Plath & Company wins National Contractor of the Year Award from Nari for San Francisco remodel

SAN RAFAEL, CA(March 29, 2006)Plath & Company General Contractors has won a National 2006 Contractor of the Year (COTY) Award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) for its remodel of a 1905 Presidio Terrace home in San Francisco. NARI, the nation's premier remodeling association, recognized Plath & Company as the national winner in the category of –Residential Addition over $250,000.” Plath & Company also won the NARI San Francisco Bay Area Chapter 2006 Contractor of the Year (COTY) award for the same remodel.

The national NARI award showcases Plath's extensive remodeling of the elegant turn-of-the-century home, including the addition of a new kitchen, family room, and master bath. In making the award, NARI cited Plath's superior craftsmanship, innovative uses of material, and aesthetic enhancement of the existing structure. The architect for the project is Andrew Skurman Architect, San Francisco. Susan Dossetter, the homeowner, was also the Interior Designer.

Plath & Company is known for its fine custom home building, as well as the restoration and remodeling of landmark residential properties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Plath & Company (www. plathco.com) is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

–We are honored to receive a national NARI award for our work on this beautiful residence,” said Bill Ballas, Vice President of Plath & Company. –The entire addition was constructed with great attention to detail and exacting finishes.”

The Presidio Heights home was originally designed in San Francisco's pre-earthquake days by Frank Van Trees, a prominent architect. For the remodel, Plath & Company demolished the existing garage and kitchen and reconstructed a new two story yellow brick addition over a basement. To make room for the new structure, Plath lowered the rear yard by approximately 10 feet and underpinned the existing property line retaining wall, resulting in a 24' high rear retaining wall.

Other features of the addition include:

• A neoclassic gourmet kitchen with decorative plaster ceiling, cabinets with furniture like detail and hand planed hardwood floors
  
• A family room with a custom built stone fireplace with herring bone brick interior and hearth. The fireplace has a smoke –scrubber” that eliminates all wood burning emissions
  
• A master bath with a mosaic tile heated floor and a gas fireplace.
  
• To meet strict seismic requirements, the new addition was constructed with oversized concrete retaining walls in the basement and two story steel moment frames for the above ground structure