16 July 2014 QR ForResidentialPros.com
PROJECTS: Design Solutions | By Rob Heselbarth
Poor structural conditions above
the kitchen added cost and
engineering work to the first-
floor remodel.
T
ypical remodeling
projects grow in scope
once homeowners
begin talking with a
remodeler. Similarly,
this seemingly typical kitchen
u p d a t e g r e w t o i n c l u d e
integration with the family
room, which also would require
updating. As long as the family
room had been wrapped into the
scope, a wall would be removed
to integrate the solarium with
the family room/kitchen space,
all of which would feature a
new, open floor plan.
Also typical of remodeling
projects is to discover prob-
lems with wiring, plumbing
and structural support when
walls come down. "When we
started demolition, we real-
ized what a big mess the house
was. Structurally, we were sur-
prised it hadn't collapsed," says
Rob Mathews, RN, CR, CGR,
and president of Curb Appeal
Renovations in Keller, Texas
"We began noticing evidence
of poor workmanship; loads
were supported improperly,"
Mathews says. "We had to see
what was going on upstairs.
The master suite is above the
solarium space, and we mea-
sured the floor of the master
bath and realized from one
end to the other it dropped 2
in. That's substantial. So then
we needed to see what was going
on above the master bath. That's
when I found the turnbuckle.
One side of the home was liter-
ally hanging off the other end
of the home from steel cables
strung through the attic and hid-
den under insulation. Directly
Rescue
mission
Beautiful, fowing integration of
kitchen and family room is rescued
from a structural nightmare
Family room and kitchen merge
in this new, open floor plan.
Photos: Gary Logan Photography
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