In May, the editors of Make it Better asked for their readers’ feedback in 101 categories: best coffee shops, children’s photographers, running stores—from necessities to luxuries. Over the following six weeks, readers sent in their nominations via Facebook, Twitter, email and website comments. Their final selections were based on the popularity of the category and passion of the comments. They enjoyed reading anecdotes about superior customer service, cute waiters and hardware stores that have served communities for three generations.
Get Dwell is honored to have been selected as Best Handyman of 2011. We thank all of our wonderful, loyal customers for their belief in us!
View the entire online version of Best of 2011 North Shore here
One of the most exciting aspects of our business is our ongoing work with interior designers; putting our team’s skilled craftsmen to work in helping realize the imaginative ideas of some of Chicago’s most creative design professionals. We’re especially proud when we can team up with a designer who’s both extremely artistic and committed to sustainability. Our work with Avani Mehta is just such a match.
common here in the Chicago area. Her name, Avani, is a Sanskrit term meaning something very close to “Mother Earth.”
“I’ve always re-used things.” says Mehta. On one project when she noticed the cedar roof sheathing was in panels, it ended up as an attic floor. She points to an elegant eighteenth century wooden chair, and invites us to look at the cushions. They’re stunning; done in a luxurious fabric, rich and laden with magnificent, muted colors. With a smile, she says, “I had the cushions on this chair upholstered in an antique drapery panel I saved from a previous house. Some things you just can’t throw away.
Project Manager Chris Goodnight tells the story: “Avani told us what she had in mind, and asked if we could take a look at the timbers to see if her idea was even possible. My goodness — when I saw the wood I got really excited. It was old growth Douglas Fir with a density — a richness in the grain — that’s just unavailable in what you can buy today. So I told her, ‘Yes. This is possible.’
milled, mitered, fit and assembled, I brought out the metal saw horses and a large torch to raise the grain, giving the piece an aged appearance, and bringing out the rich, earthy brown color Avani wanted.
have a large commercial client — well large for me — that I have had for years. But the mainstay of my business, and the part of it I love the best, has always been the home.” Avani can be reached 
In over 20% of the new or newly remodeled attic spaces we inspect, we find mold. The vast majority of these homeowners didn’t realize they had a mold issue. Mold in attics is usually the result of moisture-filled warm air finding a way into the attic space before it can be effectively ventilated out. If you suspect that this may be the case in your attic, call a professional. Get Dwell would be happy to give you a free consultation.
because the hose is still hooked up allowing the water to be trapped. Once that trapped water freezes it needs to expand somewhere and unfortunately for many homeowners that expansion may mean a leak. So if you haven’t done so already, be sure to take care of this as soon as possible. If you have a leak already, it’s typically the O-rings that have failed. Replacement O-rings and complete “frost-free” hose bibs can be found at your local hardware store. On the North Shore we recommend 
Ice dams can be nightmares, potentially causing extensive water damage. An ice dam is caused by the freezing and thawing process of snow and ice. Ice forms, causing the melting water behind it to build up, backing up under roof materials and leaking into the house below. Causes range from the unplanned consequences of complex roof designs to inadequate insulation; from incomplete air sealing to lack of proper ventilation. Sometimes it can come from an incorrectly installed recessed light or bathroom fan. So examine your roof and gutters when it snows. Is there excessive ice at the gutter line, are there large and numerous icicles or build up in the valleys? Is the snow melted from the peak of your roof but not from the lower portions? All these can be signs of a potential ice dam and may deserve a closer look.
Are there areas of your home that are uncomfortable because of cold or drafts? Can you feel a breeze around doors or windows or other problem areas like outlet/light fixtures? Is your heat source generating heat properly? The cold temperatures make it a great time to assess your home’s uncomfortable and energy loss areas. If you need help winterizing problem areas of your house, 
LED vs. regular incandescent bulbs? One of our clients used an energy meter to measure the 150 bulb colored light strand that they normally used in their home. The verdict? A staggering 1050 watts! With the new LED bulbs, a 150 bulb colored light strand measured only 15 watts.
If you have any concerns about how the various lights will look, stop by your local retailer. On the North Shore, 
Keep in mind that if your gutters are not clean before the leaves fall, you may be headed for some water trouble as fall storms roll in. Now is the time to get your gutters, downspouts and external watershed system analyzed before fall thunderstorms lead to sudden water events that can cause serious problems.
Some 222,000 people end up in the emergency room every year due to ladder-related injuries.
Finally — you don’t have to take storm windows on and off every year, thanks to an ingenious product from 
For others, you need to understand the basics of how and why a basement floods and what you can do about it. In order to keep your basement dry, it’s important to do the following:
$25 off weatherization projects
When the frost is on the pumpkin and the nip is in the air, it’s time to fully embrace the interior spaces of your home. Get Dwell’s team of talented professionals can help you bring the family together, by transforming your living spaces in optimal ways. Use these examples to get your ideas flowing.
Our expert craftsman made the mantle look like it had been there forever, and it gave the entire room a fresh, new and striking look. Another client gave us drawings to fabricate a mantle out of old douglas fir beams that came out of her house during a recent remodel. We will be fabricating the mantle and incorporating a beautiful tile insert which the family will be enjoying before the holidays.
being used as a garage. We helped transform the space into a kids’ room by day and man cave at night – not only the perfect “mantuary” retreat, but also a great place for overnight guests to stay.
The 
not only at identifying the proper audio and video equipment for these spaces, but also in room design and execution, including acoustics, soundproofing, lighting, seating and cabinetry, so that all of the room’s elements work together for an extraordinary experience.
electronic gear is neatly hidden away. The company specializes in systems that are high in performance, low in visibility.
We at Get Dwell often partner with Green Dream Group on many homes to help homeowners upgrade in focused, verifiable ways. The advanced testing applied in Green Dream’s Comprehensive Home Performance Assessment will pinpoint the exact opportunities for improvement, where to begin, and how to prioritize when making these improvements. It would be like sending your home to the doctor’s office for a complete physical exam! And when you, the homeowner, are armed with the knowledge of what your home needs, you can avoid costly upsells and unnecessary work that would give you little, if any, payback.
The most important thing to remember: your home is like your body. It’s a system of parts working together. It’s doubtful that one thing, even as big and costly as replacing all your windows, will successfully bring your home up to optimum performance. Green Dream Group will, like a health expert, give you a complete plan for optimum performance. And it doesn’t stop there. As a client of Green Dream Group, you’ll enjoy continued support by phone until you move out. They even include a return visit, after the work has been done, for quality assurance.