by Tara Marsh, The Bulletin Special Projects

After the mess and chaos of demolition and the raw “bones” of framing is complete, this is the stage when a remodel starts to resemble a habitable place once again.

Once all the necessary “mechanics” — such as wiring, plumbing, ductwork and insulation — are complete and tucked away inside the framework, the drywall goes up and covers it all, taking the remodel back into the realm of creativity and design.

While many homeowners may not consider that even walls have options, when it comes to this step, choices abound — from standard textures such as orange peel, which is touted to be most effective at hiding imperfections in the walls, to options such as hand-trowel or broquet, stucco, smooth, and even to more elaborate techniques including “relief texture” which can incorporate nearly any desired design from grapes and wine bottles to trees and leaves or flowers and birds or anything else one desires.

This is also the point when floors are installed, again presenting a wide variety of options. Wood flooring continues to be one of the most popular choices, from hardwood to softwood and even including engineered wood flooring. Other materials are growing in popularity such as bamboo and cork as well as stone and even concrete.Tile options also abound with a seemingly endless variety in size, pattern and color, including simulated stone patterns which mimic the look of slate, travertine and marble but require much less maintenance than their natural counterparts, though many people still opt for the real thing.

In this installment of the monthly 2016 Tour of Remodeled Homes series, our featured builders — PGC Building + Design, Neil Kelly DBR and Sun Forest Construction — will share their professional insight about this stage of a remodel, reflecting on the myriad of choices when it comes to walls and floors and sharing the details of the custom applications of their featured remodels.

Once the walls are finished and the the floors are installed, the excitement for homeowners really starts to build as they watch their new cabinetry and countertops go in, turning their dreams into reality.

Be sure to join us over the next two months as this special real estate series explores the exciting final stages of these projects, including the installation of cabinets and countertops next month and all the finishing touches in September, when we also bring you our fall edition of Central Oregon Living magazine, including a look back on each of the three featured remodels and the grand reveal of each project.