I'm so grateful when I get to work with clients who understand the remodeling process and that there may be unforeseen obstacles that we can't always predict. This was one of those houses!

The owners had some allergy concerns when buying the house, so they had a few materials tested before we ever got started. First came the unfortunate test result that there was asbestos present in the existing drywall. What started out as a fairly simple kitchen and bath remodel quickly turned into a full house renovation. A 3rd party abatement company had to be brought in specifically to demo almost all the drywall in the house. As you can imagine, that meant every outlet, switch, fan, light fixture, etc. throughout the house had to be removed. That also meant that once the drywall was removed, nothing was "hidden" behind the walls anymore, which quickly unveiled the next issue.

The previous owners had replaced the siding on one full exterior wall at some point but had done so incorrectly. They had improperly installed house wrap (with several large holes) directly to the studs and then installed OSB sheathing on the outside of that, with siding directly applied to the OSB. For the lay person out there, siding is not 100% waterproof, which means that any moisture that got behind the siding would get the wood osb sheathing wet, which would seep through the holes in the house wrap, get the studs and insulation wet, and lead to mold growth in the walls. In order to perform a complete inspection, we would have to remove multiple sections of the exterior wall insulation in order to check all the wall cavities. And to top it all off, the previous owners had pulled an improper permit to do the siding replacement, which was caught by our COA inspector, and we were now forced to make changes with our existing permit and resubmit with the city.

Luckily, the inspector was able to help facilitate an easy permit resubmittal and there was no evidence of mold in the walls or on the exterior OSB once the siding was removed. Due to the homeowner's allergy concerns, they decided to have us replace all of the insulation just to be safe. We were also able to keep the existing sheathing in place, install new house wrap on the exterior side of the sheathing (as it's supposed to be), and then install new hardi siding. With determination from the homeowners, they were also able to contact the previous owners, track down the siding company who performed the improper work, and get a partial refund for the cost of having us redo it the correct way.

With the troubles behind us, we were finally able to get back to progress. We installed a recessed beam at the kitchen, which allowed us to remove a load bearing wall and open the space up to the living room for a more natural and inviting area. We replaced all the cabinets, counters, doors, hardware, paint, tile, and flooring throughout the house. We updated all the outlets, switches, fans, and light fixtures. We helped this young couple with their dream of turning their starter home into a home they can grow their family in. Not long after their move in they welcomed their 1st child into their new home…and were able to do so without the worry of mold or asbestos!

We now recommend a line item in our budget specifically for unforeseen circumstances. That way it be accounted for in a client's original budget. If it's not used at the end of the job, then we simply don't invoice for it and the client keeps that money. It’s a win-win for everybody.