After losing out on 13 home offers between 2020 and 2021, when home buying often led to bidding wars, Katie and Adam Barthelmes nearly gave up their search for the perfect home. Then, they discovered a house in Saint Paul that met all their criteria. Initially put off by its unattractive curb appeal, they almost decided to skip their appointment with the realtor. However, they reluctantly chose to visit the house anyway. Despite their poor first impression, they decided to purchase the home in 2021 and were pleased with their decision. Nonetheless, they continued to struggle with the unattractive curbside view, and after several years, they decided it was time to address this issue.

Katie contacted Tom Leiskau from the SPC Carpentry program for suggestions. After showing Tom the crooked stairs and other structural defects, Katie began to envision the possibilities for her home. With Tom’s help, her dreams grew, leading her to a design that would meet her needs and enhance the curb appeal. Tom prepared a comprehensive plan and committed to having 20 students work on the project, transforming her vision into reality within 1.5 months at no cost to Katie other than purchasing supplies.

Over the next six weeks, Katie would watch eager students go to work with utmost professionalism. She saw excitement in their eyes as they took to their carpentry craft. Katie was amazed by the pride and eagerness of students to work, even on cold days. She requested a few minor re-designs, which were accepted with no problem. Katie was ecstatic at the result, as well as the process:

Our curb appeal has gone from eyesore to the envy of the neighborhood. We enjoyed watching students take great pride in creating a beautiful porch. This project still has our neighborhood buzzing about the professional work of these incredible carpenter students!

Katie and Adam Barthelmes

Happy Home Owners

Tom Leiskau was very excited to work with Katie and Adam on designing and constructing their covered porch, and shares his thoughts on this rewarding project: 

Projects like this provide real-world, hands-on experience for our carpentry students, improving their construction skills and knowledge.  This knowledge includes the opportunity to source materials, work and communicate as a team, and deal with challenging elements, including seasonal weather conditions.  Carpentry is a rewarding skill, and we are very thankful for the opportunity to work on projects and with customers like Katie and Adam.

Tom Leiskau

SPC Carpentry Instructor