Well summer is almost over and maybe you are thinking that now is the time to do that addition to your home in Cape Cod. You are absolutely correct and I would love to come out and take a look at any Cape Cod house additions you have planned. Are you considering expanding your kitchen? Maybe you will be adding a family room or adding an entire second floor addition to your home. We have all of the bases covered for you with our meticulous approach to adding value to your home through an addition.

We do additions year round including during the winter. Even if the ground is frozen it is no problem for us and no reason for you to wait until next spring. We manage every aspect of the home addition process for you from start to finish and insure that any problems that arise are handled properly and efficiently. Are you already working with an architect? We would love to review the plans and offer you an estimate for our services. If you need plans for your addition we can help you there also, being a design and build contractor.

Want to see some pictures of Cape Cod additions? Check out this picture of a Cape Cod house addition. Here is another picture of an addition on Cape Cod underway.

You may have arrived at this article looking for information on additions to Cape Cod styled houses not necessarily located in Cape Cod. One of the most common requests we get is for information relating to adding a full second story addition to a cape styled house or adding a second floor to a ranch style house. While these types of remodeling projects can be complicated, we make them a breeze and they are second nature to us. By the end of the first day of construction we would typically have your old roof system off of the house and into the dumpster. Then we move on to adding new floor joists between the existing ceiling joists (typical ceiling joists are not rated to carry the required load of a livable 2nd floor) and installing the 3/4″ plywood deck that comprise the floor system of your new second floor. Once these steps are complete it is pretty much business as usual with regards to the wall, ceiling and roof framing. We do all of this while leaving the original first floor as undisturbed as possible until the end when it comes time to tie the two floors together with a new staircase in the case of a ranch (most capes already have a stairway going up to the 2nd floor).

Here is a picture you can check out of a second floor addition being framed. Another image of a second story addition that is almost done being framed.

Don’t hesitate to contact us about your home addition no matter where you live in Massachusetts, not just if you live in Cape Cod. We offer top quality construction services with prices that are competitive with other remodeling professionals in the area. We don’t just remodel a house, we add value through meticulous craftsmanship to your home with our professional remodeling services.

Dumo Maseko has a good article that relates to Cape Cod house additions or any other type of addition, for that matter. Another good article can be found that could be useful regarding a Cape Cod house addition at Paramount Construction’s blog. Check them out if you are looking for some more information.

So you have decided that you want to move forward with that new addition you have been dreaming about. One of the first questions that people ask themselves when considering adding an addition to their house is: What is the average cost per sq ft of a room addition? Which in turn leads to the question: How big of an addition can I afford? Of course there is no single answer as there are a number of factors that go into determining the final cost of a home addition, however, in this article I will explain some of the factors that will determine the final cost of adding an addition to your home. When I am done hopefully I will have provided you with enough information to at least determine a rough idea of what your budget will need to be to undertake the remodeling costs of a home addition.

For the purposes of these articles: sq ft = sqft = SF = square foot (feet); a ” ‘ ” following a number = feet; “x” between two numbers = by. Another note: none of the prices I mention here are set in stone, in the world of remodeling no job is identical to another. Also, I am a Massachusetts remodeling contractor and as such the prices that I use here might not be applicable where you live, however, the methods that I outline for determining pricing are fairly consistent throughout the country and the remodeling industry.

Please bear in mind, as far as the prices per sqft that I am giving here are VERY GENERAL. To get an accurate estimate it is absolutely essential that you have a professional remodeling contractor from your area come out to look at your individual addition project.

LIVABLE SPACE

Possible the first thing to consider that will influence the final price will be the total livable space or area that is to be added to your home. Livable space is defined as area within the structure that is habitable, i.e. has been completely finished as a heated area with flooring, wallboard, insulation, paint, etc. and is ready to be ‘lived in’. Conversely, non-livable space would be areas such as garages, decks, porches, attic area or an unfinished basement, all areas that would not be considered habitable. Of course, livable space is much more expensive on average per square foot than is non-livable space. The average cost per sqft of a home addition that uses good quality, mid-range (price wise) materials here in Massachusetts typically is between $130 to $160 per sqft for livable area such as a 20′x25′ family room addition. Now if that same addition included a full bathroom as well as the family room the cost for the bathroom area would be closer to $250 to $350 per sq ft depending on the fixtures, flooring, plumbing related costs etc. These prices that I am throwing out here will typically include a full foundation & unfinished basement space (at least here in Massachusetts), you could deduct a little if you only desire a crawl space. Typically we don’t build houses or additions on slabs here in the North East anymore.

AS SIZE GOES UP, PRICE COMES DOWN…TO A POINT

Something to keep in mind is that as your square footage increases, typically, the cost per square foot goes down… to a point. The following is a very general example. If you are considering a very small addition, such as a 12′x12′ (144SF) bedroom addition, you could be looking at per square foot costs of as much as $250 to $300. On the other hand if that 144SF bedroom was only a small part of a much larger 1000SF project the cost could be as low as $130 per square foot. Why such a cost difference you might ask. The reason is that there are minimum costs in the construction and home remodeling industry, just because a job is 1/2 or 1/4 the size of a typical 500SF @ $130 - $150 per sqft addition, doesn’t mean that it will take 1/2 or 1/4 the time to complete or have only 1/2 or 1/4 of the administrative/overhead (plans, permit, job setup, etc.) costs associated with it. Thus depending on the size and complexity of the small addition project it could, and probably will, be significantly more than $130 - $150 per sqft to have a qualified remodeling contractor complete it.

THE MATERIALS YOU CHOOSE HEAVILY INFLUENCE THE FINAL COST

The materials you choose (finish materials especially) weigh heavily on the total cost of your addition project. What type of flooring is to be used? Will the walls be drywall with a joint compound finish or will they be blueboard with a skim-coat plaster finish? How about the ceilings, textured or smooth? Would you like a standard 3068 (3′ wide & 6′8″ tall), 9-lite steel entry door (under $300) leading to the exterior or does your design call for a beautiful 6068 wood door that will cost over $2,000 and also need staining? How about the windows? Will you be using top of the line Andersen wood windows or more budget minded vinyl windows? The type and amount of trim used will also play a key role in pricing. If all you desire is painted baseboard molding and painted window and door casing the types of prices I have mentioned above would include this, however you would need to add more for a design that calls for crown molding along the ceilings, chair rail molding with wainscoting underneath in addition to the baseboard and window/door casing. If the trim is to be stained and polyurethaned instead of painted, you would need to add more for that as well.

This is part 1 of a multiple part article. In the next section I will discuss how the types of rooms that will be included in your addition as well as the complexity of your design and possible architect involvement will influence the average cost per sqft of a room addition or addition with multiple rooms. Look for the next part soon.

Here is a link to a home addition calculator for the average cost per sqft of a room addition. Please look at the numbers you arrive at using this home addition calculator in perspective with the points I have begun to outline in this article, and remember that no two projects are the same. The numbers that this addition calculator provides are very, very rough numbers. Building an addition is not the same as building a spec house in a subdivision and should never be looked at as such.

Here is another good article on building a home addition from the ‘For Your Home’ blog. And here is a funny picture of the wrong way to do a home addition from ‘Odd Planet’.

Weatherbest Composite Deck With Azek Trim & Trademark Railings

Another photo of the completed Medfield, Ma composite deck. You can view the complete gallery of the Medfield composite deck here.

This side view of the deck is a good angle to see some of the various components that make up this particular composite deck. This customer chose Weatherbest composite decking, Western Redwood style, as the decking for this project. We love Weatherbest decking, as well as some other brands, it is just like working with wood, it looks great, and Weatherbest makes a great product. The white Trademark brand composite railing system, which we prefer to use with composite decks, is easy to pick out in this picture. Also easy to spot is the white Azek trim around the perimeter of the deck frame and stair stringer. Why go with wood trim on a composite deck when you have a great product like Azek that you can use that will offer the same longevity that the composite decking and composite railing system system provide for your new deck? White vinyl lattice completes the look of this deck nicely and will stand up to the New England weather much better than its’ wood counterparts.

There is a good article on Ed’s site about composite decking. One thing: Ed mentions expansion and contraction with regards to composite decking; Weatherbest brand composite decking has MININAL expansion and contraction compared to other composite decking options.

Picturesque Weatherbest Composite Deck In Medfield

Here is a picture of the beautiful composite deck we had the pleasure to build for a family in Medfield, Massachusetts. Unfortunately I didn’t have any before pictures of this project handy at the time of making this post, however, they will be added to the gallery as soon as I get them.

The customer that we did this composite deck project for are really great folks and they are always happy to invite other potential customers of ours over to their home to take a look at the remodeling projects we have done for them over the years, which include this composite deck project as well as a kitchen remodel, among others.

You can view all of the pictures I currently have available in the gallery for this Medfield composite deck project.

Waterproofing The Marlborough Basement

A couple of things have gone on by the time this picture has been taken. The first thing that we did before beginning to frame the walls was to apply DRYLOK Latex-Base Masonry Waterproofer by UGL to the floor and walls of the basement. That is the white stuff you can see on the bottom of the lolly columns. This stuff isn’t cheap. It costs about $100 per 5-gal bucket. If I remember correctly, we used about 25 gallons on this basement which works out to $500 just for the product not including the installation. This might seem expensive but just imagine how much it saves compared to replacing carpets, padding, trim, wallboard, etc. if you do get water in your basement.

This waterproofing paint is formulated to withstand hydrostatic pressure equivalent to water pressure at a depth of 22 feet. If you regularly get water in your basement when it rains I would not recommend using a product like this to solve your problems, however it is a great insurance policy for making sure your normally dry basement stays dry even under extreme weather conditions which can occur every so often. You can apply this product with a simple paint tray and heavy-nap roller but it is a lot of work as the concrete really eats this product up quick.

Never try and put DRYLOK through a normal paint sprayer, your sprayer will need expensive repairs by the time you figure out that it just isn’t going to cut it! We used a texture sprayer, that you would normally use for applying a ‘popcorn’ texture to a ceiling, to get the product on the walls and floor. One guy used the sprayer and the next guy worked it into the concrete with a heavy-nap paint roller. That system worked great.

Although not required by Massachusetts code or by most city/town building officials, I would highly recommend applying waterproofing paint to the floors and walls of any basement finishing project. Some Massachusetts city/town building departments DO require this preventative measure as a way of protecting their resident’s basement finishing investment, so if you are doing the project yourself be sure and check before you start to frame your walls.

You can view more pictures related to this project in the Finished Basement - marlborough, Ma Gallery.

Before Picture Of The Marlborough Finished Basement

This is a finished basement remodel that we did a while back in Marlborough, Ma. The picture that you see above is a before picture. Not a great picture with all of the dust in the air but I’m sure you get the idea.

This customer wanted to create a recreational room with a home theatre, a pool table, and a custom made bar out of cherry. We had around 1,500 square feet to work with for the main room. The homeowner also decided to have us build a half bathroom using 50 square feet of the area.

As a contractor I love this kind of project. The whole family gets excited about a remodeling project of this type. The kids can’t wait to be able to watch their favorite movies on the huge home theatre screen, and the parents can’t wait to entertain guests using the new cherry bar, sound system and pool table. Did I mention the cherry bar would have a built in kegerator and beautiful stainless steel tap? Very nice indeed.

The picture that you are looking at is actually facing right where the bar will be located. That wall that is half insulated with the mattress leaning on it will have a glass shelf system recessed into it with accent lights recessed into the top of it.

Another Picture Of The Finished Kitchen

This is another image of the finished Medway, Ma kitchen remodel. It has nice lighting and really shows off the round top Andersen window. It also shows just how nicely that whole side of the room was tied together with the round top window and the hutch style cabinetry, as well as good interior design by the homeowner. The one recessed light that is on directly over the window lights this scene just perfectly, doesn’t it?

You can see the entire gallery for this project here.

The Kitchen Remodel Is Done

Here is  nice picture of the completed kitchen remodel. If you compare this image with the image of the original kitchen and dining room area from the first article in this series, you can really get a good idea of the scope of this project and just how far this kitchen and dining room area has come.

The beautiful cherry cabinets were custom built by Heartwood Cabinets, located Mendon Massachusetts. Instead of going with typical, standard cherry cabinets like those from a box store such as Home Depot, this customer decided to spend the money and put some truly gorgeous custom cherry cabinets in their new kitchen complimented by stunning granite countertops. Did it cost more to go with the custom cabinets and granite countertops as opposed to standard or semi-custom cabinets with a laminate countertop? Of course it did. Quite a bit more in fact. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

What some people don’t realize is that certain rooms of your house, when remodeled, will return the majority of your investment in terms of added equity in the house. That is almost always the case with a kitchen remodel or a bathroom remodel. In general when you remodel your kitchen you can expect a 75% to 90% return on your investment. That’s not a bad return at all considering you’re getting the kitchen of your dreams!

This is a 3D walkthrough video I put together for a customer in Medway, Ma that we will be doing a kitchen remodel for soon. Only the kitchen has detail in this video (cabinets, tile on the walls, appliances, etc.) as it is all that will be affected during this project. The other rooms were only included in this video to assist the customer in visualizing the finished project.Documentaton of the project will be added once the kitchen remodel has been completed.

Just a quick note on video quality. The walkthrough video that the customer actually receives is actually much higher image quality (much sharper picture) than the video I have posted here.
Credits:

Author: Josh Johnson
Company: Johnson Construction & Remodeling
3D modeling software: Chief Architect X1
Animation & lighting software: 3DS Max 7
Image editing software: Photoshop CS2
Audio artist: DJ Tiesto
Audio title: Elements Of Life
Audio album: Elements Of Life

Demo & Framing The Affected Area

There was a lot of demo involved with this project. We filled a 30yd dumpster in no time. We began by removing the existing kitchen base cabinets and wall cabinets. The only real consideration when demoing the cabinets was the plumbing service to the sink and dishwasher (all appliances had already been removed). Most customers are not interested in trying to save old cabinets, which is good for us (saves time) and for the customer (saves money). So into the dumpster went the old cabinets.

Next we removed the existing flooring in the 2 affected rooms: the kitchen, and the dining room. The existing kitchen had a linoleum floor with a 1/4″ plywood underlayment. We removed the linoleum and underlayment at the same time, not only is it easier that way, but also we would be installing a new 1/2″ plywood underlayment that would cover both rooms. The dining room had a hardwood floor that was actually in beautiful shape, however it didn’t fit with the new design so it also went into the dumpster. We did save some of the old hardwood flooring to be used when tying together the remodeled kitchen and dining room with the existing living room.

After the old flooring and cabinets were removed, it was time to move on to getting rid of the two walls that separated the kitchen from the dining room and lining room. One of the walls was structural and the other was not. In order to remove the structural wall we framed a temporary wall on the living room side of the structural wall to be removed. This temp wall supported the living room ceiling joists (remember we removed the kitchen & dining room ceiling joists to create the cathedral ceiling) and any additional load on them, while we removed the structural wall and installed a laminated beam to replace it, along with a laminated post that would transfer some of the load down to an existing, appropriately sized beam in the basement. Here is a picture of before the walls were removed, and here is one of after the beam was installed and the project is completed.

Now that the laminated beam was in place it was time to frame the cathedral ceiling. If you look at the picture you will notice that the existing roof rafters are on the left and the new ones are on the right. Notice how the new rafters span from the midpoint of the existing rafters to the newly installed beam on the right, transfering the load quite nicely. The framing isn’t 100% complete in this picture but its close, we still need to add the collar ties to the new cathedral ceiling as well as some strapping for the sheetrock.

The round-top window is also all framed up, as you will notice. Although still there in this picture, the existing wallboard you see to the left and right of the window will be replaced. We also installed a laminated header to carry the load over the window.

If you are interested in more information on load bearing walls, here is another article that focuses particularly on identifying their location in your house.