Renovation

Finished

Ed. Note: If you have any renovation projects you’d be willing to share (inside or outside the house/condo) please send an email with a brief explanation, a few photos and cost to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com

“Dear PoP,

You mentioned that you like to see kitchen renovations, so I thought I would submit mine. Work was just completed a couple weeks ago. Thought I’d let the dust settle before submitting it to you.

Background:
I bought this wardman townhouse in Petworth a few years ago. It was neglected. The hands of an unscrupulous and untalented flipper had been over it. House went through foreclosure before coming to my possession. As a result, I knew all sorts of surprises awaited me beneath the crooked drywall. Nevertheless, I was ready for a challenge. One thing the flippers did manage to do before I bought the house was remove every last vestige of character from the house. So, I knew it needed something to set it apart, so I decided it needed a nice kitchen to anchor it.

Project:
I hired Referred by Renovators (MD) to design a kitchen by removing the galley wall and replacing it with a counter and hanging cabinets. I’d used them for numerous other projects with good results. The galley wall wasn’t load bearing. Also wanted the cheap tile floor replaced with oak hardwood, new, quality cabinets installed, granite countertops, upgraded electrical, upgraded plumbing, paint, lighting, and substantial repairs to electrical throughout the house, repaired plumbing to the powder room, new rear entry door and framing at the rear of the house, rerouting of plumbing and gas line, siding at the back of the house, reinforced floor joists, and more. Project did not include appliances. Work was completed on schedule (just over three weeks). Cost was on target (around $40k). They found substantial problems with electrical (illegal junction boxes, illegal wiring) and replaced and repaired it. Same with the plumbing.

Results:
Very pleased. A clean and orderly workspace was kept. They used an I-beam to support and brace above the cabinets. Most importantly, I knew they would pause and fix problems they encountered and not just leave them. they found a lot of problems I inspected including the illegal junction boxes, wiring, and more. I can’t imagine the headaches they found. Cabinets look beautiful (still awaiting cabinet glass door inserts). Nearly quadrupled the amount of cabinet space and still preserved a decent size dining area. Kitchen is bright, cheery and functional (dishwasher is under the counter). Makes the home feel welcoming. Lesson learned is that a full, functional, modern kitchen can be had in a 1920’s wardman, but to do it right is expensive. I spent more than I wanted, but the peace of mind and the results leave me with the belief that I got a fair shake. Curious what PoP readers think. Basement is the next project.”

Finished


Before

Before

Ed. Note: If you have any renovation projects you’d be willing to share (inside or outside the house/condo) please send an email with a brief explanation, a few photos and cost to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com

“Dear PoP,

Since I enjoy seeing other people’s before/after, I wanted to share my newly renovated patio and personal beirgarten. I started with a compacted dirt and rock yard in which nothing would grow, and which had an unfortunate grading that resulted in pools of water against the back of my house and ended up with my own oasis in the city.

I did the roll-up gate from Pooner and Sons. They deserve every great recommendation they get, and were great to work with. For the yard itself, which had significant grading issues, I wanted to pay to have it done right. I was definitely not up for digging up and removing 6-10″ of soil from most of the yard. I worked with Greg Farrah at Capitol Hardscapes (http://www.capitolhardscapes.com) and it cost around $14k for the excavation, paver patio, parking pad, and sitting walls. It was not cheap, but I always have a dry basement and a wonderful place to hang. They have a great company with a very knowledgeable team of people to make sure it was done right. Finally, I assembled my own picnic tables and did my own plantings so I can say I had some hand in the backyard.”

Awesome, enjoy!

Birds eye view before and after shots after the jump. (more…)

“Dear PoP,

The eyesore on 14th and Taylor is being gutted. Hopefully they’ll start putting it back together soon. I’m sure the adjoining property owners are pretty excited. Every time I see this place I can’t help but think how strange it is that half the building is abandoned and half is really well kept.”

Thanks to all who wrote in about this development. We looked at this building back in mid-March. It was the one with the marked contrast to its neighbor. Great to see some movement.

“Dear PoP,

It’s that time of year when it would be great to have a rooftop deck on which to spend some quality time. Luckily, my condo building is exploring the possibility of putting one in place. I was wondering if any readers have any experience working with local contractors to design and build a roof deck and what issues are important to consider when putting one in place. Any advice on selecting a contractor or on what would be a reasonable cost to build one would be much appreciated.”

Great timing! Another reader just wrote some tips about getting a roof deck:

“Dear PoP,

Roof Deck Instructions

1. Own your home or have condo permission to build

2. Contact an architect and tell them your thoughts, ideas and plans, they will draw up the deck, have it approved by a structural engineer and obtain the permits for you through DCRA

3. Your roof top probably will not hold the weight of a deck as is, so most decks are built from parapet wall to parapet wall. (brick walls) If you share any wall with a neighbor as most row houses do you will have to have written permission from the owner of that building for you to build on the wall. The engineer will pull a plat of your property to see who owns what.

Continues after the jump. (more…)