space.

An Overview of Woods Species

• Maple: Light – Hard Wood - Traditional to Contemporary
• Cherry: Medium/Red - Med/Hard Wood - Traditional to Contemporary
• Oak: Medium/Golden/Red – Hard Wood - Traditional to Transitional
• Clear Alder: Medium/Red/Brown – Soft Wood - Traditional
• Knotty Alder: Medium/Red/Brown – Soft Wood - Rustic/Countr
• Hickory: Medium/Red/Brown – Hard Wood - Rustic/Countr
• Rustic Hickory: Medium/Red/Brown – Hard Wood - Rustic/Country
• Walnut: Dark/Brown/Purplish Black – Medium Wood - Traditional
• Painted: Hard Wood - Traditional to Country

Woods and the Kitchen Environment
Kitchens tend to be affected by humidity and temperature and your cabinets need to adjust to changes in temperature. Solid wood often expands and contracts when exposed to humidity, leading to warping. Hardwood veneer and laminate alternatives can be incorporated to minimize shrinking and expansion through the drastic changes in Minnesota’s climate.



Cherry cabinets, clear finish, shaker style work well with existing oak millwork. The oak floor was refinished to compliment the tone of the cherry cabinets.

Shaker Style for Kitchens

According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association, Shaker style kitchens rose in popularity during 2009 and gained momentum in 2010 to become the second most popular style used by NKBA member designers. Traditional style remains number one but Shaker style is in demand.

The Shaker style is based on the Shakers, a religious and agricultural community established in the USA in 1774. The philosophy of shaker style can be summed up in two phrases: "whatever is fashioned let it be plain and simple and for the good" and "beauty rests on utility". The craftsman made furniture to highest levels of workmanship, using pure and simple lines without any ornamentation for durability and usefulness. The Shaker style is known for simple functionality and rooms that are arranged to feel clean and spacious.

An open, organized design with neutral wall colors reflects the Shaker ideal of simple living. Plenty of storage space is important and pegs are featured to keep order in mudrooms and entryways. Cabinets are made from hardwoods, with recessed panels and straight, simple lines. Authentic Shaker ladderback chairs and stools add simple elegance. Light fixtures with a chrome finish and natural wood flooring with a matte gloss give a kitchen the ambiance of an original Shaker home.

Call IHP for a Shaker Style kitchen in your home.

Choosing Granite as a Countertop

Kitchen countertop styles are available in a wide variety of materials but Granite has been extremely popular in recent years both in remodeling and in new homes. According to the NPD Group, a market research company, the biggest seller in countertops is still Granite. Granite countertops account for 56% of kitchen sales. It is an excellent solution for homeowners for beautiful, durable and easy to maintain countertops. It is a great choice for natural countertops.

Durability: Granite is the hardest and most durable of materials for countertops. It is quarried from the earth’s crust and is considered the oldest building material Granite countertops are easy to clean with just soap and water. They are also easy to maintain and are the most stain resistant, lasting a lifetime.

Beauty: The natural beauty of granite adds elegance to your home. The spectrum of colors is expansive from light to dark colors with a variety of markings; you’ll find the style you’ll love in your kitchen.

At IHP, we are here to help you make the right selection for your home.