IMPROVEMENTS
In Construction
Latest update June 30, 2004
General
Please keep in mind that we contracted and managed all work ourselves. We could never have afforded this house otherwise. We are now 3 years into a 10 year project! Our goal is to slowly take each room back 100 years in time, using antiques as much as possible. The Study is an example of our direction.
Since the entire house needed rewiring, we pulled multiple wires at the same time. This also allowed us to add an Aegis Home Automation including burglar, lighting, and temperature control. We were also able to add cable, audio and video with the one time rewiring effort. New outlets, energy efficient fluorescent lighting systems, new intelligent light switches for Aegis, new intelligent thermostat controls for Aegis. remote TV monitoring, electric gate controls, gate intercom, Panasonic 24 extension phone system and whole house sound were also added. LIPA, Verizon, and Cablevision lines were rerun and buried.
Bar - closet built to store Casa whole house audio and video systems. Bar sanded and varnished. Shelves - replaced all glass and mirror due to damage. New soda dispensing system and kegerator installed. Dishwasher removed from main kitchen installed. Pump installed to exhaust waste water. Stainless Steel refrigerator installed. The Bar/theater (downstairs) and the Ballroom (directly above) are a 5300 square foot addition added by Mr. Koch in 1964. The is rumored to be another fireplace (the same huge size as the one above it in the Ballroom) hidden behind the bar.
Bar - Kitchen -Outside. We tore out the old concrete slab adjacent to the outside fireplace and had Emerald Isle Masonry continue the pool Nicoloc's through that area. Then we had Calvert Awning put up an awning directly overhead. We also built a bar ourselves inside the area for shaded seating drinking and eating.
Basement - new waste water plumbing installed. Major cleanup. 100's of miles of wiring for new systems including network, burglar, audio, video, and temperature.
Bath - 2ns Floor - Converted to mini kitchen
Deck - We found that they are importing second growth mahogany from the Philippines at prices only 20% more than CCA and since we had to redo the roof over the formal dining room anyway, we made ourselves a beautiful deck outside the master bath.
Dining Room - Yellow Pine Floors removed and utilized to reconstruct 2nd and 3rd floors. New 4" oak floors installed. All wood refinished or sanded and painted. New sliding door installed. Old windows refinished. Many more photo's available in the site index.
Floors - This may have been one of the most rewarding projects in the house. We began by removing the carpets. We then found other inexpensive flooring such as luan or linoleum. We removed this layer and then found 100 year old yellow pine floors. Unfortunately, the floors had been destroyed. 35% of the flooring had been removed in order to run plumbing to the heat system. (Possible 1964 when the new owner was trying to introduce better heating). When we got down to the base flooring in the dining room, there was not enough to come close to extending into the trophy room. (The billiard room and the trophy room (Mildeberger Home) were connected to create a large formal dining room after the formal living room was added in 1964 however there was no wood flooring to be found in the trophy room area. It was decided to remove the old pine planking remaining in the dining room as well as the remaining pine in Amanda's room to be. The dining room received new 4" Oak flooring and Amanda's room was carpeted. We then used this original flooring to replace and refinish all the floors on the 2nd and 3rd floors. We were able to recreate the beautiful original floor designs and also introduce flooring into the servants areas (Amanda's Room and Library). Taking over 4 months the project created a beautiful start to our renovation.
Floors 3rd Floor Another Room 3-3 Room 3-2 2nd Floor
Grand Entrance - This area was cleaned of graffiti etc. and awaits a major renovation. We plan to remove the mirror glass on the walls and return wallpaper of the period. We have not yet decided how to restore the woodwork. In addition to cleaning and painting the Front Bath, we added an antique wall phone so that the room could double as a phone room. There are pictures of almost the exact phone in the kitchen in the early 1960's. Many more photo's available in the site index.
Kitchen - Completely raised, new 4" oak floors, new kitchen and all appliances. Radiant floor heat and forced hot air added. LaCornieu Oven installed (900 lbs.). New Kitchen slider installed. All new applianecs installed. Downsview cabinets installed. The Family eating area was enhanced. A wall was built between the Atrium and Kitchen to maintain better heat and air conditioning. (We couldn't get the kitchen over 60F the first winter!) Many more photo's (before and after0 available in the site index.
Kitchen-Mini
Kitchen/Bar/Outside - See Bar/Kitchen
Landscaping - Many more photo's available in the site index. 11 zone sprinkler system was added to and enhanced. Originally the 13 acres was tended by 12 gardeners.
Library - Yellow Pine from the dining room installed. Fireplace brick stripped of paint, oak bookcases added on three walls.
Master Closet - doorway cut between the Master Bath and the Master Closet completing a 4 room suite. New California Style cabinet system installed including dry cleaner style electric rack. This is the only closet that we know that has a fireplace.
Pool - a fiberglass shell was laid on top of the gunite (which was not repairable). All plumbing was replaced. 2 new 500,000 BTU heaters installed. 2 filters installed. A new spa was cut into the corner of the pool. New Nicoloc Tile was installed all around the pool. The pool was then connected with the Bar/Kitchen by the same tiles. Many more photo's available in the site index.
Roman Bath - This room was originally a shed and garage and was closed up probably in 1984 to become part of the massage parlor. When we acquired the Castle the shower simply exhausted its water through a sewer pipe directly in the middle of the floor. We ripped out the old floor and replaced the shower with a glass walled shower. We repaired the sauna, replaced the sinks and toilet and painted and plastered the room.
Second Floor - yellow pine which had been removed from the billiard room (dining room) was added to floors (no flooring existed in the old servants areas) in front of the library and Amanda's Room.
Sun Porch - Fish pond removed. New cement floor installed with tiles by Al Passafume. Wallpaper that looks like castle blocks was then installed.
Third Floor - Air conditioners added to supplement. Floors refinished. Door and transom hardware refinished. New period hardware added where missing.
This page under serious construction as of June 2003.
