What I did at my house today...

[Ober51]

DIF worked well for me. Scoring it first, then very hot water and DIF and let it sit. Then elbow grease.

[Corsetière]

I'm feeling like I must be one of the lucky ones that my wall paper came off relatively easily. Though it didn't feel all that easy at the time....perspective!

[Lily left the valley]

I meant to post last night, but we were tuckered. Sean had off, and we finally started moving a few bits down to the cellar to progress on me putting together my workshop down there. I still haven't finished framing out even one table and there are still many, many tools and related that need to go down there, but this is the first time in months I can see the dining room radiator unblocked whilst walking down the short hallway from the office. Little steps make me happy too, I'm finding.

Of course, once we decided to stop for the day and I looked around at the small but significantly cleared space on the floor, I had dreams of clearing the last of stuff out of there that shouldn't be in there, and then visions of removing the last of the fake wood vinyl flooring dancing in my head in the hopes the lino below is still good.

I'm feeling like I must be one of the lucky ones that my wall paper came off relatively easily. Though it didn't feel all that easy at the time....perspective!

Reading this, I realized this is one thing we have not encountered at all, wallpaper. So I guess that makes us luckiest?

[Corsetière]

Reading this, I realized this is one thing we have not encountered at all, wallpaper. So I guess that makes us luckiest?

Dear god, yes.

[Manalto]

Lily, I second that you are lucky to not deal with old wallpaper. Although I'm enjoying the ancient stuff in the serving pantry (that's what the room is called on the original drawing, so I'm sticking with it) and this miserable brown painted paper in the living and dining rooms may be a blessing in disguise if I can remove it to reveal unpainted plaster in good condition. Thank you all for your suggestions; I'll just keep trying until I hit on the method that works.

Today I painted the front of the house. I must say, getting rid of that green was like removing a splinter.

319 First coat of paint by James McInnis, on Flickr

The paint color doesn't appear accurate here because one coat is not covering the green underneath and reads as a dingy gray. (It should be the color of rich vanilla ice cream.) However, it's helping me visualize how the house will look when finished. The trim will be the same vanilla color; I want to scrape and prepare the surface a little more carefully since the trim is going to stay; the "asbestos" shingles, I'm hoping anyway, will be pulled off in a couple of years and the original clapboards restored and/or replaced as needed. I've left the skirt board unpainted because I think I'll paint it the same moss green as the door and windows.

Just as I was finishing up the front of the house, I felt that unmistakable cool breeze, the sky went dark and the rumbling started. Done painting for the day!

There was a broken pane in the upstairs bedroom, so I took apart my first window today and replaced the glass. It was really gratifying to see the logic of how these windows are put together and understand how easily they can be repaired. All windows in the house will need to be scraped and reglazed, but at least they're all original. Both sash-weight cords were broken, so I opened up the panel in the window. If I can find cord, I'll repair these. Even though it looks like clothesline, I suspect that would stretch too easily.

Because of the broad, horizontal shape of live oaks, they tend to get other plants growing in the crotch of the branches, where leaf-litter collects. So, just now I went up and removed what was there: a 4" caliper tree about 15' tall, a shorter, skinny tree, and a few of the nasty Smilax vines, with their vicious thorns. And then I wondered - maybe these plants are an evolutionary survival device for the oak, taking up the extra water that collects in the crotch of the tree. Maybe?

I apologize for over-reporting my activities here in Alabama, but I guess I'm becoming aware that my time is running out and soon I'll have nothing to report.

[Lily left the valley]

{/snip}I apologize for over-reporting my activities here in Alabama, but I guess I'm becoming aware that my time is running out and soon I'll have nothing to report.

Pfft. Some of would kill to get enough done to have a so-called "over-report". You did ALL of these things. You worked your butt off well, and have lots to show for it, even with things that aren't "finished" in your mind.

Paint is amazing. One coat, especially of an obviously different shade, and it looks like an amazing amount of work was done even if it only took two hours. Fix a leaky pipe, though? That could take just as long, and visually--minus the drip, of course--who would know?

Sometimes I think there should be ribbons for accomplishing certain restores: scored painted wall paper into oblivion; made calcimine paint disappear without removing the wall; matched trim that hasn't been made for over 50 years; and so on.

[Corsetière]

It's looking great, James! I love seeing other people's work, it's inspiring!

The heat and humidity has been so bad here that I am slow moving even in AC.
I did manage to get the last transom glass (6 total!) on the second floor cleaned up, so the light is much better in the hall!

[Corsetière]

Sometimes I think there should be ribbons for accomplishing certain restores: scored painted wall paper into oblivion; made calcimine paint disappear without removing the wall; matched trim that hasn't been made for over 50 years; and so on.

Let's make awards for this forum! At the end of the year we can distribute ribbons!

[Manalto]

I agree that the effect of paint is dramatic. That's what I was going for to make this visit a statement to the neighborhood that I care about my property. That sort of thing tends to be contagious. My reason told me that I should take care of the serious stuff inside the house first but my instincts said "paint."

The transoms look great. I like the way they quietly bring light and air where it's needed. Are yours hinged so they can open? Check out the Wikipedia entry for transom; it's brief and interesting. I didn't realize that the word refers to the structural element above the door, I always thought it meant the window. Your phrasing "transom glass" is correct. I'm impressed.

Today I painted the third side of the house and half of the fourth. I was trying to push to finish but the sun came around and sapped my energy. You have to work in the shade in this climate. I dropped the bucket of paint twice today. The first time I "hopped" the ladder so I wouldn't have to climb down, move it, and climb back up. The second time the hook I made from a wire coathanger let go. No real harm done where it fell; I just had to wash splatters off the brick foundation and shovel the worst of it into plastic bags. Nature will take care of the rest.

I ordered sash-weight cord last night from Amazon which should arrive tomorrow. Got the "red dot" stuff (#8 Spot, 1/4" X 100') because of all the good reviews - and warnings not to buy the cheap stuff. I think I'm going to like working on windows and bringing them back to life. Will I be disappointed when they're all done?

[Olson185]

So, instead, I pulled poison ivy (again), though there was very little, and then I started pulling English (or whatever) ivy that has encroached 10'-20' into the yard from the perimeter (most of it originates in our neighbours' yards).

Oh god, the poison ivy in my backyard has gone absolutely nuts! I have been spraying it but I have no idea how to completely eradicate it?!? I got it really badly last month and am just now healing up from that!

When I started my quest, we had poison ivy smothering a whole row of 8'-10' tall evergreens and along the perimeter of our half-acre yard. I've got it down to about 20 subterranean roots that keep sprouting. A pair of dish washing gloves is all I need as the vines get to about 6"-18" long.

I'd suggest you find someone to pull the vines down to grade, stake where the subterranean vines break (for easy monitoring), and prevent them from growing leaves. Eventually, the vine roots should die as they don't live forever without leaves.