The changing direction of wind

Wind is interesting, it can change direction at a moments notice. I think restoration work is somewhat like the changing of the wind. A change in events prompts a change in priorities or focus. Such was the case this weekend. A sudden turn of events prompted us to focus on the downstairs bathroom, and of course the events have now changed again. But since we have now committed ourselves to working on the bathroom we will continue with the process. What have we accomplished so far? Well, Chris has mud and taped the ceiling and I worked on removing the old bathtub. When it was time to take the tub out of the bathroom, well that was a two person project. The tub is cast iron. I'm sure that cast iron is a great product but I detest cast iron, especially when it comes to moving it.  I am glad that I have a hand cart rated at 1000 lbs and a wife who is willing to help with such difficult projects. (Great - more linoleum!)
So now the bathroom looks like this:

 

And what are we going to replace the old tub with? A claw foot tub that is much older and made of cast iron. I hope it is lighter. Chris worked very hard on removing the rust from the underside of the tub. Then she painted it with an undercoat of black Rustoleum followed by a finish coat of paint. There are some fun details on the feet of the tub. 

Here are the results:

(I didn't want anyone standing on their head to see the foot so I rotated it after I took the picture, thus the objects in the background are upside down).

Postscript

I forgot to thank my Honey for all the hard work she has put in. She stripped the paint from the doors and trim and does 99% of the mudding, tapping and prep work on the drywall, which means she makes my drywall hanging mistake magically disappear, or in other words she makes me look good. I am grateful to have such a great restoration partner.

And last but not least

Yesterday I also worked on the greenhouse, until it got to be too hot outside. Everything is ready for the last section to have siding nailed in place. I also added one more section to the roof. The last section of roof will be challenging. Almost ready for the window panels.

 

Not everything takes place inside the house

We decided that we needed to do some landscaping this year as well. Nothing major but it does help the yard look a bit better. Not finished yet but here are some of our efforts:

 

 

 

 

Dilemma

I have pondered over and over as to how to fix the stairs on the side porch. There is at least a two inch drop from the right side to the left. My first thought was that I would have to remove the bricks. This would require a lot of energy, and the bricks would most like be damaged in the process.

So I started thinking, what if I just poured concrete on each stair in such a way as to level them. Then I realized that that would look tacky and most likely would not work. So my next thought was, just leave it the way it is. Yes, that's a good idea, concluding that if anyone said anything about the stairs not being level I would just tell them that they must have a balance problem. Yes, make it their problem by suggesting that they should have a medical checkup.

Finally I returned back to my first thought, just remove the bricks. I experimented with the bottom step and just as I thought, it was a lot of work and the bricks did get damaged. I then used undamaged bricks to relay the bottom stairs. Not finished yet, but will work on the stairs over the summer.

(I didn't have any yellow police line tape so I am using a curtain rod to let people know that they should not use the stairs - as if someone couldn't already figure that out just by looking at the stairs)

Big Deal!

I'm sure some of you would say "Big Deal! Drywall is drywall so why are you taking pictures of drywall?" But for those of us who recognize the work that needs to be done before you can put up the drywall it is a "Big Deal"! The middle chamber (which is the largest of the five chambers or bedrooms - measuring approximately 15'x18' - No I did not take the exact measurements) putting up the last sheet of drywall in the closet represents a milestone in the preparation of the chamber for completion. Prior to putting up the last sheet I had to repair and tuck point the bricks to make the wall sound, then frame out the wall in a unique way to avoid changing the dimensions of the closet. Finally the last sheet went up. As a friend once said "Putting up drywall is satisfying because it covers an area quickly."

 

So what does the room look like now? Here is the picture of the prep work. I'm showing this picture for those who have never renovated a house or room before. Lest you get the wrong impression, renovation is a messy job, but the rewards far outweigh the mess.

We also found a way to strip the old paint off the doors and trim. Someone had put paint over the existing varnish and stain. We tried many different products as well as heat in an attempt to remove the old paint from the doors and the trim. Finally it was suggested to us that we use a product called "Dad's Easy Spray" which we purchased from Girdner Post & Lumber in Mercer. You spray it on (or in our case brush it on) and in 15 minutes just like magic the paint, varnish and stain start to bubble - then just scrape it off. Now we can prep the doors and trim for refinishing.

Before                                        After

 

(I know, it's not the same door but this door looked like the "before" door)