Home Remodeling In Wilmette
It is unusual for us to build a boring house. Integrity Construction Consulting specializes in custom, challenging and spectacular projects. However, when we think back to the house located on Chestnut Avenue in Wilmette, we have a feeling that nothing so stunning will ever come up again in our company’s history. Don’t get us wrong – other homes are more technically advanced, larger or more expensive, but no building is quite as old.
The property on display today was built in 1926, making it one of the oldest in all of Wilmette and even the entire Chicago North Shore Area. In the 1.5 acre garden stands a 7-bedroom house that might as well have been on a movie set. Unfortunately, the tooth of time has taken its toll on the details – we had to deal with many small but important elements. Besides, we don’t rule out that we will return to the area in the near future to again support the owners in their plans.
First Impression
Already during the initial inspection and appraisal, we noticed a fundamental problem – for almost 100 years, many minor, but noticeable failures had accumulated. Copper gutters, ceramic roof tiles and many elements made of brick and stone required immediate intervention by specialists. We compiled a list of priority actions that needed to be done first. In addition to erecting the addition, these included maintenance of the aforementioned gutters, roof repair and upgrading the thermal insulation in some areas.
Stone Work
In cooperation with the best Chicago masonry contractor, we began the renovation by restoring the stone elements on the front facade and part of the patio. For reasons of historical value, we removed only those bricks that were unrepairable. We did the same with the stonework. To preserve the original alignment, each tile was numbered and carefully photographed. After tuckpointing, we also applied chemicals to age the new bricks. As a result, the facade looks consistent and aesthetically pleasing.
Addition - Construction & Exterior Work
The next stage of the project was the erection of an extension. You will soon see the spacious kitchen along with a small dining room that were created in the new room. While building the extension, we also replaced some of the thermal insulation, which improved the thermal comfort in the bedroom located above the existing kitchen.
Addition - Interior & Instalations
As you can easily guess, it was also time for interior finishing and furnishing the new kitchen. Before we laid the parquet floor, however, we had to take care of the disassembly and re-insulation of the floor in part of the house. Next, we installed the HVAC devices and performed insulation with low-pressure foam and mineral wool. The next step was to cover the walls with drywall and paint them, and install trim around the windows and doors. At the very end, we installed flooring and kitchen cabinets with marble countertops.
Patio
Once again we are back to work on the exterior. At the special request of the client, we removed the old, damaged stone terrace. Some of the elements were refurbished and reused. Due to the significant increase in the area of the patio, we also had to order new material – we decided on top quality products from Indiana Limestone and bricks to match the facade of the house.
To avoid later problems with cracking during freezing temperatures, our friendly stonework contractor from Wheeling made a drainage system enclosed in a concrete substructure. The water thus extracted will irrigate the plants in the beautiful garden and feed the fountain.
Garden Facilities - Drainage, Grill, Fountain
This is not the end of our work. With the arrival of summer, we took care of the maintenance of the pond – performing only the necessary repairs, we managed to preserve the fountain’s old-world aesthetics, while protecting it from water leaks. We also took care of the stone paths and steps – replacing missing slabs and repairing joints.
We also built a barbecue stand, which was located right next to the new addition. The stainless steel grill along with a small smoking chamber will perfectly complement relaxing on the new patio.
Roof & Gutters Restoration
At the very end, we took care of the roof and gutters. Over the course of more than 90 years, the original clay tiles have suffered a lot of damage – some of them have cracked and become loose. Hail had also left its mark – the glaze layer had lost its protective properties in many places.
The copper gutters also required the intervention of specialists – the joints lost their parameters, and cracks also appeared in some places. We made the necessary repairs and protected the gutters for the next few years of operation. Due to the lack of tall trees in the vicinity, the client decided not to purchase gutter guards.
