Many Floridians find them selves still waiting on their insurance to pay for the damage done by hurricane Irma. Seven months ago Irma damaged many homes and today many homeowners find them selves living in bad conditions, most don't have the resources or means to fix their property, because it's tuff to fix your home when the repairs are costly and Insurance companies are not paying. We at Xtrm Construction have been helping floridans with repairs to many homes and businesses. We recommend to get a lawyer and take these insurance companies to court, personal we helped over 50 clients that were still waiting on a check and we got them paid. If you are in the same situation we understand what you are going thru. I recommend you get in contact with us as soon as possible so that we can get your claim expedited and paid, so that repairs can be done right away. 

Miami is top of the list for labor day weekend vaction spots. If you are in Miami for the weekend you can enjoy boating around miami beach, you can enjoy the nightlife and highend shopping. if you do decide to stay to live please check out various properties xtrm constructuon has in progress. We build luxury custom homes. Call us now at 305-467-7050

Traveling to Mexico?
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\nXtrm Construction is proud to announce the remodeling of 3 Luxury hotel's in Cancun Mexico.
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\nWe were selected from over 10 different major construction companies. Not only are we proud to be doing the work, but are also glad to do these renovations and upgrading these outdated hotels into brand new modern marvels.
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\nIf you happen to travel to the Mexican city of Cancun you might run into some of our constructuon vehicles while we upgrade these hotels.
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\nXtrm Construction is proud to expand our operations into Mexico. We belive in creating the best experience for hotel guests all over the world.
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\nPlease enjoy your trip to Mexico, from your friends at Xtrm Construction corp. www.xtrmconstruction.com 305-467-7050

​If you are visiting South Beach for Memorial weekend Xtrm Construction would like to be the first to welcome you to our beautiful city.
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As you walk thru South Beach you will see that there are many places to dine, but we would like to recommend one in particular. The Sugar Factory located in Ocean Drive and 13 st Miami Beach Fl

The reason we are recommending this place is because we built it in 2015. This restaurant has many locations around the world and it had Kiely Jenner host the grand opening.

Xtrm Construction is proud to be part of the construction in this project. When we took this task we knew it was going to be complicated but it would turn out spectacular. The project took 6 moths to complete and we had to work fast. South Beach is a major tourist attraction and everyday the location is closed its thousands of dollars in lost of revenew.

If you take the time to dine in this location you can see the attention to detail we put into this project, from the glass mirrors on the ceilings, moldings, copper trims around the counters, black and white paint and the beautiful terrazo flooring. There was no holding back to make sure this place looked marvolus, and Xtrm Construction delivered.

We always strive for exelence and when you see this location you can have confidence that Xtrm Cinstruction will do the same with every single project we take on.

We hope you enjoy your Memorial day weekend in South Beach and Wish you a safe flight back, from your friends at Xtrm Construction 305-467-7050

Technology has always been a part of effective construction and with new gadgets, systems, and materials, there's almost nothing that can't be built. The human imagination is vast and some ideas can't apply to physics, but, new technology has made it possible for unbelievable ideas to come to life. In this article, we will bring up a few new construction systems and materials that are not so much as new, but will be implemented much more due to their necessity in construction and remodeling. 

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been around since the 1970's, but has never been as advanced as it is now. Imagine a system that can digitally build a home or building, having a complete view of inside spaces, wiring, plumbing, lighting, everything in 3D. Now, not only can you view your entire project from the inside-out, but you can now also have complete analytics of the whole construction throughout the structures lifetime. Many properties of a construction project may be monitored such as the thermal levels of each section of the structure, the amount and size of materials needed, the costs that will accumulate with each addition on the structure and the cost of maintaining the property throughout its entire lifetime. 

The TERMES project is a futuristic method of construction that involves termite inspired climbing robots building 3D structures in a fast and efficient manner. These tiny robots are capable of building, installing, and preparing just as human tradesmen do. They simultaneously work together autonomously and are able to manipulate blocks to make complex structures. This project, made in Harvard University, revolutionizes the future of construction in an unprecedented manner, making large structures in a timely and cost-effective process.. 

With new building systems and programs, also come new types of building materials such as self-healing concrete. The use of this material eliminates concrete cracks and expensive concrete maintenance by using mixed bacteria spores which feed on calcium lactate to produce lactite, a primary component of limestone. A foam, made from plant materials like bamboo, hemp, and kelp will be hard enough to use to make furniture, insulation, turbine blades, etc. This special foam, manufactured by Malama Composites provides high resistance to heat and high moisture; it is also resistant to mold. Just another green approach to construction. 

Talking about the green approach, South Florida is an ideal location for the use of Photovoltaic Glazing Panels. These building integrated glass panels help buildings generate their own electricity... Yes, high-tech solar panel windows. The panels consist of transparent photovoltaic glass that is used as structural building material such as windows, facades, and roofs. This technology, from Polysolar, is efficient at producing energy even on the shaded side of a building. The price is just above the price for tempered glass and it comes with tint to provide shading. 

Wearable technology is now being used to assess the way workers move through-out their work-day and to make quicker data-driven decisions. What sport athletes and trainers use for on-field performance, safety and operation managers use to monitor health risks on a construction site. This helps reduce common work injuries, such as back pain, and increases work morale, thus, having employees use less sick days due to pain, increase work efficiency, and decrease medical costs. This innovative wearable sensor technology helps construction businesses verify new methods of working that will be safer and more efficient. The types of analytics that can be attained from these gadgets are priceless and can mean the success of a business. 

These new technologies of the future make way for a more efficient and energy-conscience construction mapping. Safety, time, money, ROI, Green-Wise techniques and employee morale with retention will all be improved with these state-of-the-art programs and materials. The future possibilities of construction are endless; making every step of building more automatic, safer, efficient, and cost effective. Most of these new construction technologies are useful for commercial buildings and industrial warehouses, but miniature versions will be available for homes in the near future,. 

Kitchen remodeling seems to be necessary now-a-days with new trends and styles that come out every year. It's not easy finding a style that won't be out-dated soon, kind of like cell phones. Though, there is one that will never go out of fashion and will always keep it's value... Exotic wood kitchen cabinets. No, we're not talking about plywood or pine, we're talking about fine solid wood that will make your kitchen last for decades if kept under maintenance. When we're talking about exotic woods, we mean imported from other countries, in this case, Central America. Oak, American Walnut, Maple, Redwood, Alder and Pecan wood are all great domestic hardwoods that will probably run you a bit cheaper, but, the quality and look appeal of an exotic tropical hardwood is like no other. 

Exotic hardwoods for cabinetry come with their own natural characteristics that give the wood personality. Types of natural characteristics that you may find on exotic wood cabinetry are:

• Black Streaks - hardwoods from Central America tend to have pronounced streaks that look like sharpie marks at                             times. They can run from tiger stripes to curly flames. 
• Animalistic Figure - You might sometimes see animal eyes and bodies throughout the figure of exotic wood                                          cabinetry. 
• Burl - tight swirls and compressed swings in the wood. This part brings the most concentration in the wood creating            healthy knots and curls. 
• Sound Knot - A knot solid across its face, which shows no indication of decay.
• Unsound Knot - A pith center from a circular area that once was the base of a branch. 
• Wormholes - Holes in the wood from insects ranging in size to 1/16".
• Check marks - faint but thick single lines that appear closest to the heartwood. 
• Gum Streaks - Mineral-like streaks of color naturally occurring only in Jatoba.
• Heartwood - The wood nearest to the pith of the log which is darker in color and tighter in grain.
• Sapwood - White to Ivory colored parts of the wood that grow from inside the bark of a tree. Usually on the edges. 

What is guaranteed from exotic wood cabinetry is the wild figure that you can get out of it, depending on the species of course. If you want some radical figuring and don't mind spending a lot of cash, you may want to try the following species of exotic wood cabinetry:

• Cocobolo Rosewood (Dalbergia Retusa)
• Ziricote (Cordia Dodecandra)
• Honduran Rosewood (Dalbergia Stevensonii)
• Amazon Rosewood (Dalbergia Spruceana)
• Panama Rosewood (Dalbergia Tucurensis)
• Bocote (Cordia Gerascanthus)

You may also get radical figuring from less expensive exotic woods. It is harder to get the intense figuring from these moderately priced species, but the quality and durability are unmatched by domestic hardwood cabinetry. Here are some affordable species of exotic woods that you may use on your kitchen cabinetry:

• Granadillo (Platymiscium Yucatanum)
• MonkeyPod (Samanea Saman)
• Macacauba (Platymiscium Pinnatum)
• Tigerwood (Astronium Graveolens)
• Peruvian Walnut (Juglans Olanchana)
  
• Tropical Mahogany (Swietenia Humilis)
  
• Jatoba (Hymenaea Courbaril)

These wonderful hardwoods for cabinetry, moderately priced, would bring elegance to any kitchen with the combination of any type of flooring and/or counter-top. Wood cabinets go with any type of material on your kitchen; metal, aluminum, slate, tile, marble, and even ceramic. Using exotic wood cabinetry would just bring out the best in any kitchen atmosphere. Use it in Modern, Victorian, Art Deco, Rustic, Old World, Contemporary, Neoclassical, Asian, Biedermeier, and more kitchen styles of your choosing. Tigerwood and Tropical Mahogany are generously striped exotic woods, but heavy per volume. A favorite for carpenters and the customers has been Granadillo; a light-weight rose-like smelling exotic wood that makes eye-popping kitchen cabinets. Not only is the visual appeal of this wood out of this World, the aroma that it will leave your kitchen is woodsy and sweet like caramel. 

To get the best figure out of your cabinets, make sure that the carpenter uses book-matched blanks for the cabinet covers. This will provide you with a natural drawing that will leave you speechless. Now.., not all pieces of wood come with radical figure; most carpenters prefer to work with quarter-sawn (straight lines) wood that tends to be more manageable than slab-sawn (figured) wood and less prone to decay. The sap part of the wood should be used on the outer edges or the center of the cabinet blanks. Placing screws on the sapwood is a bad idea. 

XTRM Construction has been a long time associate of various exotic wood suppliers in Central America, making us the go-to company for wooden kitchen remodeling. Our team of carpenters can make your kitchen with any type of wood and at your most precise measurements. With professionals in wood working on your kitchen, there is no need to worry, satisfaction is a guarantee. Call us today if you're interested in having your kitchen remodeled with one of these exotic woods for cabinetry!

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South Florida is a beacon for some of the Worlds most powerful storm systems. Billions of dollars in property damage, homeless families, chaos on the streets, is what a hurricane or tornado leaves behind. If your home is not properly prepared for fierce winds, flooding, and heavy rainfall, then you're at risk of losing more than just money. Residents of South Florida are investing in newer, more effective construction systems for a safer living environment. The main elements for the safest home in South Florida are the quality in material, aerodynamic shape, radial engineering, sound connections, and overall sustainability. 

Precast Concrete for Sturdier Infrastructure

Some of the safest hurricane-proof homes in South Florida are built with precast concrete segments on roofs, walls, and floors. Precast concrete is produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold; this is then cured in a controlled environment. Precast concrete cures better than standard concrete as it is treated in a precast plant with routine inspections by plant employees. The four precast wall panel types are called Sandwich, plastered sandwich, inner layer, and cladding panels. Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) are also used for hurricane-proof structures; they are solid interlocking blocks made of a rigid and resilient foam expanded polystyrene. 

Tie Down That Roof

The roofs may be made of lumber or a poured down solid roof, but must have hurricane straps to anchor it down. Strong-Tie galvanized-steel hurricane clips may also be used to secure weak connections on the roof. To add additional safety and durability, a flat or pitched concrete roof may be built. A good roof slope will help shed water and can reduce wind forces. Hip roofs withstand more wind punishment than Gabled roofs. 

Standard windows are no match for hurricane winds; they can cause glass shards to be deadly projectiles. Since most homes don't come with tempered glass, which will not shatter into small pieces, wood or metal shutters are recommended for one of the few protections for windows. 

One way to keep structures more grounded is by using Cable-Tite. This material connects the J-bolt of the foundation to the top plate, tying the house down for fortification from being lifted from strong winds. 

If building a home from scratch, the "Monolithic dome" or reinforced-concrete dome style architecture has been proven to withstand almost all forces of nature, even earthquakes. Monolithic domes are cheap, energy efficient, and easy to build. They are also fire-resistant, mold-resistant and impervious to rot. Building a Monolithic dome consists of pouring a concrete foundation, inflating a tough and resistant, dome-shaped structure, erecting steel rebar scaffolding around that, and then applying Shotcrete over the outside. 

A Safe-Room is Always a Good Idea

Having a safe-room is always necessary for any type of natural disaster. One can be made in the basement or the master bedrooms walk-in closet can work as one as well. Make sure to have proper food and water supplies available in the safe-room. Some type of radio communication system should be inside the safe-room as well. 

The house doors should be impact and flood resistant, this includes the front door, back door, garage door, and sliding doors. All precautionary measures should be taken before a storm system comes your way. XTRM Construction has been building high quality hurricane-proof homes for many years and we use only the best materials for fortification and sustainability. An intricate process is used by our architects and contractors to make these state-of-the-art homes, contact us today for a free quote!

You ever wonder how some floors have different color and grain pattern? How one type of wood can give a unique aroma in a home or business? Hardwood floors may come from many different types of species that come from all over the World. Exotic hardwood floors are becoming even more popular with trade opening up more in the Latin American Region. You’ll find dozens and even hundreds of hardwood species that will make stunning floor material. There are light woods with feathered streaks and dark woods with black, curly streaks. You’ll be amazed by the amount of pattern and colors that you can get from exotic wood from Central America. The uniqueness of the origin of the wood tells its own story; coming from the Volcanoes of Nicaragua or the Mountains of Guatemala, you can rest assure that you're getting premium wood from this region.

There are a few factors when it comes to choosing and installing a certain type of exotic wood from Central America. The key factors to consider are the following:

1. Price Range – certain exotic woods are more rare to find and heavier to export. It might be harder to work with, more fragile, which needs for better packaging materials, and/or might need more work and care during assembly and installation.
2. Figure – each species holds a unique grain, texture, and aesthetic display; it’s up to the buyer to determine which would look best in a business or home setting.
3. Aroma – the main factor, in my opinion, in choosing a certain species of wood has to be the smell that it gives the atmosphere. A good wood smell can bring a peaceful mood to a room setting.
4. Weight and Strength – different species of exotic woods have stronger and heavier characteristics; depending on where you want to install the wood floor is what will help you decide which to choose from.
5. Color - The ambiance of where the exotic wood floor will be placed will elect the species of wood being installed. To contrast colors in a setting or color coordinate the room, each species of exotic hardwood will give a new option in color pattern.

​Types of Exotic Hardwood Species for Flooring

As stated before, you can choose from dozens of Central American hardwood species for wood floors. The most popular exotic hardwoods with high quality and elegance have to be the following:

Tigerwood - Goncalo Alves is a very dense and heavy wood with a Janka hardness of 2170. This wood has a wavy and interlocked grain that can display fascinating tiger-striped figure, hence the name. It may possess colors such as yellow, reddish brown with irregular black streaks. This wood is naturally durable, hard, and stable and can be used for exterior decking as well as interior flooring. The wood tends to have a sour smell to it when working but when finished it does not release any odor.

Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril)– A.K.A. Brazilian Cherry, has waves for patterns and has a light orangey brown to reddish brown color to it. Its interlocked grain, dense complexion, and smooth color pattern that it has makes this a highly sought after exotic wood for floors. Jatoba is rated very high in resistance to wood borers and insects, which makes it useable for inside and outside. This wood is known as the stinking toe or old mans toe, due to the unpleasant smell it gives; it has no odor once it’s processed into hardwood floors.

Suradan (Hyeronima Alchorneoids) – A.K.A. Nanciton is a fairly common tropical hardwood from Central America to Brazil that is used in Construction, furniture, and flooring. The color tone of the heartwood is light brown to purplish when freshly cut; it turns into chocolate brown after a while. Great for use with modern furniture. This hardwood resembles American Black Walnut, but, with fewer defects.

Royal Mahogany (Carapa Guianensis) – A.K.A. Andiroba is a fine exotic hardwood similar, but superior in strength to Genuine Honduran Mahogany. Its colors vary from a light salmon to a reddish-brown which darkens with time. It should only be used in indoors, both commercial and residential, as it will not hold up to extreme weather conditions or direct ground contact. The odor it gives is somewhat similar to what you’ll smell from a Spanish Cedar cigar box.

Nargusta (Terminalia Amazonia) – A.K.A. Almendro or Tanimbuca is very good for hardwood flooring as it is harder to work with for other purposes. The heartwood is yellow to pinkish-red; it often has dark red veins running through the grain. The grain is tight and holds an even, straight-grained pattern, at times it is interlocked. It should be used for a more classy room setting that wants a very woody feeling. The smell it carries is unknown in wood floors. Mostly for indoor use.

Macacauba (Platymiscium Pinnatum) – A.K.A. Hormigo or Macawood has to be one of the best smelling exotic hardwoods that you can find. When first cut, it delivers a cotton-candy like smell with it’s purplish-brown color. It can at times be a dark pink color with course grain. The figure can be dynamic at times, having beautiful sapwood that gives it a nice contrasting look. If you want a great smelling home, this is the wood to use. It is dense enough to be used indoors and outdoors; it’s famous for being used in patios but will look lovely and presentable in the living room or an office.

Cocobolo Rosewood (Dalbergia Retusa) – This species is the king of exotic hardwoods. Having this in your office or home will give you high status. This wood is genuinely red with wild black streaks. When freshly cut, it gives of a rainbow of colors from yellow to purple and from orange to a brick red, all on the same slab! Cocobolo has a powerful smell of a sweet but bitter liqueur. The figure on this exotic hardwood is unreal, displaying art forms that only nature can give; such as faces, sceneries, animals, and other unimaginable things. This is the most expensive of hardwood flooring in Central America and not too many companies offer high quality Cocobolo. Even though it is resistant to bugs and decay, and it has a Janka hardness of 2,960, it is recommended to use indoors as this wood is prone to checking and warping.

Cortes (Tabebuia Guayacan) – A.K.A. IPE or Ironwood is popular for decking as it is powerful and resistant to bugs and the forces of nature. This hardwood gives a medium brown to greenish complexion with black streaks. The grain is course and has faint lines. When possessing figure, it gives a striking resemblance to Macacauba in appearance but with more sequential grain. It is an extremely dense wood, one of the hardest and can last you a lifetime. Used for flooring, it is well suited for a rustic ambiance.

Choosing the Right Hardwood Species Might Not be That Easy

You might need an interior decorator to choose the right exotic hardwood floor for you, but anyone with an eye for design can choose the appropriate species for his/her setting. Just take into consideration where you’re going to place this hardwood floor. If in the patio, such exotic hardwood floors like Teak and Cortes are durable and resistant to the harsh outside weather conditions.

​The installer also plays an important role in the installation of your new exotic hardwood floor. Many of these exotic species from Central America need proper care and temperature regulation. Fine hardwood floors like Honduran Mahogany and Cocobolo Rosewood will not be able to withstand extreme outdoor temperatures; they might slowly start warping and/or start checking. Finding the right installer can save you big bucks! If the company doesn’t know his hardwood floor species; this might cost you big in the future. Not only cost you monetarily, but it might also provoke an accident. Make sure to check online reviews and customer feedback before contracting an exotic hardwood installer. Here at XTRM Construction, not only will we provide you with the best installation service, but we can also provide you with high quality hardwood floors from Central America!