When you pick up your copy of the summer 2016 edition of Country Sampler's Prairie Style Magazine you may see a familiar project within it's pages. The rustic farmhouse theme of this remodel and detailed craftsmanship has allowed it to become one of Key Residential's most popular projects and we are proud to see it prominently featured. The article also features a behind the scenes look at the remodel and ideas behind the design as well as new photos so it is definitely worth a look if you are a fan of this project. Special thanks to Becci Meier who designed the project and without whose help would not have been as stunning a home.
2016 Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
The long, hot days of summer are fast drawing to a close. School is back in session, summer vacations are over, the days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and football is back in season. All of these things mean one thing: fall is here. And with the changing of the seasons means it is again time to knock out a few home maintenance items.
Prep the Fireplace and Chimney
Cozying up by a warm fire on a chilly winter day seems like common sense. While those cold days aren’t quite here yet, this is the time to get the prep work done so that everything is set when that cold weather gets here. Have the chimney interior inspected and cleaned to avoid any nasty surprises, like a smoke filled house or fire in an unintended place. This would also be a good time to stock up on firewood as well. Get it early before everyone else so that it won’t be sold out when you really need it.
Inspect the Roof and Gutters
Clogged gutters can be a problem, especially if they back up water drainage and that water is then allowed to freeze in the colder winter months. As long as the gutters have been kept relatively clean throughout the year, waiting until after most of the leaves have fallen to clean them again should be alright. Check the roof for damage and get any issues fixed early to ensure the home is sealed and ready to go for the winter months. Plus, holes in the roof are a great way for critters to get when they too are trying to find relief from cold weather.
Seal Windows and Doors
The cold winter air is coming and the last place it belongs is inside the house. While it is impossible to completely stop the coldness from getting in, ensuring that doors and windows are properly sealed will go a long way in sealing off the house and increasing energy efficiency throughout the winter months. Check windows and doors for leaks and get them fixed as soon as possible. Replace any damaged or old weatherstripping as well.
Test Run the Heater
After months of no use, it is likely that the first time the heater gets turned on this season it will not smell so pleasant. While unavoidable, try to mitigate the worst of it by planning a time to run the heater to clear it out early. Open up windows and doors to allow the house to air out during the process and spend some extra time outside enjoying a little more of the pleasant weather while it runs. Turning the heater on early will also ensure that there is time to get any issues fixed before the cold weather hits.
Check Exterior Lighting
The sun is setting earlier as the days become shorter, so ensuring that a home’s exterior is properly lit to compensate during the darker hours because more important with each passing day. Replace any burnt out light bulbs and add additional lighting in any areas that seem particularly dark, especially around the driveway, front door, and backyard. Consider putting outdoor lights on a timer or motion sensor so that there is no risk of coming home to a completely darkened house.
Trim Back Trees and Shrubbery
With trees shedding their leaves and relatively more pleasant weather coming this is a good time to get outside and inspect landscaping. Get any dead tree branches removed before the winter weather starts. The added weight from snow or ice increases the risk of them falling and causing damage the roof or house. Clean out any outdoor plants that did not survive the summer and start making plans for spring planting based on what did or did not work this past season. Finally, keep an eye on the weather forecast so that plants that can’t be exposed to freezing temperatures can be cut back before it is too late.
Plan Outdoor Living Remodels
It may seem weird to think about outdoor living remodels around the same time those areas are being phased out for the rest of the year, but this is actually the best time to start looking into those projects in earnest. Starting now will ensure that the outdoor living area will be ready just in time for the return of warm weather.
Project Spotlight: Historical Kitchen Remodel
As the homeowner’s of this historic home approached the remodel of their kitchen and laundry area the importance of preserving the home’s history was at the forefront of their minds. While some changes had been made throughout the home’s lifetime in these rooms, the planned remodel constituted a major update for these rooms and presented the challenge of adding modern day amenities and comfort without sacrificing the home’s important history. The homeowners worked with Pat Ratcliff from The Ratcliff Company to design a high functioning and award winning space that paid tribute to both the home’s history and the homeowner’s own Louisiana roots. The remodeled rooms seek to marry the new with the old, creating a space that feels both fresh and timeless.
The existing floor plan in the remodeled rooms was maintained save for in the laundry room. The old laundry room took up half of a small porch like extension room off the side of the kitchen. Originally this area had served as an exterior access bathroom for the postman to use as the house was the last stop on his route. The area was eventually converted into two rooms: a laundry room and extended pantry area off of the kitchen where the refrigerator and freezer were also kept. By adjusting the location of the appliances in the remodeled kitchen, this entire area was able to be combined into an expanded laundry room that features additional storage and work space.
With the previous pantry space now closed off as part of the laundry room some slight rearranging of the kitchen's layout was required. The stove location was moved to the opposite wall and was replaced with an induction cooktop. The wall that previously housed the stove was expanded to close of the doorframe that had led to the old pantry and now houses the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry cabinet to be placed in the stove's previous location. New custom designed white cabinets were installed in the kitchen (as well as the laundry room and breakfast room). The refrigerator, freezer, and several other appliances feature custom front panels designed to match the new cabinets. The kitchen is completed with Taj Mahel countertops (also featured in the laundry room and breakfast room), a three dimensional tile backsplash, and a small island table built by the homeowner.
Attached to the kitchen is the breakfast room. To improve the flow between the two rooms the old narrow doorway was expanded to span almost the entire width of the wall in between the two rooms. Wallpaper featuring magnolia flowers, an ode to the homeowner’s Louisiana roots, lines the walls of the room. Glass fronts were included for all the upper level cabinets in the room. Also, as this was the only room in the remodel to not undergo any floor plan changes the wood flooring, original to the home, was able to be salvaged, sanded, and stained with a neutral finish. New hardwood floors had to be installed in the kitchen and laundry room but they were stained to match the salvaged floors of the breakfast room.
Honoring the home’s history was an important aspect of the renovation therefore we aimed to salvage and reuse as much of the home’s original features and details as the remodel would allow. Two areas where this was done was with the trim and windows. The original windows, some still featuring the original glass, were removed at the start of the remodel, restored, and then reinstalled with new sashes. Much of the original crown molding about the cabinets was also salvaged. It was carefully removed, stripped, and then reinstalled. New crown molding designed to match the original was used to fill in where needed.
Check out more photos from this project below and on our Houzz page.
Behind the Scenes of a Dallas Addition: From Framing to Mechanicals
Now a bit further along in the progress of constructing a new enclosed family room and open porch addition to this Dallas home we’re ready to show off the next few steps in the process. You can check out the first edition of this behind the scenes look here. Keep checking back on both our blog and Facebook page as we continue to provide updates as this project takes shape.
Framing
The first behind the scenes look at this project ended with framing. However, as the framing process had not yet been completed in our last post, and as it is such an important step in the process of constructing a new structure, we wanted to revisit it as our starting point in this second behind the scenes look. Framing is like the skeleton, it provides the shape and structure upon which the details and pretty parts are built. Framing for this new family room addition took about a week to complete. As can be seen in the progress photos, by the time framing was complete the general structure of the new room was there.
Roofing
With framing done, the next step was to complete the roof. As one rectangular room, the roofing shape for the new addition itself wasn’t a challenge to construct. However, one of the biggest challenges with the roofing on this project was tying it in with the existing roof of the house and carport. The roof of the home and carport are hip style, meaning that they have inclined ends as well as sides. In order to tie the new roof in with the old the sides of the existing roofs of the home and carport had to be reworked.
Doors and Windows
The last step to completely enclose the new structure was to add in the windows and doors. A glass door was added so that the new structure could be entered into from the existing carport. A matching immobile door was added on the opposite side to allow for more natural light and a balanced look around the future fireplace. Sliding glass patio doors were added to open from the new family room out onto the adjacent new porch. Along the side wall three long and narrow windows were added to increase the amount of natural light while still allowing for the homeowner’s privacy as this wall borders the neighboring house.
Behind the Walls Work AKA Mechanicals
Perhaps not the most glamorous stage in the process, before any insulation or drywall can be added there was some plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work that needed to be added to the new space. It may not seem like much is happening at this stage but the proper installation of these pieces is vital to saving both time and money later in the project.
What's Next?
Once all the mechanical work is finished it will be time for insulation and drywall. The walls will be closed up and the interior of the new room will really start to take shape. Along with the drywall a few built in features, such as bookshelves and ledges around the fireplace will start to take shape. Installation of trim and the fireplace itself will follow. Not much has happened yet with the outdoor patio area beyond the pouring of the foundation, but work will soon start moving forward in this area.
Bonus: Pool Progress
While we at Key Residential have been hard at work with the new family room structure and porch additions to this property, Randy Angell and his talented team at Pool Environments have begun the process of adding a new pool. What started out as just a pile of dirt will soon be a beautiful pool, complete with a built in hot tub, extended wet deck, and a few unique architectural design features.
Behind the Scenes of a Dallas Addition Blog Series
Part One: From Site Prep to Framing
Part Two: From Framing to Mechanicals
Part Three: From Drywall to Flooring
Part Four: From Finishing Touches to Completion
Behind the Scenes of a Dallas Addition: From Site Prep to Framing
This blog was originally posted on May 11, 2016 on our old blogging platform before we launched our new website. As we are getting ready to post our next edition of our behind the scenes look at this ongoing addition project we wanted to make it as easy as possible to follow along. The original post can still be viewed here.
We're a few weeks in on this Dallas addition project and it is really starting to take shape. We are adding an enclosed family room and open patio. Pool Environments will finish the project with a brand new pool. We've posted several photo updates on our Facebook page highlighting the progress. So far we have made it through site prep work, foundation prep, and the concrete foundation pour. This week we are finishing up framing and us such we can finally see the new structure start to take shape.
Want more about this project and everything that goes in to building an addition onto your home? Check out some of our side by side progress photos below as we breakdown the stages of this project. And keep checking back for more updates throughout the project. We'll be adding photos to our Facebook on a regular basis and will routinely post more behind the scenes looks of the project's progression on our blog.
Site Prep
Before any work on building the new structure could begin, significant site prep had to take place. For this project both the main water and sewer lines had to be moved in preparation of the new pool and plumbing fixtures that will be included in the patio. Special care was also taken to verify and ensure the accuracy of all measurements before foundation prep and the concrete pour could begin.
Foundation
The big guns were broken out for the foundation prep work in order to drill the necessary holes in the ground for the foundation piers. Before the concrete could even be poured significant prep work had to be done to prepare the ground for the new foundation.
Framing
With the foundation down framing the new structure could begin. The new enclosed family room will span the area in between the old back door and the carport and will border the new patio on one side.
What's Next?
Our next step will be installing the roof over the new family room structure, followed by installing brick and siding to further finish enclosing the new structure. Once the room is properly enclosed we will be able to begin work inside the structure.
Behind the Scenes of a Dallas Addition Blog Series
Part One: From Site Prep to Framing
Part Two: From Framing to Mechanicals
Part Three: From Drywall to Flooring
Part Four: From Finishing Touches to Completion