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The Outlook, The Post, The Estacada News
Friday, September 13, 2013
fall home improvement
A3
By BARB RANDALL
Pamplin Media Group
D
avid and Deborah
Miller of Lake Oswe-
go recently complet-
ed a remodel of their
River Grove 1960s ranch-style
house — basically by them-
selves.
“The goal of our project
stemmed from the desire to
downsize and return to sin-
gle-level living,” said David
Miller, a retired cabinetmak-
er. “Let’s face it, at some point
our knees aren’t going to co-
operate as well as they might
... and we just didn’t need all
the space we had become
used to. This makeover isn’t
just a living room, mind you.
I’m afraid there isn’t much of
the old ranch left inside.”
The day after the sale
closed in 2007, Miller was at
the house with a sledge ham-
mer, crow bars and saws to
begin demolishing the interi-
or. The couple brought in ex-
perts to replace the original
plumbing, circuit breaker
panels, wiring, flooring and
Miller’s “old enemy: sheet-
rock.”
“The pros can do it in a
tenth of the time and at about
the same cost, and when they
do it, it just looks right,” he
said. “Six months later we
had enough done so we could
move in and actually not be
camping out.”
When the economy col-
lapsed the Millers decided to
slow the project down and en-
joy the process, which by that
point, was down to what Mill-
er calls “the fun stuff.”
Keeping with the mid-cen-
tury styling, Miller added all
the amenities of the 21st cen-
tury. He built all of the cabi-
nets, most of the furniture
and the rest of the woodwork
throughout the house. To pro-
vide the illusion of more
space, several furniture items,
including the cabinets in the
master bath, are floating de-
signs, leaving floor space
open while providing the utili-
ty of storage and work space.
“I have to admit it makes
cleaning considerably easier
as well,” Miller said.
A domed fireplace between
the family room and kitchen
took up lots of space and
made using the family room
awkward.
“We discovered during a
rainstorm that the fireplace
chimney leaked, so we just
took the fireplace out,” he
said. “Now the entire room is
open. It’s made a tremendous
difference.”
Floors, which had been a
combination of carpet, tile
and linoleum, were replaced
with cherry wood flooring and
carpet in the bedrooms.
Miller said this was not the
first house he had remodeled;
he has done similar projects
six or seven times. His advice
to others interested in under-
taking such a project is sim-
ple.
“As long as the house has
good bones and you’ve had a
good appraisal, do what feels
right to you,” he said. “The
hardest part is taking that
first hammer blow, ripping
down that first wall. Then,
there’s no turning back.”
To learn more about Mill-
er’s custom furniture, visit his
portfolio on the Woodworker’s
Guild of Oregon website,
guildoforegonwoodworkers.
org/Default.
aspx?pageid=1203378.
A
utumn is almost
here, so don’t fall
behind on your sea-
sonal home repairs
checklist. It pays to know
which renovations to tackle
now, which repairs can wait
until next season and what
preventive measures can
help you avoid large-scale,
costly repairs.
“While staying warm is top
of mind for many homeown-
ers this upcoming winter, it
is important to note that in
order to stay warm and dry,
homes must first be function-
ing properly,” says Bill
Jacques, American Society of
Home Inspectors president.
“A home inspection can help
homeowners prioritize main-
tenance projects as the sea-
sons change and weather be-
comes more severe.”
ASHI recommends fall as
the ideal time to begin home
inspector consultations and
any necessary home repairs.
Maintenance costs are gener-
ally lower when homeowners
proactively prepare their
home for winter weather in-
stead of waiting to fix issues
that appear.
“The time to get serious
about necessary home re-
pairs is before the tempera-
ture starts dropping,”
Jacques says. “Once winter
weather begins and your
home has problems, you will
be wasting money each
month, so think about getting
your home professionally in-
spected so you can keep the
home in good condition and
reduce problems from lack of
maintenance.”
Homeowners can find an
ASHI inspector by visiting
The ASHI
“Find a Home Inspector” di-
rectory allows homeowners
to locate an inspector in their
area, by language preferenc-
es or services provided.
Homeowners may want to
consult with a professional
home inspector on winteriz-
ing projects, including:
n
Cleaning gutters and
downspouts — When ice
damming occurs, water can-
not drain from gutters and
can sometimes seep into the
home and damage ceilings
and walls.
n
Roof, siding and shutter
repairs — Heavy rains and
high winds can call for win-
dow protection from shutters
and the necessity of a sturdy
exterior and roof for protec-
tion. ASHI recommends in-
specting your roof, siding and
shutters at least once a year.
n
Caulking cracks to stop
cold drafts — Worn-out
weather stripping around
doors and windows allows
cold air to seep into the
home, which increases heat-
ing costs.
n
Inspecting chimneys —
Adding a cap or screen to the
top of a chimney will prevent
birds nesting or animals en-
tering. ASHI also recom-
mends inspecting the damper
for proper operation and
checking mortar between
bricks.
n
Checking batteries in
carbon monoxide and smoke
detectors — Many fires or
cases of carbon monoxide
poisoning occur during cool-
er months due to an increase
in furnace and other heat
source usage. If you have gas
appliances, you need a car-
bon monoxide detector for in-
creased safety.
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Don’t fall behind on
your repairs check-
list; it will save you
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Winterize your home
Avoid extensive
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A home inspector
checks an attic for
proper insulation, a
key ingredient for
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CONTRIBUTED PHOTO:
BRANDPOINT
Cabinetmaker
transforms
ranch house
Patient DIY project produces
cozy single-level home
David and Deborah Miller have
completed a remodel of their 1963
ranch-style home in River Grove.
PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP photo: VERN UYETAKE
“As long as the house has
good bones and you’ve
had a good appraisal, do
what feels right to you.
The hardest part is
taking that first hammer
blow, ripping down that
first wall. Then, there’s
no turning back.”
— David Miller
