Replacing older windows for more efficient, ones is straightforward, but you’d be surprised how many details there are to decide on. For example, what window parts will be involved -

Is the full window being replaced, including the frame?

Is a retrofit window inserted into the existing frame?

Are just the sashes being replaced with a new sash kit?

Here are three options to consider:

Full Window Replacement – The existing frame is removed and the new window placed into the same position that was occupied by the old window. This is an opportunity to fix issues such as water or air leakage that may have occurred around the old frame.

Inserting windows in existing frame – The old sash, side jambs and trim are removed, but the original frame is left in place. The new window is inserted into this opening. Accommodate slightly out-of-square conditions of the existing frame if possible. Significant out-of-square conditions should be fixed with complete window replacement.

Sash replacement - Many manufacturers offer replacement sash kits, which include jamb liners to ensure good operation and fit. This option allows for relatively easy installation, but the existing frame must be in good shape so that air and water tightness is ensured.

Among each of these options you can find products with a variety of energy efficiency features and rated energy performance. Choosing among different energy-efficiency options can be complex. A good way to start is by looking for ENERGY STAR windows that qualify for the federal tax credit for efficient replacement windows.

You can read more here.

Install appropriate insulation in area to be remodeled.

Install high-efficiency windows instead of those that minimally meet the energy code.

Seal all exterior penetrations in areas being remodeled.

Purchase only Energy Star®-rated appliances. Install only low-flow water fixtures.

Upgrade to at least an Energy Star®-rated water heater, or better yet, a tankless water heater.

Purchase the highest efficiency HVAC system you can afford and make sure it is correctly sized for the area you want to condition.

Use programmable thermostats

Greener products to consider:

Non-toxic paints and sealants
Natural flooring
Local building materials
Native plants for landscaping

Here are some reason why from someone whose been there:

1. Warranty. I wanted the option of being able to call someone if anything went wrong during or after construction. It put my mind at ease to know that the General Contractor (GC) would be there whatever the issue, whenever it might occur and do whatever it takes to remedy the situation.

2. Language barrier. Like any profession, the building industry has its own vocabulary, communication method and process. Unless you are knowledgeable of the field, understand the construction process and what the specific project involves, and know who to and how to and when to communicate with the various subcontractors, vendors, distributors and city officials, you will be in over your head.

3. Major time-commitment. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes organization, paperwork and phone calls that need to be made before and during a project. If you are unfamiliar with the construction industry, managing the project will become your full-time job as there will be a steep learning curve. If you are already employed, it will be very difficult to do both jobs well. Passing on the duties of GC simplified my life and allowed me to concentrate on my roles as architect and homeowner.

4. Headaches. In theory, scheduling and project coordination sound like relatively easy tasks, but not so. There are many trades that need to be involved in a moderately-sized project, and they all need to be scheduled, timed, organized, synchronized and managed. Inspectors and subcontractors go on vacation or may be unavailable at a desired time. Frustrations occur when materials get back-ordered, discontinued, shipped incorrectly, arrive damaged or incomplete, have special handling requirements or need to be picked-up. Other duties that I did not want to take on were checking pricing, verifying invoices and managing the payments. These were better left to the GC.

5. Established relationship with subcontractors. It takes a GC several years to develop and maintain a circle of trusted tradesmen. He will know several professionals in each trade and will be able to best match the subcontractor to the job and client. When hiring a GC, the homeowner benefits from the GC’s knowledge of the industry, years of experience and local contacts. But when a homeowner hires a sub himself, there are risks for both parties. For the homeowner, there are potentially higher project costs, longer construction time, sporadic work by subs and having an unknown and untested person work in the home. As the project is just a one-time event, the homeowner is not as important as a GC to a sub because there is no promise of repeat business or multiple jobs. Subs will often charge a little more when dealing directly with a homeowner because of the time needed to educate and manage the homeowner. For the tradesman, there are the risks of not being paid by the homeowner on the agreed upon price or even on time, working for someone who may not have a good understanding of the construction process, and not have a defined scope, schedule, budget or materials list.

6. Insurance. General contractors and their subs are licensed, bonded and insured. As such, they, the homeowner and the project are protected if injury, theft, vandalism or late or nonpayment should occur. These issues are not so straightforward when a homeowner acts as their own GC, and a homeowner’s policy alone does not provide full coverage during construction. Of course you should always verify that a GC is LBI before hiring him.

7. Permit process. Although usually done by the architect, the GC can navigate the plans through permitting on your behalf. He is knowledgeable about the local codes and regulations and can ease homeowners through the process. He also coordinates with the city for all inspections. Although this was not an issue for us, it can be difficult to muddle through for the average DIYer. With the current economic cutbacks, city departments everywhere are operating with a lean staff and wait times are considerable, further adding to the frustration.

8. The go-between. When things are not done right, need to be reworked or just go awry, the GC can soften the blow to the subcontractors or to the homeowner. The GC will be able to look the larger picture and do what’s best for all parties in a professional manner that is more impartial and reasonable.

Remember the GC is your advocate during the construction process. He will act on your behalf to ensure that the project goes smoothly. And that was something in which we were willing to invest.

by Caryn Urata
www.abodepdx.com

A Contemporary Becomes Victorian

The second couple had an unusual project that was both interesting and unique. They moved to Spokane from Seattle in 1990, at which time they purchased their 1910 home at a cost of about $55,000. Even though the home required a lot of work just to make it livable, they bought it because of the neighborhood. It was a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, one-and a half story contemporary home with 1,900 square feet, including 600 square feet in the basement. He had been a carpenter for 20 years and both are in real estate. This project was so extreme—a major remodel since they wanted a Victorian house—that if you hadn’t seen the home before it was remodeled, you would never recognize it.

He drew his own plans and they decided to handle the entire project themselves. They started in 1991 by adding a 900 square-foot two-car garage. Work on the home actually started in 1992. Before the entire project was completed, they estimated total costs somewhere around $40,000 in materials only since the owner supplied all the labor. This project also allowed the couple to reinvest profits from the sale of their home in Seattle. Again, this home outpriced other homes in the neighborhood which are valued between $110,000 and $150,000.

Some of the products that were purchased and installed will not only save money in terms of energy efficiency but will also enhance the finished look of the overall project. For example, they selected used 2″ decking and used columns for the front porch. They added another 1,100 square feet to both floors for a total of 3,000 square feet including an additional 600 square feet for the basement and an additional 900 square feet above the garage that is used as a self-contained studio apartment (kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom—all electrical is on the house meter). The rest of the home has six bedrooms and three bathrooms.

Incidentally, the sycamore tree in the yard dates back almost 90 years and really enhances the overall transformation this house has undergone. In the early 1900s this tree, along with others (locusts, Norway maples, and elms) were used in plantings designed by the Olmsted Brothers, famous landscape architects of Brookline, Massachusetts. This firm also designed Central Park in New York City and the Stanford University campus. This particular sycamore tree was shipped in from a Boston nursery and was featured in an article in Sunset Magazine in 1967.

The first story is about a 1912 stucco Tudor home:

The first couple bought their home in 1981 for around $53,000. Built in 1912, their stucco Tudor home had two bedrooms and a full bathroom on the second floor and contained 800 square feet on the first floor, 750 on the second, and 700 in the basement.

Immediate Repairs Needed

Unfortunately, when they first bought their home, they were faced with repairs. The house had been sitting vacant for a year before they purchased it. During that time, water pipes and heat radiators had frozen. The house also had an old oil boiler.

They removed the oil boiler and installed inner thermal electric water radiant baseboard heat. But the baseboard heating system did not prove to be efficient; there were no storm windows, and the house still had cold spots. They contacted the local electrical utility company to have their home converted to gas (hot water and furnace) and to qualify for the Weatherization Program. They sold the radiators and some of the thermal baseboards to a used building supply. The rest of the inner thermal baseboards were sold to a friend and donated to a local charity.

The Weatherization Program helps customers identify and repair areas where energy may be lost due to inadequate insulation and inefficient doors and windows. Financial assistance may be offered by the electrical utility company to qualifying customers for taking weatherization steps. For example, grants may be offered to help cover a portion of the cost of insulating attics, walls, and floors over heated areas. A small grant may be paid toward replacing existing windows with more energy efficient windows. An energy audit determines the exact amount of each grant, and the grant does not need to be repaid. Any remaining balance after the work is completed and the grant has been awarded is the homeowner’s responsibility. There may be a weatherization program in your area—you will want to contact your local electrical utility company for more information.

While the house appeared large, the rooms were small. With children still at home, it was time for an expansion. The thought of moving never entered the picture—they liked the neighborhood—but they didn’t know how to add on without losing the integrity of the home. An architect friend drew some plans that the couple liked so well that they hired a contractor and started their project in September 1993.

The Remodeling Experience

The contractor was to be responsible for excavation, foundations, framing, plumbing, roofing, insulation, and drywall. In order to save money, they purchased the windows which the contractor installed. They also did the demolition with the help of their 13-year-old son, and they did their own wiring—all 4,500 feet of it!

Another area where they saved (or in this case, made) money, was by putting their detached single-car garage up for sale. They ran a classified ad in the local newspaper that read “Garage for Sale,” which most people read as “Garage Sale.” Boy, were these people surprised when they showed up looking for furniture and trinkets! Once sold, the garage was relocated and the couple didn’t have to go through the process of tearing it down.

The completed addition is a dream come true as it gives the homeowners the extra room they need and want. The square footage of their home was increased by 800 square feet per floor, including the 800-foot double-car garage at basement level. The addition includes a new kitchen, full bathroom, and a mud/laundry room on the first floor. The second floor has a master bedroom, an extra bedroom, a full bathroom, and a rebuild of the original bathroom.

Final Thoughts

This house finished out with four bedrooms and three baths, not to mention the original sun room, a deck over the garage (using a special membrane material so water will not leak into the garage), and the original basement that incorporated extra rooms. The new addition was finished to match the existing home, both exterior and interior.

By the time the job was completed, the couple put between $80,000 and $90,000 into the project. For a time, their home outpriced the rest of the neighborhood, but this was of little concern to them. They like the neighborhood and plan to stay there, and that was their main reason for doing the project.

Stay tuned for stories two and three…

“Today, building science experts have found that some building products and faulty installation methods used just a short time ago have contributed to the structural damage that homes are currently experiencing today.” says Lee Haller, owner of Haller Custom Homes, a builder of high-end homes and residential neighborhoods in the western Philadelphia suburbs. Haller’s company specializes in remediation and restoration of moisture-damaged homes.

Haller says the construction industry has taken great strides to create new approaches to avoid bulk water intrusion, and to drain and dry any water that does manage to penetrate the exterior cladding. But what to do with newer homes that were built before these best practices were introduced?

According to housingzone.com, one solution to avoiding the problem of bulk water intrusion has been the incorporation of a rainscreen system in the home’s design. A rainscreen, as described by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

Research Center, is a moisture-management system incorporating cladding, an air cavity and a drainage plane to shed moisture and prevent moisture intrusion and the resulting premature decay in homes.

Haller adds that builders constructing homes without a rainscreen system behind any absorptive cladding like stucco, stone or fiber cement should also think twice. “I know for a fact that the builders who are dealing with liability issues for the repair of the original construction are finding that the cost of the repairs totally erase the profit they made on the home when it was first built, and then some,” he says. “I say spend the little bit extra when the home is being built and avoid the huge possible expense down the road.”

The NAHB recently issued an educational guide that discussed the need for better drainage behind so-called “absorptive” exterior claddings, which include any materials that are semi-porous and may transmit or retain some water. This can include stucco, manufactured stone, stone veneer and even fiber-cement siding. Among the products referenced that can be used as part of an effective building envelope system is a wall drainage spacer, described as an “open-weave plastic mat.”

Haller’s Approach:

•After studying the home’s condition, erect scaffolding and begin removing the stucco.

• Examine the sheathing. If the OSB or plywood is damaged, replace it. With OSB , run a circular saw around the joints of the OSB to create a 1/16-inch gap.

• Replace damaged 2 x 4s or other structural framing.

• If windows are damaged or other specific conditions are present, re-install them or replace them using the latest wrap products and flashing for moisture-resistance. Cover the windows for protection.

• Remove the cornice and apply the water-resistant barrier to the entire wall, including behind where the cornice had been. Gables are extended to create an overhang to prevent water entry.

• Install Benjamin Obdyke’s Home Slicker Stone & Stucco.

• House is watertight at that point and ready to stucco.

Alternatives to Home Slicker include offerings from:

Sto Corp.

Vaproshield

Dow

Masonry Innovations

The question then is how to pick your colors. A great place to start is with your own preferences. Think of place or things that please you and the colors they have or evoke. The inspiration may come from a fabric, food or place. Color is everywhere, pay close attention and you can find ones that excite, or calm you.

You can also make a trip to the paint store where there are hundreds of paint chips to choose from along with small sample cans for purchase. These small samples allow you to try the color at home on a larger area and can be a great way to test your final choices before committing to them.

Designers use a storyboard to create a mock up design of a room. Create your own storyboard using pictures or clippings from magazines that illustrate designs and colors that you like. Add to this your paint chips, fabric swatches, floor plan, photos of accessories and any other decorating and remodeling ideas you would like to use in the space. Pooling these items allows you to see how they will all work together.

“Research shows that many homeowners don’t like clutter in the bathroom and seek storage at their fingertips,” says Steve Bissell, president of Robern, a Kohler company and leader in bath storage solutions.

For an innovative storage option, Robern has designed a new mirrored cabinet for people who want storage along with the aesthetics of a seamless mirror.

The Uplift cabinet isn’t like the standard medicine cabinet over the vanity that opens out and may block your access to the sink. The seamless mirror lifts upward, with a position-hold feature allowing it to stay partly open while you access everything inside. It is deep enough to safely contain medicine bottles, toiletries and a small radio and has an optional mount for an LCD TV. Interior lights and outlets for up to six electronic devices make the Uplift cabinet perfect for bathroom storage so you can have all those items you need at your fingertips. And, they aren’t cluttering the countertop anymore.

If you need additional storage space in the bathroom, try rolling shelves or pull-out baskets that can hide in the cabinets under the sink. You can include one basket for each family member and, since they pull out, you don’t have to crawl on the floor to reach a bottle way in the back of a cabinet.

If you don’t have cabinets under your sink, there are many options for creative storage including bins and baskets to hold items like extra toilet paper, perfumes and colognes or hair-styling accessories. Depending on how tight space is, you can put a cabinet above the toilet, or find a stand-up container to fit between the toilet and the vanity. Another option is to find containers that work well on top of the vanity, allowing you to keep items within close reach.

In the shower, don’t trip on loose bottles of shampoo, conditioner and soap. Find an organizer that fits over the shower head or attaches to the shower wall with suction cups so you can get those items off the sides of the bath or the floor. If you have more than one person using the shower, consider getting each family member a separate organizer.

To keep your outlets uncluttered, make your nightlight part of the vanity mirror. The Uplift cabinet has an interior light to illuminate items stored inside and an optional nightlight along the handle that allows you to see well enough to move about the bathroom safely.

“Sometimes the most inspired ideas are the simplest,” Bissell says.

Granite
Granite is a popular choice for kitchen counter tops. Because it is a quarried stone, no two counter tops are the same. Granite is durable, stain resistant, and does not conduct heat or cold. It is somewhat porous, so it does require applying a sealant once a year to protect it. Counter top finishes are either polished with a smooth reflective glass-like surface; honed, which creates a matte surface; flamed to create textural interest or tumbled to resemble natural stone. Priced by the square foot, it costs anywhere from $70 – $300 per square foot installed, depending on the type and availability of granite.

Concrete
Concrete is an unexpected choice for a counter top, yet one that might be right for your kitchen. Concrete counter tops are always custom-made and consist of 1-½ inch thick slab that rests on top of a wooden counter base. Color pigments are added directly to the concrete mix so it’s possible to have a counter top in any color you desire. Finishes for concrete counter tops are similar to the honed surfaces used for stone. Textures vary depending on the aggregate ingredients, which may include anything from fine sand to tiny pebbles. Concrete counter tops require a penetrating sealer followed by a coat of wax, which must be reapplied every few months. Acidic substances, such as vinegar, will etch the surface if not wiped up immediately. In addition, concrete counter tops may develop hairline cracks over time. Concrete countertops range from $170 to $225 per linear foot installed, or about $100 per square foot installed.

Corian
Corian is the name brand for a solid plastic material permeated throughout with color and a particular pattern. Although it is man-made it often resembles stone, especially granite and marble. Corian is durable, heat resistant, and fairly scratch resistant, although a cutting board is still recommended. Minor stains or burns can be removed by using a non-abrasive scouring pad. Another advantage to Corian is thatthe seams are invisible. The installed cost of Corian ranges from $75 to $150 per linear foot.

Laminate
Laminate is the least-expensive option for counter tops and has been around for many years. It is available in a range of patterns including faux stone, wood, and metal. Laminate is composed of a composite of numerous layers of plastic-coated paper, with the top layer exhibiting the desired pattern and color. The layers of paper are bonded to particleboard under conditions of pressure and heat. Laminate is very easy to maintain but is susceptible to scratches, which can’t be repaired without replacing the entire section of laminate. It is not heat resistant and although quite durable, it may de-laminate or lift off the particleboard subsurface along the edges of the counter or sink if not properly maintained. Laminate costs about $10 a square foot installed.

Stainless steel
Stainless steel counter tops are made from a metal alloy that makes them rustproof. Expensive and difficult to install, stainless steel counter tops are custom made and have no seams. They are placed over a wooden sub-base to prevent denting and minimize noise. A stainless steel counter top is often the first choice for serious chefs, or those who like clean ultra modern lines. The silvery-gray color of stainless steel is a neutral color that blends well into many types of décor. Stainless steel counter tops are low maintenance, non-porous, and heat and stain resistant; however, fingerprints are very noticeable on the surface. A cutting board is recommended because stainless steel will dull knife blades with repeated contact. These counter tops cost about $85-$100 per square foot.