Two years to the studs.

Three deliberate moves shaped what the house could become before any system was touched. A secondary kitchen chimney was removed, opening the kitchen into the dining and living areas. The staircase was relocated to free the first floor and reorganize the second. The attic was raised, internally — new ceiling ties at ten feet and a steel sub-frame turning a low attic into the most generous space in the house.

• Move 01 · Removed the secondary kitchen chimney — kitchen, dining, and living open into a single volume
• Move 02 · Relocated the staircase — first floor freed, second floor reorganized into three bedrooms
• Move 03 · Raised the upper-floor ceiling internally — 10 ft vaulted ceilings on the second floor

The entire frame was exposed and reviewed by structural engineers. Wall framing was reinforced where needed, and every second-floor joist was strengthened with newly added 2×8 members.

The old staircase and a secondary kitchen chimney were removed to enable the open-concept first floor. The staircase was relocated, freeing meaningful living area on both floors.

• Frame fully exposed; engineer-reviewed
• Second-floor joists doubled with 2×8 members
• All subfloors removed and replaced — the originals were heavily damaged
• Old staircase + kitchen chimney removed
• New staircase relocated to open the plan

The blown-in insulation was removed so the second-floor ceilings could be raised. New ceiling ties were set at ten feet, and a steel sub-frame was added to give the rafters the depth needed for two layers of insulation and a radiant barrier.

The first-floor walls were also re-insulated. The result is a tight, quiet house — measured in winter at sixty-five degrees with one zone idle.

• 10-ft vaulted ceilings raised on the second floor
• Steel sub-frame for code-compliant insulation depth
• Two insulation layers + radiant barrier
• First-floor walls re-insulated throughout

All gas appliances were removed. The old A/C, ductwork, and gas furnace went with them. In their place: a multi-zone, inverter-driven Senville AURA mini-split system — six indoor units, three outdoor compressors, rated to deliver heat at minus twenty-two degrees Fahrenheit.

Removing the ductwork freed the basement; the headroom now reaches up to seven feet. The space is conditioned along with the rest of the house and a second exterior door to grade provides code-compliant egress for habitable space — so finishing roughly six hundred square feet of family room is finish work, not a permitting unlock. Radon mitigation installed, smoke alarms in place, insulation and drywall started on one wall, and electrical wiring routed along the joists for easy extension when the next owner takes the buildout further.

• All gas removed; no fixed gas connection charge
• 6 indoor heat pump units / 3 outdoor compressors
• Heating guaranteed to −22 °F
• Basement: up to 7 ft headroom · conditioned · second egress to grade · ~600 sq ft expansion-ready

The full energy story →

The original partial knob-and-tube wiring was fully removed. A 200-amp service was installed with two interior panels — a subpanel that shortens the runs through the house. AFCI and GFCI breakers throughout, per current code; smoke alarm wiring renewed.

• Knob-and-tube fully removed
• 200 A service · 2 interior panels
• AFCI / GFCI breakers throughout
• New low-voltage and smoke alarm wiring

All old plumbing was removed — including the heavy cast-iron waste stacks original to the house — and replaced from scratch: drain, waste, vent, and supply. A smart heat-pump water heater serves the house. Hot-water supply lines were intentionally kept short, so the wait at the tap is shorter and the standing loss is lower.

• All new drain, waste, vent, and supply lines
• Original cast-iron waste pipes removed in full
• Smart heat-pump water heater
• Short hot-water runs by design
• Low-water-consumption fixtures with Grohe fittings

All flooring is new — wide-plank engineered hardwood across the main living areas, laid over new plywood subfloors. New three-panel solid wood doors at every interior threshold. Calacatta-style quartz countertops in the kitchen and the baths. Energy Star egress windows added on the upper floor. Fresh drywall and paint throughout. A four-camera Ring security system, remote-monitored.

• All finish floors and subfloors replaced
• Wide-plank engineered hardwood · main living areas
• Solid wood three-panel doors
• Calacatta-style quartz tops · kitchen + baths
• Energy Star egress windows · upper floor
• Four-camera Ring security · remote-monitored
• Low-emission building materials throughout