by Steven Hershberger | Nov 17, 2009
During the 1960’s and 1970’s, several catastrophic fires in residentialdwellings prompted changes in building codes. Preventative measures,aimed at stopping and/or slowing the spread of fire through a housewere introduced and enforced. One such requirement is fireblocking,defined by the International Residential Code (IRC) as the following: Building materialsinstalled to resist the free passage of flame to other areas of the building through concealed spaces. The IRC stipulates that blocking (accomplished by
by Steven Hershberger | Nov 17, 2009
After much deliberation, the clients decided to go with the three bedroom floor plan outlined in Option 3. (See Floor Plan and Design post for floor plans of all 10 layouts that were considered.) Whenframing interior walls, one of the most important and often timeconsuming tasks is “laying out” the walls. Layout involves physicallymarking wall footprints
by Steven Hershberger | Nov 2, 2009
While the client pondered floor plan options, we forged ahead with the necessary structural framing. Once the first floor replacement joists were set on the bolstered foundation configuration (see Foundation post),and the subfloor fastened down, we were ready to get to work on thestructure supporting the second floor. Our first task was toconstruct a support
by Steven Hershberger | Sep 14, 2009
During the design phase,our in-house designers work closely together with each client todevelop a plan that matches their functional and aestheticrequirements. We then produce conceptual and construction drawings andhelp to select specific materials and finishes, while staying withinbudget. This is one of the most important and time consuming portionsof the entire remodeling project, and requires
by Steven Hershberger | Sep 14, 2009
Themost important part of any house is the foundation, which at 753 was indire need of attention. The existing foundation was a variation of thetraditional “pier and beam” model. Typically, a pier and beamfoundation incorporates spot concrete footings (dug into the groundbelow frost level), upon which concrete or wooden piers sit. These inturn hold up
by Steven Hershberger | Aug 26, 2009
With our demolitionpermit hanging in the window, we were ready to start the dirtiest, butarguably most gratifying phase of the project: Demolition. With a crewof four, we predicted demolition to be complete within ten days.Ambitious? Slightly, but that was our plan. On dayone, before the first dumpster rolled in, we knocked the majority ofthe
by Steven Hershberger | Aug 20, 2009
Four Brothers is a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council (https://www.usgbc.org/),and we emphasize sustainable green building practices during all ourremodeling projects. A component in green building involves salvagingreusable and/or recyclable materials before actual demolition begins,and practicing “deconstruction” whenever possible. (Think ofdeconstruction as “reverse construction”, where structures aredismantled carefully, with the goal of reusing
by Steven Hershberger | Aug 17, 2009
With the exception of minor interior repairs, homeowners and contractors are required to obtain permits for all remodeling projects. (In the industry, this is often referred to as “pulling permits.”) Permits are pulled at the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), located at 941 North Capitol St. NE on the second floor. If the
by Steven Hershberger | Aug 10, 2009
Just as Rome was notbuilt in a day, a house cannot be rebuilt over night. (Rome also was not destroyed in a day, and houses are not worn out over night, butrather; from years of wear and tear, rowdy residents, and the subtlegrind of the natural elements.) The District of Columbia is full of older
by Steven Hershberger | Aug 6, 2009
Recently, Four Brothers began an extensive remodeling project on Fairmont Street in Northwest DC. From the outside, number seven-hundred and fifty-three is a stately, two-story brick row house. Step inside however, and what you’ll find is a jumbled mess (3,200 square feet of it), not to mention a thriving community of rodents. Over the next