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Case Study

October 27, 2011

Case Study: Coolidge Road, Elizabeth, NJ

This home on Coolidge Road in Elizabeth presented several challenges, cosmetic and functional. Mainly the owners wanted to preserve the integrity of the home’s original 1925 architecture while improving the degree in which it provided shelter and energy efficiency. As always budget concerns were always under consideration. The following is a breakdown of how the improvements were made by Joe Percario General Contracting.

 

1. The Roof

The Roof The first concern was the roof, which was deteriorated and leaky do to age. It had two layers of asphalt shingles nailed to the original cedar shingles. All three roofs were removed and replaced with a dimensional shingle that closely resembled the original cedar roof. The new GAF/ELK mfg. Dimensional Designer Shingles are replicas of the original wood shake and, made from an asphalt and fiberglass mixture of material, represent the latest in technology. The roof was installed with new absolute insulation and ventilation in mind.

2. Siding

Siding Between heat escaping through the roof and the moisture, cold and heat creeping behind the siding, the owners were paying a premium in fuel bills in order to heat and cool their home. With the advantages of the new roof’s ventilation and insulation, half the battle to keep the house energy efficient was done.

The siding presented a different challenge. It had no insulation behind it and blowing in foam, fiberglass or cellulose was an expensive option. The house had clapboard siding on the lower half and cedar perfection shakes on the upper half. Both portions were splintering and loosening. The owner originally called to have the home painted, but because the siding was in such bad shape the paint job would have been wasteful and the cost of repairing the old wood was prohibitive. The solution to the siding and trim challenge started with picking a clapboard and cedar shakes product that matched the exact projection, dimensions and textures of the original constructed classic home that was almost a full century old.

Stripping the paint off of one of the panels revealed the original color scheme. We wanted to ensure that the siding and trim were available in the colors we wanted.

An added bonus was that we found a full back insulated siding that could be used in leu of the blown insulation at a fraction of the price. By using siding that had an insulation backing on it, we were able to add a double layer of energy efficiency to the home. The siding manufacture that Joe Percario recommended was Certainteed. They made all the products that fit the siding and trim criteria. Two of there products used were the 7” Full back Insulated CedarBoards and the Cedar Impressions 7” perfection shake.

3. Windows

As bad as the roof and walls were at conserving heat, the windows were twice as bad. The windows were also irregularly shaped but were beautifully designed. We were able to inject insulation around the original classic windows and cap and rap them with trims and accents that were maintenance free but nostalgically correct. The new design even enhanced the appearance of the authentic leaded glass.

4. Accents & Trim

The trim work on the house was distinct. But like most of the wood some parts were deteriorated beyond repair. Historical restoration of the wood soffits would be very costly. The solution to this challenge was quite simple. Percario’s maintains a huge catalog of accents and trim to fit every style of architecture. A perfect match was found for the soffits, accents, trim and even the columns.

5. Gutters

The gutter system was added to the house as a renovation about five years previous to Percario’s makeover. Very little thought was given to the aesthetics and functionality of the gutters and drainpipe. As evident in the before photo the drain pipes were obtrusive in appearance. A study of the system in action showed flaws in the way the rain water was funneled. Percario’s reconfigured the system to work more efficiently and ultimately divert water further away from the foundation. As the after photo indicated the new gutter system s virtually invisible. Of course the blue of the leader pipes match perfectly to the siding.

6. Painting

There is a pediment above the portico that is simply stunning. The low pitched gable had a sun burst painted on it. To achieve the same effect it would have to be repainted. The fact is that Vinyl would not have had the same authentic effect, and because it is easy to reach, periodic maintenance can be easily done with paint that is perfectly mixed to match the color of the siding.

The design was painted by a highly trained Percario painter capable of doing the job with the required precision. The new door to the home was also painted, in red as was the style.

7. Energy conservation

Percario did an assessment of the energy use and cost to heat and cool the house. The estimated difference in the owners annual fuel bill prior to the remodeling and afterwards was $1,000 for the year. The owner’s annual expenditure on gas and electric will go easily from approximately $2,500 to $1,500 annually. With a projected savings of over $20,000 for the next ten years!

8. Good Neighbors

Percario General Contracting is committed to keeping homes and neighborhoods nostalgically correct. They offer remodeling consultation as an added value to their service. Few contractors offer architectural design consultation and those who do attach a big price tag to it.

It is common for neighbors to call on Joe Percario for advice on all their remodeling needs once they see the care we put into our work. A Joe Percario remodeling job not only improves the home but the neighborhood as a whole. The benefit of a quality remodeling job is shared by the community.