Author John Maxwell once said, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” It’s a catchy phrase, sure, but it also could not be more true.
We have a really good example of this, a roof replacement job as part of multi-team project for an extensive house remodel in Chappaqua, New York, north of New York City in Westchester County.
Chappaqua is a beautiful suburban area known for its fantastic walkability and recreational activities. It’s easy to see why people find their dream homes here; it’s often ranked as one of the best places to live in New York.
Our client found his dream location in Chappaqua but needed help to construct his dream home. He was doing an extensive remodel on this large home, including building an addition. He chose us as his roofing company.
If your budget allows, additions are a great option if you’re remodeling because you love your location but not necessarily the way the house is now. Maybe you don’t like the current layout of your kitchen or living room. Maybe you’re growing your family, don’t have enough room, and don’t want to move.
Regardless of the reason and type of addition, know that adding square feet to your current house can come with challenges. It’s not just a matter of tossing together some drywall, carpet, roof shingles, and paint and calling it a day.
First of all, you should consider what kind of home addition you want and its design. It’s smart to think about hiring an architect to determine your vision and map it out with a blueprint. This is especially important because it nails down specifics for the area and the actual work.
For instance, you’ll need a foundation to start with, of course, but you also need to review and decide on wall, flooring, ceiling, even fixture options. And let’s not forget electrical wiring, plumbing, HVAC, and permits. Make sure everything is accounted for, agreed upon, and in hand when the project gets underway. It’s a must if you’re having multiple crews working in tandem under a deadline.
And in spite of your best plans, be aware that some unforeseen issues might pop up and need addressing during the job. That’s why you hire experienced professionals.
Oh, yes, and don’t forget about roofing! That’s where we came in for the Chappaqua project. There were multiple construction teams on-site, each with their specialty, all working together with the goal of giving our client the dream home he wanted.
As is common with large projects, there was a project manager overseeing it all and acting as the central point of contact between the crews and homeowner. An experienced project manager is key to a job with so many moving parts – and check out the accompanying pictures to get an idea about all the pieces to this massive three-story home remodel.
For our part, we worked on the roof over the course of a week, installing the shingles as the construction crews finished up their sections of the house.
The homeowner chose to go with GAF asphalt shingles, which are easy to install, durable, weather resistant, and a great value – we’re big fans. Keeping in mind there are many types of roof shingles, the GAFs are among the best asphalt shingles for the price and have a terrific warranty.
The finished roof, a charcoal color, looks great. In fact, the whole remodel looks awesome. It further validates John Maxwell’s contention that “teamwork makes the dream work.”
To finish up this post, we’d like to address a relevant question we’ve often received about replacing your roof. When building an addition to your home, should the entire roof be replaced or just the roof of the new space?
Of course, this is ultimately up to the client, but here are some things to consider. Is the cost to replace roof shingles (addition vs. all) reasonably within your budget? How old is your roof? Are you planning to replace your roof in the near future? If so, it would make more sense to replace it at the same time as your addition.
If the original roof is in good shape, then you only need to address the addition’s roof. The only issue you might run into is color matching, depending on how much the original roof as faded due to the elements. Even then, you’re likely to find the difference negligible when compared side by side.
But bottom line, if you have any questions or ideas on a remodel or a roof replacement cost, call a professional. And that’s us!
City: Chappaqua
State: NY
ZIP: 10514
Category: Roofing
Materials used (manufacturer): GAF
Materials used (type): Asphalt
Materials used (color): Charcoal
Project Cost: $35,000
Time to Complete: Five days