Previously, I detailed how the ceiling joists were replaced over the master bedroom and closet, thus allowing for proper insulation.  Well, this is the other half of the story.  The photos above show the ceiling above the Bathroom and Guest Bedroom.  The ceiling in these rooms are not in our scope of work, nor was the attic, but the insulation situation was cause for concern. 

Concern #1:  The insulation is a rock wool bat installed between 2×4 joists.  This type of insulation has an R-value of 3.5 (basically, R-value is a measure of resistance to heat transfer, or how well it holds heat in; the higher the number the better).  At a thickness of say, 4 inches, the R-value is 3.5×4=14.  This value assumes that the insulation is not compromised by gapping or product deterioration.  In this case, I’d be willing to take the under.  Modern building standards for attic insulation is R-30, so this is clearly below par.  This whole area represents a weakness in the thermal boundary between the conditioned space below and the unconditioned space in the attic.  As you can imagine, this thermal bypass causes heat loss in the heating season, and heat gain in the cooling season.  Long story short, it’s a waste of energy and a waste of money accordingly.       

Concern #2:  Look closely at the picture above.  See the pink insulation in the center of the triangle.  It’s different than the rest of the insulation up here, so it must be pretty important, right.  Or maybe it’s just hiding something.  Keep that in mind, and we’ll come back to it shortly.

Proposed Solution:  Several insulation options were explored for properly insulating the attic.  Ultimately, it was agreed upon to remove the remaining insulation and replace with new fiberglass bats that will match the R-value of the new work over the master bedroom. 

Follow Through:  Decking was pulled up, old insulation removed, and the bays were vacuumed to remove any remaining dust and debris.  Now, remember the pink insulation in question earlier?  Under it we found a bath fan!  Bath fans are important because they remove moist air out of your house…except when it’s not vented.  In this case, no ducts were installed to the outside, so the moist air simply blew into the attic.  Less than ideal.  Easy fix though; we’ll just add a duct and vent it through a side dormer without disturbing the roof.   ?

It’s Friday morning, and the electrician is finishing the “rough” installation.  In the guest room, opposite the master bedroom, we’ve created a separate bathroom entrance.  Opening the wall required moving some existing outlets, but will not affect the functionality of the room otherwise.   

During the electrical walkthrough, the Cuthberts chose to err on the side of caution and install a second cable jack in both the master bedroom and the living room.  Doing so will allow them more flexibility with furniture placement in the future.  

Understandably, additions to the electrical plan are one of the primary generators of change orders on our jobs.  When the walls are opened up, it makes the electricians job much easier.  As a result, the cost to the Client is much less than modifying finished work.  Anticipating for future use makes good financial sense, and avoids disruptions down the road. 

Well, the electrician should be wrapped up shortly, so inspection will be planned for Monday, with insulation soon to follow.?

Checking in Monday morning, I can see Gary is all framed up for his new dining room windows.  A sizable parallam beam is utilized as a header to carry the load over the four new windows that will be installed in this wall.  Window delivery is not expected for a couple weeks still,  so the exterior wall remains intact to keep the house dry and secure.

Upstairs, the master bedroom is taking shape with new ceiling joists in place (upper left) and framing for the expanded master closet (upper right).  By widening the closet, Gary has allowed for more flexibility in the closet outfitting.  The closet will also feature a door to the bathroom.  The existing wiring (switches, outlets, and light boxes) from the bedrooms is neatly bundled (bottom) and awaits the electrician who will get to work later this week.  A walk through has been scheduled with the Clients to confirm placement of all electrical items in the new floorplan.    

Modifications to the existing wall studs (upper left) and floor joists (upper right) will ensure that new finishes are plumb (vertical) and level (flat).  Changes to the hallway walls required a relocation of the pull down attic stairs, so a new framed opening has been created (bottom). 

If all goes well, we should be wired by the end of the week, so we’ll check back then!

As we enter week two of the renovations, framing is well underway.  Interior demo was completed right on schedule.  The new dining room windows have been ordered, but not received, so Gary and Dave are focusing their efforts on the new master bedroom upstairs.  

In the stairwell, headroom was added by modifying the floor joists in the bedroom closet (above right).  At the top of the stairs, wall and floor framing have been cut back to allow widening of the treads.  The new treads will span the width of the landing, thus eliminating a bottleneck and adding turning radius.  In the end, the new stairs will be safer and more functional with minimal disruption to the floorplan. 

In the new master bedroom, the dividing wall has been removed and replaced with a parallam beam.  As you can see in the picture above, the ceiling joists have been completely removed as well.  The initial plan was to strip the sheetrock from the ceiling and level the existing joists.  Removing the sheetrock (and another layer of lath and plaster) revealed 2×4 ceiling joists that were significantly bowed.  In addition to being undersized relative to modern building standards, the ceiling joists created two problems; First, leveling the ceiling would require us to sister new ceiling joists below the existing, slightly reducing the overall headroom, and Second, properly insulating the ceiling would require blanketing insulation higher than the ceiling joists which would mean no attic storage.  By installing new, properly sized ceiling joists we will get a flat ceiling with load capacity for attic storage and effective insulation. 

This area will be the redesigned master bedroom closet.  The closet area has been enlarged by eliminating part of the hallway which acted as the only access to the upstairs bathroom.  In the new layout, the bathroom will have seperate entrances from both the master bedroom and the guest bedroom.

The space should have a lot more definition in the coming days as framing continues, so we’ll check back later this week.    

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On day two, demolition is in full swing.  The new dining room is gutted and carpet removed.  In the Living Room area, the knee wall and decorative columns have been removed revealing a structural beam.  The visible framing members examined initially led us to believe that this was a partition wall, but we planned for both possibilities, so this discovery does not pose any problems. 

Upstairs, sheetrock and another layer of lath and plaster are removed in the new master bedroom.  The wall framing reveals evidence of a doorway between the two bedrooms.  Part of the ceiling will be removed to allow for beam installation to replace this bearing wall.  The rest of the ceiling has a bit of wave in it, so the decision is made to remove the ceiling, level the ceiling joists, and install new sheetrock continuously.  It’s a little bit of extra work that will go a long way to improve the finished room.?

Lead Carpenter Gary Wuchter (above right) and Dave Wills (above left)  get the renovations underway by tearing down walls in the new dining room to the studs.  We were surprised to find a second layer of sheetrock (and nautical themed wallpaper) in this addition which appeared to be fairly new.  A date stamp on the plywood sheathing indicates that the addition was completed in 1975!  This team will likely make quick work of the demolition phase of the job, so we’ll be sure to check back in the next day or two.?

Our next project profile brings us to the home of Bill and Stephanie Cuthbert in Haddonfield, NJ.  The Cuthberts recently purchased their home and decided to renovate the interior before moving in.  Their primary goal is to improve the “flow” of the house by altering the floor plan of the living room, dining room and master bedroom.

As a design-build project, the plans for this project were developed collaboratively between the Cuthberts, RCL Construction Co., and architect Hank Croft.  Ideas were drawn, estimated and revised in order to create the best possible plan while working within the parameters of the project’s budget. 

For more on the design-build process, follow this link to our website; http://www.rcraiglord.com/design.html

Architect Hank Croft sketches and takes notes during the initial client consultation.  The existing partition between the dining room and front living room will be eliminated to create a more continous, open space.  The dining room will move to the bump-out (shown carpeted above) which had previously been used as a family room.

The four existing windows in the new dining room will be replaced with larger windows.  Additionally, 4 new windows will be added to the adjacent wall, creating an open feel with lots of natural light. 

The existing stairwell header is a serious noggin knocker!  As part of the project, the opening will be expanded to allow proper headroom, alleviating concerns over moving furniture and preventing future injuries. 

Upstairs, we’ll combine two smaller bedrooms on the left to make a master suite, complete with a redesigned walk-in closet and connected to the existing bathroom.  While we’re at it, the hallway will be widened and new hardwood flooring will be installed throughout the house. 

Well, that’s the plan.  Time to get to work!

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As I began working on the new project blog, a number of people commented that the Chumney Kitchen blog was never completed.  That’s true.  I was on vacation as the job wrapped, so the last post was never made.  My intention was to accompany the professional photographer who takes photos for our job portfolio and website, but that took a while to materialize.  My apologies to those who were anxiously waiting to see the finished product online. 

In my last post, all that remained was some electrical coverings, a bit of crown moulding, and installing the legs of the new bar following floor patching.  According to field reports, the floor patch was particularly difficult because of the color matching.  After a considerable amount of patient trial and error, a color match was found and the rest fell into place.  So, without further delay, let’s take a look at the finished kitchen!

If you followed the job in progress, you’ll recognize this perspective…   

 A reverse perspective…

 Some detail shots…

The bay window seat…

Bay window exterior…

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