tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74460601134207656442024-02-20T18:30:57.760-08:00Vicariously VictorianK. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-88918893193169898492010-05-15T23:27:00.000-07:002010-05-16T21:02:53.295-07:00The Floors!<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Finally, the Floors!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This project has been by far our most eagerly anticipated endeavor. Before we made an offer on the house, I pulled up a loose corner of carpet in the office, and it looked like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEXQO0Q2sTK35Tb1sRGNAIb-g7zS-vi2yIeAYq5kXICChOAsqlyDSo-D_vAQlisk7NCZ-FC64uwjx4eNNUy2_esjGVvrToehYaOUk5zyaeyq2DGduWQtH_jLvjtz6njrLoRslW8Yxgl66/s1600/DSCI0272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEXQO0Q2sTK35Tb1sRGNAIb-g7zS-vi2yIeAYq5kXICChOAsqlyDSo-D_vAQlisk7NCZ-FC64uwjx4eNNUy2_esjGVvrToehYaOUk5zyaeyq2DGduWQtH_jLvjtz6njrLoRslW8Yxgl66/s400/DSCI0272.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I thought, “Hmm, this does not look like a classic episode of Trading Spaces.” I was disappointed and confused. On TV, they just roll back the carpet and the floor underneath is beautiful and breathtaking. Everyone cheers and wonders aloud how anyone could have covered up such a beautiful floor with carpet. Not this floor. After tearing out the carpet, this is how it looked:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBIeQ9uZ0tkFN5BGOcf4GSSx453zXThPpQwJtjM73-89GOD2SfsvfD7nDc3OfSGp6qfF6cNrIKFr9p3RGAqZHS7GcculE4HuG5HF_nBWQhE3O7tP9_twsNilrehFnc6YDTW7H4js0_XUD/s1600/DSCI0651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBIeQ9uZ0tkFN5BGOcf4GSSx453zXThPpQwJtjM73-89GOD2SfsvfD7nDc3OfSGp6qfF6cNrIKFr9p3RGAqZHS7GcculE4HuG5HF_nBWQhE3O7tP9_twsNilrehFnc6YDTW7H4js0_XUD/s400/DSCI0651.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We just lived with it until we could find a good solution, which was much more difficult than I expected. I looked online for wood refinishing specialists in my area and found none. The more I talked to people, the more discouraged I got. I heard things like this:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">“You can’t refinish fir floors. It’s a soft wood. It just won’t work.”</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">“Your floors have probably been sanded so many times that if you try to sand them again, you’ll just ruin them. Then you’ll need a new subfloor to put down your laminate and that will be expensive.”</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">“There is no way someone put down fir as a floor. It must have been a subfloor with a hardwood over it.”</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">“I go into these old houses all the time where people have refinished the wood floors, but all they’ve really done is refinished the subfloors. They don’t get that what they are walking around on and so proud of is actually the subfloor.”</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Talk about frustrating. I thought everyone thought that refinishing old wood floors is pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread, but au contraire. There are a lot of naysayers out there. They think that if it is not oak over plywood then it just is not worth doing. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Because pretty much everyone was telling me the same thing, I decided to do my own research. What I found is that architectural practices 100 years ago were very local. The way they did floors in Williams, California was not the same as the way they did them in Vinton, Louisiana or New York City. There was no code, and there was no plywood. People worked with what they had in whatever way they saw fit. I had many reasons to suspect that my floor was not a subfloor. The most telling was that I could see that at one point it had been stained. You can see it as the orange spots is this picture:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLoaykk9f3IO_-cCv9e64nh_m2saz4IryM9FxtzFVAtspWFMsUpUzSYnSn4plG3ujlV8H8778nkg8YWlBIh-Rl6fFegPsdBgMUynokz-UWmzwxgYY_buMfit-ZbxzpEffn_VbQbjivt-W/s1600/DSCI0652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLoaykk9f3IO_-cCv9e64nh_m2saz4IryM9FxtzFVAtspWFMsUpUzSYnSn4plG3ujlV8H8778nkg8YWlBIh-Rl6fFegPsdBgMUynokz-UWmzwxgYY_buMfit-ZbxzpEffn_VbQbjivt-W/s400/DSCI0652.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It made no sense to me that someone would waste their time staining a subfloor. Also, my neighbor has the exact same floor. It did not make sense that the “real” oak floor on top of this “subfloor” would have just disappeared from both our houses without leaving a trace. Even if it was in poor condition, why go through all the trouble of removing it when you could throw a carpet over it as easily as you could the “subfloor.” It just didn’t make sense to me. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">But there was still the issue of fir being “too soft.” I researched this as well and found that fir is indeed a relatively soft wood. But old-growth fir is much harder than modern fir which only grows a fraction of the time that old-growth was grown before being harvested. Even so, though wood hardness is something to consider in choosing a flooring material, the more determinate factor in floor longevity is the hardness of the finish, not the actual wood itself. I actually found a company that specialized in restoring old <i>fir</i> floors, which is where I got most of this information that gave me newfound hope, but unfortunately they were located in Oregon. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I went back online and searched for a wood floor specialist, but this time I broadened my search to Sacramento. That is when I found a couple of options. In total we had three people come to our house and give us a quote on the floors. When each person came we asked them an important question and got three different answers. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The question was whether or not to fill the gaps between the boards with wood filler. Our floor was in fairly good shape, but the boards were not as tightly connected as a new floor. Most planks had a small gap between them, about 1/16 of an inch or less in most places. Lots of people (regular naysayers, not professionals) told us that we would have to fill them. When we asked them why, they usually said something like, “Because if you don’t, you’ll have gaps.” We tried to figure out why these gaps were so terrible. They did not bother Richard or me. We thought it looked more authentic and less like laminate this way. At the time, we only had wood filler in one place (put there previously by someone else), and it was cracking and crumbling. We just did not want this all over the house. This is what it looked like:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWF0Zw86skqtWz281cZomVJpfA0r0mgmz19LxZjFQFQFe0gI09hTI8iTwn8mkuSjhBK4qG1rvtlL2PfILSFac3IkERQqTRPO3nUPVlV9ty_ydckUdGRZliBSaZkZB7KPCPKymUemvXADQ/s1600/DSCI0662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWF0Zw86skqtWz281cZomVJpfA0r0mgmz19LxZjFQFQFe0gI09hTI8iTwn8mkuSjhBK4qG1rvtlL2PfILSFac3IkERQqTRPO3nUPVlV9ty_ydckUdGRZliBSaZkZB7KPCPKymUemvXADQ/s400/DSCI0662.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The first person who gave us a quote told us absolutely not to use wood filler. He said it would crack and crumble within a couple years. He also gave us the highest quote, and was the only one who was not licensed, bonded, and insured.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Initially we only knew of this first guy before I extended my search to the Sacramento area, and we thought he was our only option. We were going to use him because he seemed to know what he was talking about until at the last minute he changed his verbal quote to about 25% higher. We then told him we would need more time to get that much money, so he said he would just come over and start the work and then we could figure out a new price together. That was pretty much our red flag and we canceled the job with him and got the other two quotes.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The second person told us that we absolutely had to fill the cracks with wood filler. When we asked why, we could not really understand his answer due to a language barrier. He gave us a quote significantly lower than the first guy.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Then the guy from Raphael Hardwood Flooring came and explained to us in full detail the pros and cons of wood filler. He did not tell us that it had to be one way or the other, but he did highly suggest not using it. He said that when they install a new floor in an old house, they use washers to intentionally create gaps between the boards so that it does not look too new and out of place with the rest of the house. Ultimately though, he said it was up to us. I liked that. He also put absolutely no pressure on us, whereas the first guy was really giving us the hard sell. Raphael Hardwood Flooring is pretty much the opposite of sketchy.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When I brought up the subject of payment with Raphael Hardwood Flooring, he made it very clear (and in writing) that absolutely no payment was due until all work was completed and that his written quote would be good for a year.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It did not take us long at all to decide to go with Raphael, and we are very happy with the results. Here are a few pictures of the process (these are all from the office):</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQ5NUZRi-ajjNvIVZzJZ2KngiaY392EMoSPNV145b4aDG9xtuyTiXmbdyOTlIRvSyVcI87mmJFbpQlCa6ZPWp9rnac8DZNGiUqee_yt2yhWqKF4U91y8O0c6lupYa0WLtK55egcIQ8_sn/s1600/DSCI0670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQ5NUZRi-ajjNvIVZzJZ2KngiaY392EMoSPNV145b4aDG9xtuyTiXmbdyOTlIRvSyVcI87mmJFbpQlCa6ZPWp9rnac8DZNGiUqee_yt2yhWqKF4U91y8O0c6lupYa0WLtK55egcIQ8_sn/s400/DSCI0670.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Before Any Work</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitawC6L0tKlMlZ_XYhDcYNzj4r1qOlslgwCMQpS7T0jVH-HaZHhbaD9aEVKJ5IXaiAq2FCBUn3GjJAAXZa4cxtwkF82ENBRTRbmLIQYlUUU7h_x4ckqjYy23njE0k_c48wso_HVPyGhReX/s1600/DSCI0683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitawC6L0tKlMlZ_XYhDcYNzj4r1qOlslgwCMQpS7T0jVH-HaZHhbaD9aEVKJ5IXaiAq2FCBUn3GjJAAXZa4cxtwkF82ENBRTRbmLIQYlUUU7h_x4ckqjYy23njE0k_c48wso_HVPyGhReX/s400/DSCI0683.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Initial Sanding</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11JG0zFphfrM1jaYd60oO57zxSe4jFcI-xOmEQ5tvoIiLhBY18SIA7nbdyPBfWnICVkQGmq5rYMaZVGUIA0RUiQunL9SMFVI1GqRQMoC7R9p-GwFgStK64hnMZgXmv_zjAff3ByTkNrCt/s1600/DSCI0684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11JG0zFphfrM1jaYd60oO57zxSe4jFcI-xOmEQ5tvoIiLhBY18SIA7nbdyPBfWnICVkQGmq5rYMaZVGUIA0RUiQunL9SMFVI1GqRQMoC7R9p-GwFgStK64hnMZgXmv_zjAff3ByTkNrCt/s400/DSCI0684.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">More Sanding</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsYOts1c_T-eHYuhUcN0KQ2xTgbsAxsJlUZsgblQIomAlbLK_meZF7OowjcYyQkBhl2uxxjBP79q0YYt_n8lcBxNBm-36-tD0_nqIL224SEdTatqtORiRYASie4aRQclWRfF8u0rv-Zqf/s1600/DSCI0688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsYOts1c_T-eHYuhUcN0KQ2xTgbsAxsJlUZsgblQIomAlbLK_meZF7OowjcYyQkBhl2uxxjBP79q0YYt_n8lcBxNBm-36-tD0_nqIL224SEdTatqtORiRYASie4aRQclWRfF8u0rv-Zqf/s400/DSCI0688.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Bare Wood After Sanding Was Completed</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qTjaH2TF-C7RuK7VSlaauAHWImKIZTDTQ5MKZizTpJx-7Tzf5minuw1LH0bhpgTX7c-CeBMEekyOZu0AoB6hrjzodA4x__KJQhGa2VVL0cpZA20IDTh00wq8qunwh0TsCt1hlK3XYCWN/s1600/DSCI0735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qTjaH2TF-C7RuK7VSlaauAHWImKIZTDTQ5MKZizTpJx-7Tzf5minuw1LH0bhpgTX7c-CeBMEekyOZu0AoB6hrjzodA4x__KJQhGa2VVL0cpZA20IDTh00wq8qunwh0TsCt1hlK3XYCWN/s400/DSCI0735.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">After Clear Coat</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Though we initially wanted a darker stain, we decided to go with the clear coat because of all the stains that were found after sanding. Igor (the guy who works for Raphael Hardwood Flooring) explained to us that stains (like from people spilling drinks) will soak up a lot more of the stain (as in color) than the rest of the floor. He said this essentially makes them look black. Because of the heavy staining in the dining and living room, we decided to take his advice. We were afraid of the wood looking too light, but the clear coat actually darkens up the wood a bit, so we are very happy.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Here is the room-by-room before and after:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oYgUpBqfxGprhQWd6_gUYYlJCpiz0QvohJD9I5IG9zF1LlR6BXjKQMQqJpfcCyaW2_Grxy7rFipZeFcVvKdUKdvhOUnlB7LB1tE0JH_zYGA4pbRhZwCPebC0CPv-saxRyaPZUsR-6qbS/s1600/DSCI0643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oYgUpBqfxGprhQWd6_gUYYlJCpiz0QvohJD9I5IG9zF1LlR6BXjKQMQqJpfcCyaW2_Grxy7rFipZeFcVvKdUKdvhOUnlB7LB1tE0JH_zYGA4pbRhZwCPebC0CPv-saxRyaPZUsR-6qbS/s400/DSCI0643.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxOHBsbfQgLEahra0clllgUinIZQHb7tIMVDOktDm_91JRcpm0lCSPQJlfBMzadg5u3kyaJPJanEfudE4EzXSIVWtYXbd01kyMBaemwHw1GfZycfxAvGWwMhg357ijNfKFRFqs7omX5wU/s1600/DSCI0732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxOHBsbfQgLEahra0clllgUinIZQHb7tIMVDOktDm_91JRcpm0lCSPQJlfBMzadg5u3kyaJPJanEfudE4EzXSIVWtYXbd01kyMBaemwHw1GfZycfxAvGWwMhg357ijNfKFRFqs7omX5wU/s400/DSCI0732.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczrTUD7MylD6OA2eetGL3xRF-6PmZ5rvqpBJV1DUB4X-aMtrSnTxNaGHETzB16-smf2EbiUdcw1h1JbLhp6umO0bgtfKxLzsAoE2yOkw9tmhoTxpHB4gye9l4zSpbAVGgz2cUZ_U6hS0u/s1600/DSCI0666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczrTUD7MylD6OA2eetGL3xRF-6PmZ5rvqpBJV1DUB4X-aMtrSnTxNaGHETzB16-smf2EbiUdcw1h1JbLhp6umO0bgtfKxLzsAoE2yOkw9tmhoTxpHB4gye9l4zSpbAVGgz2cUZ_U6hS0u/s400/DSCI0666.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPZYVFB0138ejiWVf42CnsrHCEX5yg5lDIZs-xPsPYIQIP_n178e6KBw6ol0zs6vkjJ0QC0DSV2uW5YAghmECLNch__fHQl4f9mvn9MZZJ11oldf_C1kOWIWW3ZT9gpTEZhE9EDkU6njV/s1600/DSCI0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPZYVFB0138ejiWVf42CnsrHCEX5yg5lDIZs-xPsPYIQIP_n178e6KBw6ol0zs6vkjJ0QC0DSV2uW5YAghmECLNch__fHQl4f9mvn9MZZJ11oldf_C1kOWIWW3ZT9gpTEZhE9EDkU6njV/s400/DSCI0734.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iZMUI9m1wSh_57v4avdPd7mx8-Qa34-hLfCZTOTduoFnPSzUW2wIwGC4JE3UUfQdQrVNZhkYFqAxnid8-d2yYB1YJTJO9Te_LK8H5la6SQGykEUkAD4IUO9yHPz_1efdCB343w0TdiTq/s1600/DSCI0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iZMUI9m1wSh_57v4avdPd7mx8-Qa34-hLfCZTOTduoFnPSzUW2wIwGC4JE3UUfQdQrVNZhkYFqAxnid8-d2yYB1YJTJO9Te_LK8H5la6SQGykEUkAD4IUO9yHPz_1efdCB343w0TdiTq/s400/DSCI0647.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8feurFWd-EW5E-Z_esM1V5nCIBYfsvWka57IHNUTWODdScbj5Wvunx-JWdMxdOEQ9ZHu3ivNf35gSTrR_8wlYZvSoYGXSDwxXVnJALeLtQDN0wqQqDcgDkbB5Tkf-gc5nTBEaXk5-Maw-/s1600/DSCI0719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8feurFWd-EW5E-Z_esM1V5nCIBYfsvWka57IHNUTWODdScbj5Wvunx-JWdMxdOEQ9ZHu3ivNf35gSTrR_8wlYZvSoYGXSDwxXVnJALeLtQDN0wqQqDcgDkbB5Tkf-gc5nTBEaXk5-Maw-/s400/DSCI0719.JPG" width="300" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigF2hYXKNB-PGdhc1d2eNet3OW95BlmNrRTYTZl5PDfvZPbjY5MhyphenhyphenLIfEOZgPWn19v66D1MzQGSa0fl-qid3lifqGVen4Q2to_D9S-p_gneaIZ_Xu6x-z8rsGp7PwgINqdI07ibyYhunL7/s400/DSCI0704.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_4ivIDAh3CB0Z6BdqfhyphenhyphentdtduqHDswg_lhQ4f_CElqRVtGK9UWlcW-1SP7n6XxpmzDj0BN7-_Vor6b-ZOjgkOfOv1-fWU4oFgNCZAx_MikXmMHd2Ybkq3RrSdPhkK70EcWrigRg03T-h/s1600/DSCI0637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_4ivIDAh3CB0Z6BdqfhyphenhyphentdtduqHDswg_lhQ4f_CElqRVtGK9UWlcW-1SP7n6XxpmzDj0BN7-_Vor6b-ZOjgkOfOv1-fWU4oFgNCZAx_MikXmMHd2Ybkq3RrSdPhkK70EcWrigRg03T-h/s400/DSCI0637.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ341LxyeSxQh5pQDi6ZDQRgcX5mmFU9-ouSITCgnet_eU6lqiewV3Sj8oEPUpgFF2YjkgMXZ602iLp99mZkH5buyJlqA1v2624XBIkLMg4PxZRNPCN-S39jhL1p_RQ5NUkI33JpYlhNwb/s1600/DSCI0728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ341LxyeSxQh5pQDi6ZDQRgcX5mmFU9-ouSITCgnet_eU6lqiewV3Sj8oEPUpgFF2YjkgMXZ602iLp99mZkH5buyJlqA1v2624XBIkLMg4PxZRNPCN-S39jhL1p_RQ5NUkI33JpYlhNwb/s400/DSCI0728.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOwm3XJK82kmgBdZqwzVy0IX4sC_kX3AFzxrmJuBRc7YV8jJUNrP3Fep-xp-lfGa9BCXvxv90lP01bIj3DgbxYQrdi6pQRWYv6k1dvFLAK_ZY7w7Pnb9VNa4vf0CbhmLJknK7qwO3m5BS/s1600/DSCI0635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOwm3XJK82kmgBdZqwzVy0IX4sC_kX3AFzxrmJuBRc7YV8jJUNrP3Fep-xp-lfGa9BCXvxv90lP01bIj3DgbxYQrdi6pQRWYv6k1dvFLAK_ZY7w7Pnb9VNa4vf0CbhmLJknK7qwO3m5BS/s400/DSCI0635.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnc6jlWdaOm9lXE6B_Ylldf04wsm_ywwISnW4jGqiJIsrpcuz9yjqgJy_s9KLyow0vDr5fu8-lh5BXxAWZRI4k61d85MVi8wEi_ldU2wO90CtwYRorch7RjTzBi2lOY0w5G8_ZVc4kEz4/s1600/DSCI0712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnc6jlWdaOm9lXE6B_Ylldf04wsm_ywwISnW4jGqiJIsrpcuz9yjqgJy_s9KLyow0vDr5fu8-lh5BXxAWZRI4k61d85MVi8wEi_ldU2wO90CtwYRorch7RjTzBi2lOY0w5G8_ZVc4kEz4/s400/DSCI0712.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">We will definitely have Igor come back to do the stairs and the second story at some point in the future, though not any time soon. Our next big project is painting all the interior trim. That will probably not start until my brother comes here in a few weeks/months. For now I am still working on the downstairs bathroom. I also need to spray paint all the floor grates because now they look hideous next to the wonderful floors. I am sure I will be posting about that. That’s it for this time, folks. Thanks for tuning in to our lives.</div></div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-88944286066298449162010-05-01T20:37:00.000-07:002010-05-01T20:37:51.629-07:00Our Bedroom<div style="text-align: justify;">I do not call our bedroom the master bedroom because it is the smallest bedroom in the house. We chose it as our bedroom because it is downstairs, has the most privacy, and only has one window. Though we love the nursery’s bay windows, Richard really likes to sleep in when he gets the opportunity, and a wall of windows would not be conducive to that. The nursery is connected to the dining room whereas our room is connected to the kitchen. I decided to put the nursery in the center of the house and our room in a far corner instead of the other way around. That is why we have the smallest bedroom in the house. Here is what our bedroom looked like on our first day in the house:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqYAtZyCh92MjtVSWeCFMv7nStJ_s23jeU63dTltiL2f1JeraEURrM9v4SIVa2ip25paKzwXCJMLfCrXwSm6s9rE7PK-QcnoXT1hgSYuTYAazTM6-fntz6HnJc3h9MZW_C9a9rpQ3J3AD/s1600/DSCI0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqYAtZyCh92MjtVSWeCFMv7nStJ_s23jeU63dTltiL2f1JeraEURrM9v4SIVa2ip25paKzwXCJMLfCrXwSm6s9rE7PK-QcnoXT1hgSYuTYAazTM6-fntz6HnJc3h9MZW_C9a9rpQ3J3AD/s400/DSCI0221.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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This was its view into the kitchen. Note the doorway is slightly blocked by the staircase:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKGDblgp7Glnby29f5wazQWKDy25JTSybmZPFxC6hu491D5Hcs-7Kk7_wS6zot5ta6gYBONPmf6ArN_t-dtcq2fpH4Sq9x09ZeJ8XO4psSLOv6_UaDzSuh5p-Zs-oIEeUenSCIY_4Qtzc/s1600/DSCI0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKGDblgp7Glnby29f5wazQWKDy25JTSybmZPFxC6hu491D5Hcs-7Kk7_wS6zot5ta6gYBONPmf6ArN_t-dtcq2fpH4Sq9x09ZeJ8XO4psSLOv6_UaDzSuh5p-Zs-oIEeUenSCIY_4Qtzc/s400/DSCI0234.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">It was the same as most of the rest of the house: textured peach-beige walls, really gross blue carpet, and popcorn ceiling. This room also included butterfly decals. The mattress on the carpet was the setting for the flea attack of 2009. After removing the carpet, smoothing the walls, and scraping off the popcorn ceiling, we did nothing to this room until January when we painted. The first picture is primer:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakkL-J94a10RokoaM3nVO8Qy65om8W7sKtY5iebX6xcEBtqcxqZeiUyZJ4NLm3wuxw5ALqpKpqhejxRM8JQnfPJNbCq2G_iEbnBktgP772jYGhHX8ovYga4i4k1u-ESYNprJLsdBA4dT3/s1600/DSCI0534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakkL-J94a10RokoaM3nVO8Qy65om8W7sKtY5iebX6xcEBtqcxqZeiUyZJ4NLm3wuxw5ALqpKpqhejxRM8JQnfPJNbCq2G_iEbnBktgP772jYGhHX8ovYga4i4k1u-ESYNprJLsdBA4dT3/s400/DSCI0534.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6iD6lvDgn8T-EBV7hfFcwk7v30qvKJGgB8p_bvCuo_gUhAlwEKe2sv2mOpMMissyax47Ukw4mSi-fh6hzCeXVipFaxlMY-nSPOs11Hq9x1YDNa3WdGWvVZ2_ZZgDNLXlM5Dx9-vutKQl/s1600/DSCI0654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6iD6lvDgn8T-EBV7hfFcwk7v30qvKJGgB8p_bvCuo_gUhAlwEKe2sv2mOpMMissyax47Ukw4mSi-fh6hzCeXVipFaxlMY-nSPOs11Hq9x1YDNa3WdGWvVZ2_ZZgDNLXlM5Dx9-vutKQl/s400/DSCI0654.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HjdnXrKofaRNy5z6uP6YF6B5bDbg72ZnRx30msnrKEh9araBo8YayA_3GgCRAiEBUtlQrAKPgTn5RzKt9FG9fw-r2j9qs4Q8becvt06s7z-WESB53UBp6w4ygROFaGxN38UggMbv6YKn/s1600/DSCI0655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HjdnXrKofaRNy5z6uP6YF6B5bDbg72ZnRx30msnrKEh9araBo8YayA_3GgCRAiEBUtlQrAKPgTn5RzKt9FG9fw-r2j9qs4Q8becvt06s7z-WESB53UBp6w4ygROFaGxN38UggMbv6YKn/s400/DSCI0655.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaMuVZeFY7LcR0sbdgCv7C_5So5FfO002PDH7X7WHE3_-BpElQGUc2xusRZhT3BQ8WYOaZyxWt4Xa4GCNBMt1I040hIqWEN4L_HJBwkyiQ0haeUuIisnQh10UniLflId4wh9auxMT5Yd3/s1600/DSCI0656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaMuVZeFY7LcR0sbdgCv7C_5So5FfO002PDH7X7WHE3_-BpElQGUc2xusRZhT3BQ8WYOaZyxWt4Xa4GCNBMt1I040hIqWEN4L_HJBwkyiQ0haeUuIisnQh10UniLflId4wh9auxMT5Yd3/s400/DSCI0656.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I chose red because I really wanted a red room in the house, and a bedroom seemed like a good choice. I originally was going to do a red dining room, but I realized that would probably get nauseous after a while. My justifications for such an extreme choice are that we do not spend many waking hours in the bedroom and that I think dark red and gold feels regal. Eventually I will use another color to stencil over the red and make it look sort of like damask wallpaper whenever I get tired of that much red, probably in a couple years. Like the rest of the house, the doors and trim are not yet painted. They will be painted darker than the trim in the rest of the house, most likely either the color of the ceiling (a pale muted yellow), the gold color of the frieze, or a darker ivory. I think what makes it look bad right now is the bright white trim next to the red. It looks like St. Valentine’s Day in there. We will not remedy that for at least a couple months. We hope to be moved into this room sometime over the next two weeks. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Update: Though all the work is finished on the floors, they are still drying. Expect floor pictures sometime this week. In the meantime, I will probably add a post about our floor plan so that when you do see the floor pictures, you will understand how the rooms fit together.</i></div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-85840987898244161482010-04-29T23:25:00.000-07:002010-04-29T23:25:25.525-07:00The Bathroom Delay<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Well, I was delaying posting because I was trying to finish the downstairs full bathroom, but it looks like that will not be happening for a few more weeks.</div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Problem #1: The mirror I bought to hang above the pedestal sink is too big. I thought the one I was buying in the Target store was the exact one I had seen online and carefully measured for, but it was not. It looked exactly like it, but unfortunately it was about 10 inches taller. But I did not figure this out until I put the whole thing together and tried to hang it on the wall. At that point it had been a couple months since I bought it, and the receipt was long gone. I really do not feel like taking it apart and trying to return it, so I am going to try to use it in one of the other bathrooms now. Anyway, the new one should be here in a couple weeks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Problem #2: I came up with a great plan to deal with the hideous/non-existent door frames, but I am intimidated to follow through with it. There are two doors in the bathroom, one to each of the downstairs bedrooms. One of them has a very cheap homemade door frame around it:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4RBZ-m7dxjle6X002D007KFC5lfuw1sLWjLs0LYVOteJpSGRe7yJgWIjpLKazA0Qej5rTc0sMMMXIuXSKMoPRVyjpRrSVOtfdSu-0gokK1q_malEa9kQBDnnCGZv-Exm1JE4xedIFku5/s1600/DSCI0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4RBZ-m7dxjle6X002D007KFC5lfuw1sLWjLs0LYVOteJpSGRe7yJgWIjpLKazA0Qej5rTc0sMMMXIuXSKMoPRVyjpRrSVOtfdSu-0gokK1q_malEa9kQBDnnCGZv-Exm1JE4xedIFku5/s400/DSCI0230.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> The other door frame is completely missing:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9VWj8-sCtgYw6PpOK8X0F9Iu_C27Cl8ehNl_uxL8YlFegkNYqV10u5d2lqeRFTDYJ0ruoeyDZcixv3fft8KRQdjexS49jCJSpdOH8UTGfaIu6gr70N-vCSdUGepL8E0M43nCZAeKi98M/s1600/DSCI0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9VWj8-sCtgYw6PpOK8X0F9Iu_C27Cl8ehNl_uxL8YlFegkNYqV10u5d2lqeRFTDYJ0ruoeyDZcixv3fft8KRQdjexS49jCJSpdOH8UTGfaIu6gr70N-vCSdUGepL8E0M43nCZAeKi98M/s400/DSCI0223.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My first plan was to make a very cheap homemade door frame to match the existing one. Then I decided it would be easier to just buy two new ones from Lowe’s which would look a lot better, but the problem with that idea was that it would not match the original door frames in the house, and I was afraid of how much it would cost to get something even comparable. Here is what the house’s original door frames look like:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie9sTDTzqBAO1hdl2IPY3kn3DqJmq1gnq7kgbOIqEKJu4SfqxZb9CUUHFXAyvcA7yfAt3I_tR84YodCcU40rR2ZJVWXKKPo7txXgWpRIZTWF1znJkHKZ6g3RStiqb5O9WPuntFJeE6H0P/s1600/DSCI0675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie9sTDTzqBAO1hdl2IPY3kn3DqJmq1gnq7kgbOIqEKJu4SfqxZb9CUUHFXAyvcA7yfAt3I_tR84YodCcU40rR2ZJVWXKKPo7txXgWpRIZTWF1znJkHKZ6g3RStiqb5O9WPuntFJeE6H0P/s400/DSCI0675.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Then as I was cleaning out the closet in the nursery, I had an idea. I realized that I could just take the original door frames from the interior of the two bedroom closets downstairs and put those in the bathroom. Then I could just replace them with door frames bought from Lowe’s, and it would not matter whether they matched because they are on the inside of closets, and no one will ever see them. Here is what they look like:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7g6F_Me0CvvROlNChy2dDkhyWRbQWJi2U2PyeY_VfjaCBCofeTy_KkSA9pp27OU_FKR3CKgrfnfdx-GIj37fo2mBY1Qn4Lk1qa8KketsmMYBMPFv6weckkAv2EKh43E0LisE8QUHkPL2E/s1600/DSCI0696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7g6F_Me0CvvROlNChy2dDkhyWRbQWJi2U2PyeY_VfjaCBCofeTy_KkSA9pp27OU_FKR3CKgrfnfdx-GIj37fo2mBY1Qn4Lk1qa8KketsmMYBMPFv6weckkAv2EKh43E0LisE8QUHkPL2E/s400/DSCI0696.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWWo64R-OQ-cHswsyBkIih-lplxeP1mld5K8ReqAc1KMhOLtS-pqFkPOf5togHGsmOsCHRzOqVkFlGbmX7yCzBstV202Bl6vzuc-KtEePyq8Wvatx6XkvYWMKynkOKx2Cx0Ou8xZNXqUy/s1600/DSCI0697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWWo64R-OQ-cHswsyBkIih-lplxeP1mld5K8ReqAc1KMhOLtS-pqFkPOf5togHGsmOsCHRzOqVkFlGbmX7yCzBstV202Bl6vzuc-KtEePyq8Wvatx6XkvYWMKynkOKx2Cx0Ou8xZNXqUy/s400/DSCI0697.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Of course after I typed about how great this idea was, I had to go take pictures from inside the closet. And that is when I noticed that a couple inches were taken off the one in the nursery closet to make room for some plumbing. So now my plan is once again more complicated than originally anticipated. I suppose I <i>could</i> just put it up as is and call it “character.” I guess that will be my back-up plan. I have no desire to even attempt to carve a piece of wood to match it, so…I really think I will be cutting something out of Styrofoam. I know this sounds terrible, but the piece that is missing is at least a foot above eye level, and the whole thing will be painted, so maybe this will work. Also, Styrofoam is very cheap, so I can buy a large amount to practice and not worry about ruining anything. And if it does not look good after being painted, I can just figure something else out. So that is the plan. At some point during this plan I will have to learn how to install door frames. I am wondering if I will need a nail gun. I have no idea how to do this. My favorite part of this plan is getting to walk into Lowe’s and tell them I am looking for Styrofoam to carve a custom door frame because my level of craftsmanship if just too novice to be working with actual wood. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Problem #3: The new shower addition to the clawfoot tub leaks everywhere. That will be fixed by the professional who installed it, but he cannot come until we finish the floors because he cannot walk across them to get to the bathroom this week. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Now that I have written about all the hold-ups with the bathroom, I feel a lot less guilty about not having finished it yet. I hope to have it finished and post pictures by the end of May. The floors will be finished soon, but in the meantime, stay tuned for an introduction to our downstairs bedroom.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-89702249739112478992010-03-16T19:09:00.000-07:002010-03-16T19:09:27.469-07:00The NurseryLast post I discussed the dining room. The nursery is connected to the dining room through this doorway:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sBqRatWxc-VymiTVEQ3UVL0kcMsx0ok5-otV0oY1fBJPx0Dih8c0FLh4FONgp3MEaFQNLB4jt0u6E4lpG-AQxFcQt8TBqM86fS0EJvOZgB8oLCd8Tuh3br5ZZI4ZAhL6WM0m65XNrA6q/s1600-h/DSCI0608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sBqRatWxc-VymiTVEQ3UVL0kcMsx0ok5-otV0oY1fBJPx0Dih8c0FLh4FONgp3MEaFQNLB4jt0u6E4lpG-AQxFcQt8TBqM86fS0EJvOZgB8oLCd8Tuh3br5ZZI4ZAhL6WM0m65XNrA6q/s400/DSCI0608.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">I do not have too many before pictures. It had beige textured walls, blue carpet, and popcorn ceiling like most of the rest of the house. However, the ceiling in this room was much worse. It was crumbling and peeling in many places and had a large crack from wall to wall in the middle of the room. Here are our only before shots:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EoxihR-LpN3G8JoNi16vIt4P6RPxjN6favnLOHe_Zcu6JtrXLhTkVgtSa5cAYQxLHpY9G8DPrmnQRB0KDuPpwNFjaHgyHyk4nvvCJKgdipSHrrHUyRJ4K8iW74QiKdkHNDON3VDq5a67/s1600-h/DSCI0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EoxihR-LpN3G8JoNi16vIt4P6RPxjN6favnLOHe_Zcu6JtrXLhTkVgtSa5cAYQxLHpY9G8DPrmnQRB0KDuPpwNFjaHgyHyk4nvvCJKgdipSHrrHUyRJ4K8iW74QiKdkHNDON3VDq5a67/s400/DSCI0176.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GgeP63RkF0TZu5f_hX7LAzc-GKOogD2zn54zQpLzpKgQbnLpV9itmIe7fQ8czO6IQCFKEDAoHutWCpKtChH90i7F3E3DcQCwyXkgUUqaJmXYMpW4PrLZtg_7wJ5hdumSbj9jAefZ0m8i/s1600-h/DSCI0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GgeP63RkF0TZu5f_hX7LAzc-GKOogD2zn54zQpLzpKgQbnLpV9itmIe7fQ8czO6IQCFKEDAoHutWCpKtChH90i7F3E3DcQCwyXkgUUqaJmXYMpW4PrLZtg_7wJ5hdumSbj9jAefZ0m8i/s400/DSCI0177.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIOZp_HhSeJnM7xTe5SIVNdvgnQLpGJj4tfOyw1mkSez3_TsB0iJYx04NPe3c_IM1XlLmkmKMyi6n6CW9n-we4W5vV6Vsfnb7WpvBaQN1vqn-g_0KfROulw6_fUu7XWI6wrada_OHhKJK/s1600-h/DSCI0180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIOZp_HhSeJnM7xTe5SIVNdvgnQLpGJj4tfOyw1mkSez3_TsB0iJYx04NPe3c_IM1XlLmkmKMyi6n6CW9n-we4W5vV6Vsfnb7WpvBaQN1vqn-g_0KfROulw6_fUu7XWI6wrada_OHhKJK/s400/DSCI0180.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Like the ceilings in the rest of the house, this job was handled by professionals. Here what it looked like as they were working:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMREwH2SogqtgR-fAkVpWJVttZm5ezW1b0-ylLNVHr_D-7v44pcKoCyPoe1gPo7UqA66QTT89S1Y6jRf3zjWmr7X_EMKQQP3GMOF99y_eP5mjpCNg7IaUyczCpJXW4QBI3feF4RREa23RC/s1600-h/DSCI0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMREwH2SogqtgR-fAkVpWJVttZm5ezW1b0-ylLNVHr_D-7v44pcKoCyPoe1gPo7UqA66QTT89S1Y6jRf3zjWmr7X_EMKQQP3GMOF99y_eP5mjpCNg7IaUyczCpJXW4QBI3feF4RREa23RC/s400/DSCI0183.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1268603644045"></span><span id="goog_1268603644046"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
This is what the big crack looked like after removing the popcorn ceiling:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise3TufZtFKe3qiCVY6IkinwBEQXMsu-gaUSAnjWaAy0MqQy_iUs5-jJEFAUnEFi8UURsYpXdjxpff6uskaNwR5LycWT9IQUpNBo7NfXeExs0zxeGv-T1bG52lyn4oPlIZ7BrblWUkUwEd/s1600-h/DSCI0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise3TufZtFKe3qiCVY6IkinwBEQXMsu-gaUSAnjWaAy0MqQy_iUs5-jJEFAUnEFi8UURsYpXdjxpff6uskaNwR5LycWT9IQUpNBo7NfXeExs0zxeGv-T1bG52lyn4oPlIZ7BrblWUkUwEd/s400/DSCI0185.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyG5aHcZ-oJzs4YkWRMewvmYnrqp-oc8zPDLSYTavpM0k3S5d1maZ3bhy742njoZvanrvJOrBQjmum6zqoltf30MifycmVYTxYpfGrV7-b1UYbA3gNiY1QXxO3nMVsGdQHWvQAm01BfRU4/s1600-h/DSCI0186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyG5aHcZ-oJzs4YkWRMewvmYnrqp-oc8zPDLSYTavpM0k3S5d1maZ3bhy742njoZvanrvJOrBQjmum6zqoltf30MifycmVYTxYpfGrV7-b1UYbA3gNiY1QXxO3nMVsGdQHWvQAm01BfRU4/s400/DSCI0186.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4bmjHo8DWEQh_5vVPIrDVIeCvVQNbO-uKZS0BcPI8R1zBlJBPW9xMy738WYenCyemzEXxsbw5Bt4DActTxoAM4Q1VJCBGxOpFPNasKGgtbgvzlM682dgN_byzaKkMOR_H7OGkebRwjk4/s1600-h/DSCI0187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4bmjHo8DWEQh_5vVPIrDVIeCvVQNbO-uKZS0BcPI8R1zBlJBPW9xMy738WYenCyemzEXxsbw5Bt4DActTxoAM4Q1VJCBGxOpFPNasKGgtbgvzlM682dgN_byzaKkMOR_H7OGkebRwjk4/s400/DSCI0187.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOhVzpTmVvES_zqk1oKqrmzUszDoxzEuQssWABNmqVWt9Kcvf-pNyTANLo1_eiI0AXQvMZYzkKVU9lNvzRuMvXl1rQbL-RIFFhSKMfTVBNVRUd6UhCXNBvoNGLHvXAT8VzQy83__VyY3k/s1600-h/DSCI0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOhVzpTmVvES_zqk1oKqrmzUszDoxzEuQssWABNmqVWt9Kcvf-pNyTANLo1_eiI0AXQvMZYzkKVU9lNvzRuMvXl1rQbL-RIFFhSKMfTVBNVRUd6UhCXNBvoNGLHvXAT8VzQy83__VyY3k/s400/DSCI0191.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is what popcorn ceiling clean-up looks like with proper prep work. We had one of these giant bags for every room, and they were very heavy:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvRWU0vT9Vayysr4lfHpVpIZI5V7IDK8F-OUonUa5Mloi7fyxCohmnup6b7BzNE9HFTgBC7iNkfVi4e3coXq_UPnaaqJq2erQ2qZPqST70v49TYYa9LH2YGaGprGEOAg4OAfz2QmAGG6u/s1600-h/DSCI0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvRWU0vT9Vayysr4lfHpVpIZI5V7IDK8F-OUonUa5Mloi7fyxCohmnup6b7BzNE9HFTgBC7iNkfVi4e3coXq_UPnaaqJq2erQ2qZPqST70v49TYYa9LH2YGaGprGEOAg4OAfz2QmAGG6u/s400/DSCI0188.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After scraping off the popcorn, they removed the crumbling sections of plaster and patched them with drywall. I was really shocked at how much of the ceiling they were able to save. I thought this room would need a completely new ceiling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhogGyQtKh2-G1-tSFF4tcRbbep83vTT7Vuhzo2aJCCvPHXACujilMr-vDL_4Zp0ow64aE-2jC4up6dprURD3cx-GYcPQKu9UqjrKFnLj2-YI6cH1k1kl7ZRTKC2W_dW5_f5SrODpen49g/s1600-h/DSCI0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhogGyQtKh2-G1-tSFF4tcRbbep83vTT7Vuhzo2aJCCvPHXACujilMr-vDL_4Zp0ow64aE-2jC4up6dprURD3cx-GYcPQKu9UqjrKFnLj2-YI6cH1k1kl7ZRTKC2W_dW5_f5SrODpen49g/s400/DSCI0190.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After the ceiling was repaired, they skim-coated the walls to cover up the texture. After that, the rest was up to us, so it remained untouched for a few months and functioned mostly as storage and a guest room as we worked on other parts of the house. Here is what it looked like during that time:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZl4OGriVUcQGiea9xzzVRVxyLe2aWu58wdUlskwJFo63ysJgEO-wH9OdBUXStH1aip59pzhMnKznO1q0f4bjBTK_bdTnq5Ae25jDMMSCCTu3Ibm8eB9sIZEVpVA5qDN12s4x-8TlJITrQ/s1600-h/DSCI0380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZl4OGriVUcQGiea9xzzVRVxyLe2aWu58wdUlskwJFo63ysJgEO-wH9OdBUXStH1aip59pzhMnKznO1q0f4bjBTK_bdTnq5Ae25jDMMSCCTu3Ibm8eB9sIZEVpVA5qDN12s4x-8TlJITrQ/s400/DSCI0380.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Richard could not resist the bathtub temporarily residing in the room:</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18x_OxD-QriJZtKQ5wJWgBluvYwTVTy1m-rSLsksoYy-sYaPzSzjiWt42BHOkErQYnMHmUgPtR2N48p_9tFy5O9MqaoUBcoFWEfdihosbYLy1-Tzp4uQIRktMemf4Igp1uRQKHOxT6Nin/s1600-h/DSCI0382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18x_OxD-QriJZtKQ5wJWgBluvYwTVTy1m-rSLsksoYy-sYaPzSzjiWt42BHOkErQYnMHmUgPtR2N48p_9tFy5O9MqaoUBcoFWEfdihosbYLy1-Tzp4uQIRktMemf4Igp1uRQKHOxT6Nin/s400/DSCI0382.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We primed the walls and ceiling at some point in December:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1Y2C131wtTeXczkroRFx0ffvKUYmmyehKyP4ym5p7ghjubkmkMx5Y3t-VQr5XlPzYmkn-_wJll8evyv1mJaWUhBXNUUW0kVluE_6KB4-a9giHbZY-2X-t6gAMzuCjdipngAnhmovHTyH/s1600-h/DSCI0529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1Y2C131wtTeXczkroRFx0ffvKUYmmyehKyP4ym5p7ghjubkmkMx5Y3t-VQr5XlPzYmkn-_wJll8evyv1mJaWUhBXNUUW0kVluE_6KB4-a9giHbZY-2X-t6gAMzuCjdipngAnhmovHTyH/s400/DSCI0529.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj409LDzp3ZpEwDbHC-YtclAJLKwpjZXjCFkJf12xqck2IDQ1hoHWMPUn-qc9oqh7C-Zj9kD-EIUxlmYqeQMUGLFKoIjAibLab7cBuLiR9TJfpTqH6fUhi5Y9T7ZlFiPlEGZUb3IU8vfE2x/s1600-h/DSCI0530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj409LDzp3ZpEwDbHC-YtclAJLKwpjZXjCFkJf12xqck2IDQ1hoHWMPUn-qc9oqh7C-Zj9kD-EIUxlmYqeQMUGLFKoIjAibLab7cBuLiR9TJfpTqH6fUhi5Y9T7ZlFiPlEGZUb3IU8vfE2x/s400/DSCI0530.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And then in January we got around to actually painting it:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aZBI8xjMIBtTw_9jd1EvTMC5A0pbLE47JS496DDRQhTPpcS_ptal912kH2uVJ-0Mxfxt9aOb2on7a9sVwbo52aC9Rqki5N5CRdDxbfdEXDfnX6kdBDnRGvwHAyJnDjlhmS28uV2I5XSt/s1600-h/DSCI0559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aZBI8xjMIBtTw_9jd1EvTMC5A0pbLE47JS496DDRQhTPpcS_ptal912kH2uVJ-0Mxfxt9aOb2on7a9sVwbo52aC9Rqki5N5CRdDxbfdEXDfnX6kdBDnRGvwHAyJnDjlhmS28uV2I5XSt/s640/DSCI0559.JPG" width="427" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyr_kNHnND11hhIlpIOTphlUwQP0GH-DnQ-GrNIE8Wi22_ezEIX4p6Qk6wXaBZrtRIViqERWV1XCPfr2t4LAAFvBDMNWNxAL099T7g3R6Kp0DYnQooYAfJ9a0AnnZ1-I3VXz081V2Y9i77/s1600-h/DSCI0560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyr_kNHnND11hhIlpIOTphlUwQP0GH-DnQ-GrNIE8Wi22_ezEIX4p6Qk6wXaBZrtRIViqERWV1XCPfr2t4LAAFvBDMNWNxAL099T7g3R6Kp0DYnQooYAfJ9a0AnnZ1-I3VXz081V2Y9i77/s640/DSCI0560.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is how it looks today. It probably will not start looking like a nursery until June or July. I will be sure to post pictures then. I am currently working on the bathroom that is connected to this room. I should be posting about that next week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-72806392419539724502010-02-24T20:49:00.000-08:002010-02-24T20:49:07.673-08:00The Dining Room Part 2While pulling up the carpet in the dining room, this happened:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DKi029RJlaTZlZUwsETRduXfIMDpR_1XSaDnzCWLGBFBJxVRwWtGNAoOoB7yDuP5lUCDbrtjTiRXwxt-rC0alaKvSaRO57EwkD-hiqvUvZM8n6AKyvH1zg_EG9Z5gQMdgaHLtiohnp5W/s1600-h/DSCI0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DKi029RJlaTZlZUwsETRduXfIMDpR_1XSaDnzCWLGBFBJxVRwWtGNAoOoB7yDuP5lUCDbrtjTiRXwxt-rC0alaKvSaRO57EwkD-hiqvUvZM8n6AKyvH1zg_EG9Z5gQMdgaHLtiohnp5W/s400/DSCI0307.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYYsazM8RSeSGDT-_JdJh2hESO06wcHN10UYmNWKpvf5pm6g3tYdQk4mKAcZqRM4W32HJOdHQsU5vBoIuvnPQc3aSNybbshcebr-6tYTkss7fcUYnziX_tmEhZaKWJvd84yTIidTsNt-R/s1600-h/DSCI0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYYsazM8RSeSGDT-_JdJh2hESO06wcHN10UYmNWKpvf5pm6g3tYdQk4mKAcZqRM4W32HJOdHQsU5vBoIuvnPQc3aSNybbshcebr-6tYTkss7fcUYnziX_tmEhZaKWJvd84yTIidTsNt-R/s400/DSCI0308.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">It would seem that the wood stove tile surround was grouted into the carpet, because when we pulled up the carpet, tile went flying. In the above picture you can see pieces of the carpet still stuck to the tile. This really did not bother us much because we had talked about cutting off the corners, re-tiling it, or getting rid of the whole thing altogether. It is manufactured by a company named Efel which has been around since the 1970s. The reason I wanted to get rid of it was because it took up so much of the room, especially the pathway from the kitchen to living room.</div><br />
Though I would have loved to replace it with something smaller and more antique-looking like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic68wKijnTijI-D0hbpGxT0m_r1OPBsEn2qAsq8l5_4ZxG6GNdD4wqgjVSaU57NmXOraCh5FzbIlWnx25RKykofpL0F0AvSoCwz1gxGA00S7MHDD1zrCx2Yz2X6eNvQkWydCFptQCUiC-s/s1600-h/Wood+Stove+Possibility.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic68wKijnTijI-D0hbpGxT0m_r1OPBsEn2qAsq8l5_4ZxG6GNdD4wqgjVSaU57NmXOraCh5FzbIlWnx25RKykofpL0F0AvSoCwz1gxGA00S7MHDD1zrCx2Yz2X6eNvQkWydCFptQCUiC-s/s320/Wood+Stove+Possibility.png" width="215" /></a></div><br />
It would have cost a couple thousand dollars, so we decided to just cut off the corners of the platform. We edged it with slate, which I think was an improvement over the previous tile. Here is what it looks like now:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85D1FEnIunc7JprFG7dhK1gwhKuvSJ8SEzYRSA_fkeMFlL87I2rVAdBM_Q3mkg5k6cTpulEKHbLhbhIbHVMA1TxZS3fF5-IZ7XimFTMY_zzyxdTVK8AashoZYeM4Usa4RKHFf0dPgQDXW/s1600-h/DSCI0620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85D1FEnIunc7JprFG7dhK1gwhKuvSJ8SEzYRSA_fkeMFlL87I2rVAdBM_Q3mkg5k6cTpulEKHbLhbhIbHVMA1TxZS3fF5-IZ7XimFTMY_zzyxdTVK8AashoZYeM4Usa4RKHFf0dPgQDXW/s400/DSCI0620.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCc95Rf6YpIEW09UUC4_vFE9qknTE_VWp-Nz1mtPABuEFjeq2t70_ueiecDYsHOX3myrE1_g-FhdcK3BiEQY2Hc-Tw_r765j7AtKbQu_LGq4YTfLpHp-LCzjzoCTyGRzuUoujRYhIAemD/s1600-h/DSCI0623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCc95Rf6YpIEW09UUC4_vFE9qknTE_VWp-Nz1mtPABuEFjeq2t70_ueiecDYsHOX3myrE1_g-FhdcK3BiEQY2Hc-Tw_r765j7AtKbQu_LGq4YTfLpHp-LCzjzoCTyGRzuUoujRYhIAemD/s400/DSCI0623.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">This job was actually much easier than I thought it would be. The cement pad had been poured onto a plywood square. I was really afraid that the cement might have been poured directly onto the wood floor because I thought it was likely poured by the same person that grouted it into the carpet. Had that been the case, we likely would have simply re-tiled it. Once we cut through the tile, cement, and plywood, the corners lifted off the floor with little effort. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The two cement cuts that we made produced an insane amount of dust. We sealed off the other rooms but dust still got everywhere because we did not do it before we started cutting. We did it more like halfway through. As a result, the most difficult part of this job was the cleanup. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">While thoroughly cleaning behind and underneath the stove so that I could properly seal the tile, I realized there was a lot of junk crammed behind it. Here is what I found:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilHBmXJ2cKQ2rK1JF1zYR-VsBFV5bcmZZ_evWcZBrZlFUijbNzl5h3VSt1tRy2kufG-A08KcjE13URyANdyuCCZ0147fJOtva86n1M5GIAjkxaEj2o_Riiq9ICGqQ2B7hUk4LqI9FoUXl/s1600-h/DSCI0604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilHBmXJ2cKQ2rK1JF1zYR-VsBFV5bcmZZ_evWcZBrZlFUijbNzl5h3VSt1tRy2kufG-A08KcjE13URyANdyuCCZ0147fJOtva86n1M5GIAjkxaEj2o_Riiq9ICGqQ2B7hUk4LqI9FoUXl/s400/DSCI0604.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">I wish it would have been something cool like a key to the back door, but no. Just some cheap plastic clamps and a melted screwdriver. When I find stuff like this hidden in dark crevices, I feel like my house will never truly be clean.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So I look at the stove now, and I think, "Sure, we did the best we could with what we have, and it looks okay. And it is certainly functional, but what was there originally?" Something was definitely there. I know this because in the Pearson house next door (with the exact identical dining room wall) there is a missing piece in the picture rail with a small collectible plate hung over the missing piece. This is located exactly where I have a missing piece in my picture rail due to my stove's smoke stack. See below the white picture rail to which I am referring:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgF8SzxxaKcca2n1t_wiNEVI4Ynu0IonXUVo75n6O1_cpjHZSp8mMLUcXu03CPsc8NR1ZtRM0Z5_qstM0VXXqHdbiv_lL4q0LvZNOFldbj_nl5RrVAYhfYqylF_ngDYObpP_XBS-1PxQo/s1600-h/DSCI0627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgF8SzxxaKcca2n1t_wiNEVI4Ynu0IonXUVo75n6O1_cpjHZSp8mMLUcXu03CPsc8NR1ZtRM0Z5_qstM0VXXqHdbiv_lL4q0LvZNOFldbj_nl5RrVAYhfYqylF_ngDYObpP_XBS-1PxQo/s400/DSCI0627.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">At the Pearson house, there is nothing but carpet on the floor and nothing but wainscot on the wall. My house did originally have a brick chimney coming out of the roof around this spot in the house, which would make it seem there was a fireplace here, but that does not make sense to me because of the wainscot. It matches the rest of the house's wainscot identically, so I do believe it was originally there. When I asked the neighbor about the plate hung oddly on the wall, he told me it is where the old oil-burning furnace was. He had lived there since the 1940s, so I believe he might have been talking about that time period. But it does not really make sense to me. Being born in the 1980s in the South, I know very little about oil-burning furnaces. When I google image them, it seems they are rather unsightly and are typically located in basements. I cannot understand one being in a dining room, so right now I consider this a mystery. I have no idea how this house was heated when it was built. Fireplaces and stoves seem the most obvious answer to me. </div><br />
Moving on with the rest of the room's progress...here are a few shots of the priming process:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNj2fUqidn0Ae4tCkEcMp9VmQf5Av3ykh706l2FeaabRCTu_bIgW_haOaDPxUIFH9LJZ7QMXGgmHxfROCtg0QnO1zN3BOJ8DgRIyaeoPbrEFCOUfPZc_YUQ1f5pY9Pf_w50QH2WbPhYYMQ/s1600-h/DSCI0535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNj2fUqidn0Ae4tCkEcMp9VmQf5Av3ykh706l2FeaabRCTu_bIgW_haOaDPxUIFH9LJZ7QMXGgmHxfROCtg0QnO1zN3BOJ8DgRIyaeoPbrEFCOUfPZc_YUQ1f5pY9Pf_w50QH2WbPhYYMQ/s400/DSCI0535.JPG" width="267" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPHRxxbOLK0vHbOj-6rRKC9AEUjxs-E7M3CxDibrQQlhGrLffUpyitNPgl9nOQfHToG3B36oePYKGsxcnqLRgKr2wZAA1gNOKWJ6gty0CpMRLkhgohUqefzrWcytC2j5Ir7MTjWPGF-cR/s1600-h/DSCI0542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPHRxxbOLK0vHbOj-6rRKC9AEUjxs-E7M3CxDibrQQlhGrLffUpyitNPgl9nOQfHToG3B36oePYKGsxcnqLRgKr2wZAA1gNOKWJ6gty0CpMRLkhgohUqefzrWcytC2j5Ir7MTjWPGF-cR/s400/DSCI0542.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><br />
And here is what it looks like now in a counter-clockwise rotation around the room:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxzjYe70OqB41y8f46glgAHXLM3mqivJFIjxosGWk1l7JvjfxhQBda2kquZ7gjRmeSZphtdj0OvWCS6hpzEw_C3G7j3VmFHnzUqqih4bEaJ9HOqML__n63T7PeiyG8wIIDfNwzp-WI1ki/s1600-h/DSCI0607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxzjYe70OqB41y8f46glgAHXLM3mqivJFIjxosGWk1l7JvjfxhQBda2kquZ7gjRmeSZphtdj0OvWCS6hpzEw_C3G7j3VmFHnzUqqih4bEaJ9HOqML__n63T7PeiyG8wIIDfNwzp-WI1ki/s400/DSCI0607.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31ldkHcp2JF7pRO-2zZbNbhwcrRyDO1eXP5H7kHHnhTtmNghIvU5EFaNRkgyfvftalEzozmRHcxRV_D46w3fFOirzNBjBx-b9IbbOVST7NBLR1zU-1kic9_aMToCB_JFzPr9oiQHttxZQ/s1600-h/DSCI0608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31ldkHcp2JF7pRO-2zZbNbhwcrRyDO1eXP5H7kHHnhTtmNghIvU5EFaNRkgyfvftalEzozmRHcxRV_D46w3fFOirzNBjBx-b9IbbOVST7NBLR1zU-1kic9_aMToCB_JFzPr9oiQHttxZQ/s400/DSCI0608.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKhHegi9DejXw7eWXixMmJjmRCDjCQvqueqbds7vSQJTu3wJMuwaI_JTjyyLfAQ0_IPATO0wQEkeoJ0yTqrsbPgUPGW3Mh7AczVj4JlHzsnCprXTRmW0bR4-uyc2249ww4MPEPnTk8TbH/s1600-h/DSCI0610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKhHegi9DejXw7eWXixMmJjmRCDjCQvqueqbds7vSQJTu3wJMuwaI_JTjyyLfAQ0_IPATO0wQEkeoJ0yTqrsbPgUPGW3Mh7AczVj4JlHzsnCprXTRmW0bR4-uyc2249ww4MPEPnTk8TbH/s400/DSCI0610.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sgtdgSaeqHsLSfQscjwthBzYk2GjXPtO_gzeghKebb7Jd78nH0DhyhZEunCxw2EkO8gvHDpROtKSqfnrj3TKrff6g_dWeRWLtY2EV45Nq_n0QeiZMuN9PYY8LqEPLoZwH_J_ziQJL9Jb/s1600-h/DSCI0611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sgtdgSaeqHsLSfQscjwthBzYk2GjXPtO_gzeghKebb7Jd78nH0DhyhZEunCxw2EkO8gvHDpROtKSqfnrj3TKrff6g_dWeRWLtY2EV45Nq_n0QeiZMuN9PYY8LqEPLoZwH_J_ziQJL9Jb/s400/DSCI0611.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">We have only painted the walls, frieze, and ceiling. We have not gotten to the wainscot or any of the trim. It will all be done in Navajo White, which is sort of a cream color and the color of the ceiling. The dark blue on the walls is called Daring Indigo. I believe the light blue is called Enchanting, but I will have to check that next time I am at the store.</div><br />
As always I will have to end this post with some before & after.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Before: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7j8I-qYuL1UJ3QTb3iW_WgztxQEfqTBW7On4J8OD_cyb_uNiBdNDzA44ByYijOAYXw5E3CMEihQQi4zKz2R1gja9QTGRPaL_cZbEcZ_QC9ntAxzTneImQkioo1ZrSNtCcsWfn7Lk_bGM/s1600-h/DSCI0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7j8I-qYuL1UJ3QTb3iW_WgztxQEfqTBW7On4J8OD_cyb_uNiBdNDzA44ByYijOAYXw5E3CMEihQQi4zKz2R1gja9QTGRPaL_cZbEcZ_QC9ntAxzTneImQkioo1ZrSNtCcsWfn7Lk_bGM/s400/DSCI0264.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdxS7FEEKUyrMNIg-CO7gsuAmaERPOrLJ9ioS24wcshgFU3GOg4zyUK7lvcZ-Ge0mDVxfNN_ziAlkNm_sJAeKC9Q5EjTv8orEmvapDY2CN8-nfx1nNyTDJuJIZY0x40CCCbg6SteYAuZf/s1600-h/DSCI0628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdxS7FEEKUyrMNIg-CO7gsuAmaERPOrLJ9ioS24wcshgFU3GOg4zyUK7lvcZ-Ge0mDVxfNN_ziAlkNm_sJAeKC9Q5EjTv8orEmvapDY2CN8-nfx1nNyTDJuJIZY0x40CCCbg6SteYAuZf/s400/DSCI0628.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVleMjxE-6TljsOWi56sUXFaLeSNjn76UBirC2XXlvR1zRBnKc66DKHq_xyRBflocPi8JCXL3ZHp77pEnjMl6dcT5LOUgdbgY8LemXjLv06m2KB5O88_MNsmQ0BLDUDuShMoV_eGA0IYb9/s1600-h/Appraisal+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVleMjxE-6TljsOWi56sUXFaLeSNjn76UBirC2XXlvR1zRBnKc66DKHq_xyRBflocPi8JCXL3ZHp77pEnjMl6dcT5LOUgdbgY8LemXjLv06m2KB5O88_MNsmQ0BLDUDuShMoV_eGA0IYb9/s320/Appraisal+1.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">After:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKozt09Yd4o-TLeiv7T1IhinwLhfQFexZhaB3u5MCH-9BbVEEvkzAIQ-S-dIN1pa24hNfTv0iLtVKxW-_moGwjGsPPpNqpJ_iZYmgO5b8Q4Bducam7C9tsoHEXA5TOdDqWqjZd45dFW16t/s1600-h/DSCI0629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKozt09Yd4o-TLeiv7T1IhinwLhfQFexZhaB3u5MCH-9BbVEEvkzAIQ-S-dIN1pa24hNfTv0iLtVKxW-_moGwjGsPPpNqpJ_iZYmgO5b8Q4Bducam7C9tsoHEXA5TOdDqWqjZd45dFW16t/s320/DSCI0629.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Before:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDcI13wzaW0GCDkG8Fez2mu-Atf73TDHF_SQsT-bCBOutd-ssTx6vCMh1beNVFZYpuA0fv4NR-LGBxoNkEur5negiCTzKe0rZaZtqljh6ZFbrmi8Y6ZNuQhDnexJ_MVk9KepzwDZA6UMi/s1600-h/DSCI0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDcI13wzaW0GCDkG8Fez2mu-Atf73TDHF_SQsT-bCBOutd-ssTx6vCMh1beNVFZYpuA0fv4NR-LGBxoNkEur5negiCTzKe0rZaZtqljh6ZFbrmi8Y6ZNuQhDnexJ_MVk9KepzwDZA6UMi/s400/DSCI0211.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">After:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HjZIzQaurfZag_0e1GJ56HO4_iRJ2ZTRZs6fSoUASYN5NH_24yCKAdL-LaYEsTu2lQS-MEAtqfOerjLASxPllsWmUTTnR6i6TqelWKYwTTi_3MjeMR3rrSYRNfvX01VHIwCcQ7L3ILRP/s1600-h/DSCI0630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HjZIzQaurfZag_0e1GJ56HO4_iRJ2ZTRZs6fSoUASYN5NH_24yCKAdL-LaYEsTu2lQS-MEAtqfOerjLASxPllsWmUTTnR6i6TqelWKYwTTi_3MjeMR3rrSYRNfvX01VHIwCcQ7L3ILRP/s400/DSCI0630.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Before:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjiKhRmxx-DchyphenhyphenO-TjQvpxnlpW5K6zRn2E1uFhbfry5a7hEKejb_gwmCMyJeeK0eu1pBc2gbS34EhwT_a4H3z6iWKCPmWIWV9Bsh6WhEhEnZVOzTO-wgG7o_v4VTQhw3R84soAgpYo-dD/s1600-h/DSCI0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjiKhRmxx-DchyphenhyphenO-TjQvpxnlpW5K6zRn2E1uFhbfry5a7hEKejb_gwmCMyJeeK0eu1pBc2gbS34EhwT_a4H3z6iWKCPmWIWV9Bsh6WhEhEnZVOzTO-wgG7o_v4VTQhw3R84soAgpYo-dD/s400/DSCI0212.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">After:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquY7fynoaZFFfzNRmc1VC02q7C7B9hZyCbHqgWbEubIJXMeMK2dxnINWrrw3nbfrw2G4YOEZP84qHndAzoQtfUb1Hao97Q_yTyFUvZP-ge0U_cxyS4WlfnYkVwKl5a9DamVw8VxfFEIJO/s1600-h/DSCI0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquY7fynoaZFFfzNRmc1VC02q7C7B9hZyCbHqgWbEubIJXMeMK2dxnINWrrw3nbfrw2G4YOEZP84qHndAzoQtfUb1Hao97Q_yTyFUvZP-ge0U_cxyS4WlfnYkVwKl5a9DamVw8VxfFEIJO/s400/DSCI0631.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-18619689077664841622010-02-23T23:00:00.000-08:002010-02-24T15:08:47.061-08:00The Dining Room Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">The dining room is connected to the living room by pocket doors. For those of you unfamiliar with old house architecture and too young to remember, those are the types of doors that slide straight into the wall on a track. At one time they were very popular to separate one parlor from the next, but now if you see them at all in newer houses, they are likely to be used to separate a toilet and shower from the rest of a long rectangular bathroom, but I think even that stopped in the 1970s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So once you walked through the pocket doors into the dining room when we first bought the house, it looked like this:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTMXoCdLkGqiFe7B1q67jooUvuT3YuGyLIF6dUgHL-fLnRC-lPSvBRpXjLevewRec1mXXneo0zUereLA2SQFZ_VY9Nan1Y_pRTKJYstVjvtfPuIUQeHLxrLxV86-AJC9xgILe5PVm9dm0/s1600-h/Appraisal+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTMXoCdLkGqiFe7B1q67jooUvuT3YuGyLIF6dUgHL-fLnRC-lPSvBRpXjLevewRec1mXXneo0zUereLA2SQFZ_VY9Nan1Y_pRTKJYstVjvtfPuIUQeHLxrLxV86-AJC9xgILe5PVm9dm0/s400/Appraisal+1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">There was the infamous stained, stinky blue carpet accompanied by peachy tan textured walls and popcorn ceiling, all covered with a thick layer of dirt and grime. The doorway that you see there leads into the kitchen, as does the pass-through. I believe originally there was a swinging door in the doorway and a pair of cabinet doors on each side of the pass-through. This is based on touring my neighbor's house which has had very little modifications over the past 100 years. The cabinet doors I definitely want to replace. Even though I like having the pass-through to talk to people when they are in the dining room, the shelves there are completely useless because they get covered in dust in about 48 hours. It would be really convenient if I could put everyday dishes there, but as it is now, it just would not work. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here are a few shots of what it looked like just after we moved in. These were taken after the carpet was vacuumed and shampooed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvI_60nzKjxus1RD2YdrETDnjoKnQ5NVgNCUsS0TRWcLBJEvuQ8Myo0orXb1Q5bfo98fgT70Cg5AStU57jFLHvJgSYWq014x4mwE_VzejHPHdhzGFTWfXCrg_iWJbdpoFUv38IhPou6Z3/s1600-h/DSCI0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvI_60nzKjxus1RD2YdrETDnjoKnQ5NVgNCUsS0TRWcLBJEvuQ8Myo0orXb1Q5bfo98fgT70Cg5AStU57jFLHvJgSYWq014x4mwE_VzejHPHdhzGFTWfXCrg_iWJbdpoFUv38IhPou6Z3/s400/DSCI0211.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The door you can barely see on the far left is to the nursery, which at this point contains practical nursery furniture like a full sized bed and an 1800s wash stand. That room is a work in progress, and I will probably give a brief introduction of it in the next post, just to stay in order.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VyM81bzZDGoVsAiTi0Jko_Mm8swdIwerAFl7_Qe6CseCfs1t5QFagPY4okYwUFUeye6ZNCAc8MGJETR7yTQISGjr1cAnfkg_gA9ZcWbqpiu1zxI8X_kYE3oYNQ5xYC6flCoGnobUfeVj/s1600-h/DSCI0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VyM81bzZDGoVsAiTi0Jko_Mm8swdIwerAFl7_Qe6CseCfs1t5QFagPY4okYwUFUeye6ZNCAc8MGJETR7yTQISGjr1cAnfkg_gA9ZcWbqpiu1zxI8X_kYE3oYNQ5xYC6flCoGnobUfeVj/s400/DSCI0212.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The drawers shown here are currently not being used because, frankly, I've never gotten around to cleaning them. I mean, I vacuumed all the mouse droppings out of them, but I just haven't felt like thoroughly disinfecting them. And now as I look at them from my couch while typing this, I wonder if they originally opened from both the kitchen and the dining room. I've seen this in old houses before, and they look like that type since they don't have front trim that would prevent them from being pushed in. Behind them currently is pre-fab Home Depot cabinets. Maybe one day I will find out, but not now. <br />
<br />
Also in the above and below picture is an exterior door which leads to the wraparound porch. Note the cords coming from the floor vent. There were several cords coming out of every vent throughout the house. I eventually cut them all out. The other ends of them are still hanging out in the basement. I think they were for cable (we don't own a television) and internet (we have wifi). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlXnHpRY1lS33UWWoAk6GCe5Y6Y3s61GqJz-TugL2jSaM2SUrpbGHpbh6FWQwXOYy6ooxmaw92abFkpMz5nUyl2k-uqBaJhXsS6vhnLu5kpd_xoqzggllp3Q3NcLPeyrxFipQb9FGE9z0/s1600-h/DSCI0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlXnHpRY1lS33UWWoAk6GCe5Y6Y3s61GqJz-TugL2jSaM2SUrpbGHpbh6FWQwXOYy6ooxmaw92abFkpMz5nUyl2k-uqBaJhXsS6vhnLu5kpd_xoqzggllp3Q3NcLPeyrxFipQb9FGE9z0/s400/DSCI0213.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the same wall with a glimpse of the pocket doors.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbTMrsiALKfO5tY8SuVvSAiSrFxXGKlVLaMppUPaaHPAMjac3gH68vgm6wOgak5vR4ETk2PNHFFvqV-pfSHhBfVnPCCGwnZJ81S05aQOeCP3hzgIi9CQLj7e6l2QcJJtUewfRvUJ_it1G/s1600-h/DSCI0214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbTMrsiALKfO5tY8SuVvSAiSrFxXGKlVLaMppUPaaHPAMjac3gH68vgm6wOgak5vR4ETk2PNHFFvqV-pfSHhBfVnPCCGwnZJ81S05aQOeCP3hzgIi9CQLj7e6l2QcJJtUewfRvUJ_it1G/s400/DSCI0214.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's a terrible picture looking through them into the living room.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first thing we did was remove the popcorn ceilings. Though we could have done this ourselves, it was one of the things that the contractor had to do due to the 203k loan. We had them tested for asbestos before buying the house. Although asbestos in a popcorn ceiling will not cause harm as long as it is undisturbed, its safe removal by professionals would have been $15,000+. We would not have been able to remove it unprofessionally ourselves due to the 203k loan. The only other option was to just live with it, which to me, was not really an option. Fortunately the test came back negative.<br />
<br />
The workers started by covering the walls and floors with plastic and spraying water onto the ceiling:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-YE9AKJkZUcchsf6tB_aG6yu_zO83IhYNCqKB7MkllHNdEZHfaowad-6zBu1kEluLcGyLONMsj_Zn77rDRj1CcLPfWdXnvcPWkvy52Skor828lv5T93bIrhvwJGK6Vgph2BraTiXd1d-/s1600-h/DSCI0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-YE9AKJkZUcchsf6tB_aG6yu_zO83IhYNCqKB7MkllHNdEZHfaowad-6zBu1kEluLcGyLONMsj_Zn77rDRj1CcLPfWdXnvcPWkvy52Skor828lv5T93bIrhvwJGK6Vgph2BraTiXd1d-/s400/DSCI0264.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then they began scraping the ceiling while it was damp:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRymIH7VpBG6O6pu-7kKGumIF65vZuv-v2-pi7f_49gcYFqHxNcUlEF4fwioYp93MW75TGU1WCPZHkRNTV5URXXmtsEnDteqmEkQy1WncMtfH1AWoT41H5PSrZpvzW33YYKOrtvUZx9Of2/s1600-h/DSCI0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRymIH7VpBG6O6pu-7kKGumIF65vZuv-v2-pi7f_49gcYFqHxNcUlEF4fwioYp93MW75TGU1WCPZHkRNTV5URXXmtsEnDteqmEkQy1WncMtfH1AWoT41H5PSrZpvzW33YYKOrtvUZx9Of2/s320/DSCI0265.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2carpOcfgG1_B7pg6TwaI8p3UVM85gY2gXCNLBuh8y0tAVwIqt53FnS_XqDVQDSps-e1NHQp6b5eZXnejcKvFur6JXtVVxMbo1LlCDpwKTo2aqq27i0rM3CnMsaIJ4LUcW1mpGp6e6JsG/s1600-h/DSCI0266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2carpOcfgG1_B7pg6TwaI8p3UVM85gY2gXCNLBuh8y0tAVwIqt53FnS_XqDVQDSps-e1NHQp6b5eZXnejcKvFur6JXtVVxMbo1LlCDpwKTo2aqq27i0rM3CnMsaIJ4LUcW1mpGp6e6JsG/s400/DSCI0266.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once it was done, the floor looked like this:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4nnzbRoDg-mcBSAxU6P9KvvuYlYdZghPxiYc6tMDmd1JOSdBVKE5TshE3KP5smuuzxKiZIp5TB276wvtlXMgSHfsmP84nHZzOJ_uyxU9rglg6ugI5W1Omg2Mma_cBGwd05zI_ue4n-Hw/s1600-h/DSCI0268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4nnzbRoDg-mcBSAxU6P9KvvuYlYdZghPxiYc6tMDmd1JOSdBVKE5TshE3KP5smuuzxKiZIp5TB276wvtlXMgSHfsmP84nHZzOJ_uyxU9rglg6ugI5W1Omg2Mma_cBGwd05zI_ue4n-Hw/s400/DSCI0268.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">That was pretty much it for the removal process. They then puttied the cracks, of which there were not many. We did not concern ourselves with achieving perfect smoothness on the ceilings. After all, they are 11.5 feet high, not very close to the eyes. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We then, with our own four hands, ripped out all the carpet in the entire house in one day due to an unforeseen flea plague. No, we don't have pets, but the previous owner did. Apparently fleas can live for several years on dead organic matter in a carpet without a living host. We discovered this flea problem by waking up our second morning in the house with our lower legs covered in flea bites, which we could not identify as flea bites until the town drunkard came by the house looking for work and asked about our flea bites, pointing to our legs. In that moment everything made sad, horrifying, perfect sense. It was a matter of minutes before our porch looked like this:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4-n3qz7Iary9pVz3Y4oj0PkR1VMvoNM_GLgZV-x-ZpEimYuMxC9FDCcLvX_tkSwVI4-bIBwPPs-7q9RJL7drVfaLET5oU6LNVZ1YehFJt3LHq9IKB6VmxtJ9ude3D1aebbIzfau1tUdw/s1600-h/DSCI0293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4-n3qz7Iary9pVz3Y4oj0PkR1VMvoNM_GLgZV-x-ZpEimYuMxC9FDCcLvX_tkSwVI4-bIBwPPs-7q9RJL7drVfaLET5oU6LNVZ1YehFJt3LHq9IKB6VmxtJ9ude3D1aebbIzfau1tUdw/s400/DSCI0293.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">That is only a tiny fraction of the carpet. We immediately scheduled an exterminator for the next day. At about 10pm when we finished hauling it all outside, we went to an undisclosed hotel and jumped into the chlorinated swimming pool with all our clothes on, including shoes in an effort to kill the fleas on our bodies. It seemed to work. We have not had a flea problem since.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
This was not part of our restoration plan. Though we of course hated the carpet and planned to get rid of it, we thought we could live with it temporarily since I did shampoo it twice -- once with my own shampooer and once with a Rug Doctor. My own shampooer and vacuum cleaner both broke while tackling this carpet monster. Though it was still yucky, it seemed livable enough for us as a short-term solution. We thought, "We're young. We're tough. We're not complainers. We don't have kids. We'll be fine with some smelly carpet." Oh, how wrong we were. Our plan was to get the ceilings, windows, and walls in good working order, paint everything, and then pull up the carpet and refinish the hardwood floors underneath as our last big project. But once the flea plague hit us, and we could not even sleep in our wonderful dream Victorian, we said forget the carpet and vowed to just live with whatever was underneath it. This is why in all my "after" pictures there is a painted brown wooden floor with lots of other paint colors splattered all over it. This is what was under the blue carpet, and this is what we live with.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It turns out the paint on the wood floor has really helped to protect it. I have no idea when or why it was painted. I think it was sometime in the last decade or two because one of the people we had come to give us a bid on restoring the floors said that it was a latex paint. Some rooms have an orange coating of what seems to be paint under the brown paint. I think this orange color is likely very old and perhaps even original, though I really can't be sure. It's in the two downstairs bedrooms and was on the back porch floor.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Our new plan is to have the floors professionally restored by Raphael Hardwood Flooring in April when we get our tax refund back. They are one of the few people we could find that were confident and had experience in dealing with old Fir floors. Fir is a much softer wood than most wood used for floors such as Oak. In fact, many people tried to tell us that our floors must have been a sub-floor because fir is just too soft to be used as a flooring material. Or that even if it was the original floor, it would quickly deteriorate if we tried to restore it. The guy from Raphael assured me that this was the original floor and that it is much stronger than modern Fir because it is old-growth meaning it was allowed to grow for a longer period of time which made it stronger. In addition they will seal it with a commercial-grade sealer, like the type used in gyms, to make it more durable. He said that there is a company in Sacramento that specializes in installing reclaimed old Fir floors from barns and old houses like mine into new construction homes, and that their estimates usually run into six figures. So that makes me feel pretty good about our decision to restore the floors. I would say at least 90% of people were telling us to forget about it and just cover it in laminate. When I told that to the guy from Raphael, he said he considers "laminate" to be a bad word. I like their company, and I look forward to sharing the results in April.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I will have to stop for now. I am trying to do more frequent, shorter posts. I will pick up here next time.</div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-24854732989710127122010-02-14T14:14:00.000-08:002010-02-14T14:53:05.068-08:00The Office<div style="text-align: justify;">Last post I focused on the living room. When you walk into the living room, the office is through a door on your left. The office is 12' x 12' with 11.5' ceilings like the rest of the first floor. Though you could use it as a bedroom, it is not legally considered a bedroom because it does not have a closet. It does have 3 beautiful windows, a great view, and is conveniently located off the living room, so we use it as an office. It mostly serves as a place to store and organize marketing materials for our work-from-home job. It is also where I have to use my laptop anytime I need to print or scan anything, and it tends to be the place where I bring the mail, file statements, and pay bills. Eventually we want to have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with one of those cool sliding ladders on the wall. We also want to put two comfortable, regal wing-backed chairs as a seating area with a small coffee table that permanently holds fine whiskey in a crystal decanter. We picture a very old, large world map on the wall. We will also need cabinets in which to hide the explicitly modern marketing materials. But these are our far-off future goals. We don't expect these goals to come into fruition for at least 5 years, but I explain it so that you can understand my choice of paint color. Our office (at which point we will call a study) will be the strong, classy, masculine room of the house. I should probably just shut up and get on with the pictures already, since that really is all anyone sees anyway. Here a few shots of what it looked like before becoming officially ours:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hMGn1bUJeqvHC1uAJVst1OknY7qdnEer_YP1ez1pn7ImflNDFpF9jpSrL37PJpMJ3z2rwwf2Z7SBuM3pBn1c9H_ywudo9myzGLWFhyuuO0IFO_F7vVL-RaWo7cvu8UDUxth2mRyMqDkq/s1600-h/Office.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hMGn1bUJeqvHC1uAJVst1OknY7qdnEer_YP1ez1pn7ImflNDFpF9jpSrL37PJpMJ3z2rwwf2Z7SBuM3pBn1c9H_ywudo9myzGLWFhyuuO0IFO_F7vVL-RaWo7cvu8UDUxth2mRyMqDkq/s400/Office.png" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNxSL8xi6T5Votp7m5bmPmMVlgMhwUc4xFNhQBPJg_TX1KwMbYp1GlOf4ut1TOAguhq_W6K6BWrmHppXt1qpGWFmIKvErrHGt7R7ODcEFa1sRp4IVatqZSEqWLnvUGEUz9HoYbbPWMtxa/s1600-h/DSCI0209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNxSL8xi6T5Votp7m5bmPmMVlgMhwUc4xFNhQBPJg_TX1KwMbYp1GlOf4ut1TOAguhq_W6K6BWrmHppXt1qpGWFmIKvErrHGt7R7ODcEFa1sRp4IVatqZSEqWLnvUGEUz9HoYbbPWMtxa/s400/DSCI0209.JPG" width="300" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">You can see the house trying to puke up the carpet in the corner in the above picture. The house hated the carpet as much as we did. I will not digress into the story of the carpets. But here are a few pictures of the carpet removal process:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfhCvI_1QczYiSs2y-sZcX52-xDMRlFTwfLUCgVNzaPynjpGwmq3qyDTaFZ9csqaZ4yjpRmefKw8A_YrqC-bbbtk13cTCnjp5i_P3MPqQ4uQa2PKkYyYVjbNUtV6f2RmI1UoaJ7uwWjc7/s1600-h/DSCI0272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfhCvI_1QczYiSs2y-sZcX52-xDMRlFTwfLUCgVNzaPynjpGwmq3qyDTaFZ9csqaZ4yjpRmefKw8A_YrqC-bbbtk13cTCnjp5i_P3MPqQ4uQa2PKkYyYVjbNUtV6f2RmI1UoaJ7uwWjc7/s400/DSCI0272.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZr41t5YbzGWNd-yL-LL9E-xEAr55BKeytTL_mAbqUqmd0YnLPqWA2kUerepX8cUkup2ArHa38k_v6SgA63jUq-TQzWlsmCYbNYu7-6uC_J68UeXOLghJNolFuehy638nahgHDJrfLly6/s1600-h/DSCI0277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZr41t5YbzGWNd-yL-LL9E-xEAr55BKeytTL_mAbqUqmd0YnLPqWA2kUerepX8cUkup2ArHa38k_v6SgA63jUq-TQzWlsmCYbNYu7-6uC_J68UeXOLghJNolFuehy638nahgHDJrfLly6/s400/DSCI0277.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here is what the ceiling looked like:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZSTwxSq6Zncle7vx2c2kvkZO57LEgc6fEyqSeGDa7bhyphenhyphenzR7xP8V1x5dX752xsdpQOJWeKRbt8ZJM6C4L07cYBbvZ2tMaZLQ6g1ZRdVKJuPHxjPB0OtJgwbJvgZkEmrk-f162m-pyqMnQ/s1600-h/DSCI0175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZSTwxSq6Zncle7vx2c2kvkZO57LEgc6fEyqSeGDa7bhyphenhyphenzR7xP8V1x5dX752xsdpQOJWeKRbt8ZJM6C4L07cYBbvZ2tMaZLQ6g1ZRdVKJuPHxjPB0OtJgwbJvgZkEmrk-f162m-pyqMnQ/s400/DSCI0175.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYrgCnGZaUbyioEUM_eZdsYA9d9isbXckd_iy9CJfmY6L4kO76SD4aMTsmJ8GjWwRyr7QepalJya64KGthOBi6i5CSp8jdU3ID4XxcMayxiMcFHfII9_-sldtlpOmK1PzQbLhxAVhlviG/s1600-h/DSCI0210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYrgCnGZaUbyioEUM_eZdsYA9d9isbXckd_iy9CJfmY6L4kO76SD4aMTsmJ8GjWwRyr7QepalJya64KGthOBi6i5CSp8jdU3ID4XxcMayxiMcFHfII9_-sldtlpOmK1PzQbLhxAVhlviG/s400/DSCI0210.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After removing the popcorn ceiling and repairing it where cracked, we had the walls skim coated to make them smooth. They had a sort of skip trowel texture on them which was put on over wallpaper who knows how long ago. So somewhere underneath all that is the original plaster walls, and knowing that is enough to keep my heart content. Here is what it looked like after skim coating, but before painting: (it looks textured due to the skimming material being thicker and thinner in different parts, but it was smooth to the touch) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-I092IiwUapfEdZDRhFNbEnUCMgFIMLVlDmA8-RAi8NeC3AY_L-AlMY7gpiltYP8Qi8yed8ePzkio1RB64udK6NIgl1QkIsIsJUM-jagmAn4mcbe0bVDrgqA1V0hrbC8psPCxAvCWsSl/s1600-h/DSCI0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-I092IiwUapfEdZDRhFNbEnUCMgFIMLVlDmA8-RAi8NeC3AY_L-AlMY7gpiltYP8Qi8yed8ePzkio1RB64udK6NIgl1QkIsIsJUM-jagmAn4mcbe0bVDrgqA1V0hrbC8psPCxAvCWsSl/s400/DSCI0386.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After the contractors skim coated it, I sanded it myself and did a pretty bad job, mostly because I had no idea how to do it. I did a much better job in the living room and dining room. By the time I got to this room, I was thinking, "Surely I'm doing this all wrong and it's not going to make a difference...whatever." From other old house blogs, I got the idea that sanding was a huge pain and very difficult, and it seemed like what I had done in the other rooms was very easy, hence the attitude I developed in this room, and it shows. I wish I had put in the same 20 minutes I put into the other rooms, but oh well. Can you sand after you've painted? I have no idea, but I will probably try. This room isn't<i> too </i>bad, however. I'm pretty sure this wall color is Billiard Green, the frieze color is Mountain Haze, and the ceiling color is Navajo White. One of the reasons I chose to do the living room the paler green is so it transition well into the office. I kind of wanted a gray or gold living room, but I thought it would be too jarring of a difference; I didn't want the office to look like an afterthought. But I absolutely love the living room color, even more so than I do the office color, so I think it worked out great in the end. When all the trim work gets painted sometime before September, it will be Navajo White as well. Here is what it looks like now:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40-CofvlKE_JKFUTXIHkUNhPSW2C06CLDEUcfmuqTYgYbw0JfAIUirZg6DQxdHhyphenhyphen_cSku7qeOJALvqtSW055jWKTECLouj0hZiNIHvPRW42ErR7KenDt1Ya3xeTHQ6z4f8K6Xe0KlX2fy/s1600-h/DSCI0544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40-CofvlKE_JKFUTXIHkUNhPSW2C06CLDEUcfmuqTYgYbw0JfAIUirZg6DQxdHhyphenhyphen_cSku7qeOJALvqtSW055jWKTECLouj0hZiNIHvPRW42ErR7KenDt1Ya3xeTHQ6z4f8K6Xe0KlX2fy/s400/DSCI0544.JPG" width="267" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6lfMmnNSR6dG2zuMO1cVTPxG5bw_3TPB5-_3xXjdzg9qCNVQEoWbAjUYnW9gKM_8uMLxiRNdpBX5vUzzwsRIPp0XBhgSS6d0wPNhiSV600mrBekpIRSpS4Iv8jMXD2ERbOrulE2EVO6u/s1600-h/DSCI0595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6lfMmnNSR6dG2zuMO1cVTPxG5bw_3TPB5-_3xXjdzg9qCNVQEoWbAjUYnW9gKM_8uMLxiRNdpBX5vUzzwsRIPp0XBhgSS6d0wPNhiSV600mrBekpIRSpS4Iv8jMXD2ERbOrulE2EVO6u/s400/DSCI0595.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_59yFFweRPgQnv89vi6xUVX3J-FyoHt7596_VRcEl1TAhP53GUfWrEHK0zuTCXQJqOnsj1S5pCjweYQ-NaZWY3ch_A2HR2pWeKmcWurCxxzf0fnBIS-rPoUEHyl3jgwPNgqjxFL-2Me_L/s1600-h/DSCI0596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_59yFFweRPgQnv89vi6xUVX3J-FyoHt7596_VRcEl1TAhP53GUfWrEHK0zuTCXQJqOnsj1S5pCjweYQ-NaZWY3ch_A2HR2pWeKmcWurCxxzf0fnBIS-rPoUEHyl3jgwPNgqjxFL-2Me_L/s400/DSCI0596.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisj6tqEDJ_aAIkSnAoppNBxvqwUPTz0jMut9-jP8SYdMnwK6uN6fuh48x3HZjHF093xkz1DHc2HjztBbVg8bnl_s29XTQf3mLByjhG3TH3FwvlL2UPqFd6GqtViPsWR3q_fz1WWr0mcRww/s1600-h/DSCI0594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisj6tqEDJ_aAIkSnAoppNBxvqwUPTz0jMut9-jP8SYdMnwK6uN6fuh48x3HZjHF093xkz1DHc2HjztBbVg8bnl_s29XTQf3mLByjhG3TH3FwvlL2UPqFd6GqtViPsWR3q_fz1WWr0mcRww/s400/DSCI0594.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk3Jdw0L39w5Qm5Y-JYuJm2HjXOwJZoUhO1LZZvUz_kdBdItSYEhP2izrLSonVvLCoBbuJh5uEKViK-XR60jtCf4ZqZQYz9_b6k7as97EeK_c5YrezuaGHbGStKt7uK62ZFWZx5L7ImYy/s1600-h/DSCI0593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk3Jdw0L39w5Qm5Y-JYuJm2HjXOwJZoUhO1LZZvUz_kdBdItSYEhP2izrLSonVvLCoBbuJh5uEKViK-XR60jtCf4ZqZQYz9_b6k7as97EeK_c5YrezuaGHbGStKt7uK62ZFWZx5L7ImYy/s400/DSCI0593.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I think it's time for a before and after:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW1MhbUSbURUygjcvQtWBOS2zaBWK8oJyPc9p7SQTq0U-JaIOGF_keDKu1Htl5zRIOfidys2oD-4sYZTHLFiA7YBlwbjeh-8v6Li_hVkbJy8FsanBZxARoGubYxzGK4-U5EotyTrkWRXW/s1600-h/Office.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW1MhbUSbURUygjcvQtWBOS2zaBWK8oJyPc9p7SQTq0U-JaIOGF_keDKu1Htl5zRIOfidys2oD-4sYZTHLFiA7YBlwbjeh-8v6Li_hVkbJy8FsanBZxARoGubYxzGK4-U5EotyTrkWRXW/s200/Office.png" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4_oGUN-z90-KHOvuScPg9LLh579sd2vROioLVA4XtXbZeuLFILLfzYOpNQsTy2PFthRICtcKSkUZL5jFU20sAhZpCk0hbdBoSAONgDDFLVeCerXLViDbmErSHKgwDnPHYNjn2sS8y1as/s1600-h/DSCI0594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4_oGUN-z90-KHOvuScPg9LLh579sd2vROioLVA4XtXbZeuLFILLfzYOpNQsTy2PFthRICtcKSkUZL5jFU20sAhZpCk0hbdBoSAONgDDFLVeCerXLViDbmErSHKgwDnPHYNjn2sS8y1as/s200/DSCI0594.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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And another one:</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3nsk68JQuWQr68uUEIg_BsAkupFHAeUWtkWKKMQweiqyyPuaRaZx4NABD_MtFOkG9gdiQNKQctctbPOYpetAUIV46bzrJbN4gtAx0MNyCf7WDSs5ttga_o4pbGB84aWE8qnmRr9J1DDH/s1600-h/DSCI0593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3nsk68JQuWQr68uUEIg_BsAkupFHAeUWtkWKKMQweiqyyPuaRaZx4NABD_MtFOkG9gdiQNKQctctbPOYpetAUIV46bzrJbN4gtAx0MNyCf7WDSs5ttga_o4pbGB84aWE8qnmRr9J1DDH/s200/DSCI0593.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyHwctqD5_HrOvO3PraK_-nLt07agdbRaODoq6_lXoB2eCMdA0miw0rw388vwmrH3DswCshhygMmunTDRlzeYh6Prn92_2RZU4JAQRMVL5I5TDv3RzA7vrxVFwdtU3T7B6cTnlNxHzQgN/s1600-h/DSCI0209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyHwctqD5_HrOvO3PraK_-nLt07agdbRaODoq6_lXoB2eCMdA0miw0rw388vwmrH3DswCshhygMmunTDRlzeYh6Prn92_2RZU4JAQRMVL5I5TDv3RzA7vrxVFwdtU3T7B6cTnlNxHzQgN/s200/DSCI0209.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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After looking at the before and after, I realize something very important the before picture does not capture, and that is the smell. It smelled terrible like wet dog, soil, and mustiness. The carpets were completely disgusting and stained with what I believe was likely dog urine and feces. The wood floor underneath was painted brown and covered in paint spills like the rest of the house, but it will look awesome once it is refinished. This is pretty much how it will look for the next few months. After painting the trim and refinishing the floors sometime in the summer or fall, the only other improvements will be hanging curtains and art and putting our book collection onto the bookcases. The grander plans will wait a few years. Tune in next time for the dining room tour.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-80670539299428001602010-01-16T18:11:00.001-08:002010-01-16T19:02:23.216-08:00The Living Room<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The bad news is that I have not posted in a month. The good news is that there has been a lot of progress in the meantime. This past weekend we invited up several friends to help us paint all the rooms which will be having the wood floors restored. This includes two bedrooms, the office, the dining room, and the living room. Instead of making this another marathon post explaining everything that has changed, I will instead do a series of posts going room by room showcasing the new paint job.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I will begin with the living room. Here a few shots from before we bought the house:</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGltKG7nPvRU5pq3sg-UQX-Fnat40435YQI-obp7k_ttKUNuG0mmcFnDkUmUsL3X003gGhH5SqCy-BkNkEunsya6D4apNdShEjKbspMZPLNRghG4kcTuCfOaEhYODgnC5kc7M7e6wPf3_H/s1600-h/DSCI0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGltKG7nPvRU5pq3sg-UQX-Fnat40435YQI-obp7k_ttKUNuG0mmcFnDkUmUsL3X003gGhH5SqCy-BkNkEunsya6D4apNdShEjKbspMZPLNRghG4kcTuCfOaEhYODgnC5kc7M7e6wPf3_H/s400/DSCI0206.JPG" /></a></span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the front door. It enters into the living room from the east side of the wraparound porch. I must remind the reader that the dates on the photo are incorrect. At the time I took this picture, we were still in escrow. Note the wallpaper peeling from the walls. This was the only wallpaper that had not been painted over in the house. It was not normal wallpaper. It had a linear vertical texture on it and felt more like plastic than paper. I would date it to the 1980s, but I am really not sure; maybe 1990s? We removed it just a few days after moving in, the same day the work crew had the plastic laid down for removing popcorn ceiling. Here is a nice close-up of the two lovelies posing together:</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAKWx95iXL7NXnQROxm1jPSQlC4G8rzkn3MWUQgH_frzXFha03wMkIrWVOL7eFbmHkiytZPToFq4aCZRzcdyq9AHsBR9Vn1BVQCIoJpc0bYAj71Rwd2HVVo_cP-_2bWMEbigv-a4ttUgm/s1600-h/DSCI0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAKWx95iXL7NXnQROxm1jPSQlC4G8rzkn3MWUQgH_frzXFha03wMkIrWVOL7eFbmHkiytZPToFq4aCZRzcdyq9AHsBR9Vn1BVQCIoJpc0bYAj71Rwd2HVVo_cP-_2bWMEbigv-a4ttUgm/s400/DSCI0201.JPG" /></a></span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is what the turret looked like when we first moved in, complete with blue carpet, popcorn ceiling, and wallpaper:</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhzl9QZYgOzRNF3Bb7SyD_82wmO6uRneHU7SQHOvEB0iVbBNPrbg1k8MDw3fpBx3zZprBDQ-WcGfPbbS8e9wLiTZQF59wYJX3W_gSXarnWASYuf1tLE5pfeslCWp5wO3Ibp92qR1D2nnF/s1600-h/DSCI0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhzl9QZYgOzRNF3Bb7SyD_82wmO6uRneHU7SQHOvEB0iVbBNPrbg1k8MDw3fpBx3zZprBDQ-WcGfPbbS8e9wLiTZQF59wYJX3W_gSXarnWASYuf1tLE5pfeslCWp5wO3Ibp92qR1D2nnF/s400/DSCI0205.JPG" /></a></span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I apologize for the darkness. This was taken before I ever planned on having a blog, before I owned the house, and before electricity was turned on. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is the west wall just after the wallpaper came tumbling down. The doorway on the right side of the photo is the pocket doors leading into the dining room. This is the wall you face when you first enter the house:</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVTkaNqsCf6HaScqn7NwfM8hBY_VbPk_akdJKFgi-b1bYnctY-IvYLE0x6rLbO2u4LF9VvWuBYoAOHEXTJD8YvxdGjJZNzZ85Ww9B9Nw-TWHiTA2X5RyRS_NUZ4aGSlnfMbet2c6FAt3k/s1600-h/DSCI0270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVTkaNqsCf6HaScqn7NwfM8hBY_VbPk_akdJKFgi-b1bYnctY-IvYLE0x6rLbO2u4LF9VvWuBYoAOHEXTJD8YvxdGjJZNzZ85Ww9B9Nw-TWHiTA2X5RyRS_NUZ4aGSlnfMbet2c6FAt3k/s400/DSCI0270.JPG" /></a></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is the south wall of the living room. It leads into the office and is on your left when entering through the front door. The dark area is the paper backing that was a little more difficult to remove. This is one of the nice gentlemen who were working on our house spraying it down with water so that it was easier to remove. While removing the wallpaper we came across several large holes. The horizontal boards behind the holes are the lath which held the plaster in place. I think exposed lath really gives a room that haunted house feeling. Frankly, I liked it. But alas, the gentlemen did patch it because that was all part of the 203K deal. This picture also greatly demonstrates the difference between the blue carpet and underlying painted wood floor, but that is another post entirely.</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fj88UsFmb8H8oktFzpovNnSVURZBDTQpYIbWNi3EfouJCdHuW47AnmuvnNNl4ODdBdjEDEyIRUzrPWxxDg_bTOT-rX3wtsIGPltdoy5FURHElcBGsCuNfQksVxvjFLJGmLHEO5zvoVj6/s1600-h/DSCI0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fj88UsFmb8H8oktFzpovNnSVURZBDTQpYIbWNi3EfouJCdHuW47AnmuvnNNl4ODdBdjEDEyIRUzrPWxxDg_bTOT-rX3wtsIGPltdoy5FURHElcBGsCuNfQksVxvjFLJGmLHEO5zvoVj6/s400/DSCI0274.JPG" /></a></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">We did not just have to repair holes and remove wallpaper. Almost every wall in the house also had texture applied over wallpaper which was then painted. The texture sort of resembled craters like the surface of the moon, except on a much smaller scale of course. Sure, we could have just painted over the texture, but it looked very dated and was not particularly well done to begin with. Richard tried to sell me on the idea of it being just fine, but I was not buying it. I suppose a more authentic restorer would have removed the texture and the wallpaper underneath down to bare plaster and restored from there, but I did not choose that route for several reasons.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">First, I do not think it will noticeably improve the visual appeal of the walls. Because we skim coated over the texture, everything is as smooth as the underlying plaster would be. Also, I feared what we would find underneath the wallpaper. I have a feeling that the wallpaper may very well be holding together the plaster. Also, I am not sure how possible it would be to remove textured-over wallpaper from plaster without further damaging the plaster underneath. I have seen plenty of examples of people removing layers and layers of wallpaper from plaster, but not texture <i>over</i> wallpaper. I was afraid that if I tried, I would end up destroying the plaster underneath and then have to sheetrock the walls, which was the last thing I wanted to do. I like knowing that the plaster is under there somewhere so that if I or someone else ever wanted to restore the plaster walls, they have as much to work with as possible. I find it psychologically comforting. Plus, I like that I can still claim to have plaster walls. I do not know if I have mentioned it yet, but I know absolutely nothing about construction, home improvement, or old house restoration except for what I have read on the internet. And therefore we skim coated, painted, and called it done. Here is how the same wall looked after holes were repaired and skim coating:</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0j3B1rLojA-ZmWytVcmbKf2-CyUhFM5U2qXLDiwKXNpuhxzsTgE-eeuPxb2CIRF3tZ4UziZcnLIDWJ3DmFeRfwBr9yRsPkp8zaDGPR3uf2wdRULDPlvFiAdPi19FG96RA8A8VH5N5VjB/s1600-h/DSCI0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0j3B1rLojA-ZmWytVcmbKf2-CyUhFM5U2qXLDiwKXNpuhxzsTgE-eeuPxb2CIRF3tZ4UziZcnLIDWJ3DmFeRfwBr9yRsPkp8zaDGPR3uf2wdRULDPlvFiAdPi19FG96RA8A8VH5N5VjB/s400/DSCI0541.JPG" /></a></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The following are mostly nighttime pictures with one notable exception, to give a contrast between what it looks like lit by lamps and what it looks like in the sun. These pictures go around the room clockwise. Here is what it looks like now:</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMk4zhBU4Y4FLyLeaLCnUL8TeUxzEIow6aG-Qs2YeXyS3GsZeFDPI3Rc471ya0LfTTnrNUSXS5IaYHU740rhpdUs9pdrCM9if-gdw_1EMP10g6EPV54iKKuzy8hXj6geO8e49pxoRAHmt/s1600-h/DSCI0586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMk4zhBU4Y4FLyLeaLCnUL8TeUxzEIow6aG-Qs2YeXyS3GsZeFDPI3Rc471ya0LfTTnrNUSXS5IaYHU740rhpdUs9pdrCM9if-gdw_1EMP10g6EPV54iKKuzy8hXj6geO8e49pxoRAHmt/s400/DSCI0586.JPG" /></a></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEeiiVWCkH0qno3LeoMU0uneRycQraMhjoVi20UvgdbwF-0tSyQSYbpUNf1sNhgyKLn86TVHkTYGJUwBYnPnlBSqeop40xyFjjsT31e9ABnj9D__QDYxsn0t_8qdwUeIMiRQDGYudO6uo/s1600-h/DSCI0587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEeiiVWCkH0qno3LeoMU0uneRycQraMhjoVi20UvgdbwF-0tSyQSYbpUNf1sNhgyKLn86TVHkTYGJUwBYnPnlBSqeop40xyFjjsT31e9ABnj9D__QDYxsn0t_8qdwUeIMiRQDGYudO6uo/s400/DSCI0587.JPG" /></a></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPz-mAFpPWQd6PRJpQ57mniIuptYiOyrT2xojBuppV7q-Yl-FoSac3A7X9UYXfBHlIGiqRxeH9tXkIYdXTrvusx3Jtn22CTJSgQCLFX-bCmiQhi6NanNukFOawTusF0PJC4XZHflNA_oN/s1600-h/DSCI0582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPz-mAFpPWQd6PRJpQ57mniIuptYiOyrT2xojBuppV7q-Yl-FoSac3A7X9UYXfBHlIGiqRxeH9tXkIYdXTrvusx3Jtn22CTJSgQCLFX-bCmiQhi6NanNukFOawTusF0PJC4XZHflNA_oN/s400/DSCI0582.JPG" /></a></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhPWw-_AGm34SvYWeRPEjx72ASLr2lzEj4qbVQuFVYbhoUv33y6Pg3zhvPGKZyu_3BkOm8BIypoDBM1dRKLV7OmmM5BveAsVvXLQs4UIzpcOgeVL7cYYGksCIi4Bd4NRjMkMEJU-2YMB1/s1600-h/DSCI0551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhPWw-_AGm34SvYWeRPEjx72ASLr2lzEj4qbVQuFVYbhoUv33y6Pg3zhvPGKZyu_3BkOm8BIypoDBM1dRKLV7OmmM5BveAsVvXLQs4UIzpcOgeVL7cYYGksCIi4Bd4NRjMkMEJU-2YMB1/s400/DSCI0551.JPG" /></a></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-y60uIPVGFx_SwPQ-H1E8n_rSOogdayBMsjv_WXsN48iElKz0n7S3AvvSgiznz2u2xTaC4jvRZ8OON_gKya2LwsGJ-CW6IPquk7KitSfxPCSYzjZC6V69pZYFCxvHb-f9LnxbJv4kQzo/s1600-h/DSCI0588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-y60uIPVGFx_SwPQ-H1E8n_rSOogdayBMsjv_WXsN48iElKz0n7S3AvvSgiznz2u2xTaC4jvRZ8OON_gKya2LwsGJ-CW6IPquk7KitSfxPCSYzjZC6V69pZYFCxvHb-f9LnxbJv4kQzo/s400/DSCI0588.JPG" /></a></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The color on the walls is Restful. The upper wall above the picture rail is Mountain Haze. The ceiling is Navajo White. The trim has yet to be done. That is definitely a post for the future. I think one last before and after is in order. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25tUAhBLfVWp_RjTrOtw6QQEo2NzvFLj5AGwsCsSSgRx_pFfZGKqypcTK02aUfGYEwMB_S-MLLADyl8DknGukYiqhrHuSJb8GAF1hPVDbdc_6ycMRs87JCoq-Za9KR8MwwFHduBVEz8nJ/s1600-h/DSCI0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25tUAhBLfVWp_RjTrOtw6QQEo2NzvFLj5AGwsCsSSgRx_pFfZGKqypcTK02aUfGYEwMB_S-MLLADyl8DknGukYiqhrHuSJb8GAF1hPVDbdc_6ycMRs87JCoq-Za9KR8MwwFHduBVEz8nJ/s400/DSCI0206.JPG" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">That is all for this time, folks!</span><br />
</div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-59475124151822064772009-12-08T20:27:00.000-08:002009-12-08T20:34:35.097-08:00Back Porch Progress<div style="text-align: justify;">The back porch is really starting to take shape. Since buying the house we have repositioned the water heater, washer, and dryer to maximize the usable space of the back porch. After doing this, the porch looked like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbECyAlE6BgM5l2-Bczl-mRlL8afcvyMgKm-VhPfZGzqo2gcqPTxzd5gawl6D6v-ZRU-taryYw19XBYiqxh1NLa_bcYfla1aH_jw1vJD80pFjRlvLGk0fTvuwh9cbC_eFOpXmfgdgxeZwh/s1600-h/DSCI0459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbECyAlE6BgM5l2-Bczl-mRlL8afcvyMgKm-VhPfZGzqo2gcqPTxzd5gawl6D6v-ZRU-taryYw19XBYiqxh1NLa_bcYfla1aH_jw1vJD80pFjRlvLGk0fTvuwh9cbC_eFOpXmfgdgxeZwh/s400/DSCI0459.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;">The dark circular area is where the previous water heater was located. The dark rectangular area is where the dryer was located. The washer was between them, but I did experimental painting over that area prior to taking this picture. Disclaimer: I have no idea how to paint. And neither does my husband. This was my first time painting a house. I did not sand or use a primer. I do not even know if I should feel bad about not doing so. I just scraped the loose paint from the really bad spots where the appliances previously stood. Then I swept and hosed the whole porch down with a water hose. I also do not know if this was a reckless thing to do since it did end with large amounts of water falling into my basement. Anyway, this is what it looked like when I finished:<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-0qOXFATIUbehjlRgbaMcbrv_gK056-8PY6LRbFGHPXbzQ4a-1Kcjx9U-IgAMALu91jexSZ7dENiLc0_hXE81aR77rN7FH6NzdC8EMHrqnseiJlIYBnhP1iyE_KEF543imfkTNriqFXU/s1600-h/DSCI0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-0qOXFATIUbehjlRgbaMcbrv_gK056-8PY6LRbFGHPXbzQ4a-1Kcjx9U-IgAMALu91jexSZ7dENiLc0_hXE81aR77rN7FH6NzdC8EMHrqnseiJlIYBnhP1iyE_KEF543imfkTNriqFXU/s400/DSCI0472.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">During the process I also removed duct tape which was covering holes and an electrical receptacle which was no longer wired.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Before:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtK_E6ul0uMNA5VTJB0R_T9Rkfeh69Ns3r_Ezgq_LigiWdHDVMsLQ9t2BKgSZb2tWSN3r7dX05O-C1nWB0oMVQZxN90isfMGshol7UPxs8hfAZPEjEokcryMtGiW8_BIyP2Xt0k-K-zZJ/s1600-h/DSCI0464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtK_E6ul0uMNA5VTJB0R_T9Rkfeh69Ns3r_Ezgq_LigiWdHDVMsLQ9t2BKgSZb2tWSN3r7dX05O-C1nWB0oMVQZxN90isfMGshol7UPxs8hfAZPEjEokcryMtGiW8_BIyP2Xt0k-K-zZJ/s400/DSCI0464.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">After:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdos7pXxK47oD0IMCKtAr_j8_3ynxWKRMmACcAYU_Dlx058T-MMBhHmPQtZHVoBtDwubi57klj2zhOaG5l_aBhyphenhyphenHNzxzK0_Is4jT7HkxigJfGT_ej0SwhZlxedwROgKB2uHxJJFX7OJqFE/s1600-h/DSCI0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdos7pXxK47oD0IMCKtAr_j8_3ynxWKRMmACcAYU_Dlx058T-MMBhHmPQtZHVoBtDwubi57klj2zhOaG5l_aBhyphenhyphenHNzxzK0_Is4jT7HkxigJfGT_ej0SwhZlxedwROgKB2uHxJJFX7OJqFE/s400/DSCI0474.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;">Before painting over everything, I tried to note any clues which might give an indication to how the porch might have looked originally. Underneath the previous appliances, I noticed a layer of orange/gold between the raw wood and the gray paint:<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zWBGB-7MNjn7DOyd6k-kpQY-9SulWJVueRwtehRB-tJieAyKA3gYmRVwh2-gRNu5XE2Qwauy_s1F8huC_DflcrEUzOs_ZSBKrGB-aEofYfNqqYwZs2jpj7d6U76xoDXpxJuCkHjbK3r1/s1600-h/DSCI0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zWBGB-7MNjn7DOyd6k-kpQY-9SulWJVueRwtehRB-tJieAyKA3gYmRVwh2-gRNu5XE2Qwauy_s1F8huC_DflcrEUzOs_ZSBKrGB-aEofYfNqqYwZs2jpj7d6U76xoDXpxJuCkHjbK3r1/s400/DSCI0443.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXtj4I5XejtsNyvURfp0Urc5bU10UKVzzsMNIeOsKkxrshn3zVrw7QTFZ4AB6ARGeuTbTckEJwUZWJC51ujXSy5JaYkPzGn0TTY4F1lcNoMglRD-OAIp-KB5khIP1sgiwy-mROPM7CzOo/s1600-h/DSCI0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXtj4I5XejtsNyvURfp0Urc5bU10UKVzzsMNIeOsKkxrshn3zVrw7QTFZ4AB6ARGeuTbTckEJwUZWJC51ujXSy5JaYkPzGn0TTY4F1lcNoMglRD-OAIp-KB5khIP1sgiwy-mROPM7CzOo/s400/DSCI0444.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rgeQXCZATmWaUFV51Z9Lo2qxEpHXfEpl3czO_rSTAlCs2edwx1q1GRNIH7ZwR8LJmksicotkw7poxBeBRONU1dBYD3ql2FMy42MxcKwwa-_iGGLiajx6RaKnFD7dbpzV_0fq1Fxw1TES/s1600-h/DSCI0445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rgeQXCZATmWaUFV51Z9Lo2qxEpHXfEpl3czO_rSTAlCs2edwx1q1GRNIH7ZwR8LJmksicotkw7poxBeBRONU1dBYD3ql2FMy42MxcKwwa-_iGGLiajx6RaKnFD7dbpzV_0fq1Fxw1TES/s400/DSCI0445.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This gold/orange wood color looks similar to other woodwork in the house:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-naEQjac0j7duUmjX5uB4Vo6Jxms3VxSf5n4hLtMIwA1upSU8w0y9oWwRUXcDa2XAo2fDEZ7IUZsPKOI-Sg8tZ5-RzTaQAoKLy5IO3XEwcKmZUocJ9E-wcvERWu3wVbfJkXKXPSY4VxaT/s1600-h/DSCI0488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-naEQjac0j7duUmjX5uB4Vo6Jxms3VxSf5n4hLtMIwA1upSU8w0y9oWwRUXcDa2XAo2fDEZ7IUZsPKOI-Sg8tZ5-RzTaQAoKLy5IO3XEwcKmZUocJ9E-wcvERWu3wVbfJkXKXPSY4VxaT/s320/DSCI0488.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p>This is the baseboard in the living room that I have started stripping. Though I knew all the woodwork was originally stained/shellacked this color (based on my own findings and based on the Pearson house next door), I did not think the exterior woodwork would have ever been stained. I figured it had always been painted, but I believe the preceding pictures show that the back porch decking was likely originally stained rather than painted. I find it interesting, but we will definitely keep it painted. I doubt that it is in good enough condition to be sanded and stained at this point. In fact, I have not ruled out the need to replace it in our lifetime. The wraparound porch was replaced around 20 years ago and seems to be doing well. This back porch (sometimes called a service porch) is rather weak in places, especially where the washer and dryer were. Even though they were on a piece of plywood, the wood underneath seems to have suffered. </o:p><br />
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<o:p>But for now the back porch is on hold for the winter. We are now focusing on interior painting because the downstairs wood floors will be restored in February. I am also trying to strip the paint from most of the trim in the house. Everyone, and I mean <i>everyone</i> is telling me that this is a bad/impossible idea. Whatever. People on other house blogs I follow do it as a rule rather than an exception. I am baffled that people in real life tell me that it is impossible or not worth it to strip paint from woodwork. Now I have a point to prove.<br />
</o:p><br />
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-29341475046568683592009-11-16T19:01:00.000-08:002009-11-16T19:06:51.951-08:00<div style="text-align: justify;">We have had several significant house developments in the couple weeks since my last post. The most noticeable is that three trees were taken out between our and Andy's house. One was on our property, and two were on his property. They were all within a couple feet of his house and disturbing his foundation. He is going to replace them with smaller trees with less invasive roots; fruitless pears, I believe. This was our view from the back porch:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIcyigyIS-vfYoTsTCmgIl_wDkw6n5J7ZR2-1wDQQ02TNkOoHH-ixDvj5gn8KK02uI3Phl8jGbHMWFdFeczVdNiigl4PTeHXwyqB2-guEhdG9BHUoM4dEq5TxRv8g0TH3Y-Sk-CpNkml3/s1600-h/110409+house+252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIcyigyIS-vfYoTsTCmgIl_wDkw6n5J7ZR2-1wDQQ02TNkOoHH-ixDvj5gn8KK02uI3Phl8jGbHMWFdFeczVdNiigl4PTeHXwyqB2-guEhdG9BHUoM4dEq5TxRv8g0TH3Y-Sk-CpNkml3/s400/110409+house+252.JPG" /></a><br />
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Here is the work being done:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_LIXsFYUhz4koDRFIqM3a26zgGMpcDLXNCG9GMAXVwFjeFowhvktD7NMD9S_13mlNmMbRsmqSSEwhY8AUjn6-x8sJUtUbgTK1_kE3pKIUH7-7REYDxhUHEEeZl5kbnS6fFVe_oQOqYgy/s1600-h/DSCI0416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_LIXsFYUhz4koDRFIqM3a26zgGMpcDLXNCG9GMAXVwFjeFowhvktD7NMD9S_13mlNmMbRsmqSSEwhY8AUjn6-x8sJUtUbgTK1_kE3pKIUH7-7REYDxhUHEEeZl5kbnS6fFVe_oQOqYgy/s400/DSCI0416.JPG" /></a><br />
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And here it is now:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyoQqiWBTNdmDvMHeNtOvgxwQrdJD7143uaFxkiDM1LQk4kvcRe2i_JF4Du0Y141PRPog7pyTTnYK0nS79G7ZwFS4Fshd5KsnwKeDsTCyJeUjtEARScofsDt-huT5ZkoUvAa0dF30jKvJ/s1600/DSCI0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyoQqiWBTNdmDvMHeNtOvgxwQrdJD7143uaFxkiDM1LQk4kvcRe2i_JF4Du0Y141PRPog7pyTTnYK0nS79G7ZwFS4Fshd5KsnwKeDsTCyJeUjtEARScofsDt-huT5ZkoUvAa0dF30jKvJ/s400/DSCI0457.JPG" /></a><br />
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And best of all we got all the wood for next year's fires. Note the broken landscape lighting fixture on the bottom center. I think Richard broke each one on that side of the house while tossing wood. Truly, though, he just finished them off; I do not think a single one was really in good working order. He wants to replace them with something similar. That will be some time far from now. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qFu2oLKC1iA6qYmyf2FKpHNQ8OwpsUhwzSzyaIsVjUjzMn0kKgyUEDh1EN1Yq35Vg1dvqnOZXapVb4h1Elfin6H1VSfD9LiNFkTLlJ9GtX7UnD4mB4COvWuMxJYQlP0N2NqLffGKIt4a/s1600/DSCI0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qFu2oLKC1iA6qYmyf2FKpHNQ8OwpsUhwzSzyaIsVjUjzMn0kKgyUEDh1EN1Yq35Vg1dvqnOZXapVb4h1Elfin6H1VSfD9LiNFkTLlJ9GtX7UnD4mB4COvWuMxJYQlP0N2NqLffGKIt4a/s400/DSCI0452.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Yeah...about the night time picture...it seems every time I think I have enough pictures and progress to post, I get near the end of writing and then realize I do not have an "after" picture. Because I only have the free time to post at night, I tend to just save what I have written and plan to get back to it the next day so that I can take a day time picture. But that does not really happen. The next thing I know, it has been two weeks, and my post is <i>way</i> too long and still not posted, so this is the best I can do, folks.<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I finally remembered to take pictures of the entry stairs. When we first bought the house, they were solid gray, which is also the color of the decking on the porch. It looked to me like the porch just vomited up some stairs. The paint was peeling pretty badly. Here is what it looked like when we moved in:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWKlVrmgnynBqBap9pguhP4m-lITyHhV1kKCfj5ql7ApHfPxDYZXkvt7Guk3zf3M7kYs2zYdlA19U1tCDgqsDrUBUz19nrP1evdlf0uts-a1L8z4c3xwgKBaJr6WtOE0_pZpHsagUv-n3/s1600/DSCI0327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWKlVrmgnynBqBap9pguhP4m-lITyHhV1kKCfj5ql7ApHfPxDYZXkvt7Guk3zf3M7kYs2zYdlA19U1tCDgqsDrUBUz19nrP1evdlf0uts-a1L8z4c3xwgKBaJr6WtOE0_pZpHsagUv-n3/s400/DSCI0327.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wow. Now that I go back and look at the picture, I realize just how bad it looked. Kinda creepy. It looks like there's an old forgotten widow dying in our house. Or maybe I'm just being dramatic. I also notice how awkward looking it is that only the top riser is painted the royal blue. Anyway, the same time we had the guys paint the fence we had them paint the stairs, too. And we changed the color just a bit. We made the risers white, but left the actual steps gray. I think it looks more inviting this way:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPjFeYZdIDdyfymFmXLNyCj7ZYnDr8M_lU-ob5U06iKrhAhmOPnCK8p19PVg67Afvn6p-u86MTr0vszUr2-SO0iggnwgRf-5xORjvc7YqNSa-BRUQXISyJTA2wBvw6WGMULPm5aW63DAQ/s1600/DSCI0451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPjFeYZdIDdyfymFmXLNyCj7ZYnDr8M_lU-ob5U06iKrhAhmOPnCK8p19PVg67Afvn6p-u86MTr0vszUr2-SO0iggnwgRf-5xORjvc7YqNSa-BRUQXISyJTA2wBvw6WGMULPm5aW63DAQ/s400/DSCI0451.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Oh shoot. I just realized the top riser is still royal blue. It is weird how much you see wrong with your house when you are scrutinizing pictures of it for the world to see. I will have to go outside during the daylight tomorrow and see if it is really that noticeable. For comparison here is the back porch, and its top riser is white: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GcKlrkoQ9ncaiP7mhJbn5CUxwXnXMXGCNWZMe0NEmPp8dWI14ySFQpr2dZcgOKcWTWPjXRHg_Lm9eW2h96O8mimeCoiEKfCg374SJk-II_lWm7K4EfG88Rm8LWAukKTbfQ0Am5JbKlVV/s1600/DSCI0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GcKlrkoQ9ncaiP7mhJbn5CUxwXnXMXGCNWZMe0NEmPp8dWI14ySFQpr2dZcgOKcWTWPjXRHg_Lm9eW2h96O8mimeCoiEKfCg374SJk-II_lWm7K4EfG88Rm8LWAukKTbfQ0Am5JbKlVV/s400/DSCI0453.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I am not sure; I guess it looks better white. Feedback on this would be much appreciated. THE GAS CAN! Why is there always random bits of trashy clutter in our yard? It does not make me feel better that our neighbor is out there <i>every</i> single morning picking up the garbage that blows into his yard. He also does things like raking, mowing, and watering. Then he comes over to our tacky gas can yard and pulls weeds and such. Who needs an HOA? I do not need to pay a monthly fee to get a citation on my door. Good neighbor Andy just guilt trips the heck out of us. I am pretty sure he has worked in our yard at least once a month. And I have such landscaping ignorance that half the time I do not notice exactly what he has done. I pull into the driveway and just think, "Dang my house looks good today." Then Richard tells me Andy was working in the yard again. And he only does it when we are not home. I think it is because he does not want us to tell him not to do it. But we certainly do appreciate it. Hey we had the yard mowed once in the three months we have lived here. See:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAULa6RqftYEWxVV2zMcX5k9sKQIB3skX8WVC6Wce1rY6MFVaxqP-vyhNFx3y6ArL4wkZMRedl-gOWiA25iGzIhsusqhFySrlQl-wknrTs5SKJviXO0zIJsWYVGoUp36wkGc8mGimRGQ9Y/s1600/DSCI0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAULa6RqftYEWxVV2zMcX5k9sKQIB3skX8WVC6Wce1rY6MFVaxqP-vyhNFx3y6ArL4wkZMRedl-gOWiA25iGzIhsusqhFySrlQl-wknrTs5SKJviXO0zIJsWYVGoUp36wkGc8mGimRGQ9Y/s400/DSCI0289.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Our problem is that we need a lawnmower. Note the gutter set on the sidewalk. We have since fixed that. We have done other yard work, too. I have picked up trash at least twice. Once I found this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHNYFLYg9ellsiiwumDE0zEl6FIFyzKYOCIIICtgxw8L4x9WKB_yOVg8BDjE73XbfNrTpnYvd05Ria4zpbAuXlndITCCPu7KN4UHl0x3fyDjirfAvNg6D5wvY_XGs0FgZqetyhdH3AM1f/s1600/DSCI0362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHNYFLYg9ellsiiwumDE0zEl6FIFyzKYOCIIICtgxw8L4x9WKB_yOVg8BDjE73XbfNrTpnYvd05Ria4zpbAuXlndITCCPu7KN4UHl0x3fyDjirfAvNg6D5wvY_XGs0FgZqetyhdH3AM1f/s400/DSCI0362.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Richard was like, "Quit taking pictures of abandoned baby clothes in our yard, and help me rake some leaves!"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmnQ0CMgZ3IwznRCRql3vG6MsNbQ9_uHHCKXF063zuiW5VlaQ39rHjk_LiR3in3qrDvBmAA8F9YdCyL-BjDGy_DdrK-keEFjyqDPdsL4qdBmKspcmYfA-ApESj9pPXWUIeLXU1LYajrvt/s1600/DSCI0361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmnQ0CMgZ3IwznRCRql3vG6MsNbQ9_uHHCKXF063zuiW5VlaQ39rHjk_LiR3in3qrDvBmAA8F9YdCyL-BjDGy_DdrK-keEFjyqDPdsL4qdBmKspcmYfA-ApESj9pPXWUIeLXU1LYajrvt/s400/DSCI0361.JPG" /></a><br />
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We also cut down a dead (apple?) tree.<br />
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Before: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1fSSOcxgg1Mkr01AjU3ujBU3nUyO8orYajgx2UYYxvVO2spGbZZ1sbmC6-RNTqdsUXGivmGUOWnPTUwXqsAC1HBZ1RMtP1tXrkzRpN_aaujjuffmnWFNizY04ihIqu6QkhP7AX5WSC2c/s1600/DSCI0257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1fSSOcxgg1Mkr01AjU3ujBU3nUyO8orYajgx2UYYxvVO2spGbZZ1sbmC6-RNTqdsUXGivmGUOWnPTUwXqsAC1HBZ1RMtP1tXrkzRpN_aaujjuffmnWFNizY04ihIqu6QkhP7AX5WSC2c/s400/DSCI0257.JPG" /></a><br />
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After:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmUXJ2fmT88f0f72-rnW-3s5V1AQTeKeU0ADoZCYLbHc62e5rF6SVE7PVC_YzhuPUGQGiSkOMW_o_esomoqd7B2ijaoRVjvGJojZdujyGfNulSE8zIseca_ea67AFrz0KpEScY990HC15/s1600/DSCI0330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmUXJ2fmT88f0f72-rnW-3s5V1AQTeKeU0ADoZCYLbHc62e5rF6SVE7PVC_YzhuPUGQGiSkOMW_o_esomoqd7B2ijaoRVjvGJojZdujyGfNulSE8zIseca_ea67AFrz0KpEScY990HC15/s400/DSCI0330.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">We did not have the stump ground because we plan on including it into our landscaping. And because that would require money and a professional. I really think it will look good with roses grown over it. One day... when I learn how to make things grow. <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think that is all we have done outside so far. There has been a little progress on the inside. I decided to paint our bed's headboard and footboard because I really didn't like the rustic 90s knotty pine look. Is that what it is called? That is what I call it. Plus the flower decal always looked really chalky no matter what I used to clean it. Richard was highly skeptical of me wanting to paint his bachelor bed, but it was our compromise. See, he loves the bed because he thinks it is really comfortable. And I only hated the wood stain on it. What is comfort without style? Useless, that is what I say. And that is why I never buy furniture without him. Here is what I had to work with:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLzKF2C3G9b1rOhfmI2yIoYw0aLcIYyiKuaOsHU_nXeGrlOwnrCySLNZiaw2vBv4wyBw_8p-5ZuJ1brstiEu8nssfKW7QrMZCGJNn_PlpxYWPad4YSnBPESXxIN76XyU4hc-BRwpR1_-n/s1600/DSCI0369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLzKF2C3G9b1rOhfmI2yIoYw0aLcIYyiKuaOsHU_nXeGrlOwnrCySLNZiaw2vBv4wyBw_8p-5ZuJ1brstiEu8nssfKW7QrMZCGJNn_PlpxYWPad4YSnBPESXxIN76XyU4hc-BRwpR1_-n/s400/DSCI0369.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXsfGabz6JsZ3V_-DB0FVzNUuKSur4Wn3xjrw2zJ_axHiRLzGnEQrVmKMuTlCRMrmtUg-TclpHgcSeMytSbnq2W_m6p09emuvtAcwd3DCIIQtjYgyBh1DSGJMmS5exr5vunouNwamY0rD/s1600/DSCI0371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXsfGabz6JsZ3V_-DB0FVzNUuKSur4Wn3xjrw2zJ_axHiRLzGnEQrVmKMuTlCRMrmtUg-TclpHgcSeMytSbnq2W_m6p09emuvtAcwd3DCIIQtjYgyBh1DSGJMmS5exr5vunouNwamY0rD/s400/DSCI0371.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">So first I primed it, since that is what I always see them do on HGTV. That part went okay. I used Valspar because the guy at Lowe's talked me into it, even though my mother recommended Kilz. You will see what happened to me for dismissing my wise mother's advice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaeBmGjbGCtXWvHXA3gHBcb09krG9TW6xqLqeKda6McAnV3fUQo0zA3ECOAJh-Y8384EYfRvD_jDzvyoMAuxKmkCYT8SwZj75zXnwbCQQ8XwP4Zpu9uk8LZNZyRxlBhPLtntuzeSURYh1/s1600/DSCI0372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaeBmGjbGCtXWvHXA3gHBcb09krG9TW6xqLqeKda6McAnV3fUQo0zA3ECOAJh-Y8384EYfRvD_jDzvyoMAuxKmkCYT8SwZj75zXnwbCQQ8XwP4Zpu9uk8LZNZyRxlBhPLtntuzeSURYh1/s400/DSCI0372.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">It looked fine. I patted myself on the back and kept working. Also mimicking HGTV, I put the blue tape on the part I wanted to be a different color. Then I painted on two coats of the first color. Then I pulled the tape off:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r5VLDbxHekpCFLWpw0bb1x-0YE2avU-a-0jF0Q8VzcuFv4SzTYexUUPxRUA_9Z2FrwCVnZwGgDD0nSaqy7G8PMJ4ZHMEFrgACZAbokw8DQH6BVKWXgGTgWRGxTFV6K_jzJITLw3gXMk7/s1600/DSCI0420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r5VLDbxHekpCFLWpw0bb1x-0YE2avU-a-0jF0Q8VzcuFv4SzTYexUUPxRUA_9Z2FrwCVnZwGgDD0nSaqy7G8PMJ4ZHMEFrgACZAbokw8DQH6BVKWXgGTgWRGxTFV6K_jzJITLw3gXMk7/s400/DSCI0420.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">"That was not supposed to happen," I thought in my head while pulling off the tape, "Oh well. I had to paint over that primer anyway." So then I put tape on the first color around where I was going to put the second color. I put on two coats of the second color, and whether the primer had come off or not made no difference. It looked exactly the same. A waste of time that primer was. Then I pulled the tape off the first color thinking my project was now complete. But instead of looking like HGTV material, it looked like this:<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I was livid at that point. I was stomping my feet and screaming with my ipod on, so I have no idea how inappropriately loud I was being. I had been working on this bed painting project for a week! Any spare daylight hours I had I was out in the garage painting or making one of many trips to the hardware store to get the right brushes and tape. And now my marital bed looked like it had been in the back of a pickup since 1992. It might have been the tape, but I really think it was the primer because even before I applied the top quality blue painter's tape with medium adhesion, I noticed the lightest touch of my fingernail to the primer was causing it to scratch and peel, but I just figured that was because I had not put the color on yet. I decided the bed was going to be finished by night fall or else it would be added to the firewood pile. I just said, "Screw it! Forget tape. I am doing ONE more blue coat where it peeled with the steadiest hand I can muster, and if it does not look good, forget it!" And we were very fortunate because I actually think it turned out gorgeous, contrary to all my expectations. You be the judge:<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So for the first time since we disassembled our bed frame in Lake county six months ago, we have a mattress that does not sit directly on the floor. And Richard actually likes it. It reminds me of Wedgewood. I just got a brilliant idea. Richard's mother gave me a beautiful piece of Wedgewood that I have not been sure how to incorporate into my life, and now I think it will be a beautiful decoration in our bedroom. I am shocked it looks good at all since I have never painted furniture in my life, and I mixed the colors myself out of leftover paint we had for the exterior. And the fact that the flower decal does not look terrible even though I did it completely by hand with no tape really boosts my confidence about being able to paint the rest of the house. We are trying to paint the ceilings and walls of the living and dining room before the floor restorers come just before Christmas. Our goal is Christmas because that is when Richard's father, mother, and sister will all be here for a few days and will be seeing our house for the first time. Personally I do not mind painting after the floors are done, but Richard is very concerned about paint spilling on the floor. I'll be using the five gallons I have left of the Valspar primer, so really if I just put blue tape over the spills, they should come right off :) There will be no more use of blue tape over Valspar, unless of course the goal is paint removal. And there will be no future purchasing of Valspar. Period. Maybe I am not being fair; perhaps it was user error in not sanding the wood surface prior to primer. But it<i> is</i> called primer as in "prime" as in "number one" or "first," so was I really out of line in thinking no work had to be done prior to primer? I don't think so.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the longest blog ever, and it has the most pictures. Also, I now have designated in my schedule Monday evenings for blogging, so you might want to check back then. I might get to it more often than that as I have time, but with all the painting planned before Christmas, I predict Monday evenings will be challenging enough.<br />
</div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-20632613142459096872009-11-04T19:53:00.000-08:002009-11-04T19:53:50.749-08:00Halloween et ceteraHere is what our house looked like on Halloween:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhU_sq3tcldr9G-m5Dwrt0WclJXBdaF6B06p2Ty14VVSvJDgWEqFu84MbHUuSITFwdBUdLI9w9cFsCxO6IPkad4tcxb7tfzuTIMs66_y5YxvJWz8nKD2xeh8t4TV42q-3EC0WmB388-9td/s1600-h/110409+house+397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhU_sq3tcldr9G-m5Dwrt0WclJXBdaF6B06p2Ty14VVSvJDgWEqFu84MbHUuSITFwdBUdLI9w9cFsCxO6IPkad4tcxb7tfzuTIMs66_y5YxvJWz8nKD2xeh8t4TV42q-3EC0WmB388-9td/s320/110409+house+397.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>I must say the scariness of our house was lost in the picture due to my flash. There are no street lights, so the only light was from the green lights on the railing. And we played The Candyman soundtrack (thank you Ryan). It was very scary. Little kids had serious hesitation in coming up the stairs. We hope to add to our Halloween decorations over the year and eventually develop a haunted house of infamy. This year on decorations I spent less than $15. The lights were purchased for 90% off a couple Christmases ago. The two paper jack-o-lanterns on the bottom were 2 for $5 at Walgreens regular price. They are battery powered and resuable, so that's exciting. The top two are actual carved pumpkins costing $4 each. The black thing was a Martha Stuart project I found online made out of black garbage bags. I told Richard it was $40 marked down to $30, so I <i>had</i> to buy it. He actually believed me. Then I asked him to please have more faith in me than that.<br />
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I dressed up as Sarah Palin. It was very last minute.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCnRyKF_aM0K5ibFgAE9EHjcFxPUgk86q9flZvATEfZoyImgckikrZu-Dc36WvC5LpBpra9L2ayv9xZHn2MukA1oAGODOeKS1fc1ufcGvK6YmDxbp74CHVFkaUxH3MT9nBshwXlp3tkKn/s1600-h/110409+house+396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCnRyKF_aM0K5ibFgAE9EHjcFxPUgk86q9flZvATEfZoyImgckikrZu-Dc36WvC5LpBpra9L2ayv9xZHn2MukA1oAGODOeKS1fc1ufcGvK6YmDxbp74CHVFkaUxH3MT9nBshwXlp3tkKn/s320/110409+house+396.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I should have gone all out and cut real bangs. It only cost $9 for glasses in which I could not see and $11 for heels in which I could not walk. I was stumbling around all night. And it didn't help that Richard made up a really fun drinking game in which the four of us each picked a costume accessory, and anytime a trick-or-treater came with that accessory the other three had to take a shot. Mine was crowns, Genny's was wings, Richard's was anything Star Wars, and Ryan's was blue jeans. Ryan was losing terribly until all the teenagers found out we were giving out full-size candy bars. Good thing we were only taking shots of Boone's Farm*. Halloween was a blast this year.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Genny went as an 80s girl, but I thought she kinda looked like Bristol. Teens are dressing 80s now, aren't they?<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkoV_mPCt0mbojEb-fYBZ87fMdQd63SWCrHiIWC1cvxwrKYZhVRqSFRhVgCa6xOhpS0eR4Hdew-1J_v2e3_UzxWqsbzd0bB3evKthAoX_iHJEHS6rGTFfs9FBJxDXdR196xGWvDQrg5cd/s1600-h/110409+house+395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkoV_mPCt0mbojEb-fYBZ87fMdQd63SWCrHiIWC1cvxwrKYZhVRqSFRhVgCa6xOhpS0eR4Hdew-1J_v2e3_UzxWqsbzd0bB3evKthAoX_iHJEHS6rGTFfs9FBJxDXdR196xGWvDQrg5cd/s320/110409+house+395.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The contractors came back for a day and got a lot more work done. I think they only have one or two days left. Namely they are going to install a gutter on the south side of the house and install a shower enclosure on the claw foot tub. After that, we will be totally free of our 203k commitments and be able to tackle things at our own pace to our own standards. I am greatly looking forward to that. The next big project we are working on is the back porch. Here it is from the outside:<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNc-4pj4MP3yD8Rok-Uq0ybFvexGCnrGW42Vo6Yp2V-y3B3e3kX_SdgRErk46nf7kvV0s4pApOt4WnplDocZ48ppbO6CthBir0qeWmtZupvG2hr1x4lNr7M5l7wAUyv_u9oU_hOrDM1yW/s1600-h/Back+Porch+and+South+Side.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNc-4pj4MP3yD8Rok-Uq0ybFvexGCnrGW42Vo6Yp2V-y3B3e3kX_SdgRErk46nf7kvV0s4pApOt4WnplDocZ48ppbO6CthBir0qeWmtZupvG2hr1x4lNr7M5l7wAUyv_u9oU_hOrDM1yW/s320/Back+Porch+and+South+Side.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here it is just after we moved in. By the way almost none of the dates are correct on my pictures. I finally learned how to just omit the date altogether.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDyTm7YqCaAbTUi3-xzCXKjXyFtRC55o8FbAHVnzKa0UDimLxY1AX-auSguyB899GQAr-GlP7BLb9pwwp6PSOeAaMM0ysW0RlXQQN2jQebq0wiOYwpAmOi8V9-D_9tm7EWkV9pvvYM5e9/s1600-h/first+pics+of+house+251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDyTm7YqCaAbTUi3-xzCXKjXyFtRC55o8FbAHVnzKa0UDimLxY1AX-auSguyB899GQAr-GlP7BLb9pwwp6PSOeAaMM0ysW0RlXQQN2jQebq0wiOYwpAmOi8V9-D_9tm7EWkV9pvvYM5e9/s320/first+pics+of+house+251.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's what it looked like for the next two months while we lived in a construction zone:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynPg0Egjd9CSrZyVo4xFN_3zgquBgBNhI-vDP40klPU8EVe90572Wdah8CosEcnXkLEaxQq2XwkmBZkbwsC1jpxx9U9duVCbURNlmWWgWjvCCvpEjyACH1QOHorkDRt1jXGRAj0d5dHc4/s1600-h/110409+house+332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynPg0Egjd9CSrZyVo4xFN_3zgquBgBNhI-vDP40klPU8EVe90572Wdah8CosEcnXkLEaxQq2XwkmBZkbwsC1jpxx9U9duVCbURNlmWWgWjvCCvpEjyACH1QOHorkDRt1jXGRAj0d5dHc4/s320/110409+house+332.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here's what it looks like at this very moment:<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo03FHipNHQWOhsFzRjxAunGtP0BN1WtXekoTapqFJlf7ao2zqJvotAxTzHvtNPx02_IQi9rD66Qp7k6u-B0KARATyczyYVJJuTFquoYy4Dp1_6fm3sMqYiqxrPN0mbWFJ83ODvaGq26G/s1600-h/back+porch+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo03FHipNHQWOhsFzRjxAunGtP0BN1WtXekoTapqFJlf7ao2zqJvotAxTzHvtNPx02_IQi9rD66Qp7k6u-B0KARATyczyYVJJuTFquoYy4Dp1_6fm3sMqYiqxrPN0mbWFJ83ODvaGq26G/s320/back+porch+002.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">The contractors moved the washer and dryer to make it a more usable space. They also built a ramp which keeps them level, which is a big improvement. To finish the space, I need to scrape and paint the floor, put down some rugs, touch up the paint around the windows, scrape the paint off the transom glass, and replace the screen door hardware (it is very difficult to lock and shut). I also want to put a UV-blocking screen over the screens that are currently there to keep it cooler in summertime. And I want to put a shade over the light fixture, install a ceiling fan that is currently in the bathroom, and buy a large enough table to have coffee and breakfast comfortably. And I will probably add a utility sink where the plumbing was for the old washer, but I'm not completely sure yet. I hope I have some type of progress to report tomorrow.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">* I don't really ever drink Boone's Farm. And I especially wouldn't shoot it. I'm all about true martinis or fine tequila neat. The last time I had Boone's Farm I was in high school, and it was with my mother. This was in accommodation of our guests. Please don't judge.</span><br />
</div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-63560159189270970842009-10-21T20:54:00.000-07:002009-10-21T20:58:47.065-07:00Never-Ending Hot Showers!<div style="text-align: justify;">During our house inspection, it was brought to our attention that the unsightly, rusty, improperly installed water heater on the back porch is 25 years old.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYyfvYwB3LMUKsiM4OP1hJzEtz9JMtH2TTHJF9Pkq3F8W5u8x6mrQdEtE3dJI6xX7N4e6F2fFOTi1SveVR9Ozk21-AamqvuVrwzeybtX-kRsaEeoowGRUGMky92DtRsWLNJdG4u9GBu_x/s1600-h/Old+Water+Heater.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYyfvYwB3LMUKsiM4OP1hJzEtz9JMtH2TTHJF9Pkq3F8W5u8x6mrQdEtE3dJI6xX7N4e6F2fFOTi1SveVR9Ozk21-AamqvuVrwzeybtX-kRsaEeoowGRUGMky92DtRsWLNJdG4u9GBu_x/s320/Old+Water+Heater.png" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Due to its age and the fact that much of the plumbing and ventilation would have to be redone because it was not up to code, we decided to go ahead and upgrade to a tankless as part of the 203k loan. We had to do things that would add to the resale value, and this qualified.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tankless water heaters don't make sense for everyone. Even considering the 30% tax credit, it takes generally 20 years to pay for itself in energy savings, and that's about how long they are expected to last. Not only are they double the cost up-front than a traditional tank heater, they typically require costly upgrades in ventilation and plumbing. For example, ours cost around $2000 for the unit plus necessary upgrades, installation, and labor. If you just switch out one tank for another traditional tank, you'd probably be looking at around $500. However, like I said, with our other necessary upgrades to make it all "legal," it would have been over a $1000. So considering the tax credit, it was only a couple hundred more to go tankless. And that small amount of money will more than pay for itself over the lifetime of the unit because they are highly energy efficient. With a traditional water heater tank, you pay for lots of water to be be kept hot 24/7. With a tankless, it only kicks on when you turn on the hot water. It has a small gas flame that heats the pipe as the water goes through it so you end up getting <b>never-ending hot showers!</b> Here's what it looks like properly installed on the south exterior wall off the back porch:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAO_CIRsg9YVggq74LIl6Bz-aBvFDAb1XsIgRUEbUbbC35GYTx4wPd79MIzBXE9jvGCxVZWVoPCOxc-DaqZrNjkzHsVmpn30-ZLVP4ad4G8h60NkF__yOlqHbgqX9UN5gqqZxCSb7PrSjm/s1600-h/pictures+of+house+2+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAO_CIRsg9YVggq74LIl6Bz-aBvFDAb1XsIgRUEbUbbC35GYTx4wPd79MIzBXE9jvGCxVZWVoPCOxc-DaqZrNjkzHsVmpn30-ZLVP4ad4G8h60NkF__yOlqHbgqX9UN5gqqZxCSb7PrSjm/s320/pictures+of+house+2+010.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are only a few down sides. It does take a little bit longer for the hot water to come through, but only maybe 30 seconds more compared to a regular water heater. Another thing is a slight drop in the water pressure if you use two hot water appliances at once, such as a shower and dishwasher. But to me, that's a fair trade for <b>never-ending hot showers! </b>When I researched online, some people complained about the water not getting hot enough, and this really concerned me because I like really hot showers. So I brought this up with Justin the awesome contractor, and he said that they do have built-in controls in the tankless heaters that don't allow it to get really hot, but that, due to his awesomeness, he could override it. And it definitely hasn't been a problem. The controls aren't as simple as the little dial on a regular water heater's thermostat because you are not supposed to be able to adjust it. I suspect that these controls are in there to somehow keep it more energy efficient to qualify for the tax credit. Also, a huge bonus for us is that it cleared out space on the back porch (the black is the foam around the water line running to the unit's new location): <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeTfFk0oOlFn3hWK1YP8gS1r2yI5MEbGvKe3tFReK8nikYjwbPZZK54S0h_YPPFUVzV3HMImydXn0wL1ibmpiBhX0j9AxoOC5ef4cZM7z8_sY6mBQpOgvFbxECNVtV3ykwjVBw6epft77/s1600-h/pictures+of+house+2+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeTfFk0oOlFn3hWK1YP8gS1r2yI5MEbGvKe3tFReK8nikYjwbPZZK54S0h_YPPFUVzV3HMImydXn0wL1ibmpiBhX0j9AxoOC5ef4cZM7z8_sY6mBQpOgvFbxECNVtV3ykwjVBw6epft77/s320/pictures+of+house+2+026.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Yes, that's much better. We like to spend a lot of time on this back porch, and it can feel pretty crowded with a water heater, washer, and dryer. Now that the water heater is out of the way, we are going to move our washer and dryer against the narrower wall to the right. That will really clear out the porch. Here's what the porch looks like now:<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUdF01kTJHBsIWs8Gn26yWlTXZFH5LtmY3GCbkInTKurPjQg6A13oztt_-GROyHfle1Hhe-H_JTyo3ljuGpi3KBaf1IoHBDo02QiOCvH2DzbIl7wspvIFFiQC5sHs_0fWB0bsyb8sQG2y/s1600-h/pictures+of+house+2+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUdF01kTJHBsIWs8Gn26yWlTXZFH5LtmY3GCbkInTKurPjQg6A13oztt_-GROyHfle1Hhe-H_JTyo3ljuGpi3KBaf1IoHBDo02QiOCvH2DzbIl7wspvIFFiQC5sHs_0fWB0bsyb8sQG2y/s320/pictures+of+house+2+027.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When our house was first built (I'm guessing sometime between 1900 and 1905), It actually had very modern plumbing for its time. It had a fully working sink, toilet, bathtub...and a water heater! This was rather revolutionary. How do I know this? Well it just so happens that the owners of the house next door (the Pearsons) have owned the home since the 1940s, and have actually done very little to the house considering how much most old homes have been through since the 1940s. The son of the deceased Mrs. Pearson who lived there for all those years was kind enough to give us a tour, and I asked him a lot of questions. Here is the Pearson house next to ours for comparison:<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rlNU5bSrHjmtplBvoFnMD0-9BGWJhADupkiNrg7m1Amo_5d7H-Jz70MbMJXlEtdlqIBGt8ZyPKTu3aYFOycfJAUB46P5iP1UiPPqYm0hld7Y3sgWuPMqUuWXY5IOwg2N2g0A9AEryorY/s1600-h/Pearson+House+et+al+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rlNU5bSrHjmtplBvoFnMD0-9BGWJhADupkiNrg7m1Amo_5d7H-Jz70MbMJXlEtdlqIBGt8ZyPKTu3aYFOycfJAUB46P5iP1UiPPqYm0hld7Y3sgWuPMqUuWXY5IOwg2N2g0A9AEryorY/s320/Pearson+House+et+al+005.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE10gJrAbnrcuOKf_1CQYa2u8Ig2F8avWTQsTwPPXhBIVQn6dc0WNBT4OAfw9uWUzPSFIa04_Jefl3zlXSQGCR5wAKG8GbFrPCYIiT78YIsj7z5sJaPvqwR2-8YRTLAWk4fYevHJSS-Amo/s1600-h/Pearson+House+et+al+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE10gJrAbnrcuOKf_1CQYa2u8Ig2F8avWTQsTwPPXhBIVQn6dc0WNBT4OAfw9uWUzPSFIa04_Jefl3zlXSQGCR5wAKG8GbFrPCYIiT78YIsj7z5sJaPvqwR2-8YRTLAWk4fYevHJSS-Amo/s320/Pearson+House+et+al+008.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the things that had been very curious to me was some odd cabinets in my kitchen. One built-in cabinet I was sure was original because it had the same ornate framing around it that every original door and window had. However, there was another set of built-in cabinets next to it that didn't have the same framing, but definitely looked old. The hardware on both looked decidedly 1940s. Here's what I'm talking about, the one on the right. Note the two vertical lines you can barely see above them that go into the ceiling:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3R9vh8484hzMSrFEQk2zGSuQBOCLDawDC42mH4wzl6JrH1oCzHcRykLVSEf7Wn8drJEAWdnMkUCKiXwL9tzkZbD11UBEMKsaRKKu2bYjptmjVRLvJB-607fWVddjkw2oqdcaSGPNBEe1V/s1600-h/Pics+of+Old+Water+Heater+Location+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3R9vh8484hzMSrFEQk2zGSuQBOCLDawDC42mH4wzl6JrH1oCzHcRykLVSEf7Wn8drJEAWdnMkUCKiXwL9tzkZbD11UBEMKsaRKKu2bYjptmjVRLvJB-607fWVddjkw2oqdcaSGPNBEe1V/s320/Pics+of+Old+Water+Heater+Location+003.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Hmm," I thought, "Looks like someone built another set of cabinets in the 40s and then replaced all the hardware to match. Why would they build cabinets specifically right here? Maybe there was a chimney here that they took out, so they filled it with cabinets." There is a wood-burning stove on the other side of the wall right there in the dining room, so that would make sense. Here's another shot:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkLJbAxC3f5OYfJCo0TER4Ct0cFx00oP-hixVzKiFhOeSi-zybw4SBWdOurVS26xtEVYiarn8LFn_YDq0pIw7pA0g6Z-bUI4PIkUoYBtdHgWmx1h3GJvSs0mALMJAOhrGbSmgnWjit3R8/s1600-h/Pics+of+Old+Water+Heater+Location+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkLJbAxC3f5OYfJCo0TER4Ct0cFx00oP-hixVzKiFhOeSi-zybw4SBWdOurVS26xtEVYiarn8LFn_YDq0pIw7pA0g6Z-bUI4PIkUoYBtdHgWmx1h3GJvSs0mALMJAOhrGbSmgnWjit3R8/s320/Pics+of+Old+Water+Heater+Location+001.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notice the frame on the top of the one to the left that isn't there on the ones to the right. The ones on the left originally had doors, but that's another blog to come. That this was a former chimney was my theory until I saw the Pearson kitchen. When I went into their kitchen, I saw a pass-through just like mine leading into the dining room, except theirs still had the ORIGINAL DOORS AND HARDWARE! That is very exciting for an old house enthusiast like me. Theirs had never even been painted and still had THE ORIGINAL FINISH! Okay that practically never happens. I was overjoyed. I knew instantly that our house had to be built by the same builder. I mean, they look very different from the outside and have rather different floor plans, but so many of the finishing details were exactly the same. (It turns out they were both built by (Henry?) Retterath.) And to the right of the pass-through, where my kitchen has built-in yet unmatching cabinets, the Pearson kitchen had...well I can't really think of how to explain it. It's like the wall became U-shaped right there. There was nothing there. Just a 3-sided indention in the wall. The Pearson's had a stove sitting awkwardly in front of this void in the wall. I guess if you look at my cabinets and just imagine that instead of cabinets, the wall is just set back a couple feet right there from floor to ceiling, that would properly describe it. So I asked Mr. Pearson why their wall looked like that, and he told me that that is where the original water heater went when they built the house. Then it all made sense. So in the 1940s when the Forsythe's were updating the kitchen, they moved the water heater (I'm assuming a newer one) to the back porch to make more room for cabinet space. And here we are 100 years since the ground-breaking automatic water-heating tank was first installed, and we've installed a state of the art tankless water heater (and once again freed up the back porch). History repeats itself. I can't imagine water heating technology ever advancing past tankless. I mean, <b>never-ending hot showers!</b><br />
</div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-60671473013434491502009-10-19T12:56:00.000-07:002009-10-19T16:19:57.002-07:00The Finished South WallThe last post ended with the terribly bad south wall:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPL_vVCOkdt9dE8R3M-MdbftU48vF4QCtDPava6At8QASbNwL-JdbTVsC6e_-tC3I34nAEv3J3OLWzZpgjlygVy6E-50Sic7cGiHfXCgaadIoIJ1BqnYmSfYi1Hdr6Ls7VpvPxg9NfRa4/s1600-h/South+Side+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPL_vVCOkdt9dE8R3M-MdbftU48vF4QCtDPava6At8QASbNwL-JdbTVsC6e_-tC3I34nAEv3J3OLWzZpgjlygVy6E-50Sic7cGiHfXCgaadIoIJ1BqnYmSfYi1Hdr6Ls7VpvPxg9NfRa4/s320/South+Side+3.png" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> It looks <i>much</i> worse than the rest of the house. It is also the only side that is not visible from the street. It gets the most sun and the most rain exposure because it's the only side without a porch. And for whatever reason, it's the only side without a gutter. And, as fate would have it, it's the only side that didn't get painted before the previous owner (PO) was foreclosed on. When the PO bought this house back in the 80s (when I was just a baby down in the <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dirty+south">Dirty South</a><span style="color: black;">), </span>He painted the whole house. Then when he was trying to sell it some time around 2003, he repainted the house, except for this one side. Repairing this side was the most major thing that had to be done with the 203k money.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The bottom skirting had to go. It was rotted. The siding was hit and miss. Some boards had to be replaced, but since it was redwood, it fared pretty well given the circumstances and mostly only had to be scraped, sanded, and repainted. When they first took off the skirting, the side of the beams that were touching them (the only side you couldn't see down in the basement) were heavily damaged by termites. Though we never saw any actual termites, the damage they left behind was severe. I probably could have kicked in some of the beams myself. This was quite a surprise. Had we known the contractors would have to jack up half our house and replace the supporting beams, we probably wouldn't have bought the house. Not that it was a difficult or trying experience, it just <i>sounds</i> scary. I mean, I didn't have to do anything. I just went outside and brought the guys coffee every once in a while. Not a big deal. Why does everyone whine and complain about contractors? I have no idea. Our contractor was awesome. His name is Justin Chaney, and he operates out of Orland. I will post his phone number as soon as I find it. After all the unexpected work they had to do, the project still came in under budget. Here's what it looked like while they were working on it:<br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ipDaYSGGnjpgHO55K1y8vOQUo51OQMlTQ2DgpykHVdU1VbYzBCujhM-dThKFFhApkhu5xi_U_S9oYwlJc_DxuPQvHAgrz-5X8gVd2aOCXdkB7RfjF0i_EzdRap2O4Nk_wGV747xyLvnx/s1600-h/new+skirting.htm" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ipDaYSGGnjpgHO55K1y8vOQUo51OQMlTQ2DgpykHVdU1VbYzBCujhM-dThKFFhApkhu5xi_U_S9oYwlJc_DxuPQvHAgrz-5X8gVd2aOCXdkB7RfjF0i_EzdRap2O4Nk_wGV747xyLvnx/s320/new+skirting.htm" /></a><span id="goog_1255969105076"></span><span id="goog_1255969105077"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRnNCI04IhkkcKOeQJjtMrVnUdaR6Zs6ZXIWUM5Eu5b8KZQZmTyVvV7lcnuvlthUkD8PVZyrKNarSbTpKDoJs49vZDILIUFXqC72hHuhSkKSH8oZ5qMvBk35YfTu6mMz6icaeFQsca_VQ/s1600-h/doggy+door+gone.htm" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRnNCI04IhkkcKOeQJjtMrVnUdaR6Zs6ZXIWUM5Eu5b8KZQZmTyVvV7lcnuvlthUkD8PVZyrKNarSbTpKDoJs49vZDILIUFXqC72hHuhSkKSH8oZ5qMvBk35YfTu6mMz6icaeFQsca_VQ/s320/doggy+door+gone.htm" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Sry81nfB5p-w0k2bZ_ES2uSVnTuBqALgREhjh_XAQtQY3N1A7mYYUsJUGqxsuNu3ourV4rYfKxvZ9U4e86k33ffGd8eEbfjANUFAGmur5Xu8vYYpnOd9CKrBhvkECcLnpUikseU3rEEz/s1600-h/new+window+frames+with+Justin.htm" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Sry81nfB5p-w0k2bZ_ES2uSVnTuBqALgREhjh_XAQtQY3N1A7mYYUsJUGqxsuNu3ourV4rYfKxvZ9U4e86k33ffGd8eEbfjANUFAGmur5Xu8vYYpnOd9CKrBhvkECcLnpUikseU3rEEz/s320/new+window+frames+with+Justin.htm" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The guy in the orange shirt is Justin, the awesome contractor. Too bad I didn't get pictures of the eaten out beams. I had to leave during a large part of this due to the death of both of my grandfathers. These pictures were actually taken by our very considerate and helpful neighbor, Andy. Anyway, here's what it looked like afterward:<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRFE5cAAik8PNjniCB-5XJChIO87TPO-465dLgSgThP1HZOuqJrXy9EcV2sNJvUjXMbvfJGLwGQZnBLsx11gJpcphqAp7OLYzgQxsM9T4h_jAUtuT6wQNzwHgTxE-G3jDKPw-caUzz52j/s1600-h/DSCI0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRFE5cAAik8PNjniCB-5XJChIO87TPO-465dLgSgThP1HZOuqJrXy9EcV2sNJvUjXMbvfJGLwGQZnBLsx11gJpcphqAp7OLYzgQxsM9T4h_jAUtuT6wQNzwHgTxE-G3jDKPw-caUzz52j/s320/DSCI0314.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2hCQx7xbYZnp_cXsN32O3F7OcK5bi0jW7qQPzebEuCoSNfyW2olbGyLBk-IVePZ0QGfq-P3fc-jA2e7CgFkvIOyQ3YwZ4ifXdriPzc0oIP78QNZLHKuqrhqjM-SNQOwl8qSWykCKFX8S/s1600-h/South+Side+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2hCQx7xbYZnp_cXsN32O3F7OcK5bi0jW7qQPzebEuCoSNfyW2olbGyLBk-IVePZ0QGfq-P3fc-jA2e7CgFkvIOyQ3YwZ4ifXdriPzc0oIP78QNZLHKuqrhqjM-SNQOwl8qSWykCKFX8S/s320/South+Side+2.png" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfPQj_3C6ss6yeMRwlmi8r2pF2C76yAat5CUHBG1xd4BmRAThIXSfg9lQymdPmN26TqlOTXGUMVg0ElDd7ARwXKzGunVsAGtZl-0QlKs6dFV92tYR-jQmaFhTL1rDjFjZzRm0FHctYzty/s1600-h/DSCI0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfPQj_3C6ss6yeMRwlmi8r2pF2C76yAat5CUHBG1xd4BmRAThIXSfg9lQymdPmN26TqlOTXGUMVg0ElDd7ARwXKzGunVsAGtZl-0QlKs6dFV92tYR-jQmaFhTL1rDjFjZzRm0FHctYzty/s320/DSCI0318.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It still hasn't stopped raining, so I didn't have very good lighting, but it <i>is </i>the same color as the rest of the house. Note the lack of doggy doors. You can see the stickers still in the new windows. Though I didn't want to replace the windows, the ones on this side had to be replaced according to the bank giving us the loan. At least they are all on the side you can't see from the street. And since they had to be replaced, we got one of the most energy-efficient kinds available. After all, this side does get the most sun.<br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBy42SVH-x4EXXIU9QEBLPSpwx7p-qc_NcWIcw6pxCOQElZTOxy6uh2D5IWOGvj31cwmshdQQuXfm4R52ba5GTQft3OaYzYofmsJAiVB3Qh5FVoG3N8SX0oxvKTHBbdaJht5LaSGjvdi1/s1600-h/DSCI0313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBy42SVH-x4EXXIU9QEBLPSpwx7p-qc_NcWIcw6pxCOQElZTOxy6uh2D5IWOGvj31cwmshdQQuXfm4R52ba5GTQft3OaYzYofmsJAiVB3Qh5FVoG3N8SX0oxvKTHBbdaJht5LaSGjvdi1/s320/DSCI0313.JPG" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Here are the old windows. We used the parts we needed from them to fix other broken windows in the house. There were two with cracked glass, a few broken weights, and lots of missing hardware. There is still lots of missing hardware unfortunately. I don't know if the PO took them with him when he moved out or if someone came in during the very long time the house sat empty and removed them. Several door knobs were also missing. At least I have a few of the original so I can replace the missing ones to match eventually. For now, I don't know what to do with these windows. I guess I should keep them lest something happen to one of my other windows. Several people told me they are worth money and advised me to sell them on Ebay, but I looked and couldn't really find anything comparable. Plus they are in really bad shape, and worst of all, the glass is not original, which I think is the expensive, rare part. My understanding is that the technology to make perfectly smooth glass panes didn't develop until the 1930s or later. So old glass has a wavy effect with lots of little imperfections in it. Most old house restorers find this charming. I believe all my glass was replaced in the 1980s when PO first bought it and was doing lots of things. But I don't really know this. They might have been replaced in the 1970s when the Penningtons modernized it with popcorn ceiling and such. I'm not sure. But either way I'm really glad they were never completely replaced. I still have one wavy glass window in the water closet (half bath off the kitchen). I suspect it was not replaced with smooth glass because the waviness added to the privacy of the bathroom. Anyway, I'm trying to decide what to do with these.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Well that's it for today. Next I'll talk more about the water heater and wood-burning stove.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-4936448884954377442009-10-15T23:04:00.000-07:002009-10-15T23:08:53.156-07:00An Exterior Tour<div style="text-align: justify;">To those of you who excitedly clicked on the link in your email from Richard to see our house blog, all I can say is that I apologize for the crushing disappointment you must have felt when seeing that I had only posted one picture. I am not tech savvy in any way. Getting the one picture up was challenging enough, mostly because it was raining all day, so I could not take any exterior pictures. All these pictures have been taken out of the pdf that we got with our appraisal. To do that, I had to call a friend to teach me how to use (Microsoft) Paint. That's embarrassing. I mean, I'm pretty sure Paint came out when I was in 6th grade. I really should know how to use it. Anyway, these pictures today are all from before we bought the house. The "after" pictures will be up as soon as the weather improves. On with the exterior tour...<br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vQLArA59iYS-cFL5QYf1rbgr2gEcd-gELUbkvIYEwVWWA8R4SH8VQE0Pm9aLEU_59q3dwLRR0mgaEFUmrPJzr0pS5AKCwXVrlj4EtiNSAOjZhftacbr9mdQLh1aen1iLp5Lwdljd7U_T/s1600-h/Front+Porch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vQLArA59iYS-cFL5QYf1rbgr2gEcd-gELUbkvIYEwVWWA8R4SH8VQE0Pm9aLEU_59q3dwLRR0mgaEFUmrPJzr0pS5AKCwXVrlj4EtiNSAOjZhftacbr9mdQLh1aen1iLp5Lwdljd7U_T/s320/Front+Porch.png" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is the front of the house. Note the broken fence posts. I'll post about that later. This door opens into the parlor (or the living room for those of you without an imagination). The turret is located in this room. The windows on the left are the study (or office, if you must). There is no foyer in this house. I cried at first, but then I got over it.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhxChysueVsmb-iQFz5ZiB0CbFPhK6tR6OPVu8MKbWI9eMF6vE4CjVw13JvqfWxUAVhDnbSmNNFPDBqpMTIwX9aabi1nkhWUZc2rTgg7srPKEoKtgVTzsbC3z8vp8QjE45fvMJsRf9lo0/s1600-h/exterior+curb+appeal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhxChysueVsmb-iQFz5ZiB0CbFPhK6tR6OPVu8MKbWI9eMF6vE4CjVw13JvqfWxUAVhDnbSmNNFPDBqpMTIwX9aabi1nkhWUZc2rTgg7srPKEoKtgVTzsbC3z8vp8QjE45fvMJsRf9lo0/s320/exterior+curb+appeal.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">This is the north side of the house. As you can probably tell, it's on a corner. The windows between the turret and the side door are in the dining room, as is the side door. The dining room and parlor are separated by pocket doors. The windows to the far right are over the kitchen sink.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqPc9XIXCoxG8vCZsu4dM42lbmDjePUWh4blB6pYXScrWhQHWuxy2sWUaElo8hMTNnee5NMPeO6x1TtlOSvQVDUP5c-yP4pQP8O65d7DbS36aYNDZDPznINr46XfFQ_e_hyphenhyphenwHSjjqpsQx/s1600-h/Back+Porch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqPc9XIXCoxG8vCZsu4dM42lbmDjePUWh4blB6pYXScrWhQHWuxy2sWUaElo8hMTNnee5NMPeO6x1TtlOSvQVDUP5c-yP4pQP8O65d7DbS36aYNDZDPznINr46XfFQ_e_hyphenhyphenwHSjjqpsQx/s320/Back+Porch.png" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is the back side of the house from the street. The back porch is screened in and connects to the kitchen. You can see a sliver of the 2-car carport to the right. <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmkaBflSLrbQLsrvqi3h62vMbVYD-cuSb8m8UQ-XIfOmpndTWTwZq5XoCtyWYOGWBL5xqQ6rOTBmnnVycZtFFJfoibYd1XEUJQTu4mj0FEAbWtQ3Y5oIKdcadBvH3wEDu6u4HPfvQRrw6/s1600-h/Back+Porch+and+South+Side.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmkaBflSLrbQLsrvqi3h62vMbVYD-cuSb8m8UQ-XIfOmpndTWTwZq5XoCtyWYOGWBL5xqQ6rOTBmnnVycZtFFJfoibYd1XEUJQTu4mj0FEAbWtQ3Y5oIKdcadBvH3wEDu6u4HPfvQRrw6/s320/Back+Porch+and+South+Side.png" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The bottom door that looks like it's for elves goes to the basement. In this picture you can see where the paint job ended. The unpainted side is the south side. And it was pretty terrible...<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkmzXNIJXi-BpRPXLJ_n75VwY16wYRCrVdVfh_yDMDYtNKDB5dEe4ppT8ZgnvpukoZyrymJH5wUNFKRVIUqTS1qhyfMP6XkPwOYOcR3PIV-vyS92EqRSWRx6TklHWmxI6HWrFZ9J7V-WY/s1600-h/South+Side+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkmzXNIJXi-BpRPXLJ_n75VwY16wYRCrVdVfh_yDMDYtNKDB5dEe4ppT8ZgnvpukoZyrymJH5wUNFKRVIUqTS1qhyfMP6XkPwOYOcR3PIV-vyS92EqRSWRx6TklHWmxI6HWrFZ9J7V-WY/s320/South+Side+1.png" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOEf3UBlHhlWxcfnaOAH6t5wmTIpnjpsBZ8gwFDb_a0ohA_jm9F3I6WI3O7-jRP54dFupcVUTXgYLQ-mFjD1sWAOsaP0ik7N66ac90UrxuygA12gJmuWHj65AJK2q0HqgE_nG0D2UgZHC/s1600-h/South+Side+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOEf3UBlHhlWxcfnaOAH6t5wmTIpnjpsBZ8gwFDb_a0ohA_jm9F3I6WI3O7-jRP54dFupcVUTXgYLQ-mFjD1sWAOsaP0ik7N66ac90UrxuygA12gJmuWHj65AJK2q0HqgE_nG0D2UgZHC/s320/South+Side+3.png" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is what I like to call the haunted house side. It looks pretty disturbing. The window to the far left is one of the bedrooms downstairs. The smaller window is the Jack-and-Jill (shared) bathroom between the two downstairs bedrooms. The three windows in the bay are the second bedroom downstairs. The far window to the right is the study.<br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAuZW4usFXHl59C8UKDCZhp8hL9l6lC7duMMqZkjjKGcGw28e2JdXZ38W7SSgNWKR7ojkbvZiQQBz6tHfFTqoIxIekMyHCRnDpsr_bjtn3PzZf9qE_RpIqqAWApfPDYP90UOX_My5HhoY/s1600-h/South+Side+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAuZW4usFXHl59C8UKDCZhp8hL9l6lC7duMMqZkjjKGcGw28e2JdXZ38W7SSgNWKR7ojkbvZiQQBz6tHfFTqoIxIekMyHCRnDpsr_bjtn3PzZf9qE_RpIqqAWApfPDYP90UOX_My5HhoY/s320/South+Side+2.png" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I don't know why this side didn't get painted. The lower wood skirting and the wood around the windows was rotted and warped. From the inside bedroom here with the bay window, you could see the outside light coming in around the window frames.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ja40d7js1uSDWgG7w2do0Q3SqKhLq1OsWu2KuzPFz9KjtpN45z9LaX12Rsm-2-HXb0tM6stnXEcXmPWEWloP8NTDmtRnHBW_8Ynl9Gf9WNC2vzmlYnEi4fe4_0Wbpk0EWXXrYnghrWn1/s1600-h/Doggy+Door.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ja40d7js1uSDWgG7w2do0Q3SqKhLq1OsWu2KuzPFz9KjtpN45z9LaX12Rsm-2-HXb0tM6stnXEcXmPWEWloP8NTDmtRnHBW_8Ynl9Gf9WNC2vzmlYnEi4fe4_0Wbpk0EWXXrYnghrWn1/s320/Doggy+Door.png" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is on the same south side. When I saw the plethora of doggy doors, I knew this house was for me. That yellow colored thing on the left is a cinder block built into the wall of the basement. I have no idea why. Anyway, all of this nonsense is gone now. Weather permitting, I will post the new pics tomorrow.<br />
</div></div>K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446060113420765644.post-38983411972001495982009-10-14T15:26:00.000-07:002009-10-14T15:27:23.142-07:00An Introduction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKathleen%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Hi, and welcome to Richard and Kathleen's house blog. After six months of trying for this one house, involving three escrows, three mortgage brokers, three weeks in a hotel, and lots of prayer, we finally moved into our 100+ year old Victorian in August. We are very happy with our decision, and can't wait to share our restoration projects with you so that you can restore a Victorian vicariously through us. Because let's face it; it's not for everyone, but everyone can certainly enjoy reading about it. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Though I would like to immediately go into the details of our progress so far, the type of loan we got is critical to understanding why we are making certain repairs before others. The bottom line is that we absolutely could not have bought this house without a 203K Rehabilitation loan. Trust us. We tried every other way, hence the three escrows. The 203K loan is a government-insured loan that is specifically for houses that do not meet the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) standards. A few ways in which our house did not meet their standards: broken windows, uninstalled toilet and sink, broken water heater, holes in the walls and ceilings, a caved in ceiling, exposed electrical wires, etc. The purpose of a 203K is to borrow additional money on top of your purchase price to fix these things. <u>But</u>, you have to find a bank that is willing to lend more for a home that what you are paying for it, which these days is very difficult. So we had to borrow more money to cover things which add to the resale value of the home, not just the bare basic things that had to be fixed. This included things like repainting, popcorn ceiling removal, new appliances, tankless water heater, etc. We didn’t like this part of it because even though we wanted to take care of these non-essential things eventually, we weren’t keen on financing them for 30 years, but like I said, we had to do these things to get the home loan. And even with the additional money we had to borrow, and including insurance and taxes, our house note was still considerably less than rent. So we still think this is a wise decision.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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K. DeLucahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702156394157004713noreply@blogger.com1