RENOVATING AN AGING HOME: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 RENOVATING AN AGING HOME: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions To fix or not to fix that is often the question when it comes to old houses. Will it be worth it to invest in a remodel, or will it be a money pit? If you ve fallen in love with an aging home that no longer meets your needs, here are answers to a few questions to help guide your decision.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction...1 How the Remodeling Process Works...2 Will Our Remodel Look Like the Original?...3 Conforming to Building Codes...4 Assessing Current Damage...4 Cracks in the Foundation...5 What if We Find Asbestos?...5 How to Budget for Potential Issues...6 Adding an Addition that Looks Like the Original...6 How Far to Upgrade Old Fixtures...7 Can We Upgrade Our House While Building an Addition?...8 Quality of Materials Used to Match Original...9 Moving Load-Bearing Walls...9 Renovating a Historic Structure...10 Our Home s Exposure During Renovation...11 Issues that Can Come up (Check List)...12 Revitalize Your Aging Home...13

3 INTRODUCTION For many homeowners, their needs change as a result of a growing family, a much-needed upgrade to a cherished living space or even to maximize resale value. Whatever the reason, they end up faced with the daunting task of renovating their aging home, often without any idea of what is needed or even how to begin. Sound familiar? If so, don t worry. You re not alone. To get you started, we ve put together answers to several questions most commonly asked by homeowners when considering the renovation of an aging home. 1

4 Residential Remodeling Process We ve never done this before. How does the remodeling process usually work? Remodeling is a big investment. The first step is to hire the right expertise for your particular remodeling needs. Find out what remodeling approach is right for you by using this Tip Sheet. A professional design/build firm will be willing to meet in a no pressure atmosphere to jointly define your project requirements and mutually decide if it makes sense to move forward with design. Make sure to ask about the firm s workmanship warranty, as you ll want a company who will stand by their work. Once you ve chosen the right firm for your project, their designer will work closely with you to prepare unique design options and arrive at just the right solution. Together you ll finalize material selections and fixtures while the project manager puts together a detailed schedule. Final plans and drawings will then be reviewed and a construction agreement will be presented. While permits are being obtained, your project manager will make sure everything is set before they start construction. The firm should also utilize some sort of project management system that allows you to stay on top of your project and your costs. The system may allow you to monitor progress, manage change orders or to simply communicate feedback to your project manager. And at the end of each day, your house should be left secure and functional. Once your project has been completed, the firm should provide you with a walkthrough to ensure that the project has been executed to your satisfaction. 2

5 Looks Like It Belongs Will the renovation look like the original? Any home renovation, whether a bedroom, bathroom, family room, or entire home, requires architectural design expertise to make it look like it belongs. Modern materials and techniques exist to match almost any original finish or look. But it takes a talented designer, one with experience in traditional building techniques, to ensure that the remodel reflects the era in which your home was built. When interviewing design/build firms, ask whether their engineers and designers have the certifications, training and liability insurance in place to properly manage your older home remodel. 3

6 Existing Conditions Will the building department make us change everything? With a few exceptions, existing conditions are not subject to required upgrades. Which means that although your plumbing or electrical system may not meet current codes, you won t have to change it. However, any new work will need to conform to current building codes. In addition, you are required to upgrade safety features like smoke and CO2 detectors. What if the current damage is so extensive that we can t afford the renovation? By performing early inspections, a professional design/build firm will be able to catch a majority of any large expenditures early in the design process. Your personal knowledge of the home will be helpful too. Be sure to alert the firm to any existing problems so they can look at them with a critical eye. This upfront work will allow them to develop a scope of work, budget and timeline that meets your needs and priorities. 4

7 Structural Foundation & Demolition Is our foundation failing? We have cracks in it now. An old house is likely to have settled and you may find signs of this in cracked walls, slanted floors and improperly working doors. But foundations rarely fail. There are a variety of simple, effective solutions for mitigating foundation sinking and cracking. Often a foundation can even be lifted back up to its original level, if necessary. What if we find asbestos before performing a demolition? Is the removal work very expensive? The cost of asbestos removal has been exaggerated over the years. Your contractor can test for it a proper assessment should include a complete visual examination and careful collection and analysis of samples. If asbestos is present, they should be able to mitigate it for a small increase in the standard demolition cost. 5

8 Remodel Preparation How can we budget for potential issues? We recommend an early inspection and that you hire a design/build contractor with experience in aging homes. The firm may have multiple people coordinating the design, construction and project management. These experts will work together to take your project from design to completion a collaboration process that allows them to deliver a scope of work, budget and timeline that meets your needs and priorities. How can we avoid having our addition look like a pasted on box? An addition doesn t have to be out of sync with the scale and details that give your home its character. The firm s designer should take the time to study your home s existing architecture before creating the design in order to ensure a seamless look that fits both the house and your functional needs. In addition, the best design/build firms are skilled at developing creative solutions to unforeseen issues when they arise. In the unlikely event that your home s plumbing, wiring or structural integrity cannot support a particular renovation, your firm should be able to provide an array of alternatives. 6

9 The Extent of Repairs How far should we go to repair/upgrade the old? Mechanical systems are a good place to invest. Plumbing, HVAC and electrical standards have changed greatly over the years, and the systems in older houses rarely conform to code. Your electrical remodel will often begin with replacing the main panel, old wiring, and electrical fixtures including outlets and switches. Many older homes have galvanized steel water pipes, which can corrode and develop blockages that restrict water flow. They should be replaced with copper pipes. Investments in these systems can improve quality of life and safety. In addition, new windows, when installed correctly, are a good investment and can be closely matched to existing architectural styles. 7

10 Deciding on Additional Upgrades Can we upgrade our existing house while building an addition? What upgrades are viable? Beyond the repairs mentioned above, the decision to make additional upgrades should be based on your available finances, tolerance for disruption and schedule considerations. Your firm will work with you during the design process to evaluate your needs and make recommendations. And when it comes to construction, they may be able to make a lot of progress on a room addition before they have to create any disruption to an existing structure. For example, framing and building work can often be completed before they have to tear down any adjoining walls. Second-story additions may be more complicated because of the need to reinforce downstairs support walls, but a professional design/build firm s goal is to minimize any impact on your home life while creating the desired end result. 8

11 Behind the Walls Will the quality of materials used in the renovation or addition be as good as the original? The expression They don t build things like they used to just doesn t apply when it comes to home renovations or additions. New structural materials are available that allow a builder to maintain the historical and architectural integrity of your home while enhancing its energy efficiency, functionality and comfort. In addition, there is an unlimited supply of modern and readily available aesthetic materials that will seamlessly blend with items originally used in your home. Are these load-bearing walls? If so, can they be moved? One of the biggest remodeling myths is that you cannot shift or remove a load-bearing wall, which is a wall that supports a vertical load above in addition to its own weight. It is generally possible to move a load-bearing wall, but costs can range from high to low depending on the house. Early inspection and design will tell, and your firm may engage a structural engineer in your project early in order to develop the best solution for you. 9

12 Historic Renovation & Remodel Security Are there additional requirements to consider when renovating a historic structure? As we mentioned earlier, it takes an experienced firm, with a thorough understanding of city requirements for historic structures, to ensure that the remodel reflects the era in which your home was built. It s important that your firm research city requirements early in the design process and carefully design to those requirements. Will our house be left open during the building process? As part of a vetting process, it will be important for you to question contractors about the standards that are set in place for their subs and construction crew, and how they will treat your property. Make sure the firm you choose is credible. They should provide you with tips on how to keep your home secure during renovation, and have a plan themselves for keeping your property safe during construction. 10

13 What You Can Expect When Renovating an Older Home Issues that can come up Asbestos Bearing walls Clearance/Access to crawl space Dry rot Egress issues Floor level issues Inadequate electrical Knob and tube wiring Lack of insulation Lead paint Non-standard sizes (e.g., windows, doors, etc.) Out-of-date layouts Plaster damage Rotten plumbing Seismic problems Setback issues Single glazing Sunken foundation (out of level) Tempting attics Undersized framing members Unreplaceable components Require custom moldings to match existing Detected During Early Inspection Tested for 11

14 Revitalize Your Aging Home Acton Construction is a residential design/build firm that specializes in the revitalization of aging homes. Together, our team has more than 68 years of collective experience in working with aging homes. Through this experience, we have learned how to control costs and maximize value by anticipating, uncovering and solving potential issues before they occur. Let us help you revitalize your aging home. Call us today to request a complimentary design consultation. t e info@actonconstruction.com 2015 Acton Construction. All rights reserved. 12

15 t e info@actonconstruction.com a 544 E. McGlincy Lane, Unit 1, Campbell, CA 95008