February 2, 2004
Trading places | What can builders learn from working on their own homes? A trio of Maine construction pros tells all.
By Chris Churchill
When construction professionals take their work home with them and build or remodel their own homes, the experience can underscore lessons about the craft that might otherwise be forgotten. Trading places ˆ from being the builder to suddenly becoming the client ˆ can mean a lot more than just being reminded what it's like to live amid clouds of plaster dust. It can also mean rediscovering the importance of communicating with clients and managing the job site as if the client mattered. And those are the kinds of lessons builders can take back to work with them.
We spoke with three Maine construction pros about their own home improvements and what they learned from them ˆ and how that knowledge is helping them run their businesses.
Gene Fadrigon
Workforce development director for Associated Constructors of Maine, Augusta
The project
In 2002, Fadrigon built his own four-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot cape in Gorham.
The design
The house is a custom-designed timber-frame structure, complete with cathedral ceilings, a radiant heating system and an open porch across the front. "We stuck with a lot of the traditional aspects of New England homes," Fadrigon says. His wife's 82-year-old grandfather, John Alder, built the kitchen cabinetry.
The construction
Fadrigon did much of the work himself in the year-long project, with help from his father and his cousin, but he subcontracted some of the more difficult tasks. "I put some sweat equity into that house," he says. "It took us a little bit longer, but we got a lot of house for little mortgageˆ I know every screw in that place."
The experience
He was surprised, he says, by how phone calls to some subcontractors would not be returned, or how others would promise to arrive at a particular time and not show up. "I was kind of taken aback," he says.
During construction, the Fadrigon family lived in its Sebago summer house or with in-laws in Gorham. "There were definitely times within this project that it seemed like it would never end," Fadrigon says.
Lessons learned
Fadrigon's work with ACM involves building the size of the construction workforce in Maine, and he used his home construction project as a test case to interview workers in his field. He found that most of the workers had fallen into construction with little planning or education. "They had to get a job just to keep their financial heads above water," Fadrigon says.
After talking with subcontractors, Fadrigon became determined to make ACM training classes more accessible to people who need to keep full-time jobs. And Fadrigon, who also teaches some of those classes, says building his own home has led him to reemphasize the importance of communication and precise scheduling to the construction workers of the future. "Being able to pull that real-world experience into the classroom is invaluable," he says.
Thomas Peterson
President of Solar Design and Construction, Windham
The project
In 1979, Peterson, then a 29-year-old market research analyst, decided to build his own home in Windham, even though he had little construction experience. "I wanted to build a passive solar house and there were only a few in this part of the world at that time," he says. "I went out and got a couple of books and started studying."
The design
Peterson designed a four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot house, complete with a three-car garage and an office. He decided on a solar home, he says, "because I wanted to save money, and the sun's free."
The construction
Construction went remarkably smoothly, he says, though he adds that he shouldn't have started with such a large home. "It was 10 years before it was 100% completed," he says. "I bit off more than I could chew."
The experience
"It's amazing how you can get used to living on plywood floors for five years," he says. Overall, though, Peterson says he loved the experience.
Lessons learned
Peterson used what he learned building that first house to give up marketing and devote his life to building and designing solar homes. Twenty years later, he's built many new homes, including another for himself: a more modest, 2,500-square-foot structure, also in Windham. He used his firm's employees when building his second home, and the process exposed previously poor work habits that had gone unnoticed. "There were a couple of guys I wouldn't use again," he says. "Their faults showed up."
He says he advises clients not to build too big, and to scale down grandiose designs. "Don't build something so huge that it's going to drag you down," he says. "You get exhausted."
Peterson says his approach to home building is based on experimenting with new ideas, approaches and materials. "I always say that the day I don't learn from these houses is the day I died," he says. "We learn something new on every job we do."
Mike Brown
Co-owner (along with his wife, Holly) of Golden Mean Restorations Inc., South Paris
The projects
The Browns have renovated two historic homes in South Paris. The first was in downtown South Paris, which they purchased in 1988. "It was in reasonable shape when we bought it," Brown says, but, nevertheless, over eight years they rebuilt much of the house, completely updating bathrooms, building a master bedroom in what was an unfinished attic, removing old wallpaper, refinishing wood floors and more. "We were just finishing the last of it when we sold it," says Brown, a 43 year old Vermont native. "It was time to move and start another one."
In 1998, they bought an 1820 Victorian in the Paris Hill section of South Paris. It sits on three acres, and includes a cemetery and antique apple orchard. "Nothing had been done to it in 50 years," Brown says. "It was like a time capsule. We did a ton of work." That work included replacing the roof, completely re-doing the kitchen, installing new insulation and electrical systems, repainting the interior with 75 gallons of paint, and turning an unfinished shed into a family room.
The design
The Browns attempt to bring their houses back to what they looked like when originally built, although they don't shun modern technologies, using, for example, drywall on walls rather than plaster. Holly grew up on Paris Hill, "and she has grown up with this old-house experience," Mike says. "It's in her blood."
The construction
"I do all the construction stuff," Brown says, "and essentially build the canvas for (my wife) to paint." Brown, with a friend's help, did much of the work on both houses himself, although he "subbed out" specialized jobs like the electrical and furnace work.
The experience
The Browns found they liked renovating homes so much that they started Golden Mean Restorations last summer, an old-house restoration business. Mike, who has worked as a contractor for Bancroft Construction Corp. for 16 years, devotes about two days a week to the new company. Brown says an environmental ethic guides the work. "Urban sprawl is one of the considerations," Brown says. "I can't stand the thought of losing these old homes, and chewing up the countryside with row houses. These beautiful, unique places need to be saved."
Lessons learned
Living in his own homes while they were in the midst of serious renovations helped Brown relate to a homeowner's plight. "There was one week when our kids had to go outside and up a ladder to get into their bedrooms for the night," Brown says. "So I do have a great deal of empathy."
That empathy helps them conform to the tastes of their clients ˆ usually. Since starting Golden Mean, the Browns have renovated one home occupied by another family. "We had to do what they wanted done, which wasn't always easy," Brown says. In one instance, Brown found himself in a dispute with the homeowner over whether antique floorboards should be replaced by white pine. "I felt very strongly that [the antique floorboards] should be used on the floor," Brown says, noting that the battle raged for two hours before the homeowner finally gave in to Brown's plan.
Most of the time, though, there's no arguing with the client, especially when it comes to matters of money and budgets. Brown says he and his wife keep to much tighter time schedules and watch the bottom line even more closely on clients' projects than they did on their own houses. And with good reason. "If we spent too much," says Brown, "there wouldn't be any profit."
We spoke with three Maine construction pros about their own home improvements and what they learned from them ˆ and how that knowledge is helping them run their businesses.
Gene Fadrigon
Workforce development director for Associated Constructors of Maine, Augusta
The project
In 2002, Fadrigon built his own four-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot cape in Gorham.
The design
The house is a custom-designed timber-frame structure, complete with cathedral ceilings, a radiant heating system and an open porch across the front. "We stuck with a lot of the traditional aspects of New England homes," Fadrigon says. His wife's 82-year-old grandfather, John Alder, built the kitchen cabinetry.
The construction
Fadrigon did much of the work himself in the year-long project, with help from his father and his cousin, but he subcontracted some of the more difficult tasks. "I put some sweat equity into that house," he says. "It took us a little bit longer, but we got a lot of house for little mortgageˆ I know every screw in that place."
The experience
He was surprised, he says, by how phone calls to some subcontractors would not be returned, or how others would promise to arrive at a particular time and not show up. "I was kind of taken aback," he says.
During construction, the Fadrigon family lived in its Sebago summer house or with in-laws in Gorham. "There were definitely times within this project that it seemed like it would never end," Fadrigon says.
Lessons learned
Fadrigon's work with ACM involves building the size of the construction workforce in Maine, and he used his home construction project as a test case to interview workers in his field. He found that most of the workers had fallen into construction with little planning or education. "They had to get a job just to keep their financial heads above water," Fadrigon says.
After talking with subcontractors, Fadrigon became determined to make ACM training classes more accessible to people who need to keep full-time jobs. And Fadrigon, who also teaches some of those classes, says building his own home has led him to reemphasize the importance of communication and precise scheduling to the construction workers of the future. "Being able to pull that real-world experience into the classroom is invaluable," he says.
Thomas Peterson
President of Solar Design and Construction, Windham
The project
In 1979, Peterson, then a 29-year-old market research analyst, decided to build his own home in Windham, even though he had little construction experience. "I wanted to build a passive solar house and there were only a few in this part of the world at that time," he says. "I went out and got a couple of books and started studying."
The design
Peterson designed a four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot house, complete with a three-car garage and an office. He decided on a solar home, he says, "because I wanted to save money, and the sun's free."
The construction
Construction went remarkably smoothly, he says, though he adds that he shouldn't have started with such a large home. "It was 10 years before it was 100% completed," he says. "I bit off more than I could chew."
The experience
"It's amazing how you can get used to living on plywood floors for five years," he says. Overall, though, Peterson says he loved the experience.
Lessons learned
Peterson used what he learned building that first house to give up marketing and devote his life to building and designing solar homes. Twenty years later, he's built many new homes, including another for himself: a more modest, 2,500-square-foot structure, also in Windham. He used his firm's employees when building his second home, and the process exposed previously poor work habits that had gone unnoticed. "There were a couple of guys I wouldn't use again," he says. "Their faults showed up."
He says he advises clients not to build too big, and to scale down grandiose designs. "Don't build something so huge that it's going to drag you down," he says. "You get exhausted."
Peterson says his approach to home building is based on experimenting with new ideas, approaches and materials. "I always say that the day I don't learn from these houses is the day I died," he says. "We learn something new on every job we do."
Mike Brown
Co-owner (along with his wife, Holly) of Golden Mean Restorations Inc., South Paris
The projects
The Browns have renovated two historic homes in South Paris. The first was in downtown South Paris, which they purchased in 1988. "It was in reasonable shape when we bought it," Brown says, but, nevertheless, over eight years they rebuilt much of the house, completely updating bathrooms, building a master bedroom in what was an unfinished attic, removing old wallpaper, refinishing wood floors and more. "We were just finishing the last of it when we sold it," says Brown, a 43 year old Vermont native. "It was time to move and start another one."
In 1998, they bought an 1820 Victorian in the Paris Hill section of South Paris. It sits on three acres, and includes a cemetery and antique apple orchard. "Nothing had been done to it in 50 years," Brown says. "It was like a time capsule. We did a ton of work." That work included replacing the roof, completely re-doing the kitchen, installing new insulation and electrical systems, repainting the interior with 75 gallons of paint, and turning an unfinished shed into a family room.
The design
The Browns attempt to bring their houses back to what they looked like when originally built, although they don't shun modern technologies, using, for example, drywall on walls rather than plaster. Holly grew up on Paris Hill, "and she has grown up with this old-house experience," Mike says. "It's in her blood."
The construction
"I do all the construction stuff," Brown says, "and essentially build the canvas for (my wife) to paint." Brown, with a friend's help, did much of the work on both houses himself, although he "subbed out" specialized jobs like the electrical and furnace work.
The experience
The Browns found they liked renovating homes so much that they started Golden Mean Restorations last summer, an old-house restoration business. Mike, who has worked as a contractor for Bancroft Construction Corp. for 16 years, devotes about two days a week to the new company. Brown says an environmental ethic guides the work. "Urban sprawl is one of the considerations," Brown says. "I can't stand the thought of losing these old homes, and chewing up the countryside with row houses. These beautiful, unique places need to be saved."
Lessons learned
Living in his own homes while they were in the midst of serious renovations helped Brown relate to a homeowner's plight. "There was one week when our kids had to go outside and up a ladder to get into their bedrooms for the night," Brown says. "So I do have a great deal of empathy."
That empathy helps them conform to the tastes of their clients ˆ usually. Since starting Golden Mean, the Browns have renovated one home occupied by another family. "We had to do what they wanted done, which wasn't always easy," Brown says. In one instance, Brown found himself in a dispute with the homeowner over whether antique floorboards should be replaced by white pine. "I felt very strongly that [the antique floorboards] should be used on the floor," Brown says, noting that the battle raged for two hours before the homeowner finally gave in to Brown's plan.
Most of the time, though, there's no arguing with the client, especially when it comes to matters of money and budgets. Brown says he and his wife keep to much tighter time schedules and watch the bottom line even more closely on clients' projects than they did on their own houses. And with good reason. "If we spent too much," says Brown, "there wouldn't be any profit."
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