These homeowners were parents to 5 children, 1 of them being a special needs child in a wheelchair. Unfortunately their beautiful home was not accommodating to their son and his needs. To get their son in and out of the house the parents had to manually lift their child in his wheelchair up and down the narrow patio stairs which was an exhausting and daunting task on a daily basis. This task was made even more difficult because of their failing patio. The infill underneath the brick patio was collapsing and there was not proper drainage. When it rained it meant that there was a puddle of water in the middle of the patio. There was also no overhead protection so when it rained or it was extra hot/cold outside the homeowners would be forced to put blankets over their child while they carried him in to shield him from the elements.
In addition to the structural issues of the raised patio, the size itself was a major issue. This small area was not big enough for a family of 7 with 5 growing children. The family wanted an area where they could all relax, spread out, and entertain. For their large exterior remodel the family required the following:
- Increase the size of the raised patio by adding approximately 565 sq ft
- A stamped concrete surface to drain water easily and provide a smooth surface for a wheelchair
- A covered area to shield them from the elements
- A standing seam metal roof with gutters and downspouts
- (3) Ellington outdoor ceiling fans with lights and (4) recessed LED lights
- Add a gas line and a built-in Weber gas grill with Black Pearl granite counter tops, electrical outlets, and open storage for a mini-fridge and storage
- New black powder coated aluminum guard rails and handrails on the porch and stairs
- Proper drainage
- An extension to the driveway using exposed aggregate concrete to allow space for their new Mercedes Sprinter van
- A new side entrance from the newly extended driveway with a large roof overhang, lighting, and a wide staircase
- And electronic chair lift with a black powder coated aluminum hinged gate so that they did not have to manually lift their child and his heavy wheelchair
- Remove the existing 5’ door and replace it with a new 3’ door unit with an ADA threshold, two 12” wide side lights and a 12” tall transom window.
- Add French drains in various locations to help with drainage issues in their yard
- Stairs and a landing area for their future ground level patio and pool
- Install a metal diverter on the second floor roof over the garage door to help direct some of the rain water away from the door.
- Adhere to all Chesapeake Bay Act requirements
Watch a Time Lapse Video of this project:
Porch Addition Time Lapse from Criner Remodeling on Vimeo.
