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Mike Howell, owner of Carpentry with Integrity, will appear on the DIY Network’s “DIY Dominator” Thursday. Howell and his employees remodel homes in the area including his own in Elgin. (Melissa Jenco/Tribune) Mike Howell’s carpentry skills are typically judged by his customers and perhaps their nosy neighbors. But this week the owner of Elgin-based Carpentry with Integrity will have people from across America weighing in from their living rooms as he competes on the DIY Network’s “DIY Dominator.” Out of the blue, Howell was contacted by High Noon Entertainment last summer. The company had come across his website while searching for a carpenter from the Midwest and wanted to know if he’d like to be part of the DIY Network’s...

Mike receives mayors award for his work  within the  Historic District.  This was for porch work  I”ve done in Elgin.  

This project was a large two-story addition and deck to a home located along the Fox River.  With the house poised atop a small bluff, the site offered challenges and opportunities.  The addition included a great room, with a master bedroom/ bath suite on the level below.  The  multilevel deck created abundant outdoor living space with river views. Special features included a bridge to the pool house and a staircase that winds down the hillside to provide access to the river’s edge. For this project we created cabinets and built-ins, furniture, trim and masonry.  The goal was to have the indoor and outdoor living spaces flow together, complimenting each other in style and in harmony with nature. The project takes full advantage of this very special site...

When the Dominator show called me, and said, “We’d like to have you on our show!”, I was surprised but when I saw the cash reward, I was ready to get on the next plane! Of course at Carpentry With Integrity, we look forward to tackling each project with professionalism, integrity, respect and excellence. The dedication that goes into building or remodeling each deck, porch, basement, addition, or any other custom work is built on our passion for each new project. At Carpentry with Integrity, we know that accountability is crucial for successful, long-term relationships. We strive to build that into all our processes.

It takes craftsmanship and vision to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.  This home began as a small ranch-style house.  It was almost completely torn down to create a larger and more visually appealing residence on a prominent corner lot. The new design features an open kitchen, a family room with fireplace, plus a formal dining room, office space, and a master bedroom suite on the first floor. Two more bedrooms are upstairs.  The open floor plan of the kitchen/family room were given a special accent by using quarter-sawn white oak cabinetry.  We added a garage, connected to the house by a breeze way and new patio.   Designed for contemporary living this house is packed with traditional features and old time craftsmanship.

The Jensen Story: The exterior of this home underwent an extraordinary transformation.  The original facade was an off-white, stucco-like product.  This was entirely removed.  Refashioned in an Arts and Crafts-style inspired design, the house is now rich in color and architectural details.  The project required great skill in terms of joinery, carpentry, the use of multiple materials, and achieving proper proportion and scale. The careful choice of materials, installed with fine craftsmanship, resulted in a stunningly attractive but low maintenance building.