Elite Renovations

10/04/2026

10/02/2026

One of the things I’ve learned over 20+ years of renovating houses is that sometimes the best money you spend isn’t on something people will ever really notice.

This is a house we’re finishing a basement bedrooms in Mitchell, SD

It started as a 3 bedroom house, but when their family started growing they needed more room.

That one hole in the picture will end up costing them around $4,500.

But we believe making the house a true 5 bedroom could add somewhere around $40,000+ in value.

I share stuff like this because these are the little things I wish somebody would have taught me when I first started.

I’ve learned a lot of it by making mistakes, asking questions and finding out really matters

Renovating isn’t always about spending the least amount of money possible.

Sometimes it’s knowing where spending a little more can make the entire deal better for your benefit.

10/02/2026

Have you ever wondered?

What if?

Give us a call

09/26/2026

From the road, your roof can look flawless for years. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing quietly up in the eaves.

Attics are designed to breathe. Cool air slips in low through the soffit vents beneath the eaves, sweeps up along the underside of the roof, and pushes heat and moisture out at the ridge. Pile in insulation that sags down into those eaves and you seal off the intake, leaving the exhaust vents up top with nothing to draw through. This is precisely why both the Department of Energy and Energy Star require a clear air channel in every rafter bay.

Then there is a second hidden cost. When insulation gets crammed flat against the cold roof deck, it stops insulating well: it soaks up moisture and compresses, and cold outdoor air sweeping over loose batts drags down their true R-value. So a project that felt like an improvement can hand you a colder house and a rotting roof all at once.

Because the harm creeps in slowly and out of sight, most homeowners never catch it. The sheathing darkens first, then stains, then the plywood layers peel apart and turn soft and spongy. By the point you catch a smell or notice a ceiling stain, you are frequently facing a partial roof-deck replacement, often running $2,000 to $8,000 depending on how far the rot spread. A blocked, warm-topped attic also fuels ice dams come winter, so one error stings you across two seasons.

What solves it is a rafter vent baffle, sometimes called a vent chute: a stiff foam or plastic tray you staple to the underside of the roof between the rafters. It keeps a 1 to 2 inch air gap open no matter how much insulation surrounds it. At roughly $1 to $2 apiece, each one goes in with a staple gun in a couple of minutes. Install a baffle over every bay above a soffit vent rather than just a few, since a single blocked bay forms a dead pocket where moisture pools. Before insulating, confirm the soffit vents themselves are not painted shut or clogged with dust, otherwise the baffles have nothing to feed on. With the channels clear, build the floor insulation up to full depth and hold it back off the very edge so incoming air keeps a clean path. Do that, and your attic breathes the way it was meant to, season after season.

09/23/2026

Which house would you rather call your home?

09/17/2026

Add a splash of color and a little bit of

different textures can make all the difference !

What is your dream idea for your home?

Let's build something beautiful together

09/16/2026

As winter approaches making sure you have enough insulation is important to keep your heating bill down

But it also needs to be able to breathe and let fresh air flow from the soffits and out the roof vents to work properly

Call today for your attic inspection