Ground Floor Bath Suite in Oakland Hills

New ground floor bath suite means staying home for Oakland Hills, CA resident

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It started with a home addition and remodeling plan to accommodate the changing needs of a neighbor with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS).  A dynamic and fit Oakland Hills resident was struggling to walk independently less than four months after the ALS diagnosis. The hundred year old California home had bathroom suites upstairs and in the basement, but nothing more than a powder room on the ground floor. While this powder room was used occasionally by friends and family, it was not the right setup for the homeowner's health condition. The time it would take to plan, get Oakland Hills' approval and build the home addition was out of the question. A home renovation to provide a wheel chair accessible bathroom suite on the main floor was a must for this dynamic fellow and his wife to continuing living in their home.

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The home modification team at Springs Construction worked with the homeowners to get the home construction process underway and the new bathroom built in the old kitchen nook as quickly as possible. The home addition and square footage necessary to create a new family room could come later when time was less critical.   Space was limited because we were working in an area that was previously the kitchen nook. Existing doors, windows and the staircase to the basement was all part of the plan. With independent living modifications in mind, a roll-in shower, wall hung toilet and re-use wall hung sink each had a part to play in the bathroom renovation's design. While there have been standards for accessibility since 1961 – a person with accessibility needs know that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to home modifications. “If a chair doesn’t adjust to fit a fixture – then you lose the use of that fixture.”

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The bathroom design used the space available to provide a power chair accessible bathroom, for this Oakland Hills family. The trims and finishes were influenced by the period of the rest of the home so the new bathroom appears as if it might have always been there. But most importantly, the couple moved their master suite to the main floor just as climbing the stairs at the end of the day was no longer possible.

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For more information on Springs Construction's ability to modify homes for independent living, please contact us today!

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Palo Alto, CA Home Addition

A Victorian home restored to it's beauty with much more space and efficiency

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After living in the Palo Alto, CA home they loved for 35 years, the Diaz family was ready to undertake a major home addition: 1,000 square feet of new living space to accommodate visits from extended family, a new master bedroom suite, reading room, workshop and laundry room. 

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Given the small lot size, there was only one place to go with this home addition — down to a new lower level. This is a common construction tactic in Palo Alto, CA - one that Springs Construction is more than capable of handling. 

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Challenges with the Home Renovation Process

This historic Victorian home hints of her previous glory hacked and hidden behind layers and layers of new walls and dropped ceilings. In the process of adding ground floor living space below her existing interiors, we were taken back to the original bones of the California house.  This allowed the Springs Construction team to reconstruct, build to current codes and make great strides in the efficiency of the house using new materials and methods for construction.

 

The last finishes for wood and casework, including the new staircase to the 2nd floor, each copied and elaborated upon the original Victorian design and craftsmanship. Today it is a 19th-century home with the all the comforts and ease of lifestyle of the 21st century. 

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This historic Palo Alto, CA house had been so damaged over the years it was merely a shell of its former beauty. Peeling back the walls we found pieces of the original Victorian millwork still in place, though badly cut up and damaged. We worked with one of our millwork houses to have it faithfully replicated. By using the long-hidden design motifs in moldings, casework and cabinetry we tied the house’s historic features to new functions. Restoring California homes while making them modern and functional is a specialty of Springs Construction and we've taken on a variety of projects like these throughout Northern California. 

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Our Palo Alto clients encouraged us to use as many energy-efficient, green building solutions as possible in this project. These green solutions worked well for this Palo Alto home:

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• Radiant heating in a double unit boiler (heating and hot water are in the same boiler) for space and energy savings. 

• Whole house fan eliminates the need for air conditioning, it was built in a special box with a muffler to reduce sound to a whisper.

• New double-glazed windows designed to look like originals.

• New lighting for kitchen and bathrooms meeting Title 24 energy codes.

• New energy-star rated appliances/

• Even the soil excavated for the new foundation was re-used by a local golf course.

 

Completed in just under a year, our clients are enjoying their "old" Palo Alto home more than ever. With careful attention to detail, new energy efficient systems, and double the square footage, there’s a lot more to love. 

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Oakland, CA Home Fire Renovation Services

Finding a way to meet a family’s special needs

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After the fire, the Gallow Family’s West Oakland, CA home was uninhabitable. They were, like every family who has ever dealt with the loss of their home, overwhelmed and disoriented. They didn’t know if home restoration was even possible. They didn’t know where to turn or who to trust.

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At our first fire restoration meeting, we showed Amy some of our other successful insurance restoration projects. We provided references. We explained that our interior designer would work with her to find products, present samples, do a lot of the leg work, and guide her through the many decisions that are an unavoidable part of the process. Eventually, we convinced her that we’d do a great job and watch out for her and her family's interests throughout the fire restoration process.

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There was no out-of-pocket money to spend on the restoration, but of course, the family had a wish list. Most importantly, Amy wanted her renovated house to meet the special accessibility needs of her grandson who is confined to a wheelchair. Through careful choices (like using drywall instead of lath and plaster) we were able to find credits and apply them to make the home ADA compliant. A larger kitchen, wider doorways and bathroom grab bars contribute to a new level of accessibility and facilitate ease of movement throughout the newly restored home.

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One unexpected glitch did occur: The theft of new copper pipes a couple days after we re-plumbed the entire house. This could have caused a major delay but Springs Construction just jumped in and replaced everything. To make sure the copper thieves didn't return, we put an alarm on the access door and paid (at our own expense) for a night guard for the last week before move-in.

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Even with the unforeseen incident, we completed this Oakland home resoration project about 2 months ahead of schedule. And Amy, well she’s become one of our biggest fans.

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“I want to thank you for all your help and patience with all the challenges your staff encountered during the repair of my home…Words cannot express how grateful I am… it is much more than I hope or expected. I have and will recommend your company in a heartbeat for your integrity, workmanship and the disposition of your staff.”

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Menlo Park Green Home Construction

Designing a Menlo Park, CA Home 

 

It could be a new hit TV series. He’s a police detective. She’s a family law attorney raising their 2 young girls. She had a firm deadline: finish her part of the home building project before the new baby arrived. Together, we met the goal.

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In fact, the construction project proceeded like clockwork.

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Rather than come in at the end, Springs Construction got involved right after the construction agreement was signed and worked with the homeowners throughout the construction process. This approach shortens the duration of the project, which saves money on a lot of different levels.

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These days, everybody is budget conscious, and we’re all thinking “green”. And with 2 girls under 2 years old, durability was also very important to our home building clients.

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By providing options within budgetary and design guidelines the whole construction process is simplified. Decision-making is easier. These homeowners worked with Springs Construction to develop an Arts and Crafts theme that creates a sense of continuity and visual order throughout the home.

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In the new home's bathrooms we used a composite product made out of recycled glass and a binder. It looks like a Greek marble (Thassos) but is remarkably durable and easy to clean and maintain. For the master bathroom we found a Tiffany Blue tile and combined it with a silver leaf glass tile that creates a spectacular waterfall effect in the shower.

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In the kids’ bathroom, a random pattern of bronze, blue, and pearl circular tiles bubble around the edge of the tub. The 2-year-old calls them “pokey dots” and reaches out to touch and count them when she’s bathing.

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This home design is uniquely suited to a growing family and it reflects their family’s values— their love of cooking, music, and being together. Working with Springs Construction allowed this family to turn their dream home ideas into a reality, all before welcoming their new addition.