Mitch Heinrichs and Mary, his wife of 41 years, came to Door County from
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, to visit Mary’s cousin who happens to
live on Spring Road in Fish Creek. Although the couple had not traveled
in Door County extensively, they loved the area. As they made their way
down the road, Mitch noticed a for sale sign in front of the abandoned
quarry. He looked at his wife and by the time they returned home from
their visit, the wheels were in motion. “It was one of the few times
in our marriage both of us instantly knew it was right,” Mitch jokes.
With the property securely theirs, Mitch and Mary now had the difficult
task of drawing up plans and finding out just how they could incorporate
all they wanted out of a retirement home into their unique setting. A
self-described amateur architect, Mitch set to work on the house plans.
Taking inspiration from a trip to the French countryside, he tried to
incorporate the things they most enjoyed architecturally into their new
home. Wrought iron railings, banisters and a large, domed turret suggest
European influences.
As one can imagine, building anything in a stone quarry would have its
challenges, let alone a year-round, family home that is actually level!
The rock bed is naturally uneven and with no hope of going down to put
in a foundation, it was a tricky process.
After much research, Mitch settled on an up-and-coming area of construction
called ICF, Insulating Concrete Forms. This is an exciting arena of building
that offers many advantages for the homeowner. ICF building consists of
large, hollow Styrofoam blocks stacked together to create the perimeter
of the home. The blocks are then filled with steel reinforcement bars
(rebar) and concrete to create a solid, vapor-free, energy-efficient home.
Some of the benefits include the fact that there are no drafts or cold
spots in an ICF home. Nothing blows through concrete, and the Styrofoam
acts as built-in insulation. Since temperatures throughout the home stay
constant, the energy savings are significant. Mitch says the cost of construction
is about 20 to 30 percent higher than a traditional, stick-built home,
but that cost can more than be recovered in energy savings over the next
few years. With ICF homes, the second floor is actually hung within the
ICF blocks, ensuring that no outside air blows in. Mitch actually had
to put in a separate ventilation system to ensure that stale air and carbon
monoxide could be forced out. Considering that building with ICF can save
more than eight trees per home and reduce energy costs by up to 40 percent,
ICF could become a viable environmental building alternative.
With all systems go, the Heinrichs were ready to get started on their
retirement project. The first order of business was to get the site ready
for construction, which meant moving several piles of rock and dirt to
different locations. The site itself is on four acres of land, most of
which, obviously, is rock. Toward the rear of the property, perched on
top of the quarry’s back wall, is a beautiful wooded area. After
clearing the area and settling on the exact spot, Mitch literally built
the house into that back wall. Large portions of the quarry wall run the
back length of the house making a stunning, natural feature within the
home. One challenge that arose was cutting the ICF blocks to fit exactly
onto the uneven rock floor. This process took a few days but once it was
finished and level, the rest went up without problems.
Mitch estimates that when all is said and done, the total amount of concrete
used for this project will be somewhere upwards of 250 tons. Even with
our occasional Door County windstorm, the Heinrichs can be assured that
they will feel none of its effects!
One would assume that with such a large undertaking, the contractors and
subs would be swarming the quarry day and night. Such is not the case
with this project. Mitch has been a professional tile setter in the industry
and in his own business for more than 25 years, so he assumed the general
contracting duties. “I did the plans, now I needed to know how to
build it.” To find his labor, Mitch has relied on the community
at large. “Everyone has been so nice,” Mitch says with a huge
smile. “People are interested in such an unusual project and have
been so helpful with ideas for tradesmen and solutions to whatever problems
may come up.”
One such problem was the large, round window on the second floor of the
house. Mitch loved the look of the window but had trouble figuring out
how to shore up the frame to prevent leaking while pouring large amounts
of concrete to fill the ICF block around it. On the advice of a neighbor,
Mitch went down the road to see Cy Turnbladh from Hands On Art Studio.
Cy has experience in metal sculpture and between the two men, they created
a device that did the trick. By word of mouth Mitch has found many artisans
while in local gas stations, coffee shops, and restaurants – and
he’s proud of what a community effort this has been. “I think
everyone in the town of Fish Creek has been through the house,”
Mitch says. With every conversation comes a new idea or the name of someone
that can help on the job.
The interior of the home is large and spacious. Taking advantage of their
location, a large portion of the interior flooring is the natural, flagstone
quarry bed. Combined with the back rock wall, it gives an inviting, organic
feel to the space. Throughout the house, there are wrought iron railings
from local welder Joe Biwer keeping the area open and available for the
nearly 360 degree views.
Mitch credits Wulf Brothers with crafting a very intricate, zoned, in-floor
heating system throughout the entire first floor. This will essentially
heat the home along with a baseboard heating system on the second floor.
One look into the utility room and you are reminded of NASA’s control
room. Mitch assures me that he is well acquainted with how things are
set up, as he has been involved in every aspect of the project. “Whatever
I don’t know I ask them to teach me. I work hard and learn fast.”
With four children and 11 grandchildren, the Heinrichs are looking forward
to moving into the new space. Most of their family and friends have been
up to help on the project at one time or another, and it has really turned
into a lasting legacy for Mitch and Mary. At this point it is still a
work in progress and something that the couple have truly immersed themselves
in. It is obvious from talking to them how much fun they are having. Building
their retirement dream home is definitely about the journey, not the destination.
Mitch enjoys the fact that since he did the plans himself, changes along
the way are easy and stress free. “After all,” as Mary succinctly
puts it, “nothing is set in stone.”
