HomeGrandeur's Xanga

Moving Onwards and Cleaning Up

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:56:44 GMT

June and July seem to be dead months for Dave and I. Of course, it could be the fact that Dave changed his job and we have been extremely busy adjusting to the new found freedom of having a more logically overlapping schedule.

In the saga of MIA contractor, we have spoken with a lawyer pro bono and finally come to the conclusion that we will take either $7000 in money OR put the contractor in jail. Our case is strong. Is it what we would like? No, but it is sometimes what you have to do. Eitherway, but tax time next year I will be able to right off what we can not reclaim as bad debt.

Today, our wonderful inspector and contractor Jack - who was unfortunately unavailable prior to this - sent out two masonry specialists. In fact, the guys specialize in brick repointing and cleaning and come highly recommended on Angie's List to boot. Based on the Angie's List pricing, they are still extremely affordable. As a favor to Jack, and the fact that we already went through one winter with the damage, they are willing to move around some customers who are ok with waiting till spring. . .so we can get our exterior brickwork finished in October. And when I say in October, that is everything in 7-10 days.

Lacking funds, and with the general losts hitting my 401k from my former company, I will be pulling it out hardship early - taking the 30% hit - not like that matters in the end. It sucks, but at the same time, sometimes this is what a person needs to do to move forward. In return, I am going to set up my IRA with my current employer plan - as in October I will have been at the company two years, I could have begun contributing after 6 months. I may not be able to contribute much to start, but at least I will be contributing something - and the home equity can be dealt with again after the house is fixed.

I am also looking at organizing and cleaning up after some of our construction messes. We are just a simple door planing and touch up painting away from the upstairs bathroom being done - a task that will be done this week. The bathroom functions fine without a door, but as we will have guests staying over we figured it was time.

Because Dave's family and friends who have not seen the house are coming over to celebrate his birthday, I figured I should probably look into cleaning out or at least organizing the den and back room. The first floor is actually decent enough for company in my opinion, save a good steaming of the floors and furniture.

As we move into the next season, I am able to reflect positively on our first year here at the house. I know it had it's ups and downs - but overall, Dave and I are still very much infatuated with the place. :) We have a long list of chores and improvements that we simply need to find the funds and time to approach. So in conclusion, looking to the next year we hope to complete the following:

Replace the front door(s) (contractors)
Scrap, paint, repair the shingles and trim on the exterior of the house (us)
Add corbels (contractors)
Add in a wrought iron fence and retaining wall around the front yard, additional gardening/landscaping (contractors)
Level the driveway (contractors)
Add the pocket door wall back into the living room (us)
Replace the living room carpet (us)
Replace the upstairs floors (us)

Needless to say - we probably won;t get this all done before the wedding. I think our main focus is to make the outside look tiptop and then move inwards.

But - there is an update for any of you wondering!

Alexis

The demolition man...

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:17:53 GMT

Rushed into action by my plummer of choice and his limited availability this week...today was demolition day for the downstairs bathroom. This should be (fingers crossed) a fairly painless project. The hard part was today.....cutting out the bathtub to expose the space which will soon feature our new washer and dryer.

Very exciting.....I hate the laundromat. If there was ever a worthwhile indulgence for the home....its adding something to provide clean, dry socks and boxers.

Goodbye

Tue, 13 May 2008 13:18:17 GMT

.....stupid first floor bath tub. Your days are numbered. Today you leave us, making room for our sexy new washer and dryer.

Hello clean clothes whenever I want you....you've been missed.

Oh the luxury of soak in a claw foot tub. . .

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:30:51 GMT

Or so I hear.

Dave and I are semi-covered in paint speckles from the painting of the second floor bathroom. The tile floor is withstanding dave jumping around like a oversized five year old and me falling off the ladder as I dismount from trimming near the ceiling. In the last month, Dave has made quick work of completing the bathroom, almost single handedly (our friend gave him some guidance and initial labor) laying the floor and taping and sanding the seams on the new drywall. I stepped in at the beginning of this week - quickly discovering I do not like sanding drywall. On the otherhand, I am perfectly happy to prime and paint. Thus, it has taken us less then two hours per coat of paint. Dave painted the ceiling and wall down to the bulkhead level in the soft greyish white color, while I painted from the bulkhead down to where beadboard will be placed. Today dave will measure the beadboard - which - depending on our joint approval of the second coat of paint - pending no need for a third coat - Dave will hang this evening. Then I get to paint the trim and beadboard. Essentially - by Friday - we should have a fully functional bathroom!

In other news, Dave's deligent daily attention to craigslist has resulted in a $2400 savings on a claw foot tub. A woman who owns multiple properties in the Mt Washington area, posted a 100 year old claw foot for a mere $100. The catch - it had to be moved, and promptly, from the second floor back bathroom through narrow hallways down even narrower stairways with turns, through a back door, down a narrow alleyway, and then down the grass hill (two flights of stairs worth) and into Steve's trunk.

Dave and Steve did great work getting that out- neither getting injured or strained. I, on the other hand, put my foot in the wrong place and got the extremely heavy claw foot tub on my foot - so now my right foot is turning blue and purple and green. No bones broken - though Dave's fussing about me getting all the battle wounds whenever he does all the labor. What can I say - I am fraggiiillleee.....and clumsy....and I don't hold still or do as I am told.

We moved the tub into our next door neighbor's garage for safe keeping - as we do not have the room cleared in the back space which will become the master bath. Also, it does not make sense to move the bathtub before we get it reglazed (which will cost us less then $400). The feet are gorgeoulsy ornate, and now we have just to decide the color we want to glaze it and begin seriously planning the second bathroom.

The next project however, is to tear out the bathtub on the first floor and build in a new laundry room area. Dave has put down money for a gorgeous front load set of washer and dryer - which will eventually save us the time and money of going to the laundry mat.

Dave has dibs on the first shower - I have dibs on the first soak. looking forward to it!

The sound of...

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:28:45 GMT

...construction once again rings through the halls of 3707 C- avenue, though this time minus those pesky contractors and laborers. Between the legal battle with J-, who abandoned the original contract he assuemed but abandoned it with money in hand, and R- who didn't finish the job we were using him for.....it seems time to take matters into our own hands.

With a little help from my friend (Beatles reference again, I know), the bathroom is approaching completion. Stephen and I completed demolition of the unsatisfactory floor in half a day, and promptly lay the proper and much more sturdy materials needed to support our heavy slate tile floor.

Oddly, it took two small contractor set backs to remind me that the excitement of us purchasing a home was for me to be doing much of the labor. There is a huge sense of satisfaction in watching it all come together. Today I'm hoping to sort and prep the tile, so that in a few days time I can lay it, then paint and prime and install moulding....voila, bathroom completed.

I find that Alexis and I are rather uncommon for people in our age. While so many of my similarly aged contemporaries have chosen the apartment life, or even townhomes or small "starter houses," we've taken on a minor mansion requiring love to nurse it back to health...and we're succeeding.

Stay tuned for picture updates as the bathroom saga comes to a close.

Winter on California Avenue

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:35:01 GMT

As the view of C- Avenue out my window takes on its winter white sheen, I'm reminded that this is how we first saw our new home. It's hard to believe that our chapter in the story of the house began almost an entire calendar year ago. Recent weeks have seen the house come alive with holiday parties, guests, family, and talk of the wedding.

Regarding the construction and renovation...we've found ourselves in the less-than-fortunate situation of having employed a criminally undependable contractor. In October, he absconded with the large deposit and mid payment we gave him, but the work was uncompleted. It's shocking to realize that because of the pervasiveness of this problem, there are many safety nets and paths of recourse available to protect consumers in this position. The attorney general's office has taken up involvement with the case, and I suspect it will be an easy one to litigate.

The upstairs bathroom has been handed over to my own hands for completion. The plumbing is in, the tile surround for the tub and shower. The new, more efficient window is in, and the drywall is hung. My job will be the finishing of the skim coating and plastering, laying of the sub-flooring, and final tiling of the floor. Having watched Rob and his brother work at it, I'm convinced that we are more than capable of handling many of our planned projects without the expense of a contractor.

Additionally, we have taken to renting out our attic space to my friend Tucker. The 3rd floor represents a cozy space, and our current idea is that it becomes two bedrooms for children or guests, with a half bath for convenience. Longer term, we would like to convert it to our ideal master suite.

Other upcoming projects will include the replacing of the oh-so-80's plantation doors with dutch doors (a kitty convenience) and completelt fencing the back yard for Jericho and his new playmate/sister (stay tuned for updates on our growing menagerie).

The Sound of Repointing

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 13:28:31 GMT

It has been awhile since either Dave and I have had the time to write about the house. This is long overdue, as even the last post was only remotely about the house. That being said, a lot is happening here!

The repointing got under way about a month ago. We have learned that repointing an entire house is a difficult and time consuming task. Not that I thought otherwise. But living in a red dust cloud is definitely an experience. It has also illustrated to us where the efficiencies are lacking (around door jams, etc) as we find piles of dust everywhere. It takes approximately a week for one worker to clean out the old mortar and repoint on a wall about fifteen wide and 30 deep. We were short workers for a few weeks, but now are assured we will have two full time workers and a third sometimes. The workers we do have are great! Meticulous, nice guys who are enjoying working on such a big project. After the house is regrouted, they will be cleaning and sealing the brick and foundation. The house will look like it was just built probably.

There is a side to me that will miss the tell tale signs of a house that is aged by the soot of factories. On the other hand, polution and dirt layered on a house is not actually good for it.

I am also looking at getting the basic trim, railings, and porch floor painted - work dave and I will conquer on our own. We have picked out the paint colors. We can not quite afford to do the cedar shingles, however they have a weathered whitewashed look, not a terrible issue.

In other news, dave has started clearing out the cubbards in the second floor kitchen. Dave came up with the excellent suggestion that rather then making a laundry room/ kitchenette, we make the room into a laundry room/bathroom. This will immediately increase the value of the house as a single dwelling - and move it towards the "harder to split into apartments" category. We plan on completing that project, and the renovation of the current second floor bath prior to seeking home equity again.

We have also begun to get the house truly cleaner. This is a lengthier task then perhaps originally estimated. I am much more used to a two to three room apartment. Now we are faced with an older house, lived in by an older single man for the past ten years.

Thats it for the house! Step by step.

Silver Plated Finds - My treasures

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:57:07 GMT

This past weekend I did my first of what will probably be many antiqueing trips to a local flea market. My plan is to find multiple in the area and collect things that catch my fancy. This time I came back with a victorian standing lamp, a cruet/castor stand with glass cruet peices, and a silver bowl with handle.

While still researching, I have found two interesting peices that could be valued between $1 and $100+ of silverplated victorian decorative wares. One is a Victorian Cruet - essentially what I described first as a lazy susan condiment holder. However, cruet or castor/caster is the more accurate terminology. I have learned alot about the difference between silverplating (including levels of silver plating) and true silver. A peice which is not as ornate, but has all size cruet glass peices (I have four of the six) is being sold for almost $400 dollars from a silver dealer - I purchased my peice for $20.00. The glasses and design of the peice I have is more ornate - but again, not a complete cruet set - so I am sure that takes off much of the value.

The cruet can be dated to the late 1890s - by it's stamp that indicates it is made by:

Roger Smith & Co. (William Erik Voss)

The company was formed in 1857 by William Rogers and George Smith to manuufacture silverplate and britannia ware. The company was originally located in Hartford, but moved to New Haven when it was bought by Meriden Britannia Company in 1863. It was again moved to Meriden in 1876. The company mark was changed to reflect the new locations, so a rough dating is possible. The company was eventually absorbed by International Silver and by 1898, was simply a trademark used within the larger conglomerate. From the beginning, the company put out a huge range of goods, from elaborate tea sets to individual salt spoons and everything in between. One specialty, for which they held numerous design patents were ice water pitchers. While most goods were either britannia metal or silverplate, a limited amount of sterling was made. All sterling goods carried a special mark stating it was 925/1000 silver; if it does not, then it is either plate or britannia." http://www.silversmithing.com/1forum.htm

It is stamped "quadruple" which is a better quality plating then standard silver plate.

The silver bowl/basket is also antique quadruple silver plate, and is dated to a similar time as the cruet:

Wilcox Silver Plate Co. (William Erik Voss)

Founded in 1865, with Jedediah and Horace Wilcox, Charles Parker, Aaron Collins, Hezekiah Miller as the primary partners, as the Wilcox Britannia Company in Meriden CT. The name was changed in 1867. It was later one of the founding companies of International Silver in 1898. The company plant was closed in 1941 due to the war metal shortage. After the war, its house designs were made by other International factories, but the company as a seperate entity was not revived. In 1961, various divisions were consolidated and its name was changed to Webster-Wilcox.

Both designs feature a similar but unique flower design that place them near each other. I would not date them much later then the early 1900s. One foot of the bowl is broken - again cause for a drop in value. It cost me $1.00. I would not be surprised if the bowl and the cruet came from the same household or distributor - most likely the gentleman at the flea market (two seperate booths) cross traded - not uncommon.

Anyway - I find this all interesting. I look forward to cleaning up both peices now that I know how to do so!

A nice addition to the home grandeur.

There Can Be Only One

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 18:19:49 GMT

As mentioned by Dave, we are going forward with the first round of house maintenance. To greatly improve curb appeal we are turning the two door entry (from the time when the house was split) back into a single door with sidelights and transoms. Since none of the original features exist, we have taken cues from neighboring designs and our own house. The photos show the three final designs. My preferred choice is three window transom with the shorter sidelights and longer door. I have also included pictures of what the house will look like with each.

In other related news, I have identified the pattern of the hardware on the interior first floor of the house. It is called Meadows. There are multiple options for interior meadow designs. There are less options for exterio meadow designs, but I am leaning towards this one:

The designs still need to go forward to the actual contractor - but I am positive we will come up with the best solution. The repointing starts around August first. I have a feeling things will move quickly, as my contractor and his workers are very excited to work on this project!

Moving forward while looking backward

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:12:49 GMT

It's starting. Today we met Jay, one of our prospective contractors. Having recieved our home equity, it's time to start the first round of beautification projects for our home. The center piece of the first round will be the repointing of the foundation and brick work, as well as straightening and reinforcing any chimneys that might happen to be leaning. Also in our plans is the 2nd floor laundry room (many thanks to my aunts, who as a pre-wedding gift sent us Sears gift cards generous enough to get us the washer and drier we really want) and hopefully the bathroom remodel.

Jay is the type of person you want involved with any project. He is clearly in love with his work, and seemed thrilled with the prospect of restoring an old home rather than gutting it for apartments. He offered lots of suggestions, including decorative scroll work under the second floor awning, brick moulding around the door on the same porch, and hope for the replacing the front door. His comment to us was..."How much do I have to pay you to let me work on something like this." He was quick to know the right person to replace the glass in our expansive front window, glass the size that modern window glaziers have said they couldn't replace. Knowing that the cedar shingles which cover our house are plentiful in the older neighborhoods, and often discarded when opportunists pilage the grand old homes, Jay suggested he could salave them to replace any of ours which have decayed. One suspects a project like this, for a man like Jay, could be a labor of love. And what we want is a craftsman who can be a true partner in this adventure with us.

It was a pleasure to meet somebody with such love and reverance for the past. We want to revive the beauty of this grand old house, not strip and plunder it as so many have done in this neighborhood (pause....glower in the general direction of Davis Avenue, remind self to compose landmark application for Harbisson house). We are moving forward while looking backward.

First impressions mean a lot, and the first impression Jay left was sterling. Of course, it doesn't hurt that we were referred to him by my friend and mentor Tom F. Jay has also said he'd like to use our project as an excuse to get Tom to work for him full time, because he has such respect for the quality of work Tom himself does.

Stay tuned....more updates to come soon. This is the exciting part.