Phase One Plans (Oct. 2001)

The initial phase was planned during July 2001. We decided that the priority had to be getting the house ready to withstand the winter. The winter of 2000/2001 generated tremendous water penetration and water logged beams. That meant that the roof was the first thing to be repaired. In order to put on a new roof, we needed to have scaffolding erected around the house. With scaffolding up, we decided to maximize our use and complete the other outside projects at the same time. [The picture on the right shows the East view of the roof prior to renovation.]

Our exterior permits were approved on September 10, 2001. Then the World Trade Center tragedy occurred on September 11. We needed to wait until the actual permits were issued which did not take place until mid-October. The first day of work was October 23. The contractor initially placed a 3-4 month schedule on this phase. However the work took eight months to complete. We needed to remove the brick staining we saw once we removed the paint.

The work completed in Phase One is as follows:
 
  1. Demolition of the 4th (top) Floor.
  2. Remove Paint and underlying stains from outside of the building.
  3. Repointed the bricks.
  4. Rebuilt the chimneys as needed.
  5. Inserted structural steel into the roof. Steel was needed to support the weight of the future roof garden to hold multiple guests.
  6. New Joists for the 4th floor ceiling.
  7. New roof.
  8. New port window on the 4th floor.
  9. Installed a roof hatch with folding stairs that will provide access to the roof.
  10. New slate - We installed synthetic slate. We picked a dark gray with a scalloped edge.  Synthetic slate is more durable to the elements than natural slate. It is made from recycled rubber and plastic.
  11. Installed new copper gutters and leaders.
  12. Repaired fascia (underside of roof ledge).
  13. Repaired and refinished the metal finial on the roof.
  14. Removed the old skylights and installed new galvanized skylights in different locations. These skylight will be installed strategically on the roof. We needed these skylights in order to bring more light into the 4th floor.
 View the Photo Gallery
<< Previous: Design Layout | Back To Design Plans | Next: Phase Two Plans >>
HOME  |   ABOUT THE HOUSE  |   HOUSE HISTORY  |   DESIGN PLANS  |   PHOTO GALLERIES  |   FEEDBACK