ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END – Fortunately, so do house renovation projects. Just over a year ago this blog was initiated as a means to document our house elevation for flood mitigation project. It was also designed to assist anyone with similar flooding woes with some options and an accurate portrayal of all that is involved in an undertaking of this magnitude. “Whatever … Continue reading House Elevation Project Completed
JULY 2012 Flood insurance is a hot topic at the moment, the product is in flux. When the Biggert-Waters Act was signed into law in 2012, it was met with criticism and concern. This law set to remedy the long standing subsidized flood insurance rates that had subsequently bankrupted FEMA to the tune of 20 BILLION dollars. However, home owners cried foul and pleaded for … Continue reading Brief History of Private Flood Insurance
Our house elevation project is almost complete. The next step is the exterior painting aspect. What do you need to know? Top 5 Tips for Exterior House Painting 1. TEMPERATURE Ideally, exterior painting will take place when the temperatures are going to remain above 50 degrees, even at night. Otherwise you are likely to get peeling. Once the temperatures warm up, you can tackle that … Continue reading Top 5 Tips for Exterior House Painting
TIMELINE OF INSURANCE RATE ADJUSTMENT June 2013 We officially started the construction phase of our house project. The planning phase began months earlier in July 2012. The planning phase entailed key details of the project such as how many feet we needed to lift our house, architectual drawings, acquiring necessary permits, etc. December 2013 We moved back into our house with the majority of our … Continue reading Flood Insurance Rates Drop Dramatically, But Not Without a Fight
I’ll admit it’s a stretch to correlate the beautiful orchid flower to the muddle of a house elevation project. While one is majestic, capable of inspiring awe, the other is a nonstop exercise in frustration. But we’re in a bit of a holding pattern waiting for FEMA to weigh in on our house elevation to determine our new (discounted) flood insurance premiums and it’s still … Continue reading Orchids: The Power of a Flower
FINAL STEPS TO COMPLETION The house project finally completed, the only thing left to do is fill in the landscape. As the former landscape was completely destroyed during the process, we were starting with a clean slate. Prior to the lift, we moved all of the foundation landscaping to our backyard in order to protect it. Most of it survived and will be replanted, providing one … Continue reading New Landscape for an Elevated House
The best way to prepare for a home renovation project/ house elevation: assume the project will be messy. Plan accordingly or at least try to learn from our mistakes. We’ve been living in our flood mitigated/ house elevated home for almost three months. The remnants of construction dust continue. How can that be? Haven’t you been cleaning like mad? An emphatic “yes” to that question as … Continue reading Top 5 Tips to Prep for Home Renovation / House Elevation Project
OUR HOUSE IS “SPECIAL”: We live in a flood zone that has been deemed “special” by FEMA, and not in a good way. It’s rated in the highest category of flood insurance, beat out only by those who have ocean front views. The guilty party in our instance is not the Atlantic Ocean, but a gentle brook whose size is disarmingly small. Yet, it provides, … Continue reading Insurance Costs Remain High post House Elevation
THE PROBLEM: As the saying goes, you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. Or, as I like to say, you can’t undertake a massive house project (house elevation) without eating a few crap sandwiches. Today’s topic hails from the kitchen. The situation created stems from careless foundation work when our house was lowered (see older posts). An entire bank of cabinets, along … Continue reading Kitchen Renovation – Post House Elevation
A project of this magnitude is going to involve a ride through the school of hard knocks. Things will go wrong. It will take longer than you think, and likely cost more. The good news? Your house will no longer flood! Participating in a house elevation is going to provide an eduction on topics many of you may have never imaged. Below is a sample … Continue reading House Elevation: Foundations and Sill Plates
HAPPY NEW YEAR! As the calendar turns over to reveal the start of a new year, 2014, we are still in the midst of our house elevation for flood mitigation project that began many moons ago. What’s left? Final inspections, certificate of occupancy, landscaping, driveway resurfacing, exterior painting and a few other odds and ends. MOVEMENT AFOOT We moved back into our home just about … Continue reading House Settling Effects Post House Elevation Project
When hiring a local moving company, negotiate the fees upfront. When the crew arrives, go over the agreed upon terms. Tip for great service. Continue reading Tips for Getting the Best Price on a Move
Although the majority of our house hails from the 1920’s, an addition was added in 1990’s by a previous owner – which included a wood burning fireplace. For years the fireplace provided a warm crackling glow to the our family room. Then … it was inundated by a flood or two. During the second flood of 2007 our family room sustained a fair amount of … Continue reading Fireplace Repairs Post Flooding
WEEK 26 Oh me, oh my what a week it’s been preparing to move home again. I can summarize the week’s main emphasis in one little word – cleaning. My goal was to rid the house of the ubiquitous remnants of dry-wall and construction dust. No small task considering that every cupboard on the first floor had to be emptied and throughly cleaned. Hauling out … Continue reading Moving Back In – Post House Elevation
As fate would have it, next door to our temporary apartment, the house is also being lifted. It too suffers from the occasional rising whims of the little brook near our house, about two miles down stream from our house. With my new knowledge base on this subject, I’ve noticed a few things about this elevation that the casual observer would be likely to miss. Style … Continue reading House Elevation: Building the Foundation
GIVING THANKS THIS THANKSGIVING WEEK 25: There are many reasons to be thankful and I appreciate the simple luxuries of life everyday. Things like hot water at the turn of a handle and fresh coffee every morning. I’m ever thankful for my family and friends. But this year has been a bit unique. The things I’m thankful this Thanksgiving are not the sort of things … Continue reading Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving
FLOOD SAVVY: Fight Flooding - Tips & Inspiration 