Little Things Mean A Lot

Just inside the front door--attending the wall cracks with web tape and still damp Durabond 90.  As the repairs dry it will turn completely white.  We worked half day--finishing lower walls in living room, and vestibule.  

Moving right along with wall repairs.  The green web tape roll sitting next to the baseboard.  

My tools are: a trowel, pan of Durabond 90 mud, scissors, and web tape.  We have a little garden trolley to sit on and it is just the right sitting height to do the lower work.  

Here is a close up photos of the wall wall surface in the vestibule, and the double fist size repair--filling bit by bit with Durabond 90.  This is first fill.   

Not a great photo--but this is second fill of the hole--with surround web tape and wet Durabond 90 as we just finished.  In future photos--you'll see the hole slowly disappear completely.

When we steamed away wallpaper--there were vulnerable areas where our scrapers went deep into the original plaster.  Some wallpaper layers were painted over and became glued down tight.

Those deeply scraped areas close to the all the moldings were reinforced with web tape repair.  Takes more time, but is the very best repair.  We are using web tape and Durabond 90 in the corners too to strengthen.



None of this is pretty to the eye at this point.  But, for us--it is warming assurance.  Like a sculptor as he begins chipping away at a big block of stone, eventually its beauty is revealed.



How much time does it take?  Lots and lots of hours.  More than we want to calculate.



I remind myself that after the wall crack repairs, comes the smooth resurfacing of the walls with pre-mixed drywall mud--skillfully hand troweled not once, but twice.



Then cleaning of woodwork, sanding woodwork, and cleaning a second time.  It is a chance to smooth out layers of previous owners' paint and dribble mistakes.



A coat of priming paint over ceilings, walls, and woodwork.  Windows--the old ropes, weights, and reglazing windows--is a whole different project on its own with lots of steps.



Painting ceilings, walls, woodwork.  Will it be September 1 when we get this done?  Probably.

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The boy are here!

Canvas portraits arrived today.  We put Abe, George, and Ben on the mantle to view and assist in choosing colors for the main wall color, and frieze.

From the far right--counting backwards to the lightest colors,

we selected 3 and 4 in an eggshell finish.

Number 3 (darker of the two) is called Highlight and it will be the main wall color in the living room.

Number 4 called Polished Marble will be the frieze color.

Pale Quartz (not shown), is an off white for the flat finish ceilings, and semi-gloss for the woodwork.  

Before we started the living room and office--I purchased drapery fabric for the living room and office, and from my own things--I donated an antique sofa upholstered in a supple gold chenille, pattern accented in black.

My rule of thumb for decorating is to FIND the drapery fabric first--it is the hardest thing to OBTAIN.  I will be sewing the drapes--custom fit for the windows and paying great respect to the beautiful of the stained glass windows in the office and vestibule.  

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Will met with the drywall contractor Jeremy--to address new ceilings and walls in the modern addition of the house.  Then, Will worked on installation of new brass door knob for the front wooden screen door.  And added cap and finial to handrail posts at the front steps.  Cool.

Will installs new door knob assembly.  Afterwards he had to reposition the new strike plate on the door frame.  It worked perfectly and we both giggled with excitement.

So nice to have a working door knob at the front door.  The rock holding the door shut was getting a bit annoying.

Will installed replacement post cap and finial 

When we get going on the inside with Zinzer 1-2-3 indoor/exterior primer, we'll get the front handrails scraped and primed too.  Every job doesn't look like it will take much time to do, but isn't it amazing how one or two little jobs turn into a half day's work?

Thank you for following the Wild Rose Victorian House restoration journey.  We'll continue to post photos and updates every day we work on the house.  If you want to see things speed along . . . . well, I guess you'll just have to come by and help us move along faster, eh????

I saved a trowel and paint brush for you.  I put your name on it, and set it beside the tool box.  Hint, hint.