August 19, 2014

1929 Colonial on the West side with a need for a larger garage and more living space. Visit this work blog often to see the transformation as it happens.

The front of the home will mostly remain the same.
The garage will be torn down with additions built to the side and the back of the house.

Rear of house. The addition will be off the back, here in the backyard.

Front elevation.

East elevation.

August 25, 2014

1st step: remove 2 large trees in the way of the addition.

2nd step: knock down existing garage.

Have fun by turning garage into toothpicks.

September 2, 2014

Getting rid of the large tree stump.
Who will win, the stump or the excavator?

small bobcat manhandling the large stump.

garage and stump removed, we are now ready for foundations.

September 9, 2014

Excavation for concrete trench footing.

Concrete being poured and troweled.

Skid steer loader being used to get concrete to pour area,
so the concrete delivery truck does not damage our clients’ driveway.

September 24, 2014

Excavation continues whenever the rains stop :-)

Extensive steel reinforcing bars installed. The steel bars will run vertically up
the foundation wall to be built on top of this footing, so that the entire system
can be a retaining wall for the garage above.

A shout out to our great structural engineer group at SDI!

Concrete being poured.

The footings step up the hillside as the grade changes.

Old and new footings being tied together with reinforcing bars.

October 2, 2014

Foundation walls being built out of concrete masonry units (CMU).

Foundations taking shape with reinforcing bars visible at top of walls.
The inside of this garage will be filled with compacted fill.

Crushed stone is used as fill, and is compacted in small ‘lifts’, every 12″ high.

Crawl space under the bedroom being prepared.
The white PVC pipe is for radon control.
A thin concrete slab will be poured over the plastic vapor barrier.

Boulders will be used as part of the landscaped retaining wall on the back slope.
(where the blue tarp is in the photo)

October 10, 2014

Yes… that is a doughnut in his mouth!

October 12, 2014

Concrete is carted from the street to the additions where it will be poured into slabs.

Plastic tarps protected the garage from debris and water until they were ready to pour the slab.

The finished garage slab is troweled smooth.
Control joints are cut in the concrete to guide the cracks that will happen.

October 16, 2014

Floor framing has begun.

A subfloor covers the framing.

October 30, 2014

The last remnants of the previous addition are being demolished.

Temporary supports hold up the second floor, while structural beams are installed.

October 24, 2014

Roof trusses are being delivered to the site.
The crane operator is careful around the power lines!

The trusses are stacked on the driveway where they can be easily accessible but not in the way.

November 3, 2014

A boulder retaining wall holds back the dirt,
and rain gardens are created to control water erosion.

The space comes to life as the walls are being put up.

Excavation work continues for the front retaining walls.

The Tyvek Housewrap is a vapor barrier.
It allows water to pass through in one direction, keeping the wall cavity dry.

Looks like Phil is working in the rain.
Mother Nature can be cruel to our carpenters from time to time.

November 10, 2015

The sun is shining, and the foundation contractors are working on the front retaining wall.

This is a view from the street, at what will be the new wider driveway going to the garage.

A drain in the concrete apron outside the garage has an outlet at the side of the retaining wall.
Water management is a critical consideration for every project.

Laminated wood beams are lifted into place and will hold up the roof framing and floor framing above.

Kind of reminds you of barn raising...

These roof trusses resting on exterior walls, are secured to the beams with hangers.

November 13, 2014

Garage walls are going up.

The header over the garage door is installed,
and the attic trusses are waiting to be lifted into place.

Sometimes our clients’ excitement about their project translates into working on site with us.

November 18, 2014

Did you say you were curious about how we raise the roof?
hen follow the series of shots showing a day in the life of a roof…

To start with, it helps to have many people…
Clients not included :-)

Spoiler alert… notice the beautiful partly cloudy blue sky…

Umm... Welcome to Michigan!

Seriously?
… It’s a good thing the day is ending…

November 24, 2014

Installing a drain before the concrete driveway is poured.

The garage is taking shape.
Straw covers the concrete driveway to protect it while it cures.

This is the view inside the garage looking up at the attic trusses.

December 4, 2014

The cantilevered window bay will be part of a dining niche.

This a view from the back yard through the garage.

A landscape mat protects from soil erosion.

Sometimes a roof structure is like a complicated puzzle…

The roof is almost ready for shingles. Soon we will be weather-tight.

December 11, 2014

Facias, frieze boards, and rake boards are installed.

Tear off the old roofing on the old part of the house.

Installation of new roof shingles on the garage addition.

Our new addition is “Dried In”, meaning the inside is now weather tight.

Garage dried-in, new concrete driveway cured and exposed.
We are ready in case winter really hits…

December 18, 2014

With the roof on, the family room is weather tight.
Windows are delivered and ready to go in.

The other view in the family room, signs of the old 2nd story window and
old powder room wallpaper are visible.

Windows are being installed with flashing tape all around.
Tyvek housewrap will be completed before the siding goes up.

December 24, 2014

Framing time lapse video of our project till now.

January 7, 2015

Brian has set up his mini-office inside the house.

It’s 9 degrees outside!
Electrical wiring is under way, but only in the area that is heated properly with propane heaters…

Vaulted ceiling in family room – showing collar ties installed and recessed can lights going in.

January 12, 2015

The mullion pattern in the top sash of the windows matches the existing house.

Insulation baffles are installed in the vaulted ceiling to allow air to flow between the insulation and the roof.

The floor in this shower was dropped to allow for the tile to slope to the drain without a curb.

January 16, 2015

Lots of wiring…

Looking back towards the house with a view of the vaulted ceiling.

The opposite view of above, from the house looking out towards the addition.

Getting ready for insulation… yay!

January 20, 2015

In between the studs is the cellulose insulation, which is more paper than fiberglass,
to fill the cavity better and allow a tighter seal and less air infiltration through the walls.

Spray foam for the nooks and crannies – think English muffin…

This is inside the garage, where the garage door will be.

More insulation, fiberglass this time…

Drywall is being delivered.

January 23, 2015

Bonus space above garage!
Think fantasy world for every child…

The famous Tyvek housewrap.

January 27, 2015

And sometimes we have to build a temporary shelter from the weather so that the work can continue.

Drywall!! :-)

and siding :-)

January 30, 2015

The new furnace is in, we’re sure it will make the clients happy on winters like this one!

February 6, 2015

Don’t be fooled by the sunny view, it is bitter cold outside.

This side is done, none too soon since the temp is about to drop… again

February 10, 2015

Tyvek… because even your home needs to be “wrapped” up.

February 17, 2015

As we moved inside for a while, we’re working on the vaulted ceiling.
It is taped, mudded and sanded.

It is ready for paint.

This is after the first coat.

February 23, 2015

Brian is checking the cabinets to make sure everything is in order.

Most of our cabinets are custom made by Terry Ward of TSC Cabinets.

Powder room vanity cabinet is installed.

and the floors are finally uncovered from their protection.

March 3, 2015

The shower is being prepped for the tiles by Tandem Tile.

Implementing a universal design, the shower has a flat entry.
The Durock underlay provides a stable base for the tile.

Rough plumbing of the valves and shower controls.

Almost ready for the tiles…

As the tiles go in, the shower niche has a water proof membrane
for added prevention of leaks.

March 16, 2014

Tile complete at roll-in shower.

Vinyl flooring at back entry installed.

Brian, our Lead Carpenter, plans for the day with multiple trades on site.

Corian countertop (Lava Rock), installed at kitchenette with undermount sink.

March 30, 2015

Appliances are set.

Final trimwork on windows and doors is complete.
Final coat of urethane laid on the hardwood floors.

Almost looks like stained glass…

Interior painting underway, including the collar ties.
Floors, cabinetry, and window panes are all taped off so that the windows and
trimwork can get sprayed for a more smoother and more even coating.

April 7, 2015

Interior is complete, except for cabinet and door hardware.

With the long cold winter over, we have been able to wrap up the exterior.
HardiPlank sidingand HardiTrim corner boards, all fiber cement products, are installed.
This area will have a small deck area installed next.