WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY, AGAIN

Even while we were at the beach this past weekend, things got done over at Hawthorne Ave.

Among other things that got done.....

3rd floor quarter round windows got trimmed out

The same thing happened  when we went for a week last June!

TRIMMING OUT THE HOUSE

    Now that our trim carpenter has had a go at finishing off the diamond window we replaced a couple weeks ago, it looks as if has been in the house since 1907.

Thanks David C.  I think you are doing an awesome job.

A CLUE! A CLUE!

    We've been playing detectives this week.  It is time for the original trim and architectural pieces to come back into the house to be re-installed and primed.  The nails were all removed back in January.  In some haste to get rolling on the demo last March and April, not all the trim was adequately marked.  Now for some pieces, like the arched door trim or the interior columns, it is obvious where they go.  Some of the trim was marked by me or the original carpenter and this too is helpful.

Far too much of the trim, however, is unmarked and of shades of peeling white.

 What it takes is matching size, cut, nail holes, and paint chips.  Sometimes there is a clue such as the hot pink paint on the sides of the entry trim.  (Thank goodness for sloppy painting.)

The hot pink on the walls of the entryway upon purchase is a clue to location of trim

Determining the placement of the columns was an easy feat.  Re-installing them required patience, muscle and skill.

Entryway left column

Entryway right column

Wallace and Donnie place the entablature above the columns

Entablature in place and ready for the capitals

BEAUTY REVEALED

Our front door has it's pilasters

obstructed by a wood jamb that formerly housed a screen door.

To remove the frame would expose the entire pilaster and its beauty. 

I scored the joint with a knife. Squiggle means "all clear" and X means I hit a nail.

I used a wood chisel to split the wood.

Donnie used the reciprocating saw to cut to the chiseled  area.

The wood  split and we easily removed the entire jamb,

fully revealing the pilaster.  

Cleaned up and primed the entry's beauty is revealed.

 

DETAIL MAN

    It is my guess that no contractor has ever had a customer pay closer attention to every detail.  My husband knows what he wants and will hold you accountable if you have contracted to deliver a product.  He continues to check up on the progress of every contractor and it doesn't matter what or how high he has to climb to check.

On 2nd story roof looking UNDER the built-in gutters

Checking the joint where old trim meets new trim in a repair

Checking up on the roofers before the slate goes up

I'm glad he is on my team!

A BENCH IN PROGRESS

The framing for the bench seat covering the duct work in my studio

Seat as seen from the doorway

The front of the bench has 3 compartments for storage

Essential tools

A crude jig to create uniform lengths of bead board

Each board  is cut into 17 1/4 inch lengths  to face the bench

Painted bead board, salvaged from the side porch ceiling

Leveling the first board 

Two wires come out the front for electrical sockets

I'm lovin' the look of the authentically aged boards

THROW DOWN THE GAUNTLET

 

 A challenge has been issued.

    Currently there is a PILE of window and door trim in the garage which was removed from the house last spring.  It requires a lot of attention before returning it to the house.

The pile on the far left is the door and window trim

When Donnie said we had our work cut out for us, part of what he meant was prepping this pile of trim.  According to him it might require hiring a skilled laborer 8 hours a day for a week to complete the task. We are not willing to spend those dollars, so I am determined to be that skilled laborer!

    After about 6 hours of, quite frankly, cheap entertainment, the pile had been whittled down from this...

 to this.

Nails cut, hardware removed, and sorted into colors (blue, gold, yellow, white, cream, and green), at least half of the wood is ready for the painters to scrape, sand, and prime before it goes back up.

bath, master, and kitchen trim

cream trim

I'm patting myself on the back but perhaps I should wait until the job is complete.

*Thank you Taylor for giving me some of your valuable time yesterday.  You were a big help and great company to boot!

  

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

You've gotta respect a tool that can throw sparks like this...

(click here)

AND the women who can effectively use it!

My dear friend Taylor joined me for some fun this afternoon

BEFORE & AFTER

   I am a fan of the before and after shot, especially when there is such a dramatic change.   There will be many such comparisons with this house.   Here is just one to get started...

BASEMENT WINDOWS...BEFORE

BASEMENT WINDOWS...AFTER

 

The windows are new replacement windows and the brick bays we have had built using the old brick from the collapsing chimneys.  We think the brick mason did a great job matching the style of the original foundation.  Not only has this renovation resulted in a more pleasing aesthetic, but also it has made the house more secure and protected from rains.

* Note : The drip cap and trim above the windows is also new.  Large sections of the original trim had rotted due to long time water damage (see the repair here).  We had the original trim duplicated and Wallace, Donnie and I installed it.

AaRRRRGH !

    I have just learned tonight that I have more PRIMING to do.  AaRRRRRGH !  I thought I'd completed that dreadful task.  Apparently a load of trim wood was delivered today.  The temperature here in Virginia is not getting over 45 degrees this weekend (too cold to paint) but somehow it must get done before Monday.