After deciding we would stay in our home of 19 years, we met with Mr. Wiblitzhouser to outline our interest in an extensive combination of needed repairs, updating and upgrading several living spaces, and lowering energy and water use for our house. He responded with an excellent, cost -effective, and often innovative plan for renovating a 40+ year-old house built during an era without much thought for efficiency.
The demolition phase was done with care, preserving many components for re-use and recycling whenever possible. A new roof was installed and almost all exterior trim was replaced and restored to the original design. New hardwood floors were installed in the kitchen and powder room, and new tile in the laundry. The kitchen was thoroughly renovated, with new cabinets, granite counters, backsplash, and plumbing. Mr. Wiblitzhouser worked with us to incorporate art tile features from a Raleigh artist. The downstairs powder room and family room was completely renovated as well, including adding a new window and stone veneer for the existing brick fireplace. All downstairs floors were refinished, crown molding was installed throughout, new French doors were added for the living room, and new lighting fixtures were added throughout. One of the best parts of the renovation was turning a dated screen porch into a beautiful 3-season room. Mr. Wiblitzhouser provided an innovative design with PGT sliding windows above fixed glass windows, new pine flooring, and a beaded ceiling with decorative molding pattern.
Just as important as updating the living areas, Paradise Found Construction did an excellent job increasing our energy efficiency and reducing water use. One of our favorite renovations was turning our single whole-house HVAC system into a dual zone system (upstairs/downstairs). This is the first time we were able to make the upstairs comfortable in the summer. A direct-vent gas fireplace insert was added for efficiency and comfort. All of the old original plumbing fixtures were replaced with Water-Sense rated faucets and 1-gallon per flush toilets. An efficient on-demand water heater replaced the old and inefficient electric heater.
In all stages of the renovation, Mr. Wiblitzhouser worked well in managing the various sub-contractor crews, and he worked well with us to implement our design ideas and selection of components and fixtures. On several occasions he went with us to plumbing, kitchen, and tile stores to help guide our selections. He did an outstanding job in keeping us constantly informed about schedules, costs, and any issues that arose, and he provided outstanding advice regarding changes as the project proceeded. Most of all, Mr. Wiblitzhouser paid attention to every detail, from paint to molding to all aspects of construction to make sure the work was done correctly and to the highest quality. On many occasions, he worked with sub-contractors to bring their final work up to his standards, and he spent considerable time himself in working on final finishing work.
Following the renovation, the house looks beautiful inside and out. For us, it is like living in a new home. With the upgraded 3-season room, we feel like we added new space to the house, and we now have our home open to the 3-season room on most days. Mr. Wiblitzhouser was able to implement everything we wanted and guided us on things the house needed. With the increases in energy and water efficiencies, we anticipate substantially lower utility bills in the years to come, while the house will feel more comfortable year-around. These features will also reduce our contributions of greenhouse gasses, which is important to us. We very much appreciated the use of low-VOC paints, finishes, and materials and the re-use and recycling of as much material as possible during the renovation. As very pleased owners and occupants of this excellently renovated home, my husband and I strongly recommend Paradise Found Construction for your remodeling needs.
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