By Duane St. Clair

Slowly, surely and now steadily Ron and Rebecca Specht’s remodeling odyssey is coming to an end. At some point.

Since the mid-1990s, the couple’s original 900-square-foot ranch on North West Street in Westerville has been transformed into a 2,900-square-foot, two-story residence. Ron, a lifelong worker in construction and remodeling, has done much of the work himself.

The Spechts bought the two-bedroom, one-bath home to expand it for resale and set up their retirement. At that time, the house was outside of Westerville in Blendon Township and had a well and septic tank. It has since been annexed to the city, and has water and sewer service.

The couple envisioned features they wanted and had Columbus architect Gene Milhoan prepare plans that incorporated his style, such as extra large windows. Ron says their nearly 1-acre, tree-lined parcel is across the street from acres of vacant land – part of which is used by Otterbein College for athletic team practices – with a view that goes for miles. The field is bordered on one side by wooded wetlands that will remain untouched.

To live in the home while the rebuilding took place, Ron built a “temporary” residence in the basement, which included a full kitchen, full bath, bedroom and living room. Rebecca’s father Bill Fleck, although not a mason, built a brick fireplace, which fits well into the home that was originally built in the 1930s. Ron says the fireplace heated the home “for many, many years” until a forced air furnace and air conditioner were installed.

For 10 years, Ron, Rebecca and their daughter lived in the basement as work went on around them. Their daughter used an upstairs bedroom but had to go outside to access it, because the basement stairs were removed to create a better living area. Another staircase was added eventually for the upstairs remodeling.

The expansion required building foundation walls (some with concrete blocks, some poured) to expand the footprint of the home, so the tall walls and roof creating the second floor could be built. The front entry features a retaining wall and curved steps made of pavers and a slate deck outside the front door, also the handiwork of his father-in-law.


While he’s a tradesman, Ron didn’t do all the structural work himself. Many friends and family pitched in over the years. He hired framers to install specially-built rafters, which are tied to a large beam that spans the length of the home. This creates a cathedral ceiling from front to rear.

Insulation and energy control have been first and foremost in the Spechts’ planning.
Icylene, a type of foam, was blown into all the walls and the high ceiling over the great room, as well as an open second floor workspace Rebecca wanted.

Ceiling fans are controlled via thermostat. Ron says “there’s not 2 degrees difference” in the temperature between the upper floors, which he attributes to the energy-conservation features.

The great room extends the length of the home with a modern kitchen to one side. It features the latest appliances and granite countertops, one with a stool-height counter. A dining area in the great room has a table for eight. With wood floors, furniture can be moved in the great room to allow more space for guests to mingle. The original bedrooms have been redone and expanded; Ron built himself an office just inside the front door.

At the rear, a sunroom, which they call a bonus room, was added. It ties to an existing deck, which has been given maintenance repairs. Large windows in the room allow a view of the expansive back yard and tree line that creates privacy from neighboring homes.

In late summer, Ron put finishing touches on an outdoor kitchen professionally built where an above-ground swimming pool had been. Ron also took down foundation walls made of round stones and cleaned and used them to build a waterfall and pond.

Ron, who appears on home improvement shows on Sundays on WCMH-TV, has done all the trim work and much more. Many times, his home project of the week was something he repeated on television.

During the remodel, the Spechts stopped work to focus on their health, which took longer than anticipated.

“I’ve turned a two-year project into 12 years,” he says of the work he has done in “two-day chunks.” The “12 years” is a figure of speech for Ron, who acknowledges the work has been underway for at least three more than that.

The biggest remaining project is the master bedroom suite, which has been roughed in just off the second-floor work area. It will have a large bath with Jacuzzi, a walk-in closet and a small loft, accessible via specially-built stairs with bookshelves under them. It’s all the sort of work that Ron does and enjoys.

With the end in sight, the couple still envisions selling the finished product – a “labor of love,” Ron calls it – and moving into a condominium unit, where he’ll have to keep busy doing small projects for others.

Duane St. Clair is a contributing editor for Westerville Magazine.