Townsman, 1991-04, Page 16Making a home your own
Professional advice makes
home renovating easier
by Bonnie Gropp
There is a degree of satisfaction in a
job complete for the home renovator,
but even the most adventurous of the
do-it-yourselfers knows when to call
for help.
When'Joe and Joyce Essery decided
to make changcs in their Vanastra
home, Joe was confident he would be
able to complete most of the work
himself. An auto body mechanic by
trade, he was more than capable of
working with his hands and viewed
the task as only a small challenge.
The Esscrys moved to Vanastra from
nearby Clinton in 1981 and knew
almost immediately what they
planned to do with their home. A
semi-detached unit in thc area where
the officers of this one-time military
base lived, the tiny living room need-
ed to be expanded, and like most peo-
ple the couple also wantcd to make
the kitchcn their own. Always one of
the most uscd, and abused, rooms in a
home, the Esscrys decided thc renova-
tion of the kitchen should be the num-
ber one project. That job proved a
little morc than the pair had bargained
for. With the bathroom located direct-
ly above the kitchcn, there was a lot
more plumbing work involved in the
kitchcn renovation than had originally
been planned.
As well, a wall was tom down open-
ing the arca to the dining space and
new cupboards were installed. Living
with a mess was not always easy and
Joyce said there were times whcn it
was hard to face coming home. But,
eventually it was finished and there
was tremendous satisfaction in seeing
what they had accomplished. The only
job not done by Joe and Joyce was
the drywalling, but after watching the
professionals Joe decided that when
they went ahead with the addition to
the living room he would give that
14 TOWNSMAN/APRIL-MAY 1991
Joe and Joyce Essery have a special appreciation for the new addition to the
living room of their Vanastra home. Most of the renovations were done by the
Esserys.