and a dream Spencerport couple take on major remodel -- by themselves Challenged - Overwhelmed - Scared! Just some of the emotions Mike and Michelle Abraham experienced as they embarked on a major remodel of their modest, 1920s Cape Cod home on Union Street in Spencerport. And understandably so, for this was not your average, weekend warrior, do-it-yourself project. Adding two additions and an entire second story to a home presents challenges that would daunt a seasoned remodeler, much less two homeowners with accounting backgrounds. But now, seven months into a project that will more than double their living space, the turbulent emotions have settled into a calm, albeit weary, sense of satisfaction, and a patient resolve to move the project toward completion. "We were scared when we first started, you know, how are we going to be able to do all of this?" says Michelle. "But I think it's come together pretty well. It's been interesting to see. Now I understand the process of how a house is built." Then the rains came The project was a couple years in the planning but it wasn't until this past July that the Abrahams actually broke ground for the additions. That's when the surprises began. The day after they dug, it rained hard and the power went out. The footers began to fill with water. The rain stopped but the water seemed to keep coming in. It was then they realized they had dug into some kind of underground spring. Running into such a major set back so early in the project was very overwhelming, Michelle said. Undeterred, the Abrahams sought out advice from contractors they knew, rectified the problem and moved on. By September 2005, the two, first floor additions were framed in and they were ready to tear off the roof to prepare for the new second story that would be built over the existing house and additions. With a crew of 15 or so family and friends, they began the grueling work of removing the roof and rafters. Once the roof was cleared away, the new second floor deck was framed over the existing first floor ceiling joists. Then the second floor walls were built. Finally, they were ready to put up the roof trusses. But what was to become one of the year's most severe rainstorms was on its way toward the unprotected house. They took a field measurement and discovered that the trusses, which had been sitting in the yard a month in preparation for this day, were two feet too short. "That just stopped things dead," says Michelle. The only protection the home would have for the oncoming storm was a 40' x 60' tarp Mike had purchased ahead of time as his "insurance policy." That would have to keep the rain out of the lower level, where the Abrahams and their two children were living, crammed into the small bedroom and living room. The rain came down in torrents as Mike glued himself to the weather reports. Before long, two to four inches of rain had built up on the plastic tarp that covered the new second floor. The water was trapped in by the new side walls. Mike estimated that there was some 30,000 pounds of water up there. They finally resorted to cutting a hole in one of the new walls so they could squeegee the water out. Water did, however, get into the downstairs where the Abrahams were living, but Mike was quick to see the up side. "Better down there where the sump pump could take care of it," he says. Michelle explained that for the most part, it had been a fairly dry summer and great for getting work done. It's just that the rainstorms they did get were huge. Fortunately, the truss company came through and brought the correct trusses to them quickly, Mike says, and within 11 days after the tear off had begun, the second floor was closed in and protected from the weather. Nothing like family togetherness Remodeling a home you are living in has its challenge, admits Michelle. "It's hard because our bed is in our living room and the kids (Brittany, 10 and Ben, 7) are sleeping in the one bedroom, and all the dressers are in the dining room. We are basically living out of two or three rooms right now. There's times when it's been a bit tricky but we're doing okay," she says. Michelle says she's been surprised at just how much she's been able to help out with the project. "(Mike) has done a lot of work on the house over the years and I haven't been that involved in it. The kids were younger then. Now the kids are older and I'm able to help more. I've surprised myself in that I've been able to help with the footers and get up on ladders," she says. "The kids do a little bit here and there, too, like shoveling dirt and things like that. They squawk sometimes but we remind them we're building our house. They've been very patient. And it's good for them to see, I think, to work together as a family to make our house." Gardening, too Apparently a full-time job and a super-sized remodeling project didn't quite fill all of Mike's free time, so he decided he'd keep their garden going this year as well. But would any less be expected from a descendant of the late Doc Abraham, long time host of WHAM's 'Green Thumb' gardening program. Doc was Mike's great uncle. "I think he has a little bit of Doc in him, because he's very good at gardening," says Michelle. "He's got that in his blood." Mike has all of his great uncle's books on gardening and often refers to them. Alongside the gardening books are a host of other books that have come in handy on his current project. Books on drywall, electrical and other building trades. Mike reads a lot, and, he says, "I watch a lot of Norm," (Abram, from 'This Old House' on PBS). Mike, a CPA, who works full time for a record keeping company, estimates that he puts about 40 hours into the project a week and that jumps to 60 or more when he takes a vacation from his day job. Michelle works part-time for an attorney. The two met at SUNY Geneseo where they were studying accounting. They got married and within a year moved into this home, which is six houses down from the home in which Michelle grew up and next door to Ogden Presbyterian Church. Mike has always enjoyed woodworking. He built a workshop off of his garage where he built cupboards and milled his own flooring and trim for their home. He even took a job turning 400 spindle legs for Wegmans' bakery display stands. He picked up a lot of his know-how working at a lumberyard in Wayland during high school and college, where he helped out on a lot of their building projects. The Abrahams have hired out some of the work of framing the house, as well as the electrical and mechanical systems, but the bulk of the work they have done themselves. They've also had a lot of help and support from family and friends, says Michelle. Advise to do-it-yourselfers: Michelle admits that the average person would not take on this kind of project. "People add on rooms, but this is a little crazy," she says. But whatever your project, Mike and Michelle agree that patience is the key. You need to take it easy and pace yourself. Take it in manageable chunks, one thing at a time. "You just break it down," says Michelle. "Think about that step you're working on whether it be wiring or insulation or drywall. One weekend is this and one weekend is that. It'll all get done in due time." "Keep at it and it gets done. You don't think about the whole thing, it's too overwhelming," Mike advises. Good preparation is also key, Mike said. "Plan for the worst and hope for the best." It was also helpful to approach the town early in the conception process to head off any problems and help determine if there were any zoning issues. Head turner The Abrahams say they have met a lot of people while doing this project. "People were very interested when we were doing the tear off and other work," says Michelle. "Even people we didn't know would come over and chart the progress. They would park (at the road) and just watch what we were doing." The Abrahams hope to move out of the cramped lower living space into their spacious upstairs master bedroom (with skylights, cathedral ceiling and private bath) within the next month or so. Finishing up the outside work and siding will have to wait until spring. But it would be too easy to stop there. Remodeling seems to have become a way of life for the Abrahams. Once they move upstairs, 'Phase Two' of the project kicks in, Michelle said. They plan to completely gut the first floor, including removing the stud walls and the old ceilings joists (the new second floor had been built above the existing ceiling) and remodel for a more spacious living and kitchen areas with higher ceilings. "Everyone's first reaction is, 'Why don't you just move?' But then I couldn't do the work," Mike says. "And to build a new house is tough because you can't live in it while you are building it. And you don't get the quality. But here we can work on it and live in the rest of the house." For Mike and Michelle Abraham, moving to another, larger house was just not an option. "We bought the house when we were newly married," says Michelle. "We had a couple of kids and we needed more space. It's this dream (Mike) has always had to remodel it." And after all the work they've put into the house, Michelle adds with a laugh, "We're gonna die here." January 29, 2006 |
