Monday, June 17, 2013

Still no building permit. That the process is not only expensive and confusing, but atrociously slow, is beginning to wear on me. But we press on, focusing efforts on the exterior of the building.



Getting the boards off the windows will make a huge impact in the house's appearance. Because of historic requirements, wood-framed windows are required, which suits us well as we can simply fit new glass in the existing sashes. It won't be the most energy-effective solution, but it suits what we have available. And, like many things, this older style of window assembly is more fit to basic tools and knowledge - as opposed to factory assembled new products (from cars to toasters).


A number of the window sashes have suffered water damage. All but the very worst of them can be saved with a few well placed nails and the magical goop that is Bondo.



The filler adheres to the wood and hardens. Once sanded, painted, and re-glazed, the window looks good as new.



The putty that holds the glass needs to dry for two weeks before we can install the windows.


After over a week of diligent work, most of the sashes have been repaired, cleaned, and primed. We lack enough large glass for all of the windows for now. A pending salvaging agreement with the Land Bank may help us source more.


I prefer not to remove anything if it's not doing any harm. But the stone planter wrapped around the front of the house was something the neighbors had been pressuring me to remove for some time. After considering that the soil in it was just holding water against the foundation, the choice was made.



We really weren't sure what we would find behind the dirt - or how we would cover what was exposed. A corner of the house now cantilevers out past the foundation - a nice orginal feature. And luckily, the now-exposed brick foundation is in surprisingly good shape. After a few days of chiseling at the joint lines, it can be tuckpointed and coated with a clear sealant. Guess who's going to have the slickest looking foundation on the block.
  



No comments:

Post a Comment