The siding is a 7" Perfection Shingle in Red Cedar by Foundry, with matching corners.
The stone veneer is Top Rock in Realen by Stonecraft.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
The new back porch
The back porch was in such rough condition that we pulled off parts of it by hand when we first started working on the house. Six years later, it was the last major house project we hadn't tackled. A year after talking with a contractor, it's still not quite done, but that's a whole different story.
The siding is a 7" Perfection Shingle in Red Cedar by Foundry, with matching corners.
The stone veneer is Top Rock in Realen by Stonecraft.
The siding is a 7" Perfection Shingle in Red Cedar by Foundry, with matching corners.
The stone veneer is Top Rock in Realen by Stonecraft.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Dreaming of a new front porch
Now that spring is just weeks away and spring-like weather is already here, I'm thinking of how nice it will be someday to sit out on the front porch reading to the children or looking at the stars.
The existing porch is falling away from the house and the floorboards are rotting and, in some places, fallen right through. A remodeled porch has always been on our list since we decided to renovate the house, but it has been of lesser importance than essentials such as a new roof and basement windows.
The roof was completed last year, the windows should be replaced soon, so I'm beginning my front porch wishlist.
New columns as the old ones have rotted.
Remove the vinyl siding and replace with traditional porch spindles (which of the scads of styles possible is the question).
Railings high enough to keep the boys safe.
A simple swinging front gate to keep little ones on the porch.
Trex or other very durable floorboards. No use having to redo the porch again too soon.
Screen the whole porch in? It would be nice to keep mosquitoes and cats out, though I'm concerned about screening/frames looking too modern, blah or like an afterthought.
New front steps. Wider?
Extend the depth of the porch as much as possible under the existing roof so we can comfortably use the space with our existing porch furniture.
While I'm dreaming, I'd love to wrap around a corner/side of the house so we have a place to grill, even if that portion isn't roofed and is either open or with a orthopaedic over top.
A way to attach flower boxes to the railing? Definitely think about where hanging flower baskets, porch pots and bird feeder(s) will go.
Two or three clotheslines for drying across the length of the porch. Maybe retractable or high above seating areas. I can maybe install these as long as the carpenter gives me strong supports to which to attach them.
KEEP THE EXISTING, ORIGINAL BEADBOARD CEILING!
Paint the front door green?
I'm not sure what will look best for skirting. All I know is that I hate lattice. Actually I do know what would look best: fieldstone. But let's be reasonable about affordability. I've never seen a faux stone panel that doesn't look too fake for me, but I'll keep an open mind in case I have seen one on a house that looked so nice I didn't even realize it wasn't the real thing.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
This is how my home was meant to look!
Sort of.
This picture took my breath away. When it's late at night and everyone else is sleeping, the thought of shingles beginning to curl gets me thinking about a new roof, which gets me thinking about roofing materials and colors, which after time spent reviewing Consumer Reports gets me thinking about coordinating with shutters I don't even have, and a porch that is not remodeled either.
I learned that the style of our dormer is called a shed dormer. And that this 1920 builder's ad is gorgeous.
I feel like our house is farmhouse in the back, trying-to-be-a-bungalow in the front. Using even a few of the ideas from this home catalog picture would help our house look intentional. Someday.
I even like the name. The Marsden.
Further Googling tells me The Marsden was a kit from Aladdin Homes which was located in Bay City! This style was offered from 1912 to 1922. Apparently at least according to some random person posting, the home in this picture still stands a few blocks away from the Aladdin Homes factory. That tells me that the 1928 remodel of our house could truly have been inspired by this home. Either that or it was just a generically popular design in the '20s. Either way, it's cool.
Here's another version from the Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library web site. They have a collection of Aladdin documents.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Pictures of the new house
Some of you have asked to see pictures of the finished house. I was going to wait until we were all settled in with the house looking perfect, then realized that will never happen. Bob assures me you'll look past the cardboard boxes and messy closets.
Kitchen
These are the old kitchen cabinets, from 1929. They don't have fancy drawer glides or pull-out trays, but they work just fine for me. Keeping them was 5 parts sentimentality, 2 parts economy, and 1 part crazy. I think they are absolutely beautiful and the highlight of the house.
A lot of sweat went into bringing these cabinets back to life. They had a number of coats of paint though Great Grandma B. stripped them a couple decades ago. The frames had even more layers. We (and by we, I mean a little me, a little my brother, and mostly family friend Steve) spent hours stripping the doors and drawers over the winter in my parents' farm shop. Many gallons of stripper went into the restoration. Then Steve sanded, primed and painted them. I wanted them to be the color of butter.
I took on the cabinet hardware. I think I could have found suitable replacements to mimic the old style, but once I counted them up I realized it would get really expensive even if they were only a few bucks apiece. I tend toward keeping the old anyway, but these were in rough shape so I wasn't sure if I could. First I stripped them in my crock pot (see the old post about that). Then Addy, Bob, Mom and I used Brasso to clean them up. Finally I found a Rust-Oleum Hammered Copper spray paint and gave them a few coats. Finding new screws was as much a challenge as anything. That alone cost $50. There are 344 screws in the hardware!
Pat did some retrofitting of the cabinets to accomodate space for the dishwasher.
There are four recessed lights in the room, plus a vintage porcelain keyhole lamp over the sink (original to the house, but was in a different location) and the vintage light in the middle of the room that I found in my parents' garage. My brother-in-law enlisted Keystone Antiques in Marshall to find the missing parts for the fixture.
The dining room and living room are now basically one big room with only a header dividing them. We painted and carpeted them the same.
Someday this will be where we have a buffet, a nice dining table and maybe a china cabinet, but for the next 18 years it is our crowded school room full of books, puzzles and science kits. 
Office 
Hall
Bathroom
I call this Bob's shower, because he's usually the only one to use it. 
Girls' bedroom 
Guest room
Kitchen
These are the old kitchen cabinets, from 1929. They don't have fancy drawer glides or pull-out trays, but they work just fine for me. Keeping them was 5 parts sentimentality, 2 parts economy, and 1 part crazy. I think they are absolutely beautiful and the highlight of the house.
A lot of sweat went into bringing these cabinets back to life. They had a number of coats of paint though Great Grandma B. stripped them a couple decades ago. The frames had even more layers. We (and by we, I mean a little me, a little my brother, and mostly family friend Steve) spent hours stripping the doors and drawers over the winter in my parents' farm shop. Many gallons of stripper went into the restoration. Then Steve sanded, primed and painted them. I wanted them to be the color of butter.
I took on the cabinet hardware. I think I could have found suitable replacements to mimic the old style, but once I counted them up I realized it would get really expensive even if they were only a few bucks apiece. I tend toward keeping the old anyway, but these were in rough shape so I wasn't sure if I could. First I stripped them in my crock pot (see the old post about that). Then Addy, Bob, Mom and I used Brasso to clean them up. Finally I found a Rust-Oleum Hammered Copper spray paint and gave them a few coats. Finding new screws was as much a challenge as anything. That alone cost $50. There are 344 screws in the hardware!
Pat did some retrofitting of the cabinets to accomodate space for the dishwasher.
There are four recessed lights in the room, plus a vintage porcelain keyhole lamp over the sink (original to the house, but was in a different location) and the vintage light in the middle of the room that I found in my parents' garage. My brother-in-law enlisted Keystone Antiques in Marshall to find the missing parts for the fixture.
This is the opposite wall of the kitchen, with new cabinets. The house originally had a wood stove in the kitchen and refrigeration was accomplished by lowering butter and eggs to the basement through a pulley system in one of the kitchen cabinets (yes, I kept it!). Over time, a fridge and stove were added but with nothing built in and no cabinets around them. We added these few Michigan-made Merillat cabinets. Originally Pat was going to build some to match the old, but I decided I wanted contrast -- that look of the kitchen being added to over time -- and some stained wood.
The close-up is of the iron maple leaf and twig knobs and pulls that Addy spotted in a big box store. The flooring has faint leaves in it, including accurate sugar maple, and the counter top is a crackled brown that I'm pretending looks like a crackly fallen leaf after a long winter.
The breakfast nook is just off the kitchen. I wanted the chimney to be exposed. The arch was originally the opening between the living and dining rooms, but we opened up those rooms so they're used as one. This arch is such a beautiful feature of the house that we didn't want to lose it. Moving it here became the ideal solution. We bumped into what was a downstairs bedroom to steal space for this nook.
The breakfast nook is just off the kitchen. I wanted the chimney to be exposed. The arch was originally the opening between the living and dining rooms, but we opened up those rooms so they're used as one. This arch is such a beautiful feature of the house that we didn't want to lose it. Moving it here became the ideal solution. We bumped into what was a downstairs bedroom to steal space for this nook.
Bathroom
The vanity is the same as the kitchen cabinets and the countertop is the same crackled brown.
You can't see how pretty the vanity light is, but I think it is and I paid $4 for it at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Living room
It's hard to show in pictures how we opened up the space between the living room, dining room and kitchen when I can only show you choppy pictures of one part of the area at a time. At left is the entryway into the living room. I didn't want dirty shoes on the new carpet, so the entry is tiled with remnant tile from a furniture and flooring store.
It's hard to show in pictures how we opened up the space between the living room, dining room and kitchen when I can only show you choppy pictures of one part of the area at a time. At left is the entryway into the living room. I didn't want dirty shoes on the new carpet, so the entry is tiled with remnant tile from a furniture and flooring store.
At right are the kids in as much of the living room as I could get into one picture. It has a ceiling fan in the middle (currently awaiting rewiring) and two pendant lights so we can sit and read.
Dining room
The dining room and living room are now basically one big room with only a header dividing them. We painted and carpeted them the same.
Someday this will be where we have a buffet, a nice dining table and maybe a china cabinet, but for the next 18 years it is our crowded school room full of books, puzzles and science kits.
This arch was the walkway between the dining room and kitchen. That's all opened up now, so I asked Pat to set this out in front of the wall. I call it a wall niche. Eventually a nice portrait will hang in it.
Office
Ooh, I can't believe I'm showing you this. I still need to manage my computer cords and this room is chock full of unopened boxes waiting for me to put things away.
Hall
This was an enclosed stairway, so we opened it up. The house feels so much more open now. The stained glass window once hung in Maggie and Dick's house. When I mentioned the idea of using a transom window to get light to the dark hallway, they offered this. It looks perfect and we are thankful.
The quilt was a wedding gift from my sister Beth, which was completed in time for our 5th anniversary.
Bathroom
We took a very small bedroom and existing bathroom and turned them into one bathroom/laundry.
The maple leaves in the tub surround tile are made from leaves from the woods. I mailed them to an artist in Washington that I found on Etsy.com and he made these in exchange for some maple syrup. Aren't they fabulous?
I call this Bob's shower, because he's usually the only one to use it.
We love having the laundry upstairs. It only made sense to us to have the washer and dryer right where we dress. Now the laundry gets done since it's not hidden in the basement!
Master bedroom
Our room is long and narrow, but it's the biggest room in the house. I love the orange (it's called Chivalry Copper). I'm glad I ignored everyone who told me to paint the house a single neutral color for now. I know I never would have gotten to adding color in the future. I have kids underfoot! So we spent the time upfront and painted every room a fairly bold color.
The closet and sewing room was once a small bedroom. Pat opened it up so it adjoins the master bedroom. You don't get to see the sewing room half of it yet because it is all cardboard boxes so far.
Girls' bedroom
I had Pat do double closet rods with Addy's clothes on top and Dori's on the bottom.
Guest room
The main feature in the guest room is the wardrobe that was built for Great Aunt Lillian and lifted into the house through an upstairs window. I love it. We also exposed the chimney in this room. Other than that the room is empty until we get our twin beds from Reed City and do some shifting around of beds.
So that's most of the house! I'm not allowing you to see the mudroom until I unpack the boxes in there. I also strategically positioned the camera to avoid showing you other boxes throughout the house, so when those are taken care of I'll take more pictures later.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Thankful
I'm almost overwhelmed with the amount of work ahead of us as we finish our last bits of packing and move everything we own into the house.
I'm also thankful. One of my brothers will be helping us move, and bringing a family friend. A sister and her husband are coming to help and feeding the crew lunch. A nephew will join us Saturday. A neighbor offered to help. My mother-in-law will watch the girls and feed us dinner while my father-in-law helps with the boxes.
Others would make it if they could.
We are blessed.
I'm also thankful. One of my brothers will be helping us move, and bringing a family friend. A sister and her husband are coming to help and feeding the crew lunch. A nephew will join us Saturday. A neighbor offered to help. My mother-in-law will watch the girls and feed us dinner while my father-in-law helps with the boxes.
Others would make it if they could.
We are blessed.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Still to pack
If I don't make a list, it doesn't get done. I still need to pack:
- Items in sewing cabinet.
- Stray items in office.
- Computer! (wait until last minute)
- Seal up boxes in office closet.
- Top cupboard in hallway.
- Fabric in hall closet.
- Take apart the swingset.
- LLL stuff.
- Stray items from bedroom.
- Put clothes Bob and I need this week into big blue suitcase.
- Put clothes girls need this week into little pink suitcase.
- Items from top of Addy's dresser.
- Jewelry boxes.
- Outgrown clothes in basement.
- Clothes near washer/dryer.
- Cleaning supplies on basement shelves.
- Items above kitchen pantry.
- Cookbooks.
- Food from pantry. (Continue to eat up what's in fridge and freezer.)
- Last year's school books.
- Miscellany from basement.
- Clothespins and other laundry items.
My tiles are done!
I found an artist in Washington state on Etsy.com to make three maple leaf tiles for the bathtub surround. I'm trading for syrup. The tiles are done and will be shipped out soon. I can't wait to see them.
I sent him a stack of leaves from the Battel maple woods, so they will truly bring the woods into our house.
I think I managed to do a good job of getting the maples into the house as I wanted, yet without going overboard. The vinyl flooring has subtle maple leaves (among others) in it. The knobs on the new kitchen cabinets are maple leaves. The new kitchen cabinets and the bathroom cabinets are made of maple. The rooms are all painted the colors of autumn leaves, but toned down. The metal all over the house is a deep bronze, which reminds me of a tree trunk in winter (or the humusy material under the leaves year 'round). The shower door is a leaf pattern, though it's fairly abstract and not necessarily maple. I have two different styles of maple leaf curtain rods to go in some of the rooms. Anita gave me a cute maple tray, and Beth gave me some framed leaves and some cool steel leaf cut-outs that I may hang on the barn door. And that's all!
I'm not going for kitschy, so I will leave it at that and promise not to add more maple.
I sent him a stack of leaves from the Battel maple woods, so they will truly bring the woods into our house.
I think I managed to do a good job of getting the maples into the house as I wanted, yet without going overboard. The vinyl flooring has subtle maple leaves (among others) in it. The knobs on the new kitchen cabinets are maple leaves. The new kitchen cabinets and the bathroom cabinets are made of maple. The rooms are all painted the colors of autumn leaves, but toned down. The metal all over the house is a deep bronze, which reminds me of a tree trunk in winter (or the humusy material under the leaves year 'round). The shower door is a leaf pattern, though it's fairly abstract and not necessarily maple. I have two different styles of maple leaf curtain rods to go in some of the rooms. Anita gave me a cute maple tray, and Beth gave me some framed leaves and some cool steel leaf cut-outs that I may hang on the barn door. And that's all!
I'm not going for kitschy, so I will leave it at that and promise not to add more maple.
Friday, July 31, 2009
I am so sick of packing
I feel like I have accomplished a lot, yet there is still more to do. Bob has been taking some loads over to the farmhouse so we can at least move around this house without so many boxes in the way.
So far I've filled 4 large boxes for the yard sale. Yay! Dejunked house, here I come.
So far I've filled 4 large boxes for the yard sale. Yay! Dejunked house, here I come.
We thought we were immune.
Turns out that when people tell you your project will go up to 25% over budget and take longer than expected, they were right.
We thought we were immune.
We were not.
We thought we were immune.
We were not.
Moving date is now firm!
We're moving into the house Aug. 7.
We'll get the U-Haul truck Thursday afternoon and load as much as we can. We'll work all day Friday, and again Saturday morning. We'll take a break Saturday afternoon to attend a friend's wedding, then probably have more to do again on Sunday.
Then I will take a long nap.
We'll get the U-Haul truck Thursday afternoon and load as much as we can. We'll work all day Friday, and again Saturday morning. We'll take a break Saturday afternoon to attend a friend's wedding, then probably have more to do again on Sunday.
Then I will take a long nap.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Almost done!
So much has happened since I last posted! We've been busy finishing up the details of the house and packing for the move.
Here's what is left to do:
Here's what is left to do:
- Final building department inspection!
- Wash windows, including window frames.
- Mount recharge station in mudroom.
- Figure out shelving/hooks/cubbies for mudroom storage.
- Hang temporary curtain in downstairs bathroom (need a 24" tension rod).
- Fix oversized electrical boxes behind three porcelain wall sconces (girls' room and guest). Also fix sewing room ceiling. (Leigh coming Tuesday.)
- Repaint what Leigh fixes.
- Touch up copper paint along baseboard in downstairs bathroom.
- Touch up oops paint spots on all ceilings.
- See what's in box from cabinet company that's sitting on 18" kitchen cabinet and install.
- Wipe clean inside of kitchen cupboards.
- Make sure plumber finished downstairs bathroom sink sprayer and dishwasher installation.
- Turn on water heater (when it's inspected Thursday morning ask how).
- Clean vintage light fixtures that are already installed.
- Wait for Rejuvenation package to arrive (expected July 31) and install beaded chain fixture.
- Recoat trim under stair railings.
- Touch up golden fleece paint around stair railings and edge trim.
- Install stair railing for final inspection. Tighten handrail on left.
- Decide on internet service and arrange for installation.
- Wipe clean bathtub.
- See what's needed for new plugs on stove and dryer.
- Touch up blue paint around stained glass window in girls' room.
- Pick up any loose hardware around the house.
- Clean up linoleum scraps.
- If time, cut linoleum scraps for under sinks.
- General cleanup.
- Clean off front porch.
- Empty kitchen and upstairs bathroom cabinets.
- See what's wrong with vintage kitchen light (one of three bulbs not working).
- Install mailbox.
In preparation for the move:
- Green table is 34" wide. Check to see if there's enough space for comfortable seating in breakfast nook.
- Measure stairway to see if queen bed will fit upstairs (bed is 5' wide). If not, either devise complicated pulley system, dangerous ladder or loader tractor scheme, or panic.
- Double check width of downstairs bathroom. Room for huge open pantry (4'1" wide)? Also consider height.
- See if mudroom door will swing open wide enough with pantry in front of window (would start 11" from door and is 17" deep).
- See how long dining room wall is along stairwell. How many inches of bookcases will fit before it's open to railing?
- Line up U-Haul, vehicles and helpers.
- Hang room layouts so everyone knows what goes where.
Fat chance we'll have time, but if we do we should ...
- Repaint the green table legs to high-gloss Jersey Cream. Edge trim semi-gloss Dover White.
- Paint the preschool locker unit to match the dining room (either Blonde or semi-gloss Dover White).
- Hang pegboard in sewing room.
- Maybe repaint girls' closet doors correct Superwhite color if time.
- Stain the mailbox post.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Toady McToad came to visit
We've had the first toad on our kitchen floor. Addy found it in the yard and brought it in to show me. I'm sure it is the first of many.
Meanwhile the house is really looking like a home again. All ceilings are painted and all walls have one coat of paint. The girl's bedroom is finished except for electric, including final paint and carpet. The hallway and stairs are the same, except for railings. Our bedroom and closet need the final wall paint (trim is done), then the carpet being stored in the shed will be ready to install. Later Pat will put closet shelves and rods in both rooms.
The office has carpet, but not trim. The guest room has carpet and trim, but I need to paint the trim and the final wall coat. (I'm scared! I don't want to drip on the beautiful carpeting! I have drop cloths, but still.)
In the upstairs bathroom the cabinets are all in, flooring is installed, and tub and shower have been installed for awhile now. Yesterday the plumbers installed the shower door and it is as beautiful as I had hoped. Pat is finishing the tiling around the tub, and the Wisconsin artist will make the three maple leaf tiles to fill in the spaces Pat left for them. Once baseboard trim and trim around the window by the bathtub are done, I'll finish painting.
Most of the downstairs has farther to go. It needs all the trim, final paint and carpet. The vinyl is already installed from the mudroom through the bathroom, nook and kitchen.
Steve has been at the house the last two days. He's working on ceramic tile in the living room entryway. I found some nice boxes of remnant tile for $11 per box (99 cents per square foot), which was about a 90% savings from their original price. There was plenty to do the entry and we wouldn't have done it if we hadn't found such a good price. Hopefully it will protect the living room carpet when people come in with dirty shoes from the front porch.
Steve also worked more on painting the kitchen cabinet frames. Pat made the dishwasher opening, cut out the one small bin and matched the curve on the other side of the kitchen sink last week. He raised the countertop and got the countertops installed.
Bob brought back the kitchen cabinet doors and drawers last week that Steve had stripped and painted. Next they will be installed. Pat has to do some work to cut down the door that the dishwasher now replaces, make a new door to replace the large broken bin, etc.
I found a Rust-Oleum Hammered finish spray paint for the cabinet hardware and it looks great. We chose Copper, which looks really sharp. I put silicone spray on the backs of the turn knobs and they should be fine. Finding replacement screws was much harder than I expected. The originals are a #4 flathead brass screw, 5/8" long. And I needed 344 of them! Brass was a little harder to find than silver metals, #4 is a little less common than #6, and I never did find 5/8". I bought some 1/2" and some 3/4" inch and am hoping it works. I'm afraid the shorter will pull right out since the holes are established and that the longer will poke through the back. If that all fails, I have a source in Midland I can try for the exact right size.
Our other problem this week is so far off that it's almost funny. I ordered a U.S. Marble sink and countertop through Mortimer. It was supposed to have the one center faucet hole drilled, then a second hole off to the side for the soap dispenser. Despite Ashley's careful drawing and description, they managed to drill the hole wwwaaaaayyy off to the side, like at the edge of the countertop. So weird. I'd be mad if it weren't so crazy. They'll redo it, but it will be the beginning of July before we get the new one. A piece of paper was laying on the bad sink top when I saw it in our bathroom, so I only noticed that the soap dispenser hole was not by the sink area and thought they just missed it altogether. I was about to tell the plumber that I needed to have that taken care of when he told me my soap dispenser hole wouldn't work because it would be inside a drawer. That's when he lifted the paper and showed me the hole wasn't missing; it was just severely misplaced.
Oh, and we also need a new water pump. That's probably the most expensive news we've had in awhile, but neither Bob nor I was the least bit surprised given the age of everything.
Meanwhile the house is really looking like a home again. All ceilings are painted and all walls have one coat of paint. The girl's bedroom is finished except for electric, including final paint and carpet. The hallway and stairs are the same, except for railings. Our bedroom and closet need the final wall paint (trim is done), then the carpet being stored in the shed will be ready to install. Later Pat will put closet shelves and rods in both rooms.
The office has carpet, but not trim. The guest room has carpet and trim, but I need to paint the trim and the final wall coat. (I'm scared! I don't want to drip on the beautiful carpeting! I have drop cloths, but still.)
In the upstairs bathroom the cabinets are all in, flooring is installed, and tub and shower have been installed for awhile now. Yesterday the plumbers installed the shower door and it is as beautiful as I had hoped. Pat is finishing the tiling around the tub, and the Wisconsin artist will make the three maple leaf tiles to fill in the spaces Pat left for them. Once baseboard trim and trim around the window by the bathtub are done, I'll finish painting.
Most of the downstairs has farther to go. It needs all the trim, final paint and carpet. The vinyl is already installed from the mudroom through the bathroom, nook and kitchen.
Steve has been at the house the last two days. He's working on ceramic tile in the living room entryway. I found some nice boxes of remnant tile for $11 per box (99 cents per square foot), which was about a 90% savings from their original price. There was plenty to do the entry and we wouldn't have done it if we hadn't found such a good price. Hopefully it will protect the living room carpet when people come in with dirty shoes from the front porch.
Steve also worked more on painting the kitchen cabinet frames. Pat made the dishwasher opening, cut out the one small bin and matched the curve on the other side of the kitchen sink last week. He raised the countertop and got the countertops installed.
Bob brought back the kitchen cabinet doors and drawers last week that Steve had stripped and painted. Next they will be installed. Pat has to do some work to cut down the door that the dishwasher now replaces, make a new door to replace the large broken bin, etc.
I found a Rust-Oleum Hammered finish spray paint for the cabinet hardware and it looks great. We chose Copper, which looks really sharp. I put silicone spray on the backs of the turn knobs and they should be fine. Finding replacement screws was much harder than I expected. The originals are a #4 flathead brass screw, 5/8" long. And I needed 344 of them! Brass was a little harder to find than silver metals, #4 is a little less common than #6, and I never did find 5/8". I bought some 1/2" and some 3/4" inch and am hoping it works. I'm afraid the shorter will pull right out since the holes are established and that the longer will poke through the back. If that all fails, I have a source in Midland I can try for the exact right size.
Our other problem this week is so far off that it's almost funny. I ordered a U.S. Marble sink and countertop through Mortimer. It was supposed to have the one center faucet hole drilled, then a second hole off to the side for the soap dispenser. Despite Ashley's careful drawing and description, they managed to drill the hole wwwaaaaayyy off to the side, like at the edge of the countertop. So weird. I'd be mad if it weren't so crazy. They'll redo it, but it will be the beginning of July before we get the new one. A piece of paper was laying on the bad sink top when I saw it in our bathroom, so I only noticed that the soap dispenser hole was not by the sink area and thought they just missed it altogether. I was about to tell the plumber that I needed to have that taken care of when he told me my soap dispenser hole wouldn't work because it would be inside a drawer. That's when he lifted the paper and showed me the hole wasn't missing; it was just severely misplaced.
Oh, and we also need a new water pump. That's probably the most expensive news we've had in awhile, but neither Bob nor I was the least bit surprised given the age of everything.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Paint
We continue to paint. And paint. And paint.
Today I worked on more Kilz primer on wood trim and on painting the first coat of the upstair hall doorways. I also filled the stairway holes. It doesn't look like much progress, but we're getting there.
Today I worked on more Kilz primer on wood trim and on painting the first coat of the upstair hall doorways. I also filled the stairway holes. It doesn't look like much progress, but we're getting there.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Vote for Addy's picture in farm photo contest!
When Addy isn't playing in the maple woods or the hay loft, her other favorite place is in the barn at my family's dairy farm with Uncle Duane. Duane snapped a beautiful photo of Addy with a red-and-white Holstein calf this winter.
If you can, please take a second and vote here for Addy's photo to win the contest. The deadline is May 25. (Click on "Vote today!" Then Begin Survey. Hers is photo 5, child relaxing in straw with calf.)
If you can, please take a second and vote here for Addy's photo to win the contest. The deadline is May 25. (Click on "Vote today!" Then Begin Survey. Hers is photo 5, child relaxing in straw with calf.)
29 gallons of paint on the wall, 29 gallons of paint on the wall ...
... take one down, pass it around, 29 gallons of paint on the wall.
That's our tally so far: 29 gallons of primer and paint applied to the interior.
My wrists hurt.
I figure it will be about 40-50 total gallons when we're done.
Yesterday's progress: All ceilings are done with two coats. Basement entry is completely done. Bob finished the lower part of the hallway (only the upstair was ready before). Underside and edge of a few stud walls have one coat of white to separate the colors that will be on either side. Kitchen walls are cut in and have one coat.
To-do list: Living room and dining room walls. Then I'll see what colors we have plenty of and decide what to do in the office, mudroom and downstairs bathroom. I also want to see how the Blonde looks in the living and dining room before deciding.
That's our tally so far: 29 gallons of primer and paint applied to the interior.
My wrists hurt.
I figure it will be about 40-50 total gallons when we're done.
Yesterday's progress: All ceilings are done with two coats. Basement entry is completely done. Bob finished the lower part of the hallway (only the upstair was ready before). Underside and edge of a few stud walls have one coat of white to separate the colors that will be on either side. Kitchen walls are cut in and have one coat.
To-do list: Living room and dining room walls. Then I'll see what colors we have plenty of and decide what to do in the office, mudroom and downstairs bathroom. I also want to see how the Blonde looks in the living and dining room before deciding.
All primed
As of Saturday, May 16.
The downstairs is now all primed. Bob and I worked 10 hours today painting. In addition to the priming, we got the kitchen, dining and living room ceilings painted with the first coat of Dover White.
The whole house took 15 gallons of primer.
Tomorrow after church our goal is to get two coats on all the downstairs ceilings and one coat on the kitchen walls. Of course this all has to be done in time to get back home and watch the Survivor finale.
The downstairs is now all primed. Bob and I worked 10 hours today painting. In addition to the priming, we got the kitchen, dining and living room ceilings painted with the first coat of Dover White.
The whole house took 15 gallons of primer.
Tomorrow after church our goal is to get two coats on all the downstairs ceilings and one coat on the kitchen walls. Of course this all has to be done in time to get back home and watch the Survivor finale.
Loving my carpet deals
Deal #1:
Beautiful sage green carpet with ivory leaves, 12x17', $200 from Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Looks marvelous in the guest room, and there is enough left do to the office with minimal seaming. Spent the same as I was planning for a poor-quality remnant from local carpet store.
Bonus: Brand new with absolutely no signs of fleas, stains, crime scene blood or anything else I feared.
Deal #2:
Golden, plush, Mohawk remnant 12x20' from flooring store one town away. Will be just right in our bedroom and adjoining sewing room/closet.
Was planning to pay $300 for a nice carpet, but not the style I wanted, from local store. This was marked $279. Went to pay for it and was charged $213 including tax.
Beautiful sage green carpet with ivory leaves, 12x17', $200 from Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Looks marvelous in the guest room, and there is enough left do to the office with minimal seaming. Spent the same as I was planning for a poor-quality remnant from local carpet store.
Neighbor man who installed it deemed it "very good."
Bonus: Brand new with absolutely no signs of fleas, stains, crime scene blood or anything else I feared.
Deal #2:
Golden, plush, Mohawk remnant 12x20' from flooring store one town away. Will be just right in our bedroom and adjoining sewing room/closet.
Was planning to pay $300 for a nice carpet, but not the style I wanted, from local store. This was marked $279. Went to pay for it and was charged $213 including tax.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Somebody pinch me
We're at a stage with the renovation project that I didn't think I'd ever see. We have some color on the walls, one piece of carpet lying on a floor, and decisions made about the rest.
All winter long the house looked like a skeleton. We knew Pat was working hard on the rough-in and beefing up the structure, but they were all tasks that took time and didn't look a whole lot different from week to week unless you knew what to look for. Some fresh lumber appeared here and there every time we stopped by the house, which contrasted against the old.
Now we've reached the stage where every step makes the house look much more like a house. This week Leigh taped, mudded and sanded the downstairs. Pat subcontracted him to do this work while he focused on other things. Pat built the tub surround. The plumber was out to install the tub (Am I dreaming? The girls and I are super excited!). I picked out tile for the tub surround and apron, and even found an artist in Wisconsin who will make me three custom tiles with impressions of actual Battel maple leaves in exchange for some syrup. I might have him do two maple and one tile from the huge white pine by the road.
I actually wrote a check for 50 percent down on most of the vinyl and carpeting. I kept holding off in case I found a better carpet remnant for any of the rooms, though Bob didn't see why I couldn't just make a decision.
Last week Bob and I went to B.C. to get more paint. We had to take a detour and I noticed a Habitat for Humanity ReStore with a sign advertising a great bargain on brand new laminate flooring. I was disappointed to see that while it was a very nice value and enough for our living and dining room, all the stacks had SOLD on them. Instead we walked out with a brand new piece of 12x17 carpet that is perfect for the guest room. It's exactly the right color -- in fact the same sage color we had just painted the room earlier that day -- with pretty ivory leaves. It's a nice low-pile plush. The cost was the same as I would have paid for the much lower quality sage remnant I had picked out at our local carpet store. I think there will even be enough to do the office.
The first week of May we spent painting, painting, painting. Diane had the week off work, so the girls were with her from mid-morning to late evening most days. Bob was in the fields doing some test plot planting much of the week, so I painted upstairs while Leigh and Pat worked on the house in other ways.
Yesterday was a big day for the old house. Leigh sanded all the drywall and finished up the downstairs, so all walls are ready for us. Bob couldn't plant because of more recent rains, so he took the day off. We loaded up the girls in the morning and arrived at the house to meet up with the tree service. They took out the two big, dying maples by the front porch along the driveway. It was sad to see them go, but Mark was watching them and said many of the logs were rotted out inside. We had asked them to round up our bill to $1,000 and grind out as many stumps as they could for the price. They were able to remove everything in the front yard and side yard, and were charitable in throwing in a couple to have those areas completely cleared out. They said that price didn't include clean-up of the wood chips, which was fine with us because we could have taken care of it with several wheelbarrow loads. However, they had the equipment there to clean up the wood chips from the two big trees anyway, so they were kind enough to just take some scoops and do it anyway. Watching the two robot stump grinders at work was pretty cool.
Bob took the old linoleum floor out of the guest room yesterday in preparation for our neighbor, Tony, to install the carpet. He also pulled out the half of flooring that was left in the girls' room. Some old issues of the C.C. Chronicle and S. News were under the floor as padding. Bob found one from about 1983 advertising Return of the Jedi. He first noticed that X-rated movies were advertised right in the paper then. Wouldn't see that in a small town paper today.
Yesterday afternoon I dropped the girls at Brenda's house without warning and she was nice enough to let them stay for several hours while Bob and I worked. They painted fingernails and found morels in her yard.
We put the first coats of wall paint on the upstairs bathroom and our bedroom, so now everything upstairs has a completed ceiling (at least the ones that are white) and one coat of walls. While I went to order tile and scout out another carpet deal, Bob primed the kitchen. I joined in to help cut in the dining room and finish the breakfast nook. I also wore out my arms using Pat's wet/dry vac to suck the sanding dust off the drywall. I still have to do the office and mudroom/bathroom. This weekend we hope to get the downstairs all primed. I think we can get the ceilings all painted our Dover White, and I hope to get the kitchen walls covered with one coat so Pat can install the few new cabinets we're adding on a partial wall that have been in at the lumberyard for a few weeks now.
Yesterday it was fun (OK, tear-inducing) to see that Pat put up more of the old doors. He was able to adjust some of them to use for the pocket doors upstairs. The pocket doors are so much more space-saving than swinging doors would have been, but I wasn't eager to see plain, hollow-core doors hanging in them. Those are nice, but just don't fit the look of the farmhouse. That he made these work is so wonderful to me. He even used them for the girls' closet doors. He had to do some trimming on some, and adding on others. They all are in desperate need of new paint jobs anyway, so we'll paint over the changes. We have to decide whether to strip off some of the old paint for a smoother surface to fill in some dents and dings, or to just scrape off chips and paint over them. It's not my biggest priority right now. Because they're hanging, they're out of the way and we can always pull them down later to paint.
My only disappointment was to learn that Bob had burned the original front and back entry doors with the nine panes of glass. I thought he was kidding. I mentioned that seeing how Pat was able to use the interior doors for the upstairs pockets, maybe he could use two of those together for the wider kitchen pocket door. Bob said, "You don't mean the ones I burned, do you?" I couldn't believe he wasn't pulling my leg. He says I must have told him, and there had to have been some miscommunication because he wouldn't have done it without asking. I had planned to use one for a bench project I saw in a magazine, and even saved an old table for the legs. I wonder if I asked him to burn the junk on the front porch and he thought those were included. It's no use getting upset because he didn't realize I wanted them and they're gone now.
It's almost dawn now, and Addy has a soccer game scheduled. It's raining, so we'll see what happens to the game. Our plan was to take the girls to Brenda's after soccer so we could paint all day. If soccer is cancelled, maybe we'll just take them earlier.
All winter long the house looked like a skeleton. We knew Pat was working hard on the rough-in and beefing up the structure, but they were all tasks that took time and didn't look a whole lot different from week to week unless you knew what to look for. Some fresh lumber appeared here and there every time we stopped by the house, which contrasted against the old.
Now we've reached the stage where every step makes the house look much more like a house. This week Leigh taped, mudded and sanded the downstairs. Pat subcontracted him to do this work while he focused on other things. Pat built the tub surround. The plumber was out to install the tub (Am I dreaming? The girls and I are super excited!). I picked out tile for the tub surround and apron, and even found an artist in Wisconsin who will make me three custom tiles with impressions of actual Battel maple leaves in exchange for some syrup. I might have him do two maple and one tile from the huge white pine by the road.
I actually wrote a check for 50 percent down on most of the vinyl and carpeting. I kept holding off in case I found a better carpet remnant for any of the rooms, though Bob didn't see why I couldn't just make a decision.
Last week Bob and I went to B.C. to get more paint. We had to take a detour and I noticed a Habitat for Humanity ReStore with a sign advertising a great bargain on brand new laminate flooring. I was disappointed to see that while it was a very nice value and enough for our living and dining room, all the stacks had SOLD on them. Instead we walked out with a brand new piece of 12x17 carpet that is perfect for the guest room. It's exactly the right color -- in fact the same sage color we had just painted the room earlier that day -- with pretty ivory leaves. It's a nice low-pile plush. The cost was the same as I would have paid for the much lower quality sage remnant I had picked out at our local carpet store. I think there will even be enough to do the office.
The first week of May we spent painting, painting, painting. Diane had the week off work, so the girls were with her from mid-morning to late evening most days. Bob was in the fields doing some test plot planting much of the week, so I painted upstairs while Leigh and Pat worked on the house in other ways.
Yesterday was a big day for the old house. Leigh sanded all the drywall and finished up the downstairs, so all walls are ready for us. Bob couldn't plant because of more recent rains, so he took the day off. We loaded up the girls in the morning and arrived at the house to meet up with the tree service. They took out the two big, dying maples by the front porch along the driveway. It was sad to see them go, but Mark was watching them and said many of the logs were rotted out inside. We had asked them to round up our bill to $1,000 and grind out as many stumps as they could for the price. They were able to remove everything in the front yard and side yard, and were charitable in throwing in a couple to have those areas completely cleared out. They said that price didn't include clean-up of the wood chips, which was fine with us because we could have taken care of it with several wheelbarrow loads. However, they had the equipment there to clean up the wood chips from the two big trees anyway, so they were kind enough to just take some scoops and do it anyway. Watching the two robot stump grinders at work was pretty cool.
Bob took the old linoleum floor out of the guest room yesterday in preparation for our neighbor, Tony, to install the carpet. He also pulled out the half of flooring that was left in the girls' room. Some old issues of the C.C. Chronicle and S. News were under the floor as padding. Bob found one from about 1983 advertising Return of the Jedi. He first noticed that X-rated movies were advertised right in the paper then. Wouldn't see that in a small town paper today.
Yesterday afternoon I dropped the girls at Brenda's house without warning and she was nice enough to let them stay for several hours while Bob and I worked. They painted fingernails and found morels in her yard.
We put the first coats of wall paint on the upstairs bathroom and our bedroom, so now everything upstairs has a completed ceiling (at least the ones that are white) and one coat of walls. While I went to order tile and scout out another carpet deal, Bob primed the kitchen. I joined in to help cut in the dining room and finish the breakfast nook. I also wore out my arms using Pat's wet/dry vac to suck the sanding dust off the drywall. I still have to do the office and mudroom/bathroom. This weekend we hope to get the downstairs all primed. I think we can get the ceilings all painted our Dover White, and I hope to get the kitchen walls covered with one coat so Pat can install the few new cabinets we're adding on a partial wall that have been in at the lumberyard for a few weeks now.
Yesterday it was fun (OK, tear-inducing) to see that Pat put up more of the old doors. He was able to adjust some of them to use for the pocket doors upstairs. The pocket doors are so much more space-saving than swinging doors would have been, but I wasn't eager to see plain, hollow-core doors hanging in them. Those are nice, but just don't fit the look of the farmhouse. That he made these work is so wonderful to me. He even used them for the girls' closet doors. He had to do some trimming on some, and adding on others. They all are in desperate need of new paint jobs anyway, so we'll paint over the changes. We have to decide whether to strip off some of the old paint for a smoother surface to fill in some dents and dings, or to just scrape off chips and paint over them. It's not my biggest priority right now. Because they're hanging, they're out of the way and we can always pull them down later to paint.
My only disappointment was to learn that Bob had burned the original front and back entry doors with the nine panes of glass. I thought he was kidding. I mentioned that seeing how Pat was able to use the interior doors for the upstairs pockets, maybe he could use two of those together for the wider kitchen pocket door. Bob said, "You don't mean the ones I burned, do you?" I couldn't believe he wasn't pulling my leg. He says I must have told him, and there had to have been some miscommunication because he wouldn't have done it without asking. I had planned to use one for a bench project I saw in a magazine, and even saved an old table for the legs. I wonder if I asked him to burn the junk on the front porch and he thought those were included. It's no use getting upset because he didn't realize I wanted them and they're gone now.
It's almost dawn now, and Addy has a soccer game scheduled. It's raining, so we'll see what happens to the game. Our plan was to take the girls to Brenda's after soccer so we could paint all day. If soccer is cancelled, maybe we'll just take them earlier.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Bought the primer
Yeah, Bob was thrilled when he pulled up with the van to see the Sherwin-Williams guy hauling three 5-gallon buckets of primer out for us on a dolly. It is a little overwhelming to see that much paint at one time, and to think that we have to apply it all.
This is only about half the primer we'll need for the house. The very helpful assistant manager Rick estimated we'll need 20-30 gallons to prime the whole house. I don't even want to know how much actual paint we'll need. I'm not ready to hear that yet.
Much of the house has drywall, but not all of the downstairs is done. Bob asked Pat to focus on taping, mudding and sanding the upstairs so we can have something to get started painting while Diane has a week off work. He's working away at it, then he'll go back to finishing the downstairs drywall.
I think I have most of our carpet picked out, so I'm safe to pick out paint colors now. I narrowed it down from 1,000 in the sample book to about 300 of my favorites. Sheesh. From there I now only have about a dozen top choices for each room. Gee I can make a process long and tedious.
Color is important though. There is a lot to consider. Really.
This is only about half the primer we'll need for the house. The very helpful assistant manager Rick estimated we'll need 20-30 gallons to prime the whole house. I don't even want to know how much actual paint we'll need. I'm not ready to hear that yet.
Much of the house has drywall, but not all of the downstairs is done. Bob asked Pat to focus on taping, mudding and sanding the upstairs so we can have something to get started painting while Diane has a week off work. He's working away at it, then he'll go back to finishing the downstairs drywall.
I think I have most of our carpet picked out, so I'm safe to pick out paint colors now. I narrowed it down from 1,000 in the sample book to about 300 of my favorites. Sheesh. From there I now only have about a dozen top choices for each room. Gee I can make a process long and tedious.
Color is important though. There is a lot to consider. Really.
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