Detailed Success

Income Property Is Redesigned as the Main Home for a Low-maintenance Owner

Thieves ripped off a garage door in the driveway of a house in the Jesmond area, in Newcastle, on Tuesday night and snatched these two High End Turner bikes plus another mountain bike.They belonged to a renowned North East cyclist, who the Chronicle has agreed not to name, who used them in numerous competitions and charity cycle rides, helping to raise hundreds of pounds for good causes.CAPTION(S):One other important area of detail was the edge of the bottom step leading to the backyard deck. When the forms were removed from the concrete step, the corners were to remain raw instead of working them with a trowel. "I walked onto the site one day and noticed one of the guys smoothing out the raw edge. He ended up having to recreate that step. The details were that important," Cervantes explains.Ettinger was very detail-oriented, not only in his design but in his processes, too. "What he drew was what he wanted to see come to life. It was my job to bring his vision to life exactly as he designed it. And everything had to be paper-trailed. I would RFI everything, no matter how small the detail," Cervantes says.Donahoo had been living in a second home and renting this one as a source of income. He decided the home he was living in was too large for his lifestyle, and it was time to remodel his smaller home to serve as his main residence. It was important to keep the home's size unchanged for two reasons: Donahoo wanted a small, manageable home to maintain, and zoning rules were restrictive.This contemporary remodel is an example of how a house can be transformed without adding significant square footage or completely tearing down the existing structure. Although popping out the living room and expanding the entry space goes against the keep-itsmall approach, it added only 300 square feet to the overall size of the home. Beyond this, all changes took place within the home's original footprint and on its "good bones," Cervantes recalls. "The living room was expanded by popping up the ceiling 3 feet and pushing out the wall by 5 feet. It took two structural beams and substantial footings to carry that new load. Then we put in Fleetwood windows, which was not easy because we had taken out the exterior wall and had to shore up the ceiling. We put in extra steel, reframed everything and attached existing joists to the new beam.""Everybody who comes to my home notices the details of the front door and the garage door," Donahoo says. "That carpenter [Art Gonzalez] truly is an artist. His work is fantastic.""Anyone with information in relation to the whereabouts of the bikes or who knows anything about the theft is asked to contact police."The entire entryway was created where previously there was none. It was unclear to visitors how they should enter the house. Now, instead of gaining access through a pair of sliding doors in a shady area on the side of the house, guests follow a natural stone path to a 5-foot-wide, custom-crafted and stained Douglas fir entry door, Cervantes notes. [See cover photo for details.]Paper TrailWith some garage door repair, the replacement or tightening of the hinges that hold the panels of the door together can be the necessary fix. If these fixes are made in time, it can prevent excessive stress on the panels, which can lead to warping, especially in older wooden doors, which have special maintenance needs. Though repair services can fix many of these things, if a wood door is too cracked or has begun to experience rot, garage door replacement might be the best way to go in the long run.A spokesman said: "Police are appealing for witnesses after three high-value bikes were stolen from a garage in Jesmond.Changes in Life, HomeThe dad-of-two cyclist, who has been involved with cycling events both nationally and in the North East, said he was angry anyone would violate him and his family.

The paper trail was important because it created a home Donahoo says he loves every day, even after living in the home for awhile. "I still notice new details, even today. And I love it. It feels perfect."

Author: Heselbarth, Rob