Old House Blues part deux
While we are still monkeying around framing new roofs, replacing studs, adding windows, leveling floors by jacking up the house and adding steel beams, tearing off two layers of siding, i.e., everything but moving quickly forward. I would guess at this point we would have encountered about $17,000 of extra work if this project was for a client, based on unforeseen and concealed conditions. Juxapositoned, Cottage 7 and Cottage 8 are well on their way to being closed in, while twice as much labor and money has gone into half as much progress at the Ole House.
Oh well, we all know romance is expensive and unpredictable.
New Roof system augmenting existing tree limbs.
Planking on the wall, covered with ancient newspaper. Jack hammer and pry bar stand at the ready.
Another archelogical find - first some sort of cardboard composite siding (seemed be the 'tin man' option of the 60's), then 'poor man shingles', which is a type of exterior covering which rolls out over the house, and then the original wood clapboard underneath. Many times homeowners covered up the wood siding with 'new' materials not because the siding was decayed, but because the expense and inconvenience of painting grew tiresome.
This pic below illustrates 3 distinct time periods of american home construction.
Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am
"Out of nothing at all..." (for all you Air Supply soft-rock 80's fans) -
Cottage 7 springs from the ground, kind of like the ferns, tree blossoms and early flowers since spring has arrived - sunny, sunny, sunny -
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4 days - and now starts the roof.
Cottage 6 is Finished.
Cottage 6 is a simple 1300 sq ft cottage with a lot of care in the details. It's not everyday we installed duel heat lamps in the bath, a steam unit, a movie room, salvage barn siding flooring, and exposed rafter porches. Here's a pic of the house while climbing the hill from the brook.
And a shot looking eastward.
Standing in the kitchen/dining room looking into the living room. Note the elements - 2 chalkboard doors, exposed rafters in the kitchen, perfect old floors with hand cut nails.
A pic of the bathroom under the glow of the duel heat lamps. Clawfoot tub, vessel sink, and local bluestone on the floor.
Very large and roomy shower/steam room with glass tiles and bluestone flooring.
The office/spare bedroom.
Living room looking into the kitchen and up the stairs.
We started this cottage in November and worked pretty hard at through the winter. The owner was only able to visit 3 times during construction so our ability to understand the direction of the homeowner was put to the test since the collaboration was mostly pictures and phone calls. I think it's safe to say it worked out just fine.
Another architectural gem to decorate the landscape of Sullivan County.
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