Our First House!

[Ober51]

Willa - here you go.

[Willa]

Where are they located on the window, and how do they work ?

[Ober51]

Where are they located on the window, and how do they work ?

Sorry - the pictures got turned. Here is a better idea of placement. The pin is just pushed and pulled through the sash into a hole.

[awomanwithahammer]

Are the pins to hold the window when it is opened, since there are no sash weights? Are there corresponding holes in the frame?

[Ober51]

Are the pins to hold the window when it is opened, since there are no sash weights? Are there corresponding holes in the frame?

We haven't gotten that far as to take out the windows. The one in the laundry area we did free took considerable effort to open. My guess is - maybe? I would love to take the windows out and rehab them totally so they slide easily and we can dissect their anatomy. One day.

[phil]

taking a candle and just rubbing the wax on it could help it slide. at least it's easy to do.
I like the blinds. Nice having natural light where you do laundry.

[mjt]

Are the pins to hold the window when it is opened, since there are no sash weights? Are there corresponding holes in the frame?

In our carriage house we have windows with pins like this. The pins are spring loaded and yes, there are corresponding holes in the frame.

[Ober51]

After 4.5 years of living with a partially finished laundry room, we finally made the move to finish the space. Originally a back receiving/mud room, we decided to make this space a laundry room. The alternative was to keep the laundry in the basement, forcing us to go down three flights of steps. If the area was still original (the long window seat is in the attic, disconnected with great patina) we would likely have kept it as the mud room. But with it already altered (it was just basically a broom closet), the decision was made a bit easier. Maybe one day we will put it back.

This was the first time I’ve ever done linoleum. It was challenging but worth it. My brother, Matt, and I managed to score industrial rolls of marmoleum for a great price. I used remnants rather than bust open a new 500lb roll. Literally that was the weight and it nearly killed us moving it so I decided it was easier to simply use the smaller pieces. It did give me a couple seams but I installed a laundry tray I hope to plumb come summer (wishful thinking!).

The wood floor was likely always covered as we found evidence of old linoleum that was removed. We also removed 1950s flooring to reveal some pumped wood. I put down a 1/4” finished ply base, and bought a new 18g Dewalt auto staple gun. Talk about a time saver! It has an auto bump feature that allows you to cruise through something like this. Especially when you need staples every 2” along the edge and every 4” in the field (it’s amazing what you learn when you do stuff yourself!). This tool will certainly come in handy when I install my metal fencing along the recently installed split rail come Spring.

From there I made a template (should have done this for the subfloor part, too) with brown paper and laid the linoleum out a day in advance. I watched a few videos on massaging out the roll memory and trying to get it to room temp. The template worked great and got me pretty damn good close to the right angles. I used the glue specified and the trowel they recommended, as well. The key, I read, was to make sure the glue was given time to set up but not dry. This was spot on and allowed us to put it down, move it a bit to get it right, but achieve at the same time get a good bond. We also rented a 100lb roller (a day too early so we paid an extra $25, oh well) that is a must. We then placed heavy objects on the corners, edges, and any place thought might have a bit more memory than we’d like. We left it there for three days prior to putting the machines back in place.

A little shoe molding, some caulk, some paint, and voila, the space is one where we no longer have to wear shoes to do our laundry.

Next year I hope to get a period correct radiator in the room as it does get a bit too cold for our liking.

Some before and after pictures. Thanks for reading!

[awomanwithahammer]

That's really nice-looking! I love Marmoleum. How in the world did you manage to score the remnants?

[Willa]

The better floor is a huge improvement. It looks nice with the warm wall color, too.