Builder Jerry Effren had originally planned on a nine-month build-out that was shortened to just five months thanks to delays at the Planning and Zoning and Permitting offices. Adding fuel to the fire, he launched construction on each of the other four duplexes in the pocket neighborhood in one month intervals to achieve economies of scale and keep his team of subcontractors on the job.
Shown: The TOH 2021 Idea House in the upper right-hand corner is one of 5 duplexes being built concurrently in this Norwalk, CT pocket neighborhood.
Proper Basement Drainage
An excavator drops gravel around the drainage pipes that will draw water away from the bottom of the foundation.
Earth Moving: Stone Ridge Excavation, LLC
Sealing the Basement Against Seepage
To prevent water seepage, a polymer-enhanced asphalt membrane is applied directly to the concrete foundation. Once that dries, orange waterproof thermal insulation and drainage boards will be affixed to protect the membrane—and excavators will backfill with dirt to just below the tar line.
Installer: Design Concrete
Siding Like Wood—Only Better
The engineered wood siding looks and cuts like wood, but it creates less dust and is fortified against the elements to maintain its beauty for years to come.
The two gable ends feature cedar-textured lap siding that comes prefinished in Snowscape White, while the garage connectors and dormers are sided in a smooth vertical board-and-batten style siding painted gray to recede into the background and create the illusion that the duplex is actually two smaller cottages.
Siding: LP SmartSide; Installation: DCF Construction, LLC
As builder Jerry Ephrine explained on This Old House, the appeal of LP SmartSide comes down to performance and finish quality: “100% of the tree is used in this product, it’s engineered. The strands are all treated, so all the way through the board, it’s something that’s guaranteed not to warp, crack, no termites. And what I like is that it’s primed and painted. Once we get this product, we put it up, we’re pretty much done other than a little touch up on the nails.”
Smarter Load Center
Each of the cottages features a dedicated smart (and, can-you-believe-it, beautiful?) circuit breaker box. These load centers feature snap-in breakers that eliminate the need for rewiring and speed up installation—a benefit our electrical installers appreciate. And for homeowners, the system provides wi-fi connectivity for remote monitoring, diagnostics and control via a smart-home app.
Load Center: Leviton; Electrical Work: Franklin Electric, Inc.
Pro Tip: Cottage Community building-and-design duo Jerry and Sandy Effren know that smart-home technology can be intimidating for some homeowners. “Homeowners want the safety and peace of mind that smart controls provide, but they don’t want the headache of learning how to use them,” Jerry says. That’s why the Effrens paired the Leviton load center with a series of Decora Smart switches, dimmers, and plugs that integrate effortlessly with the free My Leviton app.
High-Efficiency Heating System
Jerry believes a quality HVAC system is a smart investment that pays back in the long run. Our houses feature gas furnaces that deliver high-efficiency heat and cooling. The furnace is rated at 96% gas efficiency (AFUE), with a cabinet that’s certified to be airtight to less than 1%. The furnace’s Vortica™ II blower is one of the quietest and most efficient in the industry, saving homeowners energy in both winter and summer.
Furnace: Trane; Installer: Controlled Temperatures LLC
Purple Power
Having already hung the gypsum, drywallers on stilts make quick work of the tape and compound that seals the cracks before painting can begin. Jerry chose Purple because, in addition to being naturally fire-resistant, it stands up to moisture, mold, and mildew.
Drywall: Purple by National Gypsum; Installation: ECR Drywall
Special Delivery
With a build schedule that’s just 5-months-long, from foundation to furnished reveal, the jobsite is constantly receiving deliveries which are stored in a trailer and a container until the products are needed or can be secured once the house is closed in.
Insulation: Rockwool; Delivery via Ring’s End
Pouring the Pergola Pad
A cement mixer truck pours a concrete pad for the 14′ x 14′ pergola that will be installed overlooking the Five Mile River—and shared by the pocket neighborhood residents.
Concrete Slab: Design Concrete
Screen Porch Sanctuary
Carpenters install aluminum railings on the second-story screened-in porch which is accessed via sliding glass doors just off the great room. Tongue-and-groove porch flooring made of high-density PVC will keep the bugs out and prevent buckling from exposure to the elements.
Porch floors: Aeratis; Installation: DCF Construction, LLC
Pro Tip: This Old House general contractor Tom Silva notes that cellular PVC offers a major advantage over traditional decking materials for porches like this one: “Cellular PVC is great because it works like wood, reacts like wood in some ways, but it doesn’t rot like wood.”
Dampening Sound
Stone wool insulation is installed to reduce sound from passing through the walls—critical for comfort in multi-family dwellings.
Stone wool insulation: Rockwool
Pro Tip: Insulation contractor Matt explained the dual role mineral wool plays on a party wall between units: “This mineral wool also serves a second purpose—flame spread and the acoustic separation. So it’ll be really nice for the living situation to be able to stop any of that noise disruption coming from one side to the other.”
Classic Curb Appeal
Traditional raised-panel garage doors made of steel have a wood-grain pattern and are insulated with polyurethane foam to keep the garage warm in winter and cool in summer.
Garage Doors: Clopay; Installation: American Overhead Door
Zoned for Comfort
Each cottage features two compressors to power separate first and second-floor air-conditioning zones.
Air Conditioning: Trane; Installation: Controlled Temperatures LLC
Spray Painting for Speed
For fast and complete coverage, a fully protected worker sprays primer on walls and ceilings. Finished wall coats will be rolled on, and the painters will prime and top-coat the trim with brushes for a polished look.
Painting: M. Salas Services LLC
Fast Faux Paneling
To add affordable architectural interest to the second-floor study of the empty nester cottage, Designer Sandy Effren specified a faux panel-look accent wall. Here, carpenters install simple strips of wood in a grid pattern that will be painted a deep greenish-gray to add gravitas to this home office.
Trim work: Matys Carpentry, LLC
Interest Underfoot
Bold black and white porcelain tiles in a star motif set a fun backdrop for the children’s bath that will age gracefully along with its users.
Tile: Tile America; Installation: Baence Tile & Construction LLC
Setting for a Sweet Dream
To create a soothing atmosphere in the nursery, Interior Designer Sandy Effren opted for a cloud motif and set the stage with easy-to-install (and remove) peel & stick wallpaper. The paper comes in a host of sizes that can be scaled up or down to fit your room’s dimensions.
Wallpaper: MongDecor via Etsy.com; Installation: Dr. Wallpaper
Kitchen Cabinet Countdown
The cabinets have to be perfectly level before the tiler can install the backsplash, and the countertop and appliances can be installed.
Cabinets: Mantra by MasterBrand; Installation: Matys Carpentry, LLC
Quartz Countertop Installation
Installers carefully place the quartz countertop onto the desk in the great room of our empty nester cottage.
Countertop: Caesarstone; Fabrication: Academy Marble & Granite
Multi-Functional Medicine Cabinets
Medicine cabinets have come a long way. One of two in the parents’ ensuite bath, this one features complexion-enhancing LED lighting and Bluetooth radio. Plus, inside the cabinets, magnifying mirrors, plugs and USB ports.
Mirrors: Signature Hardware; Installation: Matys Carpentry, LLC
Go Behind the Build
Watch now as Jerry Effren gives TOH editor Chris Ermides a peek at what’s happening at the Cottage Community Idea House.
