Long-Term Care
Bringing homeowner Steve Mahoney’s vision to life took more than two years — and Mosby Building Arts’ lead carpenter Mike Iwasyszyn was there every step of the way. “This has been the longest residential project by Mosby,” says director of marketing and technology Doug Kropp. “The relationship between the homeowner and Mike was integral to the project’s success. You need to manage this relationship and keep it professional,” he says.
Preserving that relationship was the focus of the remodeling company. Kropp says the company’s executive committee discussed whether or not to replace the carpenter halfway through the project — due to its long duration and their concern that he would burn out — but ultimately decided to keep Iwasyszyn on for the entirety of the remodel.
Iwasyszyn says it worked out well. “It’s a bad idea to switch,” he says. “It’s like having a house split in half — the two different parts won’t match.”
In addition to the length of the project, the details and exacting standard of the homeowner added stress. “You can’t manage someone that artistic,” Iwasyszyn says. “Sometimes we would have a meeting that lasted all day. I’d walk with him and take 30 pages of notes. It takes a unique company and person or the project will fail. Past companies I worked for would have quit,” he adds. During the two-year span, Iwasyszyn spent most weekends working on the remodel. The following practices helped keep him and the project on track:
- Paperwork shift. Most Mosby lead carpenters write change orders — Iwasyszyn did not. Production manager Rich Layton and other staff handled that paperwork. “There was no way I could have filled out change orders and built the project at the same time,” Iwasyszyn says.
- Co-worker support. The on-site crew provided balance. “I worked with quality, talented people,” Iwasyszyn says. “And when I was in a bad mood the crew would tell me to take a walk on the golf course and come back in 20 minutes.” Joking and laughing with the crew helped relieve stress.
- Office staff and management thoughtfulness. “The whole company was behind me,” the carpenter says. “Nancy in the office bought me an iPod. Rich would tell me how much he appreciated the work. Owner Scott Mosby would come by to make sure I was doing OK. It’s hard to find a construction company with so many caring people.”
- Forced vacations. Before Phase 3, Iwasyszyn spent 1½ weeks in Florida, and during the two years, management encouraged him to take day-long breaks.
Iwasyszyn appreciated the support, and in turn, he supported the subcontractors on the job by hosting pizza parties and other events. “I would go out of my way to do extra things for subs to keep them happy,” Iwasyszyn says.
When the carpenter was assigned to this job, he had only been with the Mosby Building Arts for four months — he had worked on one three-week job and one three-month job. “[After the remodel ended] we had to integrate Mike back into the company,” Kropp says. “He was new when we put him on this project and he had forgotten our practices.”
Now Iwasyszyn is working on a project with other leads and project managers. “I am enjoying not having to think so much. They are giving me a mental break for a while because they don’t want me to get burned out.”
Glass Accents
Homeowner Steve Mahoney’s penchant for using glass to provide modern touches can be seen throughout the house. The most striking example is the glass block around the doorways, which encases fiber optic lighting that provides a tinted glow that the homeowner can change to suit his moods.
Mahoney also wanted glass diamonds inset into the living room floor to bring light to the basement. The crew at Mosby Building Arts used 1-inch-thick glass and framed each diamond with wood to blend with the wood floor. Mahoney had initially requested larger pieces of glass, but the manufacturer would not make them due to liability issues. In addition, the homeowner wanted lights directly over each glass diamond. “We used lasers to shoot pinpoints from each glass diamond to the ceiling to mark the location for each light,” Iwasyszyn says.
Mahoney also asked the crew to install glass diamonds in the hallway wall that let light in from an adjacent bedroom. The glass in the double front doors is completely frosted except for outlines of diamonds that cast diamond-shaped light on the foyer floor.
Mahoney also chose glass panels for under the stair and foyer rail and in the wall that separates the kitchen and dining room. The crew created a pocket door in that wallby installing a fixed glass panel and a sliding glass panel. Together, the two panels resemble a double door.