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New Reston-Based Business Aims to Restore Reston’s Foundation

Writer's picture: The Reston Letter StaffThe Reston Letter Staff

Updated: Jul 19, 2024

By Ellyn Wexler, Staff Writer


With this year's celebration of Reston’s 60th anniversary, the community's foundation – its original homes – takes on a special focus. Native Restonian David Michaelson and

George Railey, experts in restoration and construction of home exteriors, have intimate knowledge of what it takes to keep Reston standing.

One of their primary goals in starting Michaelson Railey Improvements in December was to restore homes in Reston and other Northern Virginia communities, replacing the

original and often rotted wood with materials that look natural and organic, but will withstand time and weather. An alumnus of Terraset Elementary and Herndon High schools, helped build the first new house in Ashburn in the 1980s as well as the houses behind Herndon

High School. “From my office in the Hartke building in Reston, I can see the business where my mom worked when we moved here in 1981,” he said.

Michaelson, still living in Reston, and Railey, who lives in Frederick, Maryland, worked together at a similar business for two years. “We were the top sales guys at that company,”

Michaelson said.

The duo proposed a partnership to that company, which would mean establishing a Virginia satellite office. Although that didn’t materialize, over the course of the negotiations

came the basis of their company. “We learned how we interact as partners. As George said, ‘It worked out 1000 percent,’” Michaelson said. “George hooks and lands them, and I cook and fry them.”

On that basis, they decided to go off on their own. Coincidentally, both men had previously been in restaurant management, which gave them skills – inventory, materials, organization -- to apply to their new company.

“Roofing is our bread and butter, what we do best, but we are also very knowledgeable about siding, gutters, windows, anything on exterior remodeling,” Michaelson said, noting that handyman services will tie in with the maintenance plan they are developing.

Michaelson is proud of the synthetic shake shingle roof they recently put on a single family home on Lake Anne, and of recouping $17,000 from the insurance company to replace the wind damaged roof. “I told the young couple, "their granddaughter will see that beautiful roof when she gets married in their backyard,” he said. “What separates us from other companies?” Michaelson asked. “Every company says quality and price, of course, but for us, it’s the fact that we fix our own mistakes.” Reputation is of supreme importance to both men. “I never have to turn the corner to avoid people. We explain ourselves right up front. We’re doing the right thing for the right reason,” he explained. “When Reston started, they used a lot of wood to build the houses,” Michaelson noted. “The problem is that wood rots – those cedar shake, wood shingles and siding that gave the houses their log cabin pure look. The builders didn’t take into account what would happen 30, 40, 50 years later. The humidity from our lakes and big trees speeds up the rot.”

What these self-described “roof and code nerds” do is use materials that don’t deteriorate according to the updated codes. “Natural organic products are great, but we need to keep the houses standing,” he said. Michaelson recommends yearly inspections of the home’s exterior to evaluate and address any issues, especially areas that allow moisture in the home that need to be sealed. “We know what is acceptable and what isn’t. The quality of every detail is important." The plan is – eventually – to include the partners’ families in their business. Michaelson’s son Diego, 11, who will start sixth grade at Terraset in September, has already demonstrated some of his father’s acumen. “He rides the same bike trails and carries a fishing pole just like I did when I was a kid growing up in Reston. He gets up on the roof with me, and sets up my ladder. He knows how gutters and downspouts work,” Michaelson said.

Diego is also the proprietor of Gogo’s Lemonade stand that operates the week before school starts on the corner of Ridge Heights Road and South Lakes Drive. Although less than a year old, Michaelson Railey Improvements is growing. “Now we do only lightinterior stuff like bathroom vanity and toilet, drywall. We want to build up to full interior remodeing,” he said. And after that, the sky’s the limit, he mused – “Michaelson Railey Inc., Investments, Insurance, Commercial, Apartment Buildings, Development...”



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