This Wellesley home, which was expanded and received an exterior facelift, was recently named Project of the Year by the Eastern Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
A Wellesley home that underwent an expansion and an exterior facelift that dramatically changed its appearance and enhanced its curb appeal was recently selected as the Project of the Year by a local industry group.
The remodeling project, which also was chosen as the best residential addition costing between $100,000 and $250,000, was one of 15 recipients of this year’s Contractor of the Year Awards presented by the Eastern Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
The group has been issuing the awards for the past 10 years, and the number of companies entering the competition has been growing annually. This year nearly 40 projects were entered into the contest, and the quality of the entries was “very high,” according to Roger Gallagher, president of the Eastern Massachusetts chapter of NARI.
“There are a lot of high-end projects being done. This is really a showcase for those projects,” he said.
Gallagher, who is president of Gallagher Remodeling in Belmont, noted that rising property values and low interest rates have been a boon to the remodeling industry in recent years. A $214 billion industry nationwide in 2003, remodeling is projected to grow to $224 billion or more this year, according to NARI.
“The growth of the awards is really a reflection of the growth of the whole remodeling industry,” Gallagher said.
Facing Sideways
Judges considered how the entries met the needs identified by clients, according to Gallagher. Entries also were rated on functionality of the design and materials used; aesthetics; craftsmanship; innovation in design or materials or construction methods; and unusual circumstances or challenges that had to be overcome during the design and remodeling process.
The Wellesley home that was chosen in two categories – both Project of the Year and residential addition ($100,000-$250,000) – was remodeled by The Wiese Co. in Natick.
Construction of the $247,000 project took five months to complete. As part of the project, a 320-square-foot bedroom was added to the second floor, the homeowner’s first-floor office was renovated and a porch was added.
Before the remodeling, the home’s entrance originally was facing sideways on the lot and the owners wanted to change that, according to Raymond J. Wiese, founder of The Wiese Co. “The biggest challenge was to get the space for [the homeowners] and make this facade change to the house,” he said.
The Wiese Co. also received an award for best bath remodel costing under $30,000 for a bathroom that the company renovated in another Wellesley home.
Another company that received more than one award was DRM Design Build in Southborough. The company was recognized for a whole house remodeling project costing over $250,000 and residential addition costing under $100,000.
The whole house remodeling project involved the expansion and renovation of a Weston home that was built in 1968. According to David R. Morgan, president of DRM Design Build, the project originally started out as an exterior facelift with the company replacing windows, doors and siding.
During the exterior renovation, the homeowner asked Morgan’s company to change the ceiling heights of the home. Morgan raised the ceiling heights on the second floor by 10 inches, and on the first floor increased the ceiling height from 7 feet 4 inches to about 9 feet.
The master bedroom suite also was expanded and a walk-in closet was added. The garage and driveway were also moved, so that driveway now leads to the side of the house instead of the front. The entire project, which took about a year to finish, cost over $1 million.
Completed during the summer of last year, the home remodeling project has also won other awards. The national chapter of NARI presented DRM Design Build with a regional award for entire house remodel over $1 million for the same project, and the project also won third place in the Master Design Awards competition by Qualified Remodeler magazine for the whole house remodel over $500,000 category.
DRM Design Build, which has won awards for historic renovation and preservation, also was recognized by the local chapter of NARI for a residential addition costing under $100,000. The project involved the addition of a sunroom with radiant heating on the floor and curved windows to a Weston home.
Morgan said one major challenge of the sunroom project, which was constructed last winter, was the extreme cold and snow that the region had at the time. Morgan said the company had to build a temporary geodesic dome over the site to keep everything dry and the temperature at around 50 degrees.
The other category winners were: RI Kitchen and Bath in West Warwick, R.I., kitchen under $30,000; Carpentry by Tom Antonellis in Wayland, kitchen $30,000-$60,000; Feinmann Remodeling in Arlington, kitchen over $60,000 and bath over $30,000; Gallagher Remodeling in Belmont, residential interior; Charles River Wine Cellars in Walpole, residential specialty; Encore Construction Co. in Dennis, residential addition over $250,000; Mitchell Construction in Medfield, residential exterior; Miller Construction Co. in Norton, whole house under $250,000; and Charlie Allen Restorations in Cambridge, historic renovation.
