You just never know what horrors are lurking beneath seemingly innocuous surfaces in a house (old or new) until you begin to investigate. The last few weeks have revealed numerous issues which will need to be resolved, but have also revealed many happy discoveries!
Though the time we’ve recently been able to devote to the Keys house has been minimal, we’ve still made progress. The first bits of the original color scheme have appeared, portions of the vinyl siding are being removed, and decades of misguided interior finishes are headed for the dump. Let’s take a look at some of the recent discoveries and progress:
The North wall will be my practice wall. The most damaged by hail, it seemed appropriate to begin with what I refer to as “Vinyl Abatement” (like lead abatement or asbestos abatement… vinyl seems to fit right in).
Beginning at the top, I was surprised to find that there was no horizontal trim board or molding to mark a transition from the metal gable shingles to the wood clapboards. I was also disappointed to find that the metal shingles did not extend further down to rest on the caps of the corner boards. It is what it is!
Somebody put a ton of nails in both the flimsy foam “insulation” and the vinyl itself. Fortunately I have an antique nail puller to help with the many stubborn or broken nails.
Making progress!
At the base I discovered that an original drip molding which capped the wood water table (also sometimes refered to as a ‘skirt board”) had been savagely hacked off by the vandals vinyl installers. This will be a time-consuming repair — and it will have to be done all around the house.
Breathing freely again! Except for the soffits, which are next.
My first peek at the angular eave of the jerkinhead gable (replete with old wasp nests). Its dirty, but the wood all seems to be in good shape.
Back inside, rolling up an old carpet in a bedroom reveals c. 1900 linoleum which appears to be in good condition beneath the carpet glue. We will try to remove the glue and keep the linoleum.
In the back parlor, my curiosity was getting to me. Many of the walls had been relieved of old wallpaper in the 1960’s, and I wanted to see if any historic wallpaper had survived beneath this paneling. This photo shows some of the previous owner’s furnishings.
Hmmmm. Not great, but it can be repaired. Happily, I found multiple layers of historic wallpapers here. When wiring was upgraded in the 1960’s, the electrician just knocked crude holes in the wall to fish wire, knowing that the wall would be paneled over. The plaster appears to have been damaged by a former roof leak.
Jim pulled up the burnt-orange carpet in this room and scraped the floor of carpet pad. It is an oak floor dating to the 1920’s or so. We may remove it to get back to the 1880’s floor even though it is of lesser quality… not sure yet. The wall at the right is a 1960’s closet which will be removed.
In the bathroom, Jim prepares to remove carpet, a drop ceiling and wall paneling.
Much better! The high ceilings in the house make the rooms feel bigger than they are. The linoleum appears to date to the 30’s or 40’s.
This linoluem remained free of adhesive under the bathtub. I’m guessing early 1950’s? The tub appears to have been installed in 1974 judging by the old copies of the Omaha World Herald which were found beneath it. The tub will be going away soon.
A cheerful bit of wallpaper can be seen where a window covering was once mounted… possibly venetian blinds.
Back outside, I tried to match the original siding color to a fan deck. We’re going with “Mirrored Willow”.
Jim installs a corner porch support! We painted it off-site and brought it back. While working on it, we made new discoveries about the paint distribution; this replicates the original look of both the front and side porches. We now believe that the olive trim color and the siding color are actually the same. The house will be dark and brooding at some point in the future, just as it was 134 years ago!
Repairs and painting, however, will take many years.
Antique molding replaces that which had been lost. A little caulk and touch-up paint and this will be good for a long while!
Vinyl has now been removed from a portion of the side of the house; we are trying to get this porch area done now as it is so highly visible. This photo was taken on August 27th.
Antique and vintage linoleum floors are both fun and practical. The old stuff can be somewhat brittle, but is more pliable in 90 degree or higher temperatures. I’ve had good luck rolling it up when left out in the sun for a while. There is still a lot of old linoleum to be found hiding under carpets or in attics and basements… happy hunting!
And Mr Keys, what kind of finish were you thinking of for the new house.
Oh, we’re going through a bit of depression and suicidal thoughts right now so we’re reallly excited about a dark and brooding finish for the house to mirror our feelings of ennui and the utter hopelessness of our surroundings in this part of the country.
Well, Mr Keys, I ‘m afraid I will have to ask for payment for the house in advance just in case. We hope you, uh, enjoy it.
You didn’t like the suggestion of painting it Barn Red, either, as I recall! Mr. and Mrs. Keys appeared to have lightened the siding color once before reverting to darker shades again, so perhaps the house simply wants to be dark. I’m really liking the original colors now that I see them in place, and am finding all the white vinyl increasingly intolerable.
I like barn red but not on a house and particularly this house. I just don’t see dark gloomy colors matching the light airy details of the porch for example and the unusual architecture of the gable. But it’s up to you and the owner (who may live long enough to actually live in the house) not me.
A question- one of the gable pics showing the metal shingles looks like they have an embossed pattern or is that just dirt and a trick of the light.
My blog is about architecture — NOT politics. As I’ve said before, ALL politicians are evil and compromised; decent people don’t want anything to do with the game. Don’t post political comments here – stick to architecture.
Sides have already been chosen and the battle lines have already been drawn in these early stages of the second civil war, and nothing anyone says will make any difference at this point.
The steel shingles do start at an unexpected location. I wonder how the other gables look? Perhaps there is a reason hiding elsewhere? Or perhaps it was just an illogical choice.
I think the dark colors work well on a house like this.
And lastly, I dealt with the exact same mutilated drip cap on our last house. Thankfully I was able to find an extant shred hidden at the corner of a porch, which I was able to copy. I cut it all on a regular table saw (including the important, but often overlooked capillary break groove at the bottom) out of regular 2×4 lumber. I carefully selected boards with minimal knots, and it turned out really well. I used treated pine (after it had thoroughly dried) and cedar to experiment with the durability of each, treated it all with Wolman Woodlife Classic, then primed before installation and final paint. I will have to ask the new owners how it’s holding up in another 10 years, and if pine or cedar was better, haha.
Oh, and I appreciate you keeping things apolitical. I think there’s a time and place for it, and I appreciate those who share their views, and enjoy engaging in (respectful) discussion and debate, but I also think there’s value in having spaces where we can all be reminded at how much this diverse country has in common.
I quite firmly believe that most people would be more respectful and even empathetic with those they demonize online if they only had (or made) the opportunity to get to know them in real life and realized that behind the labels and stereotypes, we’re all a lot more alike, with the same human fears, loves, and dreams than it may appear. I’m pretty sure the fan base of your blog is quite diverse too, yet here we are united in our shared appreciation of architecture. Let’s dwell on that and ponder that what we share and respect in one another can make this country (and world) a better place for us all.
And I realize this may have veered into a political statement, so please feel free to delete it too 🙂
Thanks, Seth. It’s a stressful time for all, and all too easy for us to let our emotions get the best of us. I’m guilty of that, too; we’re all passionate about something. I also enjoy a lively political debate (and even snark) on sites which invite or initiate political discourse, but there seems to be little point in it any more. The days of people simply agreeing to disagree seem to have largely vanished. This year, like virtually every election year, we will cast our votes for the candidates we find to be the least horrific rather than the candidates we find to be the most capable. Everyone knows that this year will be a disaster no matter what the outcome. (Sigh.)
Thanks also for your insight into replacing the mutilated drip cap… very much appreciated! I’ve added to the end of this post (above) a photo of what the house looked like by dusk yesterday.
I went back through my old pictures to try and find a good one of the drip cap I made, and as usual, I feel like I take a bazillion pictures when I’m working, but then when I’m looking back for something specific, I don’t have photos of it! I did find a few that show the destroyed cap and some of the new one installed, and some similar ones I made for above some light pedestals on the garage. I added them to my public Google Photos album, which you should be able to see here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/L12xyxJnzBNfjS383
The key is to have at least a 10 degree slope on the top (15 is probably better), and a groove for capillary break at the bottom so water beads up and drips off, rather than getting sucked along the bottom and into the joint between the cap and skirt board.
Great info! We’ll be making something very similar and will be sure to provide a capillary break on the underside. Your house in Omaha turned out spectacularly… I hope the new owners appreciate and respect all of your hard work.
Even more exciting is that those metal gable shingles were originally painted in the same blue/green color used on the the porch trim. I think the gables will be somewhat startling when painted as they used to be, but in a fun way!
What a fun post! So much great stuff going on, so many cool discoveries! Am loving the olive and brown paint colors on the house (with the nice pop of blue in the trim). The colors really work well with the design and with each other. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you like the colors! We’re getting positive feedback from the neighbors, too. Working on a house like this is a great way to get to know your neighbors better; everyone is curious about our work and very encouraging. Restoration can be therapeutic in so many ways!
All the discoveries are interesting, but my favorite is the linoleum find. I dream of finding a linoleum rug some day.
Antique and vintage linoleum floors are both fun and practical. The old stuff can be somewhat brittle, but is more pliable in 90 degree or higher temperatures. I’ve had good luck rolling it up when left out in the sun for a while. There is still a lot of old linoleum to be found hiding under carpets or in attics and basements… happy hunting!
And Mr Keys, what kind of finish were you thinking of for the new house.
Oh, we’re going through a bit of depression and suicidal thoughts right now so we’re reallly excited about a dark and brooding finish for the house to mirror our feelings of ennui and the utter hopelessness of our surroundings in this part of the country.
Well, Mr Keys, I ‘m afraid I will have to ask for payment for the house in advance just in case. We hope you, uh, enjoy it.
You didn’t like the suggestion of painting it Barn Red, either, as I recall! Mr. and Mrs. Keys appeared to have lightened the siding color once before reverting to darker shades again, so perhaps the house simply wants to be dark. I’m really liking the original colors now that I see them in place, and am finding all the white vinyl increasingly intolerable.
(political comment removed by AO)
I like barn red but not on a house and particularly this house. I just don’t see dark gloomy colors matching the light airy details of the porch for example and the unusual architecture of the gable. But it’s up to you and the owner (who may live long enough to actually live in the house) not me.
A question- one of the gable pics showing the metal shingles looks like they have an embossed pattern or is that just dirt and a trick of the light.
My blog is about architecture — NOT politics. As I’ve said before, ALL politicians are evil and compromised; decent people don’t want anything to do with the game. Don’t post political comments here – stick to architecture.
Sides have already been chosen and the battle lines have already been drawn in these early stages of the second civil war, and nothing anyone says will make any difference at this point.
Some very cool finds there!
The steel shingles do start at an unexpected location. I wonder how the other gables look? Perhaps there is a reason hiding elsewhere? Or perhaps it was just an illogical choice.
I think the dark colors work well on a house like this.
And lastly, I dealt with the exact same mutilated drip cap on our last house. Thankfully I was able to find an extant shred hidden at the corner of a porch, which I was able to copy. I cut it all on a regular table saw (including the important, but often overlooked capillary break groove at the bottom) out of regular 2×4 lumber. I carefully selected boards with minimal knots, and it turned out really well. I used treated pine (after it had thoroughly dried) and cedar to experiment with the durability of each, treated it all with Wolman Woodlife Classic, then primed before installation and final paint. I will have to ask the new owners how it’s holding up in another 10 years, and if pine or cedar was better, haha.
Oh, and I appreciate you keeping things apolitical. I think there’s a time and place for it, and I appreciate those who share their views, and enjoy engaging in (respectful) discussion and debate, but I also think there’s value in having spaces where we can all be reminded at how much this diverse country has in common.
I quite firmly believe that most people would be more respectful and even empathetic with those they demonize online if they only had (or made) the opportunity to get to know them in real life and realized that behind the labels and stereotypes, we’re all a lot more alike, with the same human fears, loves, and dreams than it may appear. I’m pretty sure the fan base of your blog is quite diverse too, yet here we are united in our shared appreciation of architecture. Let’s dwell on that and ponder that what we share and respect in one another can make this country (and world) a better place for us all.
And I realize this may have veered into a political statement, so please feel free to delete it too 🙂
Thanks, Seth. It’s a stressful time for all, and all too easy for us to let our emotions get the best of us. I’m guilty of that, too; we’re all passionate about something. I also enjoy a lively political debate (and even snark) on sites which invite or initiate political discourse, but there seems to be little point in it any more. The days of people simply agreeing to disagree seem to have largely vanished. This year, like virtually every election year, we will cast our votes for the candidates we find to be the least horrific rather than the candidates we find to be the most capable. Everyone knows that this year will be a disaster no matter what the outcome. (Sigh.)
Thanks also for your insight into replacing the mutilated drip cap… very much appreciated! I’ve added to the end of this post (above) a photo of what the house looked like by dusk yesterday.
That photo looks great!
I went back through my old pictures to try and find a good one of the drip cap I made, and as usual, I feel like I take a bazillion pictures when I’m working, but then when I’m looking back for something specific, I don’t have photos of it! I did find a few that show the destroyed cap and some of the new one installed, and some similar ones I made for above some light pedestals on the garage. I added them to my public Google Photos album, which you should be able to see here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/L12xyxJnzBNfjS383
The key is to have at least a 10 degree slope on the top (15 is probably better), and a groove for capillary break at the bottom so water beads up and drips off, rather than getting sucked along the bottom and into the joint between the cap and skirt board.
Great info! We’ll be making something very similar and will be sure to provide a capillary break on the underside. Your house in Omaha turned out spectacularly… I hope the new owners appreciate and respect all of your hard work.
It didn’t have vinyl siding on it yet last time we were back in town 😉
All the discoveries are exciting but the shingles!! That reveal showcased the house and gave us a glimpse of what it was.
Even more exciting is that those metal gable shingles were originally painted in the same blue/green color used on the the porch trim. I think the gables will be somewhat startling when painted as they used to be, but in a fun way!
What a fun post! So much great stuff going on, so many cool discoveries! Am loving the olive and brown paint colors on the house (with the nice pop of blue in the trim). The colors really work well with the design and with each other. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you like the colors! We’re getting positive feedback from the neighbors, too. Working on a house like this is a great way to get to know your neighbors better; everyone is curious about our work and very encouraging. Restoration can be therapeutic in so many ways!