Our clients are an active busy family in the Lake Forest neighborhood of Ann Arbor.
They like their home but it doesn't quite fit their lifestyle and family needs. They came to Rochman Design Build for some creative, non-chaotic remodeling solutions.

May 14, 2014

This home was built in 1999 and was in pretty good shape. 

However the mudroom was typical of “builder grade” homes –
you walk into small laundry area as you come in from the garage –
a lot of functionality in a very small space.

In addition to improving this space, our clients also
wanted to add a 4th bedroom to the second floor.

 

This came into alignment to add a 2-story space onto the back corner
of the home – bedroom on top, mudroom and laundry on the 1st
level, and a full basement under that for a guest bedroom. 

May 20, 2014

After underground utilities are moved, we brought in excavating
equipment to dig out for the basement and foundation walls. 

The basement is dug. The late winter and wet spring
brought us a very soggy wet and muddy excavation. 

May 29, 2014

Forming the concrete footings and pumping out the ever-present water. 

The concrete strip footings are complete and the drainage pipes, aka tiles,
are installed inside and outside of the footing to collect any water that will
get down that far. The drain “tiles” go all around the perimeter of the house
and bring water to the sump pump located in the basement, where water is
then pumped to the outside. 

Concrete formwork is being set in order to pour the 9′ tall concrete basement walls,
matching the existing conditions. The connections between the tiles are visible.
The old garage footing is not deep as the main house. We are “underpinning”
this foundation, pouring concrete underneath it and down the footing. 

The concrete is being placed in the form by a smaller excavator machine –
bringing the concrete mixing truck to the backyard would destroy
the existing landscape to an unacceptable degree. 

The forms are “stripped”, exposing the fresh concrete walls.
They will cure for 7 days in the open air. 

June 12, 2014

Peastone has been installed as a base under the new concrete floor.
A new doorway is being cut through the old concrete wall. 

Black tar spray on waterproofing is on the outside of the foundation walls.
The window well is installed – this will be for code required egress out of basement. 

Looking down on the window well you can see the drainage stone
around the perimeter drain tile, and the drain tile inside the window well. 

After backfilling around the foundation with sand and soil,
the excavator can pull out the old concrete slabs from the doorway. 

June 19, 2015

first floor framing.

first floor walls going up.

Second floor walls up. The addition is being built before cutting into
the main house to keep dust and water from migrating to where our
clients are still living. 

June 26, 2014

The new roof structure is being built. 

Tyvek housewrap is installed on the outside of the walls.
The lower roofline is being lowered so that the taller windows can be installed in the old bedroom. 

New windows are installed and the roof is ‘dried-in’,
meaning we are weather tight now in the addition. 

Roofers working on the addition.
Trash trailers and porta-john to the side of the driveway. 

July 3, 2014

Brian Mills, our Lead Carpenter on the project, reviewing the 2nd floor interior framing.
The old window opening on the left will be filled in with new wall. 

In the basement, looking into the addition from the sawcut opening.

Framing inside the 1st floor showing the new mudroom and laundry area. 

The windows are set. Tyvek paper (housewrap) is fully installed and taped.
It was also simply a gorgeous day outside (after an incredibly wet sprint…) 

July 11, 2014

New interior walls in the basement of the addition.
A full 2×4 wall is placed in front of all concrete walls for better insulation. 

New siding is being installed, matching the old siding well. 

July 18, 2014

Siding and exterior trim is complete for the addition. 

We begin to ‘break through’ to the existing house and begin the blending of new and old. Here on the 1st floor, the old garage entrance will become a walk-in pantry. 

Here in the basement, we are tying the walls and soffits together, new to old. 

July 24, 2014

2nd floor framing is complete.

Basement framing is complete.
Light streams in from the new egress window. 

Mudroom framing shows heat ducts and electric wires. 

July 28, 2014

Exterior walls get blown-in cellulose insulation, roof rafter tails get spray foam insulation.

Basement walls get fiberglass insulation inside of foundation,
with spray foam at the rim joist. 

Drywall is loaded through the 2nd floor window. Very handy! 

Exterior paint is complete, seamlessly blending the old with the new. 

August 8, 2014

Drywall is installed and being taped.

Dust protection keeps the rest of the house clean. 

August 20, 2014

Walls are primed and tile floor is going down. 12×24  tiles with an offset pattern.

August 26, 2014

Hardwood floor is being toothed in.

Laundry cabinetry installed – bamboo doors. 

September 2, 2014

Brian and Phillip installing doors and interior trimwork. 

September 17, 2014

Laundry room nearing completion: Porcelain tile floor, cabinetry,
Zodiaq Quartz countertop, and front loading appliances. 

Painting is complete in the kids’ bedrooms.

Carpet being installed. Great bold paint color on accent wall. 

On the outside, we are fixing our construction path-
with regraded topsoil and grass seed. 

October 30, 2014

Our project is complete.
Our youngest client is certainly happy with her new room :-)
The ever important mudroom, convenient laundry room and functional family board
with hooks for little people and their friends!