Attleboro houses, two-families and rentals done right

A city with two kinds of remodeling work

Census figures count about 46,000 people in Attleboro and close to 19,500 homes. Only a little more than half are detached single-family houses. The rest are attached homes, condos, two- and three-family buildings and apartments, and about a third of all units are rented rather than owned. That split shapes the work more than anything else.

On one side are owners who want a kitchen, a bath or a basement that fits how they live. On the other are landlords and investors who need a unit turned over, a bathroom rebuilt between tenants, or a porch and stairs made sound again. We do both, and the conversation is different for each. An owner wants choices and a say in every finish. A landlord usually wants durable materials, a firm schedule and a unit ready to show.

Size matters too. With close to 19,500 homes, Attleboro has far more housing than any of the small towns around it, and age, condition and layout vary from one street to the next. We do not assume what we will find. The walkthrough is where we look at the actual building, open the basement door, check the panel and the attic, and only then put a scope on paper.

Balloon framing matters for fire safety, so those open cavities get fire blocking as part of the work.

Older Attleboro buildings and what they hide

Roughly a quarter of the city's homes were built before 1940. In those buildings we plan for plaster on wood lath, framing that may be balloon style with open cavities running from basement to attic, and the occasional run of knob-and-tube wiring found once a wall is open. Balloon framing matters for fire safety, so those open cavities get fire blocking as part of the work.

Every one of those older homes predates 1978, which means lead-safe work practices under the EPA renovation rule are part of the plan from day one. Dust is contained, floors and adjoining rooms are protected, and cleanup at the end of the day is thorough because people are still living there.

In a multi-family building the shared walls and floors add another layer. Sound, fire separation between units and the plumbing stack that serves the apartment above all have to be worked out before demo starts, and the licensed electricians and plumbers come in on their own permits. Landlords get a schedule that accounts for when the other units need water and power.

Newer houses and the middle of the market

The median Attleboro home dates to 1972, and a bit more than one in ten went up after 2000. Those mid-century and newer houses ask for different things: a closed kitchen opened up, a finished basement with a proper egress window, a deck replaced before the ledger board gives out, a primary bath carved out of a hall closet and a spare room. Houses from the early seventies are old enough for lead paint and young enough that their framing is usually straightforward, which makes them good candidates for opening up a floor plan.

Whatever the house, the process is the same. A walkthrough, a written scope that describes the work in plain language, and one point of contact who returns calls. If something unexpected turns up behind a wall, you hear about it the same day along with what it means for the plan, and nothing extra gets built without your signature on it.

In a city, lots are often tighter than in the rural towns nearby, so building up can make more sense than building out. A second floor over an existing ranch or garage puts new load on old framing and an old foundation, and both get checked before the design is drawn. Footings for anything new go below frost depth, commonly about four feet.