Thursday, May 26, 2011





Cedar shingles are one of the best and most commonly used sidings in New England. Here is a shot of a wall we did right on the shores of Winthrop, Ma.

I want you take take a close look at a few details, first, when the shingles are installed they need to have a minimum spacing of 16", this allows for expansion. A common mistake made that results in curling and wrapping of the shingles.

Next is the overlap of the rows, you need to maintain a minimum overlap of 1" mostly for shedding water, and being right on the ocean sheeding water is a priority. The other is the weaving of the corners and this is a skill in itself. We still have to caulk the corners and stain the house but you can see the finished pictures in the gallery entitled From Porch to Closet.
Thanks again from Dave Tomolillo and Hallmark Home Building & Remodeling

Monday, May 2, 2011

Blog Swampscott Repair

Sometimes the customer only has the budget for repairs instead of replacement and our job at Hallmark Home Building & Remodeling is to cater to your needs. Wooden column base life expectancy is about 25 - 30 years under normal weather exposure. Today's technology gives us many more structure options such as aluminum, composite and "Duracast" fiberglass
posts and columns to name only a few. Here we cut some pressure treated wood to size, put a decorative mitered edge on it, router groves underneath so that water
could pass freely thru then set it place.

Thanks again from Dave Tomolillo and Hallmark Home Building & Remodeling


Monday, April 25, 2011

Here is a nice close-up of a Mahogany Deck and rail system we did in Medford, Ma. I wanted to show this baluster system that the homeowner chose from Home Depot. It really was a pretty job and the homeowner was absolutely great to work for.

Here's a little secret that the construction industry doesn't want you to know. When you treat us with respect we not only go the extra mile, you don’t get charge for everything extra item. “Don’t tell anyone"

Thanks again from Dave Tomolillo and Hallmark Home Building & Remodeling


This picture may not look like much at a first glance, but note the transition from the existing wood floor to the new tile. The tile floor is part of a new 12' x 16' addition and the calculations to this transition was perfect. Just a little extra thought and my trusty tape measure made the job a bit easier for the tile installer You can see the other pics of this addition.

 Thanks again from Dave Tomolillo and
Hallmark Home Building & Remodeling


Tuesday, April 19, 2011

This picture was taken from a project we did in Winthrop, Ma. We replaced all the windows with Paradigm solid vinyl windows, RMC vinyl cedar shakes, Owens Corning 30 year roof and Alcoa aluminum trim. As you can see in this picture the window has a 2-tone aluminum covering rarely seen or done by our competition. It's just that little attention to detail that gives me the honor
of signing my name to the job.

Dave Tomolillo
781-838-0789


This is a nice little touch. The home owner liked being out in on the porch in the Spring and Fall months, so we did a little research and found flush mounted heat lamps. These units will keep you warm on those chilly nights. Notice the evenly spaced skylights and recessed lights mounted on a clear coat knotty pine ceiling. Building this was a lot of fun, and the home owner was great to work for a real gentleman. View other pictures from this project

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Wood Deck Construction Project

Taken from a Stoneham, Ma. addition & Cedar wood deck construction project.
I just wanted show you an inside corner and one of the rail designs we like
to use. The post and balusters are in cedar and the side and top rails are
in fur. Cedar is a softer wood so the fur tops are a bit more forgiving. The
entire rails system and decking are secure with stainless screws and nails.

Thank you for visiting
Dave Tomolillo
781-838-0789