A skilled carpenter can build a house to last a century. At The
Wills Company, our gratitude for the beauty and safety of the homes we live in
goes to the carpenters who build them. We have the highest respect and
admiration for carpenters…
But for carpenter bees? Not so much!
Carpenter bees are a carpenter’s nemesis, rampaging through fine
millwork with nary a care for the skill of the millworking human.
Just look at this piece of cedar we recently removed from a second-story balcony handrail.
So compromised was the wood by invasive bees that it split in half lengthwise to reveal a maze of insect trails. These tunnels are not the destructive work of a sweet, industrious honeybee. This wood-chewing mayhem is the deed of Xylocopa.
You may have met her, buzzing with her lacquer-black friends
around, say, your back porch or the steps to your deck. Or worse, on your
jungle gym, where her holes are just the perfect circumference for a curious
toddler’s index finger. Xylocopa is a sneaky bee, boring perfect perforations
as precisely as a drill bit. Once inside the wood, she zigs and zags back and
forth, excavating all the strength from the millwork. For a carpenter who
expends time and energy building a structure, such boring disregard for craft
really…stings.
Not to mention the fact that all that damage can be dangerous.
Just think what could have happened if the second-story balcony handrail
pictured here had failed… Or if your swingset becomes home to a host of
carpenter bees… Or if your bee-ridden stair treads give way under the weight of
an unsuspecting climber.
The first step in dealing with carpenter bee damage is to get rid
of the perpetrators. You can call a pest control professional, or you can try
hanging a quaint carpenter bee trap, designed with a single hole to lure these
opportunistic insects into a chamber with no escape.
Honestly, we can’t guarantee the effectiveness of these homespun
devices, because our homemade traps have captured only a few of the flying
fiends over the years. We don’t claim to be experts at attracting carpenter
bees…
But we do know how to attract talented carpenters!
In fact, we have a team of six brilliant problem-solving craftsman, who can
tackle carpenter bee damage or any other woodwork repairs.
So if you’re facing insects, rot, or any other damage to woodwork, give us a call at 615-352-1228, and a talented Wills Company carpenter will make a beeline to your house.
It’s Porch, Patio and Pool season, and we are ready to party! Can’t wait to mix cocktails, test recipes and gather friends we’ve missed during dreary winter. Now all we have to do is get the Porch, Pool and Patio ready to party, too! The Wills Company can help you shake off the literal cobwebs at your house and prep outdoor spaces for poolside dining or a festive spring fling. Call our Handyman service (615-352-1228) to knock out a punch list of home improvements and spring cleaning, including:
Clean exterior surfaces such as pool decks, screen porches, patios and pathways
Tune up air-conditioning systems before the summer heat wave
Repair torn or missing screens on porches and windows
Replace broken or outdated ceiling fans
Clean windows and glass in exterior lamps and lanterns
Repair brick and stonework on patios and pathways
Clean gutters after the spring pollen bloom
Touch up exterior paint on house, pool house and garage
Repair garden fencing and furniture
Change hard-to-reach lightbulbs in the eaves
With a Wills Company handyman taking care of the to-do list, you can get down to party planning, which is infinitely more fun. We have a few ideas for that too — all of them involving local products, services and boutiques.
Colorful totes from Epergne
Update your beach towels with a collection of candy-colored Turkish T’s, available at Ash Blue
Show off a pair of timeless Brownlee Bathing Company swim trunks, available at Brownlee.co
Set a festive table, with tablecloths, napkins, vases and other accessories from Epergne
If there’s anything we appreciate more than houses that are beautiful and well-built, it’s houses that are safe. Whether we’re installing shower grab bars and stair rails or making walkways free from slippery moss, the most important work we do on a daily basis is making sure our clients’ families—toddlers to seniors—are safe in their homes.
If you’ve got a list of nuisances around the house—a wobbly stone, a jiggly handrail, a sticky lock—don’t just learn to live with them. Call The Wills Company to make things right. Here are some of the unglamorous but essential jobs we perform on a regular basis:
Grab Bars: Installing ADA-compliant bars around bathtubs, showers and toilets can help avoid dangerous slips and falls.
Interior Stair Rails: Whether you need to secure an existing bannister or install a handrail where there isn’t one, our carpenters can get a handle on the situation.
Outdoor Railings: Prevent guests from stumbling on walkways by installing sturdy iron railings, designed either to blend into the scenery or to stand out like works of art.
Brick & Stone Repair: If you’ve stubbed a toe or caught a heel on a front walk or back patio, our masons can get brick and stonework back to its level best.
Door Locks & Hardware: When locksets get stubborn, don’t just stop locking doors. Have locks lubricated and adjusted to function properly. Regular maintenance is the key to secure locks.
Window Repair or Replacement: Windows painted shut prevent emergency egress. We can help open them, or we can help explore options for replacement.
Replace Hard-to-Reach Lights Bulbs: Poor lighting can be a real hazard, and so can climbing ladders! Let The Wills Company replace your hard-to-reach lamps to shine their light on your safe and beautiful home.
How can The Wills Company help keep your beautiful home safe? Call us at 615-352-1228. We look forward to hearing from you.
Credit to the photographer, Kerry Skarbakka for the “falling photos”. You can see more of his work on www.artstormer.com or his website www.skarbakka.com
One thing The Wills Company is NOT is NEW to Nashville. For over 30 years we have been designing, renovating, and maintaining houses. If YOU are a recent transplant to our wonderful city, WELCOME!
You may have already notice that the housing marketing in Nashville is complex. There are houses of every age and flavor. Location is usually the primary driver for selection of a residence. Schools, walkability, size of yard, and of course tolerance for TRAFFIC will be key considerations.
Photo credit: Wiff Harmer Photography
The house you select may need tweaking, a general facelift, or a complete overhaul. No matter the size of the project, we approach your unique situation with practical, matter-of-fact, and honest advice. But being practical doesn’t mean you have to settle for blah when it comes to design. We believe everyone should have their heart skip a beat when they enter their home. Most importance you should experience a sense of pride and tranquility.
Your renovation experience shouldn’t be a stressful. Let’s face it, our industry gets a bad wrap. The groans and “nightmare” stories come from bad actors in our industry who usually aren’t in business very long. There is a low barrier to entry in construction but a high bar to sustain a business that guarantees and warranties their work. Further, there are many risks that you assume if your contractor is not properly insured.
So, the primary drivers for stress in a renovation project are cost and duration. These can be managed if expectations are set on the front end. This is why we favor fixed-cost contracts. Further, we employ our own teams to manage your project and work with subcontractors with whom we have long-standing relationships.
We are glad you have moved to Nashville. We care about this city and the house in which you will reside. We look forward to sharing our knowledge, expertise, and skills with you to make your house a home.
It’s NOT too late in this holiday cycle to ask for the kitchen of your dreams—even with shiny colorful appliances, terrazzo countertops, and all the modern undercounter gadgetry—so why not use the holidays to plan for a new kitchen in the New Year?
This kitchen got a refresh with paint and new countertops that didn’t break the budget!
The first step in designing and building your fantasy kitchen is as easy as calling The Wills Company. It’s fun—and free!—to start a conversation with lead designer Ridley Wills about what your dream kitchen could look like.
When you meet with Ridley, he’ll ask three questions:
What problem do want to solve by renovating your kitchen?
What do you like about your existing kitchen?
What features do want in your new kitchen?
Perhaps you would like a banquette?
Your responses to these questions will guide the design/build process, and there’s no better time to mull the answers than during the holidays, when you’re using your kitchen more than at any other time of the year.
This season, when you’re prepping, baking, decorating and entertaining, pay attention to your patterns and habits in the kitchen. Where do you spend most of your time? Who’s with you? What appliances and gadgets do you use the most?
Next identify the challenges. Where do bottlenecks occur? Where do you bump into things? What bugs you…color, cabinets, countertops? Drowning in recycling? What about compost? Are you storing heavy cast iron pots on a top shelf? Lugging pots of water from sink to stove? Is there room for guests to help or are you cooking alone in the kitchen instead of collaborating with family and friends?
Now, let’s talk about what works well. What are the best parts of your kitchen that you’d like to preserve, highlight or expand?
Gorgeous marble and a custom stainless hood make this space sing!
Finally, it’s time to daydream. What’s on your wishlist? Do you want double ovens and dishwasher drawers? Or a sofa, big-screen TV, and drawers to stash your collection of takeout menus? Island or peninsula? Farm table? Banquette? Wine cooler? Coffee counter? Appliance garage? Pet station?
While you’re at it, what colors and finishes do you like?
Cozy up with a book by the fire while your soup simmers on the stove!
Start a virtual bulletin board on Houzz or Pinterest. Or pin actual magazine clippings on an actual bulletin board. You might even decide you want to install a bulletin board in your new dream kitchen. Or a chalkboard mural. Or a whiteboard. See, the creative process is working. You’re one step closer to the kitchen of your dreams. Now’s the time to take the next step: Call Ridley at The Wills Company at 615-352-1228 to get the conversation started.
