Northfield Construction Company » Commercial Remodeling

Truss Patterns

Ray Cox — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:02:14 +0000

We set the roof trusses on our office expansion project. The roof has a single slope to match the slope on the existing building and the trusses run the full width of the building. I like to see the patterns that trusses create. I always think back to my 10th grade geometry teacher as I see all the right triangles. He made sure we understood the strength that triangles impart to their structure. At one time we made various models from toothpicks and measured how much weight the model would hold. Now hear I am about 45 years later using triangles in my daily construction activities.

New ATM at First National Bank

Ray Cox — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:48:13 +0000

On Monday evening we started work to install a new automatic teller machine at the First National Bank in downtown Northfield. This new machine has all the “bells and whistles” and will have a capture image to be able to accept checks for deposit. It of course will also dispense money like any ATM. We did our work in the evening, getting the opening all prepared for the bank equipment folks to slide the unit into position Tuesday morning. We are now patching up the wall. In short order the machine will be ready for customer use.

Office Expansion, foundation

Ray Cox — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:27:29 +0000

We managed to construct the foundation for our office expansion in spite of some heavy rains. We installed the footings last Friday which kept us up out of the wet soils as we erected the forms and placed concrete for the foudnation walls on Monday. The walls are 8″ thick reinforced concrete, with a ledge to accept the floor on the inside. The aluminum forms are light to put in place and create a fine, smooth wall surface. After the concrete set we removed the forms and applied rigid insulation to both the interior and exterior surfaces of the foundation wall. This extra amount of insulation pays off greatly in guarding against heat loss and helps keep the floors warm as well. To protect the insulation we cover it with a reinforced fiberglass material that is gray. Once the grade is brought up it looks great and keeps the insulation secure and tight.

NCC Office Expansion

Ray Cox — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:55:27 +0000

With the economic downturn in the construction economy I found that I had excess facility space and some excess equipment, so I decided to consolidate and sell one of my buildings. One of my over arching goals always has been to provide the most cost efficient operation I can, which in turn allows my customers to receive the best value for their construction dollar. Paying taxes and maintaining unnecessary space did not fit that formula. So, yesterday I sold my main shop/office building to the Northfield Hosptial for use as an ambulance garage headquarters. The facility is a perfect fit for their Emergency Medical Services (EMS) that serves this area. They have 5 ambulances and about 35 staff members. This facility will allow all ther functions, including a training room, to be in one location.

So this morning we started site work on an office expansion on the builidng next door to the one I sold. We’ve organized like crazy the past few months and have our equipment in the building. Now we need to complete the office expansion and make a move to the new space….not an easy thing to do while operating with other jobs. But it is exciting to be creating new space.

Church Steeple Repair

Ray Cox — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:46:39 +0000

The past couple of weeks we have been working on repairs to the Hauge Lutheran Church in rural Kenyon, MN. Like many early wood frame 1900 church buildings, this one needed some repairs on the steeple. Steeples are up high and not easily observed so they often do not receive regular attention. In addition, steeples generally have trim details that are even more detailed than other areas of the church building. Our first task in making the required repairs was to erect scaffold so that our workers could safely deal with the carpentry work. We devised a plan to place scaffold sections, planks and braces around the steeple that worked well for everyone.

Our work mainly involved removing decayed shingle siding and reflashing areas. We used solid copper flashings as they do not deteriorate like standard galvanized steel flashings. We want this work to last a long time so it is wise to use quality materials. Once the copper flashings were in place we then installed new red cedar shingles back in place. The main framing members on the steeple all were solid and in good condition.

We replaced vaious mouldings and trim boards and painted the steeple. It looks great and should serve the congregation well for many more years.

Manufacturing remodeling

Ray Cox — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:18:41 +0000

Last week we started work at an area food manufacturing plant. The canning plant is in a down time now and they use the time to upgrade and make changes to the manufacturing process. Our work involves a lot of shoring of beams, girders, and roof purlins in preparation for changes to the structure. Once the concrete and masonry work is completed we will install new structural beams and columns.

PDG to Power Engineers

Ray Cox — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:25:42 +0000

Late this fall Jim Braucher announced that Professional Design Group was sold to Power Engineers. Jim started PDG some time ago, moving into offices above the First National Bank in downtown Northfield. His operation grew and he took over another leased space in the same area. Northfield Construction Company has worked on many commerical projects over the years with PDG….Cemstone Concrete, Northfield Auto Body, Laura Baker Services, Carleton College Art Studio, Village Charter School, to name a few. I’ve really enjoyed the prompt, professional service that PDG has offered the construction community. So I was pleased to see that the firm will remain in town.

Power Engineers is a much larger design firm with headquarters in Idaho. They plan to continue the type of work that PDG has done and I suspect will be adding additional employees at the Northfield location. To help that effort they are leasing a third space above the bank. We are doing some remodeling to make the new space suit their needs. I appreciate that the bank continues the tradition of matching existing trims. We had the custom oak trims made to match the existing profiles in this building.

Edward Jones Office Remodel

Ray Cox — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:46:00 +0000

We just completed a small office remodel for the Edward Jones office at the corner of Jefferson Parkway and west frontage road of highway #3 in Northfield. This work took place in a fully occupied building so we had to take precautions not to be too disruptive. We decided to work evenings to complete the project. We would start about 4:30PM or so and work until about 1:00 or 2:00AM. This allowed us to complete the tasks for that night and to clean up the space for the following work day. It went very well and the newly created offices were put to work right away by the staff.

ArTech Charter School Expansion

Ray Cox — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:59:25 +0000

We are in the home stretch of our classroom expansion project at ArTech charter school in Northfield. A few days ago the electricians completed mounting the photovoltaic panels on the south wall of the new expansion. These panels are fairly light weight, but pack a big punch for developing electric energy. The school monitors performance of the panels on a regular basis. It looks to me that the position of the photovoltaic panels will also shade some of the south windows during the high summer sun times.

The interior work has moved along nicely. VCT floor tiles have been installed in most of the new areas. One of the classrooms is being used for science teaching so there are cabinets with sinks. All the areas are bright and vibrant. I can imagine children filling the spaces and working on learning. It is fun to work on a project like this. Parts of our work have been viewed by the students and used as learning experiences.

ArTech Charter School Expansion

Ray Cox — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:14:45 +0000

We are working hard at finishing up the interior work for the ArTech Charter School expansion in Northfield. The steel wall framing was completed earlier this month. We followed up by installing sound insulation and drywall surfaces. The drywall finishers completed their work, and the painters moved in right behind them. The new classrooms are a bright yellow color which is very lively with the light streaming in through the windows. We only have to finish the walls up to the height of the suspended ceilings that will be installed shortly.

The mechanical system ductwork and piping has also been completed.