"The home still had its original cedar shake siding, cupping and rotting under layers and layers of lead paint. Old single pane aluminum windows were leaky, walls had no insulation and the roof was in need of replacing. A comprehensive overhaul of the exterior was needed with lots of lead paint containment along the way.
The revised home includes new Milgard Essence windows on two sides of the home (a second phase is planned down the line...) a new entry door and metal roofing for longevity and the possibility of solar in the future.
A concrete walk was removed to install a new curving paver pathway to the front door, the width of the new front porch.
The porch is built with concrete footings, CMU, and finished with pavers and caps, and stucco on the vertical sides. Stucco in a darker green color is also part of the siding, which includes Hardiplank siding at the lower section, divided by a wood belly band. The new fiberglass entry door and natural wood soffits completes the look.
The porch is anchored by a custom steel railing that is duplicated at the sidewalk entry to the home--a unique design feature that really sets this project apart. All of the wood interiors of the windows were finished with a low-VOC finish--Osmo Polyx Oil. Other low- and no-VOC finishes were used in other locations.
The new vented cedar soffits replace the old painted plywood soffits with striking results. A new garage door, along with insulation and other work in the garage space change the view from the South as well. Earthquake retrofitting was also done at the basement level wherever there was access.
The finished project is elegant, with subtle colors and hues, interesting and energy-efficient materials, and the knowledge for the homeowners that what you don't see (the construction and what's inside the walls) was carried out with green building in mind and in practice.
