GLOVERSVILLE - The house at 27 Wilson St. is barely recognizable today from what it looked like a few months ago when green paint was peeling off wood siding.
Now, with a new roof and rafters and blue vinyl, insulated siding, Habitat for Humanity volunteers and future homeowner Francine Nunziata have the toughest work behind them after starting about a year ago.
John Mott, volunteer architect on the project, said he's hoping the family can move in by February 2012.
"The more we uncovered, the more work we needed to do. So rather than retreat, we forged ahead," Mott said.
For instance, a corner in the back of the house that was described as "spongy" turned out to be unattached, Mott said, and he found that an addition to the house widened it past its original frame.
It may have been easier and faster to build a new house, but rehabilitating an old, foreclosed structure benefits the community.
"There are so many houses in disrepair or foreclosure. To add another house to the inventory would not be a smart thing," said Habitat for Humanity Fulton County President Bob Eadicicco.
Mott said much of the work has been getting the house up to code. It was built before many of the safety requirements today. The house was built in the late 1800s with a balloon frame, meaning each 2-by-3-inch stud is one piece from the foundation to the roof. In the event of a fire, that would cause the flames to spread fast up the house, so volunteers installed fire blocks in all the walls to bring the house up to code.
Habitat volunteers now will spend eight hours each Saturday installing windows and adding insulation and wallboard. From there, crews will paint and put the finishing touches on the interior. The porch also needs to be completed.
Lauren Smouse and Karla Chun, both 17 and of Gloversville, met working on Saturdays on the house and have been working there each weekend for months,
"We went searching for a Habitat [project]," Smouse said of her mother and herself. "We thought we'd have to go to Albany."
Chun said she's enjoyed learning construction skills through volunteering.
Rich Karlson, a retired mechanic, and his daughter Megan act as site supervisors.
"You wind up meeting a lot of nice people," Karlson said.
Eadicicco stressed the program does not offer a "hand out" and that beneficiaries must be working and are lent a mortgage with payments dependent on their incomes.
Nunziata had ruled out being able to own a house while paying pack her student loans.
"All I can do is smile because it's a dream I didn't think would happen. I thought we'd be renters forever," Nunziata said.
The family is also required to complete 500 hours of "sweat equity" as a down payment, which can include working on their own home, another Habitat home or other community services.
The two-story, three-bedroom, one-bath home at 27 Wilson St. was donated by SSP Capital Partners, a property management company from Maryland.
