Restoring The house
the NORTH SILL
A "sill" is a large beam that supports the house. For this house, these are hand hewn from trees cut from the farm. Even after 130 years, the good news was that the hand carved sandstone blocks of the foundation, quarried on the neighboring farm, were still straight and true.
See below for a slide show of the repair.
See below for a slide show of the repair.
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the Bedrooms
When we jacked up the house, we were prepared for more repairs to come. The house took a ride several inches up and then back down when we replaced the sills. The doors, windows & plaster all needed repair.
Rather than drywall over the problem, we have been using the original method of hand applied plaster over existing wooden lath.
Plastering is almost a lost art, and lathing as well. Our goal was to save as much of the original plaster and lath as possible.
Rather than drywall over the problem, we have been using the original method of hand applied plaster over existing wooden lath.
Plastering is almost a lost art, and lathing as well. Our goal was to save as much of the original plaster and lath as possible.
The Windows
Of the 29 windows on the house, every single one of them needed attention. This farm house is simple in construction design, without the intricate elements that characterized many town houses of the time period.
When the house was originally being built, the windows were likely milled in town and brought out to the farm by wagon. The quality of the design shows; the windows were designed to be able to be repaired. Access panels and removable retaining strips are built into the design making this process much easier than it looks. Often the only repair needed is the replacement of a length of rope.
THE Summer Kitchen
The Summer Kitchen is a small building behind the house necessary to all farmhouses of the era for cooking, storage and additional space. This structure, over one hundred years old, had been damaged by floodwaters and much like the main house, needed new sills.
See a below for a slide show of the replacement of the sills and floor. |
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STAY TUNED FOR MORE RENOVATION PROJECTS TO COME!
A big thanks to the most dedicated helpers, Babe and Vivian