UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Sea Cliff
Remodel & Exterior Deck
| Kitchen Visual |
| Primary Bathroom Visual |
| Guest Bathroom Entry Visual |
| Guest Bathroom Vanity Visual |
| Powder Bath Visual |
Existing structural walls have been removed to create our new open Kitchen & Dining layout. Temporary support walls have been installed to safely support the home while the new structural framing is being installed.
Because steel beams can typically span 1.5 to 3 times farther than wood beams of the same dimensions, they allow us to create larger, more open spaces while eliminating the need for intermediate support columns.
The steel beam needs to be packed with wood so the existing wood joists can hang on the sides.
The steel beam, with a wood nailer installed on top, is set flush with the existing wood floor framing. The wood nailer provides a solid surface for fastening the floor sheathing and helps prevent future floor squeaks that could occur if the steel beam experiences slight deflection under load. It also plays an important structural role by transferring floor loads into the steel beam—something the floor sheathing alone is not designed to do.
Although San Francisco has the lowest rate of air-conditioned homes of any major U.S. metropolitan area, a growing number of our San Francisco clients have chosen to upgrade their homes in preparation for warmer days ahead.
Warm air rises & cold air sinks... For a system with both heating and cooling, supply registers work best when placed high to serve dual seasons.
Construction is all about sequencing. First is rough framing which establishes the wood (and metal) framework of a building.
Following rough framing is rough mechanical, rough electrical & rough plumbing which are often performed in parallel.
Rough mechanical includes installation of supply/return air ductwork, kitchen hood ducting, & bathroom exhaust ducts.
Rough electrical includes installation of electrical wiring & boxes, electrical panels, & recessed lighting housing.
Rough plumbing establishes the home's plumbing infrastructure which includes hot and cold water supply piping, drain lines, waste lines, and vent piping.
With the limited number of walls in our open Great Room, we carefully planned the supply registers to be located beneath the kitchen cabinets. During the rough mechanical phase, the ductwork is carefully positioned to align with these locations.
Preparing materials for drywalling - but insulation first...
Only after an insulation inspection & receiving an "OK TO COVER", can drywall work begin.
Only after drywall inspections can taping & mudding work begin.
During drywall inspections, Building Inspectors will be checking for the correct number of screws & proper spacing. Required board thickness, fire-resistance rating, & correct staggering of joints will also be checked for code compliance before fasteners, joints, & seams are covered with tape & joint compound.
With drywall inspections behind us, taping, mudding, & sanding work are well underway...
Where our Primary Bathroom construction story begins...
Where careful coordination is required, we are never shy to tape up a subtle reminder... or four for our contractor.
Here we need careful electrical placement for 1) in-vanity dryer outlet, 2) mirror defogger pads, 3) through mirror sconce, and 4) towel bar warmers - plural...
For bathroom remodels, a "shower pan" inspection is required. Here the shower drain is plugged & the lined shower pan is filled with water. The pan is required to hold water for a 24-hour period - without a drop in water level or showing any signs of leaking underneath.
With the Primary Bath drywall up, you can get a great feel for the new space - open, bright, and full of potential!
To retain real estate value, we always recommend our clients to have at least one bathtub.
The bathtub is now installed in our quasi Jack and Jill bathroom, which connects a bedroom on one side and a home office on the other.
Finishes loading...
| Existing Guest Bath |
Wall mounted TVs require careful wire management. Here the blue "Smurf" tube will serve as a conduit to conceal wires (e.g. HDMI) running to the back of the TV.
The interior framing for new skylights.
Where there is insufficient roof pitch, a wood "curb" will serve as a weather-resistant transition between the skylight and the roof. The skylight will drop atop the curb and be fastened on the sides.
Let there be light... and shade as our skylights include factory installed solar operated shades.
Existing undersized & underwhelming deck access to be demolished & reimagined.
From shabby to chic with a new 6-foot wide sliding door deck access.
Resetting our roofing replacement time clock with new 3-ply roofing which will be below our new finished deck floor.
The deck framing & the new steel guardrail posts are now in place. The posts will be removed, taken to be galvanized in a shop in Oakland, & then finally powder coated prior to returning back to the house for installation.
Our ipe deck boards are being dry-laid to finalize the layout before installation!
As best practice, we called for the contractor to wrap all of the framing with deck joist tape in order to a create a waterproof barrier that protects the deck’s wood framing from rot and moisture damage.
When screws or nails are driven through the tape into the joist, the adhesive wraps tightly around each fastener, preventing water from wicking into the screw holes.
| Existing Deck |
Our scope of work includes upgrading the existing 125 amp electrical panel to 200 amps. This can be a tedious process with PG&E, but it is one that we are very familiar with and can guide our clients through from start to finish. Here, you can see the new conduit and weatherhead on the right - thoughtfully rerouted into the house by the contractor.
After the building department inspects and approves the new panel on the right, it will be "green tagged" - just as the original panel was on the left. Only after receiving this approval will PG&E energize the new panel.
Rough electrical inspection is signed off & we have our green tag. More importantly, PG&E is scheduled to come energize our panel which will be in (29) days - moved up from (47) days by PG&E .
PG&E is on site to cut the existing wire & connect the new 200A line.
Since PG&E had previously upgraded the house to a smart 200A compatible meter, the existing meter simply needs to be swapped over.
The rear of the house has been tidied up with removal of the old weatherhead & conduit. Meanwhile, up above,
| Existing Kitchen |
| Existing Living Room |