Darien Builder Makes Everything Old New Again

Joe Wasler always knew he wanted to work with his hands. He planned to be a machinist as his dad had been.

After graduating from , Wasler enrolled at College of DuPage. He studied the trades, including drafting and welding, learning to run lathes.

While at COD, Wasler worked for two different fuel-injection pump companies. He thought his career was set and left school. But several years of that type of work showed him that it was not what he wanted to do with his life.

“I’m not the type of person who likes to stand around and watch metal being cut,” he explained. “I’m not the type of person who likes to sit at a desk and build pumps.”

A friend asked Wasler to help him construct a kitchen. Wasler did, and he was hooked.

“You’re always at a different site,” he said. “It’s creative. I love taking old and making it new.”

Wasler continued to work with that friend. The experience taught him a great deal about the technical aspects of remodeling work. Several years later, Wasler decided to strike out on his own.

Wasler named his company after the town in Germany where his parents were born and many relatives still live. The name also evokes the fine European craftsmanship he strives to provide his customers.

Wasler has two employees who do field work in addition to the subcontractors he hires. He is particular about the subcontractors he uses. He also tries to stick with local companies.

For interior work, Bayern Builders specializes in kitchens and bathrooms. They have created contemporary rooms for clients in Chicago high-rises. In the Darien area, however, his clients tend to prefer a more traditional look in their homes.

“I do a lot of kitchens. I’m very good at them,” he said. “I can get very creative with the space that you have. What we’ve been doing a lot in the Darien area is knocking out dining room walls and extending them.”

For more than 15 years, Wasler has installed products from Tri-Star Cabinet Company, based out of New Lenox. Wasler worked for clients in Highland Park, Lake Forest and Munster. He’s also doing a sunroom addition in Park Ridge.

Bayern Builders has developed a very local specialty as well. They redesign and rebuild mansard roofs — roofs with dormer windows in the middle — into a style that causes fewer problems.

“(Mansard roofs) turned out to be a real nightmare for some people,” he explained. “You’ve got to get the right roofer on there. If you don’t, you’re going to have leakage. The windows protrude past the face of the house.”

Customer service is important to Wasler.

“When you’re on a job site, respect their home,” he said. “This is where they live so you have to be clean. Every guy who works for me has a shop vac. They’re vacuuming or at least broom-sweeping at the end of the day. They want to try to keep their home clean.”

Wasler’s clients appreciate his work and refer him to others. A book of written recommendations and testimonials sits on his desk.

Wasler believes in giving back to the community. He directs the Darien Youth Club soccer leagues. He’s also found ways to help the community through his business.

Remodeling work often means usable cabinets and appliances are discarded. Wasler found alternatives to dumping these castoffs into landfills.

If cabinets are good enough to be recycled, he contacts Habitat for Humanity. Habitat will pick up the cabinets and write a receipt for taxes. If appliances work, Habitat will take them as well, depending on how old they are. If appliances are too old, Wasler contacts recyclers who will haul these things away for free.

Bayern Builders is also a lead-free firm, licensed by the EPA in lead removal.

“We take great pride in what we’re about to do for you,” Wasler said. “We appreciate the fact that you’re giving us the opportunity. We’re going to make you feel comfortable within the first half-day of seeing how we operate and how we are, how friendly (we) are with you. We get (you) involved in decision-making, because we feel that’s important as well. We all have different tastes. I don’t want to push my taste onto you. This is not my house. This is your house, so you tell me how you’d like it.”

To learn more about Bayern Builders, contact Joe Wasler at 630-353-0172, or go to www.bayernbuilders.com.