Static Overview

This is the story of a very special house that has seen a lot of changes since it was built in 1914.  Our company, Dovetail Construction, has been in the business of high performance and sustainable renovation since 1987.  The scope of the renovation is in fact “monumental” and it actually sits on the renowned Monument Avenue in Richmond, VA.  The house was originally built for William Schwarzchild and designed by the architect D. Wiley Anderson.  It went from being a single family residence to the home of the Senior Center of Richmond thanks to the hard work from the ladies of the Junior League of Richmond.  As progress is made to take the house back to it’s original use as a single family home, we are fortifying it with the best resources, and technology available to make it last at least another 100 years.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Multitasking


We have been removing the back addition, removing the rotten front porch and rebuilding it- And the beat goes on with striping (so to speak)very consistently.

Check out the ventilation and the air scrubbers!











In the meantime, we are taking the demolition down to the brick in order to repair and ultimately to  insulate with the latest in 21st century technology. We are using both open and close cell foam and we will discuss it in great detail in future posts.  

Below is the first floor powder room.  It's going to be the Alice in Wonderland powder room  because it is so small and the rest of the house is so grand.  The juxtaposition in scale is really amusing  and we are going to celebrate it.  













We are also preparing to do more select demolition in the areas that we are keeping.  Here is the commercial elevator that is leaving...It's a big deal to get rid of this baby and while it isn't fun to pay for the removal of something like this, it will make all the difference in the ultimate floor plan and it's a lot safer to be rid of it...



In preparation for insulation on the third floor, all of the original pine paneling is being removed and numbered so we can put it back just the way it was.  We will insulate with spray foam insulation and make a huge difference with energy efficiency.  The floors have all been protected and there's always a trusty hepa-vacuum around for clean-up at the end of the day...




This is the cedar room and selective demolition is happening here as well.  There was a fair amount of damage to the wood, so we are repairing and supplementing after insulation.





And the entire house is being rewired, replumbed, new gas lines, with all new mechanical systems and ductwork...





2 comments:

  1. Julie, thanks so much for the tour today, the work done thus far is amazing. I'm very impressed with how far you have pushed the energy efficiency of the home.Looking forward to seeing your home on this year's Fan Holiday House tour!
    Mona

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a gorgeous property! It's gonna look amazing when finished!

    ReplyDelete