This porch is part of the house belonging to Sub Rosa Bakery, in historic Church Hill. There is evidence of previous remodeling, including replacement of certain elements in the upper woodwork and beams, as well as a tongue and groove porch deck.

THE PROBLEMS: 1. The porch deck (of yellow pine) was not primed or painted except on the upper surface; 2. It was laid over OSB sheathing, which should NEVER be used in an exterior application; 3. The porch's framing did not include perpendicular joists and braces for adequate fastening of new decking boards; 4. Previous repairs of the upper woodwork were not back-primed and painted; 5. A leak in the hidden gutter's seam allowed water seepage into the interior of the structure.

THE WORK: 1. Once the porch beams were jacked up and supported by temporary beams, one column was taken out and the existing deck removed; 2. Perpendicular "sleepers" were installed to allow the new deck boards to be attached properly; 3. A new deck of tongue and groove fir was installed. Fir is more resistant to rot than yellow pine. The new decking was primed on all six sides with two coats, edge nailed, and then two more coats of exterior semi-gloss latex applied in place; 4. Rotted material was removed from upper structures, treated wood blocking and framing put in place as necessary; and 5. New fir wood pieces were fashioned and fitted, also with two coats of primer on all sides before installation. As seen in the photos, one of the corbels had to be reproduced, as it was too damaged to reuse. 

This homeowner had a smaller kitchen adjacent to a tiny dining room. The decision was made to remove the common wall between them and open up the entire area, making it much lighter. All new cabinets were installed, and a number of small architectural details added, such as the Star of Texas, where the client is from. A tumbled stone backsplash was applied above the new counter tops. Other new features include bronze finished lighting, a peninsula bar, a built-in microwave and storage center, as well as hardwood laminate flooring to complete the space.

The clients had a little-used living room. They had long wanted a cozy, intimate, classy dining room to entertain small numbers of guests. What had been ho-hum, now becomes the envy of the neighbors. The room started out as a relatively unremarkable space, but with the help of two custom-built shell-top niches, some strategically placed lighting, and a vivid color palette, the feel has become rich and elegant. The last set of pictures is the same room a number of years later, with a new color scheme. Notice how the new "eyeball" lights - set on dimmer switches - provide a localized light on special areas of the room.

The front of this house needed several items addressed. As can be seen, several of the "dog-ear" brackets and corbels were either severely damaged or missing, as were the framing, fascia, and dentil molding on the left end of the porch. The railing and spindles were mismatched on both ends of the porch. During the restoration, the owner of the right unit of the duplex contracted with us to match all the woodwork to what was being built for the left side. All woodwork and trim was copied and painstakingly reproduced by hand to match the originals, including a number of the curved rafters supporting the porch's roof. To finish things off, a new set of gratings was built to replace the lattice under the porch.

The homeowners here had a house in which the floor plan was somewhat chopped up, and they wanted a larger living/TV room attached to the kitchen for entertaining friends. Notice in the pictures that there are actually three partition walls that were removed to make this happen. Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC ductwork were all rerouted to make the space work, and two pilasters support a composite beam, which was built in place to withstand the load of the second floor. Finally, a new hardwood floor was installed, and the space ends up being much lighter and more open. (Unfortunately, we didn't get pictures after the final painting was completed, thus all of the tools still in the shot.)

An entire corner of this house's porch had begun collapsing due to rot, endangering the structure above. After removing the outer woodwork, it was discovered that some temporary (and unsuccessful) repair work had been carried out by a previous owner sometime in the last 10 or 15 years. The corner was jacked up, and temporary cribbing put into place as the framing and trimwork were completely examined and rebuilt. 

The homeowners decided upon an upgrade from the house's 1970's-era decor in the master bathroom. The project's scope included replacement of all tile in the shower and on the floor, as well as new brushed nickel plumbing fixtures and accessories. The effect is a much warmer, inviting feel, to match the rest of the couple's house.

Sub Rosa Bakery, with its wood-fired ovens, needed a place to protect two cords of wood from the elements. The resulting short little project was a fun diversion, and afterward we were joking that it looked like a little villa or hacienda for the firewood!

This porch, the entryway to a beautiful 180 year house, was in need of some serious attention.  What started out as a project to fix some minor exterior rot and aesthetic issues, became a full-scale reconstruction. There had been extensive renovation of certain parts of the structure seven years prior, but there were many mistakes made by the contractor, including use of untreated lumber directly "sistered" to rotting framing members. Several active leaks were temporarily fixed with stop-gap methods and allowed to continue unchecked. Over time, this caused a serious issue with the structure's integrity. In the end, the entire porch above the columns had to be removed and rebuilt. Fir exterior boards and moldings were used, primed on all sides with two coats, over treated lumber framing. A new hidden gutter was hand-formed of galvanized steel, with an EPDM rubber roof applied over treated plywood sheathing. The lesson here, especially in older homes, is dig below the surface; things are not always as they seem at first look. If paint is peeling or "blowing out" on an older home, chances are that water intrusion is the cause.

Without a doubt, probably 90% of the families in this country have the same problem: not enough room to properly store and organize odd-sized equipment and outdoor items. This family had items ranging from a car-top carrier, to the family's bikes, flower pots and soil, outdoor toys, patio furniture cushions, and yard tools. As you can see in the first picture of this series, getting to any of things was a complete hassle. The answer: a custom built storage building. The stipulation: it had to fit a 4 X 14 footprint, as it was built in the alley space between two houses. With a cement-fiber siding and treated lumber trim, it is built to last.