Who I Am

IMG_4825.jpg

Howdy, My name is Austin Schneider.

Ever since I can remember I have been fascinated with construction, design, and the building process. The first memory I have of construction was when I was 5 years old. My father, Joe Schneider, the owner of Floor Crafters, was building our home. The building started with an empty country field. I would go out and help in any way I could. I was hooked from the start!

After that I would help my dad with any projects I could and I would go to work with him just to watch how it was done. My father then built our second home, this time I was 8 years old. This meant I could help a little more.

At 15 years old I started working with my father part time in the summers, helping anyway that I could and continuing to learn the trade. While in high school, I took several classes in Architectural design, CAD (computer aided design) drafting, and cabinetry. I started working with my father full time at 18 years old and did so for several years until I started a job working at NIAR, the National Institute for Aviation Research. There I learned how to manage projects, think outside the box to solve problems, and innovative thinking. I went to school at Wichita State University to study Mechanical Engineering. While there, I took more training in CAD programs. While going to WSU, with the assistance of my father I build my first house. I managed the contractors, framed the house, and did all the finish work.

I left WSU and went back to work with my father and managed a crew of 3 people. While working with them we completed projects from gyms, tile, wood, and laminate floors. We also installed custom designed showers, refinished and restored old and damaged wood floors, and remodel jobs from time to time. In 2017 I build my next home only contracting out the concrete work and the HVAC. I completed all my own framing, siding, roofing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, and all the finish work.

Although I loved working for my dad, my true passion is designing and building custom projects. Building science and what can be done to make homes more energy efficient and comfortable is a large part of my passion. My goal in the long term is to build custom energy efficient homes with strong building science, that are comfortable and works of art. For now we are starting with small and large projects to build a client base that will last. Also, being a contractor that you will love working with.

 
Ali&Austin-72.jpg

Meet My Better Half

 

Who She Is

I meet my other half June 19, 2019. Her name is Ali. We added each other on SnapChat and started talking. We grew close through conversation and trust. On my birthday none of my close family was in town, so I was going to spend that time alone. Ali found out about that and even though we only knew each other for a couple days she took me out for an amazing birthday dinner at Sumo’s.

We continued to talk and I asked her to go out with me on October 5, 2019. She said yes! Ali checked off everything that I could have wanted in someone. She is extremely supportive and encourages my goals and ambitions. Ali is originally from Kansas City, so we go up there often to see her family. Since we started dating she has always wanted to take me to the top of the Liberty Memorial. Anytime we are in KC it is either closed, to late, or something is going on that prevents us from going up.

After dating for several months I knew she was the one that I wanted to be with! I wanted her parents to be there when I proposed but wanted to do it at the Liberty Memorial. After some thinking I finally thought of a plan. I have a passion for photography and we had been wanting photos with her parents. So we went to KC to do a “photo shoot” so her parents would be there. With her mom behind the camera and us with whiteboards, we wrote messages back and forth to see the reaction. Until finally i wrote on the board, WILL YOU MARRY ME? On May 21, 2020 Ali said YES!

Fast forward a couple months, to November 14, 2020 it is now one week before the wedding. We wanted to do an outdoor wedding and reception. I checked the forecast and it was a high of 36 degrees… so we thought we could not do it outside. So now we are planning on doing it indoors. Two days later the high is now going to be 72 degrees, so we are back to an outdoor wedding. With the wedding I wanted to do something special and memorable for Ali and me. I decided I would build a custom altar that we could later turn into a swing.

 
 

As the wedding day slowly approached the temperature for the day slowly got colder and colder. The high temperature for the day was 48 degrees and it rained most of the day. As they say though rain is good luck for several reasons; Fertility, Cleansing, Unity, Renewal, and Tears.

Fertility- Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it signifies that you will have children.

Cleansing- Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it signifies the cleansing of tough times or sadness in your past.

Unity- Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it signifies that your marriage will last. As you know, a knot that becomes wet is extremely hard to untie — therefore, when you “tie the knot” on a rainy day, your marriage is supposedly just as hard to unravel!

Renewal- Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it signifies washing away of bad memories or occurrences and, in effect, gives you a completely new, fresh chapter in your life.

Tears- Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it symbolized the last tears that the bride will shed for the rest of her life.

The wedding was all indoors and beautiful! Ali is now my wife! She is an amazing and loving person that supports and walks with me through life.

Not only do I have a passion for construction, I also have a love for photography. Ali encouraged me to get my first camera and to get started. Since then, I have taken thousands of photos. Sometimes to the dismay of others, mainly my co-workers #MoodyMetzen. All jokes aside I hope you enjoyed getting to know me! I look forward to getting to know you and how I can help!

-Austin