RENOVATE 1927

Decision on KITCHEN CABINETS and COUNTERTOPS

2013-01-26T21:59:00.000-05:00

Each countertop was tested for durability and the following two did NOT pass.

MARBLE etched......

LMESTONE etched....

And this countertop is most likely to be selected for the color, pattern and durability [no etching].

Cabinets with the countertop.

Madre Perla or Mother of Pearl Quartzite in the shop.

ROOF IS ON! STAIRS TO ATTIC ARE IN! AND KITCHEN IS OPEN CONCEPT.

2012-12-22T10:54:00.003-05:00

New slate roof on the addition.

Stairs to attic! Finally. Per code, the window needs to be tempered glass and half the size.

View of stairs from attic.

The wall has been removed between the kitchen and family room. View from kitchen.

View from family room.

COUNTERTOPS

2012-12-03T21:32:00.000-05:00

A few of the countertops currently under consideration:

1. CARRERA MARBLE: We all know what that could look like.

2. LIMESTONE: Lagos Azul from Portugal

Lagos Azul

3. Silver or Gray Quartzite from Italy.

PHOTO UPDATE EARLY DECEMBER

2012-12-03T21:15:00.004-05:00

The work has begun again in earnest!

Framing changes include:
- the second floor closets in bedroom #1
- master shower area
- the kitchen back wall to allow for insulation

The only real disappointment is that the kitchen is now 12 feet instead of 12 1/2 feet by 22. This should be a good tradeoff for the insulation.

Framing will continue with the attic bathroom. Also, the A/C vents and radiators are being installed. Warmboard corporate is involved and is preparing the underfloor heating plan. After HVAC, we have electricity and plumbing. Then insulation and drywall.

Here are some photos from the past week:

The interior of the exterior wall on the north side of the house. Some sort of ceramic bricks with plaster residue.

Last view of the exterior wall from the old dining room.
This will be a 6 foot opening from the new large kitchen into the new family room.

Kitchen is now framed to accomodate insulation.

Bedroom #1 closets with alcove. One of the best ideas yet.

Attic windows. Window seat to be installed.

Balcony doors in the attic bedroom

Fabulous view of the sunset from the attic/third floor/crow's nest.

PHOTO UPDATE NOVEMBER.

2012-11-28T20:47:00.001-05:00

View from the front. Trim and windows are IN.

View from the backyard.

View of the entertainment center.

PHOTO UPDATE OCTOBER 2012

2012-11-21T16:25:00.001-05:00

New Family Room

Windows to the back of the house. Entertainment center will be on the right wall. Access to the kitchen on the left wall.

Kitchen - Doubled in Size

Removed the wall between the old dining room and kitchen. Check out the vintage kitchen wallpaper.

Vintage Wallpaper

New Attic Bedroom

Adding pocket doors. Wall t the left has patio doors to access the balcony.

New Windows [Jeld-wen Siteline]

PHOTO UPDATE FROM AUGUST 2012

2012-10-29T14:06:00.001-04:00

Updated photos [from August 2012]

CONSTRUCTION STARTED..in April

2012-09-07T23:19:00.002-04:00

Yes, construction started in April 2012. Here is a look at the action:

RADIANT HEAT

2012-02-20T12:29:00.002-05:00

Our heating story will be complicated....

There is no heat in the kitchen now and the kitchen is located over an unheated space.
The basement ceiling is already almost fully finished.
The addition is over a garage, where the ceiling height is 7 1/2 feet, and it's uninsulated.
We prefer radiant underfloor heat [hydronic not electric].
Radiant heat costs more to install but saves about 30% on utility costs - which are increasing.

So to add heat to the house, we need to add heat to the following rooms and this is the preferred plan - albeit pre-construction....

FIRST FLOOR

Kitchen [underfloor hydronic]
Family room [underfloor hydronic]
First floor bathroom [reuse radiator from sunroom]
Mudroom [reuse radiator from sunroom]

SECOND FLOOR

Bedroom #2 [relocate the existing dining room radiator]
Master Bath & Closets [underfloor hyrdonic]
Hall Bath [radiator or underfloor hyrdonic or hydronic towel bar]

ATTIC

Attic [add in a new exterior wall heat pump or radiators or hydronic baseboard heat]
Attic Bath [radiator or underfloor hyrdonic or hydronic towel bar]

We were wondering how to keep the kitchen and family room floors the same level as the dining room if we use underfloor radiant heat that is included in the subflooring --- but check out this great This Old House Video for the solution.

These products looks promising, and it are available for use under hardwood floors and some keep the added height below ¾ inch.

Updates forthcoming.

CABINET PRICES

2012-01-23T16:08:00.001-05:00

We are still pricing out about 22 cabinets [Shaker Style, Inset, White Painted Finish, no Glaze, Plywood with Wood Veneers] and I have the following estimates so far:

CrownPoint [direct]: $33K
Earthfriendly by Christiana: $25K
Crystal Cabinetry: $18K

We are still undecided as the contractor that we might choose offers Wood-Mode/Brookhaven at what is marketed as a "significant dicount" -- which I hope is 100% accurate!

See the right side bar "Layout" to view the floor plans.

SOLAR ROOFING for the ADDITION?

2011-12-06T19:27:00.001-05:00

We are now contemplating solar roofing. There are many products out there, but since we have a historic home [built in 1929] and the existing roof is slate, our first preference is a slate-like product. They look fine, and with tax incentives, should pay for themselves in a few years, especially if we expect energy prices to rise.

Under consideration are two systems right now:

DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle [not available in MD yet, but soon maybe], and

2. AllRoof90 Solar Slate [this link shows the savings, including incentives, as compared to real slate + synthetic]

Should we consider any other solar products?

BATHROOM FIXTURE COST COMPARISON

2011-11-06T22:48:00.000-05:00

Today, I am trying to determine where we will purchase fixtures. I think my M.O. will be to use something similar to the "cart of groceries" comparison. All costs will include shipping. Let's start with the bathrooms. Here goes:

Product List

Kohler 2215-0 Ladena Undercounter Under Mount Bathroom Sink [21" x 14"]
Kohler 2344 Memoirs Pedestal Sink [24"]
Kohler K-3511-0 Memoirs Comfort Height Round-Front Toilet with Stately Design, White

Fixture Universe

Kohler Ladena Sink $224.64
Kohler Memoirs Pedestal Sink $360.64
Kohler Memoirs Round Toilet N/A

Plumber's Surplus:

Kohler Ladena Sink $206.13
Kohler Memoirs Pedestal Sink $329.30
Kohler Memoirs Round Toilet $261.46 [BEST]

Faucet Direct

Kohler Ladena Sink $203.38 [BEST]
Kohler Memoirs Pedestal Sink $324.88 [BEST]
Kohler Memoirs Round Toilet $294.06

eFaucets

Kohler Ladena Sink $207.90
Kohler Memoirs Pedestal Sink $332.10
Kohler Memoirs Round Toilet $263.68

The prices are quite competitive, but based on this quick comparison, even though Faucet Direct had the best price on two items, Plumber's Surplus or efaucets.com are the winner in overall total cost. efaucets.com also has a 10% off coupon. I should probably start comparing more items such as faucets.

Please comment if you have another site that offers even better pricing. Any ideas for lighting and appliances.

PERMITS & BUILDERS

2011-10-26T15:42:00.000-04:00

Just submitted permits to the Town of Chevy Chase and Montgomery County, MD. The Town permit requirements seem to be satisfied, but per Montgomery County, the rear attic dormer that is in the sitting room area would be built into the rear yard setback. A slight delay to the process, but since we are not ready to build quite yet, it should not make a difference.

We are also in the process of selecting builders this week. I have two meetings scheduled and one in the hopper. I'm itching to get the bids and post the details online.

VARIANCE APPROVED!!!!! Yeah!

2011-09-20T17:56:00.000-04:00

Well, we needed a one foot variance for our renovation plans to be approved by our town. If we did not get the variance, the backup plan was to remove one foot off of our deck which is cantilevered...not a big deal, but just not exactly where we are intending to spend our hard earned cash.

Yes, one of our neighbors wrote a very unexpected letter of opposition. Maybe one day I'll share that letter. Anyway, we attended the hearing, were questioned by the Town Council and we were APPROVED! The porch will now NOT be a wraparound and won't be quite as attractive as it now needs to line up with the main wall on the driveway side of the house. But.....the porch was not the main reason for the renovation, just an added bonus.

Now, we are anxiously awaiting the official permit from the Town Council and the final plans so we can get the bidding started!

KITCHEN LAYOUT...cleaning area specific question

2011-08-30T22:49:00.000-04:00

There are TWO options for the cleaning area.... which is preferred?

OPTION # 1 is where the sink is NOT entered on the window, and the trash is in the right corner, but very accessible via the sink and the range. The dishwasher is on the left. A sample sink is shown below as well. Do we need to go with this type of sink to at least center the faucet? Will this layout work and is this the better layout?

Or should we go with OPTION #2, which CENTERS the sink, but the trash is now located on the far side of the dishwasher and far from the range. More traditional, but the trash is not as accessible, an open dishwasher is in the path and the range is quite far.

KITCHEN LAYOUT...still not final....

2011-08-30T10:59:00.000-04:00

Here is yet another version of the kitchen layout, focusing on the side and back walls not the island. Still a few concerns:

Ideally the cleanup area is trash+sink+dishwasher. This configuration will not allow the sink to be centered under the window, but is best for cleanup. So, should this be a concern? This locates the trash centrally between the sink and the range. Nice.
The microwave and a prep sink will be located in the island. The microwave between the range and refrigerator is just too many appliances jammed together.

Greatest layout yet?

BACK WALL

SIDE WALL

KITCHEN LAYOUT.....still almost final

2011-08-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

The layout has been discussed ad nauseum, and tweaked, edited, changed, and the still near final layout is below. The last piece of the puzzle is the prep sink- YES or NO, and if so where????

As a reference, here is the 3D version, quite similar to the above, but not as updated.

And finally, this is an ALTERNATE layout, that might be worth trying, but we still have the hurdle of getting used to a sink in the island.

KITCHEN LAYOUT....almost final

2011-08-07T14:12:00.000-04:00

The kitchen requires so many decisions! We have a 12.5' x 22.5' space, and have decided that we will still include a small table and an island.

We are going with a 36" range and a 36" refrigerator. [We have a 33" refrigerator that we may use as a place saver in the space for a few years....] If we can find a 36" refrigerator at a great price, that would work.

The island houses a beverage/wine refrigerator + under counter microwave, two stools but NO prep sink. Will we regret this decision?

On the right side under two high windows is a 9' wide bank of tall cabinets that will provide tons of storage space. The two center cabinets will be glass front, vintage style.

The proposed layout is below and may change slightly based on feedback and the cabinet designer [once we finally commit!]

Next step is to decide on cabinet company and choose expensive appliances.

BATHROOM VANITIES

2011-07-27T21:21:00.000-04:00

Working on the bathroom vanities this week......the layouts are simple enough --- a 6 foot run for the master bathroom and a 5 foot run for the boys. See below for the Master Bath elevation.

As for finishes, we have a gray and white them in mind.....

white wood cabinets [no brand selected yet and the boys might score Ikea cabinets]
light gray granite countertops
gray and white vintage tile flooring - hex or basketweave
subway tile shower walls and backsplash
silver color faucets, lighting, shower fixtures
Kohler Memoirs sink and commode

Any preferences or suggestions?

OUR PLAN REVISIONS #2

2011-07-17T11:10:00.000-04:00

These are the final version of the plans that we are sending back to our architect for slight revisions. Major changes involve:

changes to the boys bathroom/elimination of built-in cabinetry in their bedrooms
moving the bathroom in the attic

changes to the master bathroom area

We are sending this in Monday, and I'm interested to see how close the final version matches to our request....there may be restrictions that won't permit the changes....

MAIN LEVEL

SECOND FLOOR

ATTIC

MUDROOM ELEVATION #2

2011-07-16T23:13:00.000-04:00

Here is the second version of the two mudroom elevations...perhaps a better use of space?

MUDROOM ELEVATION

2011-07-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

Below are the proposed layout and elevations for the mudroom. Could these be better designed for sports storage?

PERMIT & VARIANCE APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED

2011-07-14T16:21:00.000-04:00

Today we submitted the Variance and Permit Applications to the Town of Chevy Chase. We need a variance for 12 inches so that we don't have to tear down and then rebuild the deck. I'm not quite sure why the Code requires a variance in this case, but so be it. Apparently, there is not enough Town business to call a special August meeting, so we will wait until September to see if our variance is approved.

FEES PAID SO FAR:

Survey $1170
Variance Application $400
Bond $500
Permit Application $250

OUR PLAN REVISIONS....

2011-07-11T18:25:00.000-04:00

Of course we saw this coming, a few requested revisions to our architects near final plans. Hopefully these are doable, and we can make it work! Still optomistic at this point. Below is a side-by-side comparison of each of the three floors: left smaller version is our architect, the larger right version contains our revisions and suggestions, shown in blue.

MAIN LEVEL

SECOND FLOOR

ATTIC

NEAR FINAL PLANS

2011-07-10T22:10:00.000-04:00

Here are the latest plans from out architect. They are near final, but we still have many decisions to make before we can consider these ready for bid.

Our decisions this month, besides finalizing the layout, involve the following:

lighting plan [fans, recessed lights, surface mounts, sconces, switches,
cabinet elevations [family room, kitchen, laundry room and mudroom].
cable TV outlets!!!

Happily accepting comments. Soon I'll post our revised plans that we will send back to our architect, and that should be the final plan.

MAIN LEVEL

SECOND FLOOR

ATTIC LEVEL