Zeta Psi Restoration Update (11)

September 22, 2017

Completion of Summer 2017 Work

Restoration Work Completed to Date

Summer 2017

The photos below show some of the work we completed this summer including: installation of new shutters on the front and side of the house; repairing, sanding, staining and sealing all flooring on the first floor; repairing and painting all wall and ceiling surfaces throughout the first floor; repairing radiators and building new covers for all of them on the first floor; construction of a new bar in the basement; dining tables and benches downstairs.

With the exception of a few odds and ends, restoration of the outside and inside of the house, and landscaping, is complete. The previous 10 Restoration Updates and hundreds of pictures (all on this website), detail and document the before, during and after restoration work from the last two summers and Christmas break 2016.

Work Completed to Date

We are extraordinarily fortunate that Phil has volunteered his experience, time, network of first class sub-contractors, and his own talented carpenters and building employees to this project. His team and sub-contractors have done a superb job and he has devoted an enormous amount of time to organizing, coordinating and overseeing every aspect of the project.

In addition to volunteering his time, he has not charged the 20% general contractor/project fee he normally charges on the cost of projects he works on. Further, he has passed on all his direct costs for materials and labor for the project at his cost with no markups.

The cost of the restoration work to date is $940,000.00. Six major categories of work account for approximately three-quarters of this total:

Roofing ($253,000) – scaffolding, remove old roof, repair/replace rotten portions and gutters, install new copper roof, flashings and downspouts, chimney liners, repair and seal both turrets, lead and asbestos removal.

General contracting ($142,000.00)- materials, extensive internal and external carpentry and repairs, new lofts in all bedrooms, plumbing, electrical, masonry.

Plastering/sheet rock ($139,000.00) – all walls & ceilings, crowns and columns – includes extensive repairs, preparation, rebuilding and refinishing.

Painting ($80,000)- exterior, all interior ceilings, walls, windows and window sashes.

Boiler and air conditioning ($70,000.00) – new boiler and plumbing, air conditioning for first and second floor bedrooms, the first-floor party room and library.

Basement flooring ($33,000.00) – removal of old flooring, floor repairs, installation of new flooring for entire basement.

Balance of the expenses include new windows and sashes for all the windows in the house, tile repairs/replacement and other extensive repairs in all bathrooms, dining room tables and chairs, lighting, landscaping and landscape maintenance, site demolition, construction cleaning, commercial trash removal, electronics and additional miscellaneous carpentry.

The major remaining project is the construction of the new terrace and work on the outside area behind the house. We were not able to obtain all the necessary approvals and plans to complete that job this summer, so it will be completed next summer. The current estimate for this major project is $300,000 to $350,000.

The August 31 balance in the Zeta Psi Restoration account administered by the Alumni Association was $334,790.

The balance in the new house Maintenance Fund is $17,850. All active brothers currently pay $450 into this account yearly. It is to be used for major house maintenance needs. A recent example was the purchase a new refrigerator for the kitchen when the (very) old one died last summer.

Contact me anytime with questions.

Don Laing

434-981-8755
dlaing@cstonellc.com

Click to see all photos