5 FOOT BEADED WAINSCOTING

     As soon as the floor had been tiled we were able to install the beaded wainscoting in the master bathroom.   It is a tongue and groove board we installed at 5 feet all around the bathroom.

A small board is attached to the wall at a level 5 foot height all around the room.

Individual boards are cut to size and have adhesive applied to the back

Using the nail gun, Michael attaches each board.

Michael fits the last 2 boards in the corner

A bullnose trim piece is attached to the top and the corner is complete

Opposite wall with cutouts around outlets and cabinet

Upon completion, I was offered an assistant carpenter job by the contractor working on the addition.  Thanks but no thanks.  My Hawthorne house is a labor of love.

BUILDING THE BALUSTRADE, PART 5

    As I write this post, the balustrade is complete.  (In fact, we finished it 5 days ago.)  It has been a long involved carpentry project which was more time consuming than originally anticipated.  In my opinion, it is the single most impressive project we've undertaken.  Check it out in it's entirety in these earlier posts (building posts,  in preparation, part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 ) .

Gathering installation tools

Centering the first baluster

Leveling the first baluster 

Gotta love the nail gun

12 down , 228 to go

A portion of the balustrade as seen through my bedroom window

A block is used as a spacer in order to level and insure equal distance between each baluster

Another block at the top lines up the balusters 

The power driver and brute strength are some of our best tools

Each top rail (part of a 3-part assembly) is cut to size

A curved portion of the post is removed for a custom and snug fit

The cap from the original post is incorporated into the final post on the north side of the house

Balusters, rails, trim are all attached and ready for the painters to caulk
and give the new balustrade its final coat of paint.

Satisfaction for a job well done.

* A photo of the completed balustrade to be revealed at a later post.

EVEN THE BEST LAID PLANS....

    This past weekend had been designated to 'build the balustrade'.  I made a special trip Friday to get  the lumber we required (2 trips actually because my car could not handle the full load in one trip).  As it turned out, the  building of the balustrade was postponed so that we could take full advantage of the hydraulic lift that is scheduled to be returned today.

    A week ago we spent removing the modern bead board and the buckling old bead board from approximately 35% of the porch ceiling.  Doing so unveiled an extremely poor support structure installed by the previous owner.  Before we could install the new bead board (milled to match the original) a new support had to be built.

Removing modern boards

Removing trim supporting buckling old boards

We discover the ceiling needs proper support

Building the supports

The lift comes in very handy

Having completed that and having taken delivery of the reproduction bead boards, we could spend this past weekend installing the ceiling.

Man with nail gun and lift.....enough said

Notching the wood to fit snuggly

Patching with new wood

How beautiful!

TOOL? TOY?

    Guess who has a new toy tool toy?  That would be ME!  We are beginning to do more detailed work involving trim.  The agenda the next couple of weeks includes building posts for the 2nd story using the one remaining post we found in the basement rafters as a template, constructing a bench seat to conceal the ducts crossing my studio, and trimming the skylites with bead board.  The new tool for these and other upcoming tasks is a cordless pneumatic nailing gun.

Ooooooooooo....AHHHHHHHHHH !

I have already taken this lovely for a spin, so to speak, and it is a blast.  Any one need something fastened with a finishing nail?  Is it odd that I am so enamored with tools?  Does anyone else out there share this passion?