Backdating a “Teardown” – Part 4: The Bunkhouse Porch Gets Screened
With rain and warm temperatures come mosquitos; it's a reality in a most places. The porch was losing its usefulness due to these bloodsuckers and other annoying insects; something had to be done. Jim didn't want to compromise the beauty of his creation with an...
Backdating a “Teardown” – Part 3: The Bunkhouse Gets a Porch
The Bunkhouse just got bigger! Not in terms of actual square footage, but in terms of usable space. And bigger in style, too! Jim has been busy using a mix of materials: salvaged 2x4s and joists, salvaged porch parts, and a dash of new lumber. His porch project...
Adding a Greenhouse with Salvaged Material – Part 3
The past week has been semi-chaotic, but I still managed to get a few things done on the greenhouse project. Below is a sectional drawing through the greenhouse (well, the lower half anyway) which should help to explain what is going on at present (depicted in...
Adding a Greenhouse with Salvaged Material – Part 2
Winter weather returned - twice - before we got a break sufficiently conducive to the pouring of concrete. Finally the big day arrived! It was mostly successful, with only a few minor setbacks which ultimately were not a big deal, but were very consternating at the...
Adding a Greenhouse with Salvaged Material – Part 1
OK; it's not all salvaged material, but a lot of it will be. Unfortunately, it is hard to recycle concrete walls so that part will definitely be new. I was able to get a bunch of discarded thermal-paned windows - absolutely free - just for hauling them down three...
A Door Inspired by Bruce Goff
One of my favorite movies, a close second to "Mars Attacks!", is the slightly surreal Goff in the Desert by German documentarian Heinz Emigholz. The video has no narration; it is simply a series of video shots taken around 2002 of various structures designed by Bruce...
Backdating a “Teardown” – Part 2: Windows
As you last remember, the bunkhouse was looking a little rough. It was dirty, dark, damaged, and downright depressing. Owner Jim wanted to not only put life and light back into the dilapidated structure, but put to use some of the salvaged woodwork and materials he...
Backdating a “Tear-Down” with Salvaged Materials – Part 1
A work still in progress, this two-room house wasn't much to look at a year and a half ago. The simple frame structure, built in the 1920's, originally served to house seasonal workers on a farm where it was referred to as the "bunkhouse". It had suffered from...
Making Progress….
Boxes are being unpacked as time allows. The bookshelves are nearly full! An acrylic swag lamp from the 1960's now graces the Black Hole. I had hoped to slip an antique desk into the niche, but it was about 1/8" too wide for the opening and I'm not about to alter...
Moving Is Not Fun
The past few days have been on the chaotic side. Moving is never fun. I'm really tired. But this move has been a learning experience. I have learned that I have too much stuff. Especially too much heavy stuff. Below are photos of the newly renovated basement as...
A Built-In Desk
The room is now completely wired and the desk is installed... all that is left is an application of sanding sealer to all of the cabinetry followed up with varnish. Fortunately, the bookshelves have already been varnished. ...
More Storage; New Old Light Fixture
The large storage unit is now almost finished. It still needs a plywood panel where it connects to the desk and the entire thing needs varnishing. Like its smaller mate on the other side of the room, this one has electrical receptacles in the base and on the top (to...
Storage Unit
The first storage unit has now been built. It still needs to be varnished, however. The sliding doors are awaiting recessed round finger pulls... I am still trying to decide if I want to place the pulls in the exact center of each door or place them at opposite ends...
Bookcases and Lighting
The basement renovation is crawling along... the bookcases are now installed (complete with edgebanding) and the recently acquired 60's ceiling light has been installed. The first photo below shows the bookcases before the trim was installed on the face: ...
Making the Bookshelves
When renovating a house, it is always good to keep in mind that everything will take longer than you think. It's been a busy winter, but the last few days have been unseasonably warm so it was a great time to start ripping plywood for the bookshelves. Once...
More Lighting…
The rest of the ceiling has been wired:
Let there be light!
A very small mile-marker today, but still progress. A new circuit with lighting along the east wall... the future location of a continuous desk/work surface. Simple porcelain lamp holders (complete with pull chains!) are in place now - but after I find the perfect...
The Black Hole
Back in October I posted images of the somewhat awkward built-in china cabinet. It was encased in concrete block which served as the foundation to an upper level fireplace which was never built (in an upper level which was never built). When the basement was gutted...
Paint! It’s only temporary…
This past fall I did something that I haven't mentioned yet. I painted the house. I haven't mentioned it yet because it's not a REAL paint job - it is more of an emergency cosmetic maneuver. The large expanse of bright white siding paired with orange concrete...
Primer!
The basement walls have now been primed and are ready for painting. The final paint color won't be substantially different from the primer, so there won't be a dramatic change after painting. After the paint goes on, I'll start building storage units and bookshelves....
Window Jambs
The basement windows now have jambs! I made them out of pine nailers salvaged from the roof of an old house which was being remodeled; they closely match the color and nail-riddled texture of the ceiling. The best part is that they cover up much of the hideous white...
Detailing the Sheetrock/Joist Junction
I knew I would regret this when I committed myself to the idea, and I was right. It is a tedious process going around the room and filling the gaps between the sheetrock and wood joists where I fit around them. Most likely I will still have to skim over some of...
Mud and Tape
The sheetrock is in place and the joints have received mud, tape and sanding (Thanks, Jim, for mudding, taping, and sanding... I hate that part). Next project: wood jambs for the windows.
A Painted Floor
Recently, I decided it was time to do something about the basement floor. Not only was it ugly, but because of numerous irregularities and textures, it was awkward to sweep and keep clean. Even though I'm still hanging sheetrock, I decided to go ahead and paint the...
Waterproofing and Insulation
With the ceiling cleaned up and the new windows installed, it's time to work on the walls. The basement has had a history of dampness, and the problem spots became rather apparent once the wainscot was removed. The lower part of the foundation wall is of poured...
Moral Dilemmas
I hate this part. You know - the moral quandaries that are an inherent part of any renovation project. This post will cover two recent dilemmas - one involving a built-in and one involving basement windows. Dilemma 1: The former living/dining area was originally...
Removing the Insulation
As you last remember, the basement had been gutted. When the ceiling came down, batts of "Balsam-Wool" - a type of cellulose insulation - were revealed. The product had a very handsome label: There was a similar label in green, and I saved all that were in decent...
Demo Time!
Before we get into the demolition, I would like to point out that I have been an ardent preservationist for my entire life (starting at age 5 when I retrieved from the trash barrel original hardware and lighting fixtures which my father had just discarded from our...
A Peek Inside…
And now for a quick tour of my new project. It's not pretty, but with a little elbow grease it will become comfortable. We'll start at the front door... And that concludes our brief tour of the hapless 1960's split-level which is soon to get...
In the Beginning…
Since childhood I've been obsessed with old (19th century and earlier) houses and was fairly certain that one day I would find the right one. Imagine my internal anguish when, after buying, living in, renovating, and selling several Victorian-era houses, I...