Raleigh Woman Gets New Deck from Remodeler’s Council

In October, 77-year-old Mary Bobbitt took the first swing at bringing down the screened-in porch that caused her so many frustrations. Mary has gotten a new screened-in porch and deck thanks to the Remodelers Council, a group that’s part of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County.

The Remodelers Council, which Eddie Casanave co-founded in 1993, reached out to ABC11 News after seeing the mess Mary was left with when she paid an unlicensed contractor $18,000 to build her a screened-in porch and deck. Licensed contractors said the entire structure was built incorrectly and is unsafe.

But thanks to the Remodelers Council, Mary is finally getting her dream.

“I’m just so happy I just don’t know what to do,” Mary said.

In September, licensed contractors and many volunteers demolished Mary’s unsafe screened-in porch and deck the unlicensed contractor built. Volunteers came out from a number of local groups, including Habitat for Humanity, Paradise Found Construction, Residential Construction Resources, Paragon Building Group, Triangle Pest Control, Level Homes, and Network Electrical Services of Raleigh. Even the ABC11 cameraman, Nick, got in on some action and ended up staying for several hours to help! Watch the ABC11 news clip here.

Luckily, most of the wood from the old deck was able to be salvaged, with extra supplies sent off with Habitat to be repurposed for their use. Although the rainy weather really put a damper on the schedule, the Remodelers Council should be finishing up the project in the coming days. Stay tuned to ABC 11 News for an update when it all gets done.  Pictures of Mary’s new deck have also been posted at the Remodelers Council’s Facebook page. Watch Channel 11’s ABC Video below.