Stripping The Kitchen

My brother-in-law, Carlos, came over one day and we removed the kitchen cabinets and light soffit.

We took care to keep the melamine cabinets in good shape so they could be donated to the Habitat For Humanity’s ReStore http://www.habitat.org/restores

The drywall soffit, whose function should have been to abut the top of the cabinet and provide the housing for the mini high hats, proved to be particularly annoying.

It’s obvious it was built using whatever materials were lying around as it consisted of a hodgepodge of 2x4s, 2x3s, and 1x3s, as well as, an assortment of screws and nails from 2″ up to about 5″ long (and a single “Frankenail” about 7-1/2″ long!).  Even after all the screws were removed there were enough nails holding it together that it took the two of us, with pry bars and a sledgehammer, to get the damn thing down.

We reused some of the soffit lumber to support the kitchen sink after the base cabinets were removed.  The rest, along with the handfuls of screws, were set aside for reuse.

Around the time we started stripping the interior, it started raining a lot and the water was running down the walls under the roof cricket. 

 

By taking down the melamine cabinets we revealed walls covered in black mold.  We put up plastic, after cleaning the mold off, to help contain the inevitable return of mold and to help contain the water dripping down the walls.  We also covered the archway to the rear where the roof would be removed first.

The sliders in the left picture lead to the kitchen.  In the picture to the right, the ledger for the future living room floor can be seen.  Outside is the excavated basement which will be covered (figuratively and literally) later.  But, until the roof over the kitchen comes off, this is what we saw….plywood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall-ing Into Place

During the third week of August 2011 we concluded our contract with the fake architect.  While I had ample proof of my design work (probably enough to successfully defend my own copyright claim) he and the Manhattan architect refused to sign a release which would give us the assurance that neither would make a copyright claim on use of the design.  It was a potential for continued delay which we wanted to avoid.  So I took our problematic construction drawings to Bouler Pfluger Architects, P.C. and we made changes that sufficiently made it different than what the fake architect originally submitted (without my approval) to the Township Plans Examiner.

The new design and construction drawings were done in about six weeks.  The changes had no impact on the zoning variance request we defended in May 2011, to build upon the existing front wall and add front porches, so we were confident our building permit would be issued fairly quickly once the required proof of license and insurance documents were received on the trades subject to Township inspection.

Once the plans examiner gave us approval of the drawings, we sent out Request For Quotes (RFQs) to our final selection of bidders.  I was surprised by the unresponsive rate we had in setting up interviews to get that final selection of bidders.  Without meaning to sound too paranoid, I imagined word had gotten out, at least among the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) members, that I or our project was more than they’d want to take on  as only about one-fourth of the NARI members we contacted called back to schedule an appointment to meet with us; fewer kept it and none chose to bid.  From those with whom we spoke, I got the impression they were surprised (if not put-off) by my role in the project (as the homeowner), my level of knowledge about what and how work should be performed, and the contract terms we required.  Or, it could have been as simple as we wouldn’t agree to pay 33-50% up front (which it seemed most expected).

Anyway, we got three to five bidders for each trade, sent out bid packets, and, by the end of the first week of December 2011, reviewed the bids (most which had to be resubmitted to better comply with our bid form specifications), made our selection, and had our [American Institute of Architects (AIA)] contract forms signed.

http://www.aia.org/contractdocs/index.htm

Of all the trades, finding an electrician was the easiest.  We met with only three electricians because all three struck us as knowledgeable, professional, personable, and interested in our project.  All three bids were within 10% of each other. Our preferred choice, Double-Pole Electric, http://doublepoleelectric.com/  in Nesconset, NY was an excellent choice.  Our project was not the easiest to wire because of all the steel beams, microlams, 2×10″(&12″) FJs, and triple (& quad) 2×6 posts I wouldn’t let any holes go through.  I was anal about the location, size, and number of holes but I never felt my concerns weren’t shared.  And the crew working on our project reviewed with me daily the work to be done, often asked how I wanted something “tricky” done, and they did the work very well.  We have four more phases to our project and we’ll be expecting them to do the work.

In anticipation of the building permit being issued, Jim Benson and I worked-out a schedule for work to commence on the addition, depending on the weather.  I bought a copy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac http://www.almanac.com/ and prayed for good weather.

The building permit was issued December 13, 2011.

 

Looking Into It (Part 3)

“The first things we looked into were those things needed for the construction drawings: footings & foundation, framing, roofing, insulation, siding, porch & decorative trim, windows, and doors.” – Looking Into It (Part 1) posted Dec. 19, 2014.

– “siding” was never much of an issue for us as we knew, before we did anything, we wanted wood clapboard.  We left open the option of cove (the profile of the original 1940’s structure, also known as “Dutch” or “German” lap popular from the 1930’s), bevel, and dolly varden (bevel with a rabbited edge) profiles of various reveals (visible distance between courses, often called “exposure”).

The three profiles we considered.

 

We discussed these options with Jim Benson (see Fifteen Months Later posted Dec. 7, 2014) and confirmed his choice of a 5-1/2″ bevel with a 4-1/2″ reveal; which is a traditionally common spec.

I looked into composite siding (ie. Hardie) out of curiosity about what they’re saying about it (which turns out to be a lot of misinformation and hype).  It’s an upgrade to vinyl siding but is more difficult and time consuming to install properly (which is why so many installations are done incorrectly).  Installation of composite is more expensive than for other siding options because it’s heavy, brittle, and requires the same moisture resistant sealing as wood; composite will absorb water and expand along cut edges and drill holes (including the micro-fractures if the fasteners are too tight).  Composite can be repaired if painted afterward and periodically thereafter.  It’s a board form of the popular cement-asbestos shingles in widespread use from the 1920’s until the asbestos fibers became an issue starting in the late 1960’s.  While composite is superior to wood in resisting termites, termites rarely nest in siding so that argument is a non-starter.  I’m not sure why anyone would use composite instead of wood unless one is xylophobic.

I learned vinyl siding is formulated for the factory applied shade.  Light colours are a less expensive formulation that don’t have to resist the effects of heat absorption of dark shades.  If one wants to paint vinyl siding one should stick with the same or lighter shade.

We considered various shapes of novelty shingles for the attic gable by comparing what we saw in the two “Painted Ladies” books we have (see “Bibliography” posted December 13, 2014).  We chose octagonal cut as a compromise between round and diamond cut.

– “porch and decorative trim” is something we still haven’t decided upon.  On the construction drawings round columns are shown and there’s no decorative trim.  We tried to find hollow round split wood columns, to wrap the steel column supports, but they seem to be expensive custom made only.  This is ridiculous since steel columns come in standard diameters and lengths as do PVC columns.  Jim and his crew ended up making square columns 8-1/2″ wide per side and 85″ tall.

– Contemporary window manufacturers don’t use as much wood as they used to.  Blind stops and parting beads can be omitted and the stiles and rails of the sash are not as wide as in traditional windows; all use plastic tilt-in locking mechanisms which I expect will break in time.  Marvin and Pella were the two available wood window manufacturers.  We went with Marvin Ultimate double hungs for the tall, narrow windows and the Pella Architectural Series for the emergency egress double hungs and awning windows.  The egress windows were disproportionately more expensive than the others so we saved a little by using the less expensive Pella.  The egress windows were also the wrong width to height ratio but, fortunately, they are on the north side of the house where they aren’t seen from the street.

– Exterior doors proved problematic for a while.  It seems people (and manufacturers)think a wood exterior door will rot away in no time but we eventually found decent wood doors with two columns wide by five rows tall rectangular glazed panes (most are either three wide or four tall square panes).

The Story of Our New Old House

Some things get done because people want to do them.

Some things get done because people need to do them.

Our new old house is the result of both.

But, before I get into the story of our new old house, I need to explain the context in which this blog is being written.

We bought a small single floor home that had been added onto over the years.  The additions weren’t very well done and the house was in need of repair.  We bought it in order to remodel it into a two storey home.

Before (2009) of the front (west) side.

The right (south) side (2009).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There came a point in our project in which we needed to petition for a variance in order to build a second floor wall above an existing first floor wall.  For whatever reason it came to be, the front wall of the house we bought was a couple feet forward of the minimum setback requirement.  While I could have recessed the second floor, to do so would have been undesirable for many reasons.  So, while we were at it, we brought the design forward a couple feet more and requested a variance of about 5’0″.

Part of the process, to petition for a variance, is to notify all the property owners, in a given radius around our property, of our intentions and their opportunity to appear at the hearing to give their opinion.  I typed a brief one page letter about the details of our proposed project and when and where the hearing would take place.  I also included an elevation drawing, at the bottom of the letter, of the proposed home we intended to build; just to give fair warning.  It was in my mind that now would be the time to hear any complaints; not after the framing was completed.

No one appeared at the hearing.  The details of our project seemed never to be an issue with the zoning appeals board; just the details of what some previous owner had already done; without permission.  We agreed to undo them.

At this point I was relieved for two reasons:

1) we got our variance; so the project could move forward

2) none of our neighbours appeared at the hearing to complain about the project

Let me explain.  I tend to go through life with the philosophy that I should be free to do what I want as long as it doesn’t adversely impact anyone else.  While that may sound like I reserve a great amount of freedom for myself it doesn’t.  I’m almost constantly thinking about the possible ramifications of my actions and, as a result, I tend to do be anal about following the law, doing the right thing, and putting others first.

However, I failed to think about others while I was designing our home.  I was so focused on the design process that ‘public opinion’ never entered my mind until I learned about needing the variance.  Then, all of a sudden, my work was to be subjected to judgment and opinion.  I’ve rarely fared well in those situations.

Thereafter, we moved ahead with our project.  But very little about it came easy or inexpensively; because of its nature, design, and my determination to have it done my way.  That is, once we were issued the building permit.

I clearly remember the first time someone drove by and commented about what we were doing.  The house was framed, sheathed, and the roofers had just finished putting on the shingles that day.  The roofing shingles gave the house its initial defining characteristic; from which one could more easily visualize the ‘character’ we were shooting for.

During (2012) The two small flanking windows would be trimmed as though they are full double-hungs. The one on the right is in a shower. The one on the left made small for visual balance. Eventually, the bottom half of the trimmed-out frame will contain a wood medallion insert.

During (2012). This is the angle of view one gets as they drive past from south to north. While the trees block the view of the house, we think the trees are perfectly located.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout the next week, and the weeks that followed, hardly a day passed without someone driving by and giving us a thumbs up, hollering “great job”, or jubilant honking.

I was very much caught off-guard by the reception the house received and I really didn’t know what to make of the attention.  All of us, still working on the house, appreciated knowing our hard work was appreciated by the community.

And there were days of frustration and exhaustion when a compliment reminded us of the impact of our work and helped us push ourselves to complete that last task of the day.

During the following year the frequency of the compliments dropped down somewhat but not by much.  I’m sure the frequent travelers got used to seeing it but the new ones, usually on the weekends, would slow to a crawl as they drove by.  If we were outside they’d honk or stop to chat.  Like an excited child with a new toy, I chat too much about it when given a chance.  I’m embarrassed afterward.

As the cedar clapboard siding goes up, my wife and I would take advantage of the scaffolding to paint (see left side of house).

As seen on the tower, many thought the gray and white primer and was the finished colour of a vinyl siding. Many asked why we were painting new vinyl siding blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been two years since that first Summer when the last of the sub-contractors finished their work on the exterior and my wife and I took over the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) portion.  The interior has since become my main focus, except this Summer, when my wife insisted we make the front yard more presentable for the neighbours.  We still get the occasional compliment.  And I still don’t know what to make of the attention.

Eventually, as my workload became less urgent, after receiving our Certificate of Occupancy, my attention turned toward thinking of ways I could empower others to execute remodels that reflect the owners’ character and values.  While I appreciate the uniqueness of our home and the compliments we’ve received, I would much rather help others derive similar pleasure from their own home.

To see what, if any, interest others might have in remodeling their house I thought it might be a good first step to start this blog about how our house came about; what steps we took and how we did things.  This is a modest first step, perhaps just useful for helping me organize my thoughts.  But, most of all, I just wanted a chance to say, “thank you”, to everyone who’s kind support and encouragement has helped us get through the long, slow process of getting the house and landscaping closer to “finished”.

First Winter (2013) Before the trim is painted. The small flanking windows have been trimmed as though they’re double-hungs. I hadn’t gotten to installing the temporary wood insert.