Framing Begins in this 1920s Colonial

With our designers aiming for an open-concept floor plan and our clients eager for the change, framing became less about creating new interior walls and more about responding to functional and aesthetic challenges. In this case, framers worked on areas that were damaged by water, where newly proposed window locations affected exterior walls, and where an old tub impacted flooring.

Satisfying New Design Goals & Fixing Existing Damage

In the kitchen, framing impacted 3 primary areas:

• The Jacuzzi Removal: Having demolished the sunken sub above the kitchen, our framers had to completely reframe the floor with new 2×10 lvl beams, 2×8 floor joists, and additional framing in the exterior walls to carry the load to the foundation below.
• Rebuilding After Rot: Some of the subfloor and joists below the kitchen were rotten and needed to be replaced due to a leaky bathroom shower above. Though unexpected, reframing this area added substantial value to the remodel, as it created a healthier home while increasing the longevity of the property.
• New Kitchen, New Windows: A radically different kitchen layout meant that windows in their existing locations would not serve the space very well, resulting in their removal. Our framing crew framed for new windows to flank the range and another to be placed at the centerline of the sink.

Let’s talk about privacy.

We all love a good bathroom, a place where a person can unwind in a sudsy tub or steam-filled shower after a long day. But nothing really intrudes on a spa-like experience quite as much as a lack of privacy. This is why a few notable framing changes to the toilet and window locations in our clients’ spa-inspired bathroom will provide no less of a calming experience.

• New Windows: We patched the exterior wall framing where we removed a window sitting at the back of the new shower. To keep some natural lighting in the tub and shower area, we’ll keep one window with modesty/frosted treatment.
• New Pocket Door: While previously the toilet awkwardly jutted into the center of the bathroom, we’ve framed an all new lavatory space within the bathroom to house the toilet, complete with a pocket door for total separation.

Additionally, we worked through several exercises to make sure we had a level floor for tile installation later. We also created a flat ceiling above part of the shower to house plumbing needed for the shower head.