Wilbraham's mid-century homes, updated to last

Wilbraham housing by the numbers

Census figures put Wilbraham's owner-occupied share at about 90 percent and its single-family share at about 83 percent. About 12 percent of homes predate 1940 and about one in ten went up after 2000, which leaves most of the town in mid-century houses: capes, ranches, colonials and split-levels.

Those houses tend to be well built and ready for the next round of work: kitchens closed off from living space, baths that have not changed in decades, original or early replacement windows, and basements that could become living space.

Call before you settle on a plan, and Steve will tell you honestly which parts are worth doing now.

Because most Wilbraham owners intend to stay, it often pays to look beyond the room you call about.

Kitchens, baths and finished basements

Opening a kitchen to the family room starts with confirming what the wall carries. If it is a bearing wall, a beam and posts are sized, permitted and inspected. Baths in houses this age often need new subfloor and waterproofing under the tile, and we check the framing before anything heavy goes on it.

Basements in many Wilbraham homes are poured concrete and can make good living space once water is ruled out. A bedroom needs egress, and on septic it brings a Title 5 design-flow review. Lead paint may be present in any house built before 1978, so demolition follows lead-safe work practices.

Exteriors on mid-century houses

Many Wilbraham houses are due for exterior work: siding that has faded or cracked, trim that has rotted at the corners, and windows that no longer seal. When siding comes off, we look at the sheathing and the sills underneath, because water that got behind the old siding often left damage nobody could see.

New windows set into old openings need flashing at the sill and the head and air sealing around the frame. Decks and porches get a ledger flashed against the house and footings below frost depth, commonly about four feet. Those details take more time than covering over the old work, and they are what keep the outside of the house sound for the next few decades.

Planning for the long run

Because most Wilbraham owners intend to stay, it often pays to look beyond the room you call about. If the bath above the kitchen will need work soon, running new plumbing while the ceiling is open can save tearing it out twice. We point those things out at the walkthrough and let you decide.

Wilbraham is about 72 miles west of Raynham. We plan with early selections, staged materials and a realistic schedule, and you hear from us as each stage finishes.

Interior work in Wilbraham's mid-century houses usually follows the same pattern. Kitchens get opened to the family room once we confirm what the wall carries, baths get new subfloor and waterproofing under the tile, and basements become living space once water is ruled out. A bedroom in the basement needs egress, and on septic it brings a Title 5 design-flow review. Lead paint may be present in any house built before 1978, so demolition follows lead-safe work practices. Each of those details is written into the scope, so you know before the work starts exactly what the job includes and what it does not.