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Tonight we cleaned up the mess at the fireplace, and filled the slight gap btw the old plaster wall and masonry firebox with mortar… If we install a gas insert in the future we want it to be well sealed:
We also completed 99% of the stripping/ sanding of the oak at the areas that will be near the stone. Here you can really see the air space left around the masonry firebox:
Last but not least, we added some wood support for the stone, which will give the whole assembly some rigidity as well:
Now, we wait!
We sprayed two coats of gorgeous on our cleaned up vintage fixtures:
Fitted them with new wiring and low wattage Edison bulbs:
Oooh and surprise, they’re up! Magic:
Remember last week, one down two to go? Well it’s time for two to go:
Rob did the first one using the heat gun, so I started with that but I have no luck/ skill/ (patience) with that tool. Progress- not far:
But I do have a way with chemical strippers so I switched over and within no time at all they were ready for their paint:
The top left one is stripped to the metal- the rest are ‘close enough’ for this project.
Tools of the trade are laid out, the old lamp sockets are removed and the bases are ready to be stripped!
One down, two to go…
Here are the old lamp sockets next to the new ceramic sockets ready for rewiring.
SOSNA and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia is hosting a series of Homeowner Workshops for owners and aspiring owners of historic homes. Right after we bought our house, Rob attended one of these workshops way out in Chestnut Hill, while I went to pick up our rain barrel. Now that they’re right down the street, I’m eyeing up “Flat Roof Repair”, as one of our bay windows likes to collect water during storms and we’d like to fix it sometime soon.
Check out the classes offered below:
LECTURE WORKSHOPS IN SOUTH OF SOUTH NEIGHBORHOOD in April & June 2011
St. Charles Senior Community Center, 1941 Christian Street
Energy Efficiency in Older Homes
Tuesday, April 19, at 6:30 PM; This workshop only will be held at the SOSNA Offices, 1901 Christian Street
Philadelphia Rowhouse Manual (this is K+R recommended reading anyway, see “Links”)
Tuesday, April 26, at 6:30 PM
Flat Roofs: Repair, Maintenance and Replacement
Tuesday, May 3, at 6:30 PM
Wood Window Repair and Maintenance
Tuesday, May 10, at 6:30 PM
Workshops are free and open to the public, but reservations are required.
Contact Melissa Jest, Neighborhood Preservation Coordinator at 215.546.1146 x6 or melissa at preservationalliance.com
Staining is started after filling some small holes in the vanity drawers and doors. The first door was a little scary to start but I quickly got the hang of it: wipe on, let sit, wipe off…
Before:
First coat while drying:
Fun!
More detail work! I’ll fill you in on a little secret- our existing crown moulding was a bit short- about an inch per length. So we decided to center it when we installed it, leaving a noticeable gap at each corner. Rob utilized his artistic side and filled the corners in with a custom mix of wood putty then hand painted it to match the detail:
Final product, after the requisite coat of acrylic:
Looks real from down here!
Did you know you can mix paint and grout to patch imperfections in vintage tile? A little mixing and Rob became a tile repair specialist, making our old, well loved tile look flawless. Proof:
We have a lot of old tile around the house so I’m sure this trick will come in handy in other rooms as well!
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