We Didn’t Break Anything… Yet!

Hello, Readers!

This week, your regularly scheduled programming has been hijacked while Bob and Joanne are off visiting their granddaughter. So, while the bosses are away, the Production Team has taken over the blog—and no, we haven’t broken anything. Yet.

A Tale of Two Divisions

In case you're new around here (hi! welcome), Calyx has two divisions:

Calyx Homes, our remodeling division, specializes in both residential and commercial spaces. If it’s got walls, floors, or a roof—we’re on it. And if it doesn’t? We’ll build them! We work hard to help customers decide if a project is feasible, what it will cost and how it should be built. We dedicate ourselves to fact-finding before demolition to mitigate the potential issues and plan for as many variables as possible. Its kind of like being the “Dr. Strange” of Construction.

Calyx Retrofit focuses exclusively on insulation projects and works directly with state and federal programs to help homeowners in RI and MA weatherize their homes at affordable rates. Think of us as The Justice League of weatherization but with less spandex and better caulking guns.

Let’s look behind the shop doors here at Calyx, where drywall dust is just part of the décor and tools are considered sacred. (Never touch someone else’s measuring tape!)

Organized Chaos

We’re a team of twenty-two, which means mornings at the shop are like rush hour. Coffee-fueled carpenters and insulators gear up to head over to their construction sites. Someone’s yelling about missing screws (again), someone is loading up trucks, and everyone’s trying to locate our Facilities Manager Rue. We are always looking for Rue. If you can’t find him, it’s because he is already helping one of us coordinate the day. It’s beautiful mayhem.

Many of us are either long-time friends or family—sometimes both—so there’s a strong atmosphere of support, teamwork, and often friendly ribbing. It’s this camaraderie that keeps us efficient, creative, and laughing through the variables that come our way.

We’re on it

There’s no shortage of hats to wear around here. On any given day, our team is juggling:

Permit applications, Trade walkthroughs, bid wrangling, inspection follow-ups, project scheduling, creative marketing, website magic, carpentry, insulation, deciphering billing puzzles, and most crucially: reminding Bob to eat lunch so he doesn’t spiral into “Hanger”.

Every Day is an Adventure

Construction isn’t always predictable. We plan as much as possible, but there is a sign above Dan’s desk and to paraphrase, it says something like “Expect the unexpected” but slightly more colorful.

A few favorites from the “you can’t make this up” file:

That time an entire truckload of custom fabricated shower doors got knocked over like oversized dominoes by the delivery driver.

Or another time we diligently planned for an excavator and arrived to find a four-foot trench had been hand dug. Which turned out to be best case scenario but boy did those guys hustle to achieve that.

Or just something a little more routine,  when our insulation crews show up only to find live knob-and-tube wiring—surprise!

But this is where Calyx shines: quick thinking, problem solving, and at least two people asking, “Where is Rue?” We regroup, refocus, and keep the workflow going. It's kind of like an orchestra except it involves more nail guns.

Bob, if you're reading this…

Eat something (Less steak, more apples). We’ve got this. The shop is still standing, and so are we. Enjoy your well-earned time off!

If you’re looking to work with a team that’s not only funny, but built on over 30 years of trust, problem-solving prowess, and the ability to adapt without missing  a beat—even when the unexpected rolls in on a flatbed truck—give us a call at 401-344-9110 or email Inquire@calyxbuilds.com                                (We promise we’ll feed Bob before he comes out for your site visit.)