Monday, July 27, 2009

A Look at the Porch Addition



Here is a look at the porch addition in Mount Pleasant.

Project Complete!

After several months, this porch addition is complete! Now the owner can sit on her backporch and enjoy the beautiful Lowcountry sunsets. The crew worked diligently making this homeowners’ dream into a reality. They followed the architectural plans of Alice Nixon Burress, AIA, ASID, the Director of Citadel Enterprises’ Design Division. Her design included:
  • Converting the existing deck to become screened porch
  • Adding additional skylights in porch situated to maximize interior light
  • Deleting the chimney to give homeowner more usable space and more openness to porch

The crew spent the past several months executing the architectural plans. They:

  • Removed the old deck and chimney
  • Engineered and built a new foundation
  • Replaced three doors leading to the porch
  • Replaced old skylights with new skylights that have adjustable louver blinds
  • Replaced entire roof with heavier grade
  • Painted the entire exterior with new color scheme
  • Tore down old porch due to structural issues and built new porch

Before




After




At the completion of the project, the owner was thrilled with the results of the project!

If you have any questions regarding this renovation/addition or wish to speak to a professional at Citadel Enterprises about remodeling one of the rooms in your home, contact us at (843) 884-4303 or at beyondexpectations@citadelenterprises.com. We go Beyond Expectations!

Near Completion

This Mt. Pleasant porch addition is near completion. Applying a waterproof membrane to the new low slope roof is one of the final steps that need to be performed before the homeowner can enjoy her outdoor living space. The product used is called Hydro Stop and is a Charleston based manufacturer of waterproofing materials.
Citadel Enterprises is a certified Hydro Stop applicator.

Due to pop up thunderstorms and falling leaves, we had to install a tarpaulin to protect the area while the Hydro Stop dried.


Once the crew is finished waterproofing the roof, all that remains to do is paint the new porch and complete the final inspection.

For more information on this room addition, please contact us at (843) 884-4303. We go Beyond Expectations.

Skylight Installed

Now that the flooring and walls of the porch are close to completion, it’s time to start looking up. The crew is now working on creating the holes for the skylights. Two pairs of skylights were installed.


Porch Skylight


Porch Skylight

When installing skylights, it’s important to have a quality contractor do the work. If skylights are not installed 100% perfectly, they may leak resulting in wood rot and damage to interior finishes. The skylight flashing is a critical aspect of the installation.

Porch Skylight

The two skylights on the porch were installed with a factory supplies tilted curb which is needed in low roof slope applications.

Den Skylight


Installing skylights can enhance any room. They add to the aesthetics of the room and allow natural light to fill the space. The two in the den measure 16 square feet each. They have internal retractable blinds and can also be opened to allow for ventilation.

Den Skylight


Den Skylight

When you’re ready to a room remodel or home addition, please contact us at (843) 884-4303 or at beyondexpectations@citadelenterprises.com.

The Project Continues

Progress is being made at this room addition in Mount Pleasant. The new back porch is certainly taking shape. Now that the floor is down and the framing for the walls and ceiling are up, the crew builds the stairs to the porch.

These stairs are made of synthetic material and require no weatherproofing. This will ensure the stairs do not lose their look.

These are the new front steps as seen from the front of the home.

Here are the front steps as viewed from the side.

Back on the porch, the crew faced a wiring challenge. While the roof tie-in and skylite installation was being done, our workers discovered a preexisting wiring problem. The old splice was a fire hazard. We quickly reworked the splice which was encapsulated in an accessible junction box.


The wiring problem was discovered and quickly fixed by reworking the splice.


For more information on this remodel, please contact us at (843) 884-4303. We can assist you with all your remodeling, renovation and repair needs.

Removing the Roof & Adding the Doors

In addition to adding a porch on the front and back of the house, this homeowner wanted more sunlight in the family room. The architect of this project, Alice Nixon Burress, suggested adding skylights to the room. So, the next item the crew needs to tackle is removing parts of the roof to make way for the skylights. The old skylights were removed and the openings enlarged to accept the large 4 foot x 4 foot skylights. These skylights will never leak!!


Back on the ground, the crew continues its work on adding a beautiful porch to the back of the house. The homeowner wants French doors. These doors enhance the look of the addition and will allow plenty of sunlight to stream inside the new porch.




For more information this addition or if you’re interested in a room remodel, contact us at (843) 884-4303 or e-mail us at beyondexpectation@citadelenterprises.com.

The Porch Floor and Walls

The next phase of this design/build project is continuing to work on the back porch. With the piers in place and the floor framed, the crew installs the floor planks. The decking selected is a synthetic material with a wood grain finish. The color resembles real teak wood. The decking is slip resistant, colorfast, and requires little maintenance. The planks are fastened in place with tounge and groove bisquits thus there are no exposed nail or screw heads.




Once the floor is complete, the crew begins putting up the frame for the walls and ceiling.



A multitude of structural strapping and clips are used to prevent wind up-lift.
This addition is on schedule. Citadel Enterprises is committed to completing projects on time and on budget. However, if something should change or a problem arises, it will be communicated to the client. If you have any questions on this home addition or need more information, contact us at beyondexpectations@citadelenterprises.com. You can learn more about our latest Aging in Place remodel by clicking here.

Finding Solutions to Unexpected Problems

As the crew began working on replacing the front porch, they found some unforeseen structural problems. Unfortunately, it was serious because a water leak had compounded the issue. There was extensive wood rot, mold and damage to the interior finishes.



The crew immediately sealed off the area to prevent the possible spread of mold spores to other areas of the home.


After analyzing the problem and the possible solutions, the crew determined that the best course of action was to completely remove the entire porch structure and start from scratch. When the work began, the craftsmen of Citadel Enterprises carefully replaced the interior wall components and weatherproofed the wall to ensure similar damage would not happen again.

In any home renovation project, there is always a chance that the crew will encounter problems with the home. The professionals at Citadel Enterprises are committed to communicating the issue to the client and discussing with them the best solution to the problem.

For more information on this addition, contact Pete Loy at (843) 884-4303 or e-mail us at beyondexpectations@citadelenterprises.com.

If you are thinking about updating your kitchen, you can learn more about Citadel Enterprises' latest kitchen remodel by clicking here.


Building a Strong Foundation

After excavating the site and pouring the concrete footings, it’s now time to lay down the foundation blocks. These piers will ensure the porch will be strong enough to support the weight of the entire structure and also tie it down for wind uplift purposes.

The concrete filled blocks have rebar and strapping inside of them to tie them to the wooden floor system.

Once the piers are in place, the crew begins working on framing the floor. The entire floor system is made of pressure treated wood to prevent rot decay. The floor joists are attached to the sills using rust resistant joist hangers.

This is the perfect time of year to consider renovating your outdoor living space or putting an addition onto your home. Let our design/build team assist you. To learn more, contact Citadel Enterprises at (843) 884-4303 or e-mail us at beyondexpectations@citadelenterprises.com.

The Work Begins

Now that the homeowner is happy with the plans created by Alice Nixon Buress, it’s time for the crew to begin making this woman’s vision a reality. The first step in building the porch is excavating the backyard. The entire foundation had to be dug by hand.

After the digging was complete the crew laid out the new foundation by installing batterboards. Ensuring that the foundation is planned properly is of vital importance for all phases to follow.



After excavation, re-bar was placed into these areas. Later, the foundation was approved by the building inspector. Concrete had to be pumped into the footing with a concrete truck parked at the street about 200 feet away from the site.

When you’re ready to add an addition to your home or perhaps you are interested in a room remodel, contact us at (843) 884-4303. Citadel Enterprises is committed to you and your project. We promise to go Beyond Expectations.

A Design/Build Addition in Mount Pleasant

With summer just around the corner, a Mount Pleasant woman decided it was time to convert her back deck to a screened in porch. She turned to Citadel Enterprises to give her a space where she can enjoy sitting outside without the bugs and gnats.

The woman wants to replace this outdoor living space with a screened in porch.


Due to structural issues, the front porch needs to be removed and replaced with a new one.


The owner of this home first met with Alice Nixon Burress, the Director of CEInc.’s Design Division. She listened to the homeowner's needs and created a design that would give her exactly what she wanted for the space.



Ms. Burress' design included:
• Converting the existing deck to become screened porch
• Adding additional skylights in porch situated to maximize interior light
• Deleting the chimney to give homeowner more usable space and more openness to porch

Now that the design process is complete, the professional crew at Citadel Enterprises takes over for the construction part of the project. They plan to:
• Remove the old deck and chimney
• Engineer and build a new foundation
• Replace three doors leading to the porch
• Replace old skylights with new skylites that have adjustable louver blinds
• Replace entire roof with heavier grade
• Paint entire exterior with new color scheme
• Tear down old porch due to structural issue and build new porch

Over the next few months, we will document this project from start to finish, here, on our blog. A room addition can be a complex project, but Citadel Enterprises works diligently to make the process as stress-free as possible to the homeowners.

If you have any questions regarding this renovation or wish to speak to a professional at Citadel Enterprises about remodeling one of the rooms in your home, contact us at (843) 884-4303 or at beyondexpectations@citadelenterprises.com.