dyslexia wrote:I suggest you buy the property then burn the house to the ground because, rumour has it that, Gus is willing to part with his swamp shed he calls home. As it is only 8 x 12 feet it should be easy to move to the then vacant lot you will have.
Just trying to help, The Dys.
Awwww. It's not that bad. It just needs a little love.
boomerang wrote:dyslexia wrote:I suggest you buy the property then burn the house to the ground because, rumour has it that, Gus is willing to part with his swamp shed he calls home. As it is only 8 x 12 feet it should be easy to move to the then vacant lot you will have.
Just trying to help, The Dys.
Awwww. It's not that bad. It just needs a little love.
Yeah, Gus says that all the time.
Well now you're just hurting my feelings.
Wow, Boomer! Thanks for posting the photos. (And welcome to the world of renovations
)
Yes, prioritizing work is a necessity, and I always have started with the
kitchen and at least one bathroom, if they needed remodeling.Once that was done, everything else was half as bad.
If you really need to replace all windows and doors (ouch that will be expensive), then have it done prior to moving in.
Oh hardwood floors underneath the carpet is great. That will make the house so much more authentic.
I want to hear more about why you think (may be good reasons, but I'm in a state of 'show me, lady') the windows/doors need full replacing. (my houses were built before 1922..... well, not this present piece of spit)
Oooooooh! The house is awesome. Love the courtyard and backyard. It's gonna be gorgeous. I can just imagine it with those hardwood floors, looking into that backyard. You're so lucky!
That stage could provide for some marital fun.... ifyaknowhaddimean.... or the cement saw idea sounds also good.
Sorry dag, fooling around on concrete does not work. Just ask me about Les Miserable in San Felipe.
Go ahead, jack it out, boomer. Or saw and lift, whatever.
I'm with osso on the original windows and doors. Our first house (built in 1926) had windows that were painted and caulked shut, but with a little elbow grease, they can be unstuck. Okay, a lot of elbow grease. And a good 1-1/2" putty knife. Anyway, we did it. Then we had storm windows made for energy efficiency. Truly, it was a lot less expensive, and the original windows with the old, wavy glass have so much character. I wish more people would rework old windows and glass doors instead of automatically ripping them out. I just love them.
The house looks awesome, boomer! Yes, it's quirky, but in a good way. I'd say it has Personality (with a capital "P.")
I'm not so much worried about authentic as I am about what it feels like to live there. The house has been neglected. It needs updating in every sense of the word. I'm not willing to sacrifice safety in the name of restoration.
But I'm counting chickens. It isn't a done deal yet.
Historical accuracy isn't my be all end all. I like old houses but I also like living in the 21st centruy.
Yes.... the windows and doors.... we keep coming back to that in our house too.
We live in a very wet climate. Uncared for wood doesn't do well here.
We have thought about storm windows. We walked the neighborhood today comparing the restored windows with storm windows with the new windows trying to make up our minds.
For one thing -- these windows open like doors so storm windows would be really strange unless we did storm doors and that would be equally strange. Plus, they actually do make some really nice windows that are well insulated and are more environmentally friendly.
It's a trade off. I'm not sure exactly what we'll do.
Hey dag -- I don't think the house is very far from littlek's sisters house. You two should come visit!
Oh, yeah. I forgot about the wetter climate. That would make a big difference.
But...could you find replacements for all those round-topped windows and doors? (They're gorgeous!)
We all have our limits when it comes to authenticity. For instance, I love old windows and doors, but I hate old bathrooms.
HINT: If you're going to pull up the carpeting, have the floors refinished BEFORE you move in. Don't wait. It's such a hassle after you've moved in that you probably won't do it. The dust gets everywhere...literally everywhere.
Well, my 1916 (well, who the hell knows, maybe 1919) house faced the water on two sides near the Oregon border. Not immediately - a couple of dozen blocks. My recent old gallery studio was from the late 1800's, a couple of blocks from the bay, literally, as in, two.
To me you kill a house with new fangled windows. And I am NOT a strict preservationist at all, au contraire.
You hate drapes in winter? (I don't know this, just guessing.) There could be other types of screens, including good shutters, or homemade arty screening.
I'd look into keeping the windows and find alternate heat conservation.
End of rant.
I'll try to not pipe up on this again. <clamps mouth>
If you only have those couple of places with funny walls, then, yeah, that's not bad. Replastering, or the easier fix of flat or eggshell paint will definitely help. It's the shiny white white white that's distracting.
Hard wood floors, nice very nice.
Concrete thing, yes, strange.
Windows, well, I've lived in old houses with old windows. And I've lived in old houses with new windows. My house now is 1920. It has replacement windows. Except for some transoms and the big a$$ one in the living room. That one is a single pane of 4x4 glass that was all stuck shut until on very hot summer day, I couldn't take it anymore and unstuck it. (My Ex predicting that it would fly up into the wall never to return. Luckily I didn't listen...) It opens and closes perfectly. I'm the only one on the block that still has the original window. The Ex and I made a storm (and a screen) for it. It's still drafty in the winter. I stuff rags in the cracks. I would not give it up ever. I love it. It goes up into the wall above it. The rest of the windows are great being replacement. No maintance and their sizes were never changed. And they open and shut and insulate.
Okay, I'm rambling, but I'd also like to add at I just help my man install replacement windows in his house. They are so much better than the old windows that he had. Now all his windows open! And there's no hauling of storms in and out every season. And they look remarkable like his old ones and were very easy to install. Yes, he had to order a custom size, but even with adding almond color and mullions, they were very reasonable.
They can do remarkable things with replacements these days.
I still like my one big old window though...
I could imagine that the windows aren't such a big deal:
we had to replace all the windows (about 30, I think, plus doors for the balconies) in my mother's house. (A listing building. Origianally with 'double [wooden] windows' in the litteral sense = two windows.) It not only became uncomfartable but also expensive, since due to our wet weather they had to be painted any two years or so.
The upper half was a lattice window - they just put some 'plastic' within the double glass and it was upproved even by the State Office for Historical Monuments!
That was in the early 70's. These "uPVC windows weren't very cheap then; nowadays you can get such windows in any do-it-yourself store.
Today, I would really like if we had kept the old wooden style!
Excited for you. What an interesting thread. Wow.
The house is gorgeous. That courtyard...it's...yours? It's like out of a dream. Can really see that as a place to get grey hairs in.
The stage. I chuckled. I lived in a place that had one of those. What is it for? And the doors?
I never found out. Think it is just what happens when people reno for all sorts of purposes and all sorts of people.
Makes sense, in a certain way, to have concrete there. Maybe only in my mind! For putting the wood on. No floors to get ruined. And at least around where I come from, it seems people just looked for excuses to pour concrete or make little "hobbit spaces" .
Btw, very cool to see Mo growing up in pictures.
I love that house!!! What character!
Isn't Mo getting big!? He was playing "real estate man" in those photos -- showing me the house's features.
It's a nice house. I think fixing it up will be fun. We should have all the details hammered out next week.
The windows -- I just don't know. I confess moving into an old house where only one exit works is just too spooky for me. I've known too many firemen. There is a company here that manufactures architectural replacement windows -- one of the oldest window makers in America. In fact, they could have made the windows that are in there now.
I missed the part about the one working door. Can't you fix up the other exit for safety?
