Our lovely lady has been identified in archived records as the Isaac Brown House. “A highly picturesque, 2-½ story….house with a 3-bay façade and a large turned-post and jig-saw trim veranda.”  She will maintain her picturesque stature on the hill chosen by the Brown Family as her grand pedestal, but will receive a new outlook from within.  Our goal is to maintain her outer appearance, while using today’s modern technologies to make her energy efficient.

She is now more prepared for the extremes of New England weather with a blanket of closed cell spray foam insulation.  Her new life-time warranted “Slate Blend” asphalt roof gives our girl a slight redhead attitude.  We have power-washed the basement ceiling and existing floor system and treated them with E.P.A. approved after-shock, which blocks the growth of mold.   A new hydro-air heating system is being installed. It will offer two zones of heating and cooling, and one zone for domestic hot water.  A new 4-bedroom septic system has been installed to meet current code.  The rough stages of plumbing and electrical work have been completed.  

She will see her sprawling surroundings with new “eyes”. Her old 2/2 vertical windows have been updated to energy-efficient, yet similar in appearance, versions.  Custom made mahogany doors, fabricated in our in-house cabinet shop, will add warmth to the welcome of all who cross her natural oak threshold.   Efficient access to the basement has been added with a modern-type bulkhead door with old-time style. These are the beginnings of her new outer glow. 

The veranda has been completely reframed and decked, ready for lazy summer porch swing afternoons.  The decking on the porch is 1X4 IPE, better known in the industry as “iron wood” because of its durability.  Exterior trim will be replaced with PVC trim and painted.  Details in the decking and posts will retain her historic charm.

Victoria boasts a sweeping formal staircase and secondary staircase off the kitchen.  The secondary staircase, not wide enough to meet current codes, we found could be made into a better use of space.  Removing the staircase allowed for addition of a powder room on the first floor.  The space created on the second floor will become a part of a more contemporary-minded master closet space.  The section of the staircase leading to the basement was relocated to an entirely different place within the center of the first floor. 

Restoration of the grand staircase as well as the uniquely patterned maple floor in the formal living room will be some of her next steps of progress. A fresh layer of plaster will set the base for dressing her up for her updated debut. 

Our main challenge now, is how to dress her exterior.  She is, after all, the redhead on the hill. The search is on for the perfect color compliment for our old-fashioned, updated girl.

[Note from the Contractor: suggestions/photos of traditional exterior Victorian color schemes can be submitted via email to the address listed at the bottom of webpage.]

With just over 2,600sf of living area on a half-acre lot, she will undergo subtle modernization which will enhance her classic flair.  The basic layout of (9) rooms originally held 1.5baths and (6) closets. They will transform into more efficient 2.5baths and (10) closets. Finely appointed built-ins will grace her new-found shape, affording additional space, aesthetics and character.

 GETTING BACK INTO SHAPE

At the time we purchased Victoria, she had been abandoned for approximately 3-5 years. The house had water damage and still held much of the original contents. A large barn inhabited a space toward the rear of the property.

It was obvious to us that the barn would need to be torn down, but we were unsure as to the fate of the house. Victoria’s ridge and fascia lines were very straight. What we could see of the basement framing was also encouraging. After spending some time with the building structure, we determined that she was indeed salvageable.  We proceeded to empty the contents and strip the walls down to the studs.  It was at this time that a structural flaw was revealed.

Years ago, a second story addition was built over the flat-roof kitchen extension.  The beam at the junction of the kitchen extension had, at the time, already carried the second floor ell at the East and ultimately, the roof above.  The added weight of the addition caused the beam to fail, causing a sag of at least 3” in the middle.

We have returned that section to her younger silhouette by removing the second story ell, installing a new beam and restoring the flat roof.  Current building code does not allow for the wider spans used years ago, so supporting beams were installed in the base thereby shortening the spans.  The existing second floor joist system was doubled to add rigidity. 

She was shaping up nicely!

Contractors are required to to be certified by the State of RI Department of Health, and can be fined heavily for any infractions.

At Messier Construction RRM, Inc., we have trained and certified six people on our staff.

If you are planning to renovate your pre-1978 built home, be sure to ask your contractor if he or she has people who are trained and certified, and ask to see a copy of their training certificate. By law a contractor must also provide you with a brochure called  ”Renovate Right”, which was published by the EPA and contains valuable information about the lead safe working practices. You can also get more information at the EPA web site:

www.epa.gov/lead/index.html