We started off 2016 with a great client and great project. The client was a previous customer of ours, that had decided to downsize from their traditional two-storey home to a back split home which had a much smaller footprint. The first step of this project was getting the client to sign our Design & Estimation Agreement. We had already been working with the client to help in the design aspect of their new home.

Design & Estimation

Their main goal with the house was to completely open up the space on the main floor and remove all interior walls. This was certainly not a difficult undertaking, as we have certainly done a number of these types of projects in the past. We worked through the design phase and took the design to our engineer, who at first said that what we were trying to accomplish was possible, however, there would need to be a structural post in the living space. This was not something that the client was happy with, so we investigated further, and through our due diligence, we were able to remove the structural post, by spanning a 3 ply 26’ LVL beam that would act as one of the main structural supports for the roof load above. By removing the original proposed structural post the client was able to achieve the look and feel of the space that they had envisioned. Especially since the open concept feel that they were going for was to incorporate their new kitchen with the living room and dining room.

Once through the Design & Estimate phase, our client signed the Construction Agreement and the project moved full steam ahead.

Construction

Moving throughout the rest of the house was relatively seamless as the majority of the rooms were, for the most part, simply getting a face lift with new floors, doors and trim work. The exceptions were the bathrooms. Both bathrooms in the house were completely gutted down to the studs and reconfigured. The upstairs bathroom was reconfigured from a 3-piece bathroom with a standard tub/shower combination to a 4-piece bathroom with standalone shower, free standing bathtub, toilet and vanity. The only plumbing in this bathroom that didn’t change location was the vanity. So it led to some creative thinking for running the new plumbing to accommodate the new locations. The client chose to carry the subway tile from the shower walls throughout the entire bathroom walls (floor to ceiling). As well as adding the in-floor heat under the Statuario porcelain tile. The downstairs bathroom wasn’t much different, as we reconfigured it as well, by changing the location of the toilet and shower, and designing the shower in a way to gain as much space as possible, as the original shower was literally the size of a broom closet. Through some on the fly design changes, we were able to increase the size of the shower by a minimum of two times the size of the original, and making it a tiled shower with ample head room with a rain head shower fixture. The floor in this bathroom also received the in-floor heat treatment, which if you are seriously thinking about renovating your bathroom, in my mind this is a must have, as there is nothing better then having a nice warm floor to step onto when coming out of the shower.

Completion

This project took a total of 14 weeks to complete, and at the end of the day the clients are ecstatic with the final outcome, as it is exactly how they envisioned. Nothing is more satisfying than being able to deliver the absolute best to a happy client.