Turning their 1971 Ranch into a forever home is well underway for Dan and Jill, homeowners in Walpole, Massachusetts who set their sights on improving their own house while also building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for Jill’s parents.
Early Challenges Emerge
As with many remodels, the scope of the project has hit some unexpected bumps, but that has not slowed things down one bit. “When we see a problem, we figure out a solution and keep moving,” says Dan, whose can-do spirit is infectious. The project’s two general contractors, Kevin Smith and Jared Ruggieri, are equally mission driven. “There have been some challenges, for sure,” says Smith, “but things are working out for the better.”
Case in point: the garage. Although plans had originally called for adding a mudroom/laundry and powder room off the back of the existing attached garage to ease the traffic flow from the garage into the house, when the builders began the work, they found the garage foundation inadequate. “It was only 12 inches deep, and we need to be four feet deep for frostline to pass inspection,” explains Smith. Calling in Dan and Jill, the builders discussed options such as underpinning the existing garage foundation, a time-consuming process. They all realized the best idea was to demo the existing garage and build a new one, enabling them to also make slight improvements to the layout of the mudroom/laundry, powder room, and a relocated basement stairway. “It made so much more sense,” says Dan.
Framing for Open-Plan Living
Staying true to plan is the transformation of the Ranch’s living, dining, and kitchen areas into one big space by removing interior walls and also raising the ceiling height. “We want to step in the front door and have a big open area,” says Jill, whose siblings and parents often gather at the house.
That feeling of open space is enhanced by the newly framed triple-slider patio door that leads from the dining area to the backyard; previously, the dining room had only one window on the back wall. Just outside the patio doors will be a pergola-covered deck that will serve as a shared area with the ADU.
ADU for the Grandparents
A key part of Dan and Jill’s plans, the ADU, is taking shape quickly. The interior rooms are framed, so the layout is becoming easy to see. A bonus area between the main house and ADU will be used for gatherings, while the ADU itself will be home for Jill’s parents one day. There, the layout includes a kitchen, living area, laundry/mudroom, full hallway bath, and a primary suite.
“One of my favorite things about this project is the ability to support multigenerational living,” says This Old House host Kevin O’Connor. “With the ADU, it will be tremendous for the grandparents to be so close.”
Building a Firewall
The ADU at Dan and Jill’s house is the first being built in Walpole, following new laws statewide aimed at easing the housing crisis by granting homeowners the right to build an ADU on their property. In the case of an ADU attached to the main house, as is the situation here, code requires the shared wall between main house and ADU be built as a firewall, a process that involves multiple steps.
“We use fireproof caulking in any openings in the framing—around wiring, for example—and we build the wall with 5/8-inch board that has a fire rating of one hour,” explains general contractor Jared Ruggieri. “We also add mineral wool as fire and sound insulation, and we add a fire damper that will shut off air distribution from the HVAC system, since the house and ADU have a shared system.”
Finding Space in the Basement
With both the Ranch and the ADU as single-level houses, plans include finishing parts of the basement for additional living space. The original house had a partially finished basement with paneled wainscoting, a brick fireplace, and a built-in bar unit. The area immediately around the brick fireplace will be a guest suite. Doorways are being framed for the space and a ceiling-mounted minisplit for heat and AC will be installed. “The homeowners wanted the basement conditioned on a separate system from the rest of the house, and this ceiling-mounted unit is a great choice for space and efficiency,” says This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey.
Numerous Improvements
New windows, doors, and insulation are making the Ranch better than ever, and both the main house and ADU are getting the same exterior cladding, a low-maintenance vinyl siding that is being installed to look like four-inch Dutch lap siding.
“Now that the interior rooms are framed, it is getting so exciting to imagine the finished house and ADU,” says Jill. Adds Dan: “It’s exactly what we’ve always wanted, to have our kids grow up near family.”
