We’ve had several surprises with the restoration of this old farmhouse, most of them pleasant. This particular problem was not pleasant – nor was it a surprise. In fact, it’s the piece that worried me most before beginning. It turned out that my worry was needless. Our contractors skillfully and swiftly put everything right. The new walls are up now, and it all looks as though there was never anything amiss.
One of the biggest, and most amusing, surprises. Grain. In the walls. It was either used as insulation, or stored away here by mice through years and years of human vacancy.
This is the wall between the library and first floor bathroom. It was rotted through. The floor and baseboard were completely gone.
Looking through the bathroom floor to the basement below.
A closer look. You can see the old plumbing.
The next morning, this was the view from the library.
The entire wall was removed, revealing a view into what will be the mudroom on the right.
Looking through the library wall, down the hallway to where the schoolroom will be.
Rotted studs, v-groove panelling and a new subfloor.
A closer look at the studs. I see a certain beauty in the decay.
Sunshine through the library window illuminates the happy progress of new floors while the walls await fresh reinforcements. A hopeful sight.
The work at the house is about to slow down a bit as we wait for heating to be installed. We’ve settled on a forced hot air propane system. Not the geothermal we’d hoped for, but it is efficient and economical. And it sets us up perfectly for a future geothermal system that will tie seamlessly into our existing ductwork, plus give us a propane back-up.
The new windows are on order, and we’ve been shopping for lighting fixtures, wall and floor tiles, appliances… and fabrics. Yes, I’ve already begun shopping for fabrics for windows and furniture. That makes me quite giddy.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The house is looking good. Its hard to see it reduced to studs but I do hope that you keep the beauty of the original architecture. I always loved the fire places. My grandmother especially loved the beauty and grandure of the old barre mill hotel. That is what this farm house was built for. I most certinally hope that you were able to save the hydrangia tree next to the back poarch it is beautiful when it blooms and the dried flowers smell amazing. I wounder if you found the time capsel that was hidden in the front lawn or our growth charts on the door frame of the dinning room. Also could you please take more pictures of the house for me? I do enjoy seeing my childhood home. Thank-you.
Jessica,
Both fireplaces have been saved, they’re so lovely. Much of the woodwork will need replacing because of the thickness of modern walls, but the contractor can match new ones.
We haven’t found any growth charts in the dining room – perhaps the contractors can tell us if they have. We saved *everything*. The hydrangea was pruned back really hard in the spring and is coming back BEAUTIFULLY!
Also, we’ve left the layout of the house alone for the most part. We removed one wall, making the back entry larger. And the end of the carriage house/barn/garage has been enclosed for additional living space. Later, there will be stairs up to the attic of the carriage house for workspace for Brian and me.
Please come visit! Saturdays are the best days. Anytime.
I wonder if you know what the great big tin-lined wooden box in the carriage house attic was for?