About Paul Armstrong

Paul is an architect and president of Edward A. Anderson Company

Top 5 Spring Maintenance Checks for your Home

May 22, 2013 By

Winnetka Builder & Remodeler Announces the Top 5 Spring Maintenance Checks for your Home:

In order to continue to maintain the value in your home and to keep it safe and reliable we suggest that this Spring think of going outside and inspecting the following top 5 items for Exterior Home Maintenance needs. If you happen to be one of those that simply waits for a problem to appear you could be costing yourself in the long run. If this is true, find someone you trust to inspect your home for you and keep your home healthy! Now here’s some good advice;

ANNUAL EXTERIOR CHECKS:

1. Gutters & Downspouts – Clean debris, inspect for sagging or ice damage, corrosion, joints and flush downspouts. Check fascia and eaves/ledges for signs of birds, bees, squirrels or other insects. Remember, lingering water can breed mosquitoes and cracked joints can leak water out creating other hazards such as wood rot and black-ice.
2. Roof & Chimney – Clean debris, check for storm damaged shingles, flashing at chimneys and skylights. Inspect the rafters in the attic for water damage and clean the chimney cap and inside flue. Remember, small amounts of water can sneak in from virtually any seam, hole or connection and materials don’t last forever.
3. Exterior Joints – These are the places where materials meet. Siding should be checked for holes and loose joints, masonry for cracked and missing mortar. Check Foundations for any fissures and while you’re at it, be sure to make sure your landscapers have not mulched up too high – introducing puddles and back-pitched areas at your foundation. Remember to make repairs with the proper usage of the appropriate materials (caulk, foam, mortar, weather stripping or glazing compound) will prevent water leaks, air leaks and insect invasions.
4. Mold & Mildew – Remove signs of mold/mildew on siding, decking and wood trim. Power washing large areas and hand washing smaller areas with a gallon of water and a cup each of bleach and white vinegar will work nicely. Be sure to protect wood with fresh paint. A good painter is essential (not a cheap one) and mildew-resistant paints are perfect for painting these areas.
5. Garage Door – Be sure to lubricate. Oil those large metal springs Also remember to oil hinges and the metal rollers with a non-silicone based lubricant. Be sure to use this time to inspect the condition of the rollers and track too – anything that looks awkward should be examined by an expert.

At Edward A. Anderson, we are General Contractors and Carpenters with an office located in Winnetka, Illinois and are eager and happy to help you complete projects in order to maintain your home’s value. Along with our focus on remodeling projects in Winnetka and Chicago we will travel to all communities along the North Shore including but not limited to; Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Evanston, Glenview, Northfield, Northbrook, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Deerfield and Lake Bluff Illinois.

Remember, a healthy home is a happy home – I hope you find this information helpful!

Happy Homes – Paul

 

Paul Armstrong, Architect and Owner of Edward A. Anderson Company, is a Builder and General Contractor who is proud to operate one of the the oldest and finest residential construction companies for Home Remodeling and Renovations on the North Shore and Chicago.

As a top builder and remodeler they specialize in home improvement projects primarily one the North Shore but will travel all over Chicagoland. The high caliber of Edward A. Anderson projects include Room Additions, Kitchen Remodeling, Basement Renovations, Exterior Restorations, Exterior Makeovers, Home Theaters, New Homes and of course those never ending Handyman Maintenance Repairs.

Filed Under: Complete Blog

Top 10 Remodeling Cost Savings

February 16, 2012 By

Computers can generate accurate drawings for preliminary pricing early in the process. This rendering by Hackley & Associates, Architects shows just how intricate they can be.

  1. Consult an Architect & Builder Early – Don’t wait until the bidding process to talk to a builder.  Someone who is intimately involved in building will usually provide good cost saving ideas right off the bat.
  2. Don’t fool yourself– it’s always easier to say, let’s just throw this and that in as long as we’re doing the project.  Those “might-as-wells” add up fast!
  3. Increase Efficiency, not size – It’s always more expensive to add square footage and pour a new foundation than to reorganize spaces such as a Kitchen.  Get better use of spaces by replacing awkward shelves and built-ins. [Read more…]
Filed Under: Complete Blog

Robert Frost & The Four Sides of Architecture

February 3, 2012 By

Being both an Architect and a Realtor people often ask me about architectural styles and which ones are my favorites.  Instead of focusing on favorite styles, I believe the most important and distinguishing feature for a home is how truthful the materials are to the given style.

Home by Edward A. Anderson Company, Woodstock Ave. Kenilworth circa 1950

Ok, so here’s what that means. Too often today, homes take on a hodge-podge of styles and builderesque details which add to the loss of their basic character and charm.  Of all the factors that go into good design, the most important is what I call Four-Sided-Architecture.   Simply put, this means using the same materials on the sides and back of a home as those on the front.

[Read more…]

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Recordbreaking Snow? – I Need a Vacation & Checklist!

January 27, 2012 By
Cleaning the Rink - Chicago Blizzard 2011
Cleaning the Rink – Chicago Blizzard 2011

Next week is the first anniversary of last years record breaking Blizzard that swept through the Nation and today is the 45th anniversary of the 1967 heaviest snowfall in Chicago!  Last years event was the third heaviest snowfall on record here with 21 inches total.

How top Chicago snowstorms stack up:

  1. 1967 – 23.0” – Jan. 27
  2. 1999 – 21.6” – Jan. 3
  3. 2011 – 21.2” – Feb 2
  4. 1979 – 20.3” – Jan. 14

Contrary to what the Farmers Almanac predicted, this year we’ve only seen a few inches so far, so go figure.  However, who knows what’s coming?  Historically, February is almost equal to January in number of significant snowstorms – so I think it’s still a good time to be thinking “Vacation”.  In anticipation, here’s a detailed checklist to keep your home healthy whenever you’re gone. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Complete Blog

What’s the Best Way to Pick a Builder or Architect

January 20, 2012 By

Lake Michigan BoathouseCustom residential construction offers so many choices and decisions that people often wonder exactly what one item can assure them of the highest degree of success when picking their team of professionals.  Like many things, I believe that this one item is finding the relationship you feel most comfortable with.  This includes the relationship between you, the architect, the builder and their overall process.

Remodeling and home building creates a unique intimacy, one that is forced together for a long duration of time.  While not ignoring conventional wisdom and due diligence, at some point you must look beyond budget estimates, referrals, marketing photos and salesmanship and judge a person or a team on their communication skills, understanding and responsiveness to you.

I like to remind people to keep one thing in mind.  It’ll be your builder and their employees who will greet you every morning, know your dogs habits and will essentially be living in your house for a while.  If you think about it, this makes the relationship [Read more…]

Filed Under: Complete Blog

The Home Hammer

January 13, 2012 By
Beaver Island Michigan

Beaver Island Michigan

Happy New Year! Like so many, I’m caught up in the annual ritual of the New Year and of course making resolutions. All sorts of them are out there, eat healthy, work out, lose weight, read more professional publications – or specific ones like I have, potty train our dog, watch more of my daughter’s basketball games and read more books with our youngest son. However, my most ambitious one is what you’re reading.

I’m venturing into what I’ll call the great digital divide – known otherwise as social media on the Internet and the Blogosphere! I say venture but it’ll probably be more of an adventure – like anything new and mysterious!

As a professional architect, builder and broker in the residential housing market on the North Shore of Chicago my goal with this type of newsletter will be to help homeowners understand many things that are important for their homes, but often [Read more…]

Filed Under: Complete Blog

About Paul L. Armstrong, AIA

December 23, 2011 By

Paul L. Armstrong, AIA

A licensed architect since 1991, Paul Armstrong earned his Bachelors degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1986. During his junior year he studied at the Ecole Des Beaux Arts in Versailles, France. He spent a significant amount of time traveling and studying throughout both Western and Eastern Europe. While in school, Paul earned numerous design awards including the coveted Earl Prize first place finish for the 1985 James-Stirling Competition in England. In 1987 he won the Aspiring Young Architect Award in Chicago from the American Institute of Architects, (AIA). By the year 2000, Paul received his MBA and then acquired his Illinois Real Estate Broker’s license and became a life long member of the AIA.

Paul’s professional experience is well rounded and includes architecture, construction, real estate and business management. Throughout his architectural and construction career he has focused primarily on residential projects ranging in size from small additions to high-end custom homes upwards of ten thousand square feet. In 2003, Paul acquired Edward A. Anderson Company, a fourth generation family construction business located in Winnetka. While working alongside the previous owner Jim Anderson, whom Paul is related to through family lineage, he laid out detailed plans to reinvigorate the company. He has since continued to build upon its century old reputation for excellence and the best in classic craftsmanship. As a trusted business owner, Paul not only manages every aspect of the business, but also maintains an excellent relationship with all of his clients and trade professionals.

As an architect and builder Paul believes the best approach is to provide clients with the choice to design and build together using one team of professionals to work from Concept to Construction and he has connected closely with a handful of architectural firms in the area to redefine the construction experience.

As a Real Estate Broker Paul has a wealth of knowledge in the market and what best creates value including using those special features which will help to sell a home. Many of Pauls ideas and thoughts can be found on his personal blog.

Highlights of Paul’s early designs and construction work can be seen at the Highland Park Club designed by (Otis) OKW Architects. Later examples of his work can be seen at Southgate on the Glen, Glenview, where he was instrumental in the redevelopment of the Glenview Navel Air Station. Here Paul played a pivotal role in the overall management of custom home designs while improving traditional architectural styling and detail execution for Edward R. James Homes. He managed a large team of architects and designers while being responsible for the design and construction of more than 40 custom homes per year. These customized homes ranged in size from 3500 to 5500 square feet and were typically sold in excess of the million dollar bracket.

Prior to the Glenview redevelopment project, Paul spent seven years immersed in product design, engineering, maintenance and business management from a different perspective. In 1992, as a fourth generation family member he became Vice-President, Engineering of Armstrong Bros. Tool Co., a 100-year old family hand tool design and manufacturing business located in Chicago. In 1994, he served on the management team, which facilitated a merger between the family company and Danaher Corporation, thus providing Danaher with a hand tool brand that could compete with industrial competitors owned by Snap-on and Stanley.

Paul served in a high profile position with the post-merger management team in Chicago, implementing strategic plans for the transition and integration of the Armstrong Brand and the 220 mostly union employees into the Danaher Business System (DBS). During this time, Paul also managed the Development of New Products and designed and patented the Scaffold Pry Bar Ratchet  (US Patent #5970552). With 70 associates reporting to him, he became fluent in the tools of Total Quality Management (TQM) and used Kaizen, KanBan (Just In Time Manufacturing) and the ISO 9001 quality control system to increase productivity 35% over a two-year span.

He continues to use many of these same tools in his day-to-day business endeavors. He continues to streamline and improve efficiencies at Edward A. Anderson Company. Doing so reinvigorates the business, his employees and long time customers while assuring that the company continues to be extremely competitive in the North Shore residential construction market.

While Paul loves his work, he will remind you that his greatest enjoyments in life revolve around family. He is proud of his three grown children.  Some of his most exciting life experiences occur during time spent together, whether at home or on one of their many travels.  
Paul is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is active in numerous other local and national organizations. Paul and his family live in a home he designed and renovated in Wilmette. All of his children attended gradeschools in the same district (New Trier High School) that he graduated from. He enjoys giving back to his local community and Chicago through many different organizations.

When he is not traveling or exercising, Paul enjoys any outdoor activity – usually with his children in tow. These include coaching, fishing, scuba diving, skiing, boating and camping or just fun in his own backyard. In fact, on cold winter weekends he can be found on his backyard rink and creating other outdoor memories.

When it comes down to it, Paul’s philosophy is simple; “Life is short – so play like someone who enjoys every minute of it!” Adhering to this philosophy, he continues to enjoy a lifetime of creating better environments for all to enjoy – both inside and out.

Read Paul’s Cirriculum Viate (pdf)

Filed Under: About