Sunday, August 8, 2004

Things I Learned Today

We started some renovations today. Yes, we've lived here for four years. No, we haven't done more than stop leaks (whether from pipes, walls or roofs). We are redoing our first room. Okay, maybe it isn't exactly a room. I decided we should start small... very small. We are doing the vestibule. There is no heat or electricity. Is is just over 3'x5'. I told you it was small. This space also includes a window, door and double doors. And it has still taken us a couple of hours to remove the wallpaper. This does not bode well for the rest of the house. I am convinced people only wallpaper to torture future residents of their home.

The ugly red carpet is gone. The crumbling black carpet pad is gone. The hideous flooring under that is gone. Guess what we found... an unfinished wood floor. Yellow pine planks. No, not subfloor but wood floor. What were the previous owners thinking? It is in great shape so I have decided to toss out my original idea of gray stone tile and finish the wood. Some sanding, some stain, a whole lot of poly. Whoohoo! new floor.

Things I learned today:
  1. Removing wallpaper isn't hard.
  2. Removing wallpaper isn't fun.
  3. You leave less dings when removing wallpaper from 100 year old plaster vs drywall.
  4. You find a lot of crumbling plaster when removing wallpaper from 100 year old plaster vs drywall.
  5. There is suprisingly little removal needed at a height in which you don't need to crouch or need a ladder.
  6. Cost of home renevations is in direct relation to importance. (appearances = expensive,necessities = very expensive)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heidi
Our house is over 100 years and the floors under are wide pine boards which I love(ed) but the way the house was made way back then is a pine floor on top of board floors...all running the same way instead of each floor going in an opposite direction...so you could slide things down in the old cellar through each crack!!..all floors are covered with something now because it's also freezing when there's all the "cracks" from the cellar!
Sooo see if you can peek down through!..or maybe someone is clever enough to board it from underneath if that is a problem for you...
Write everyday..is that what they say!!..also, can I fling your site around to other writers to look at?..I'm so proud of the way you write...every day!!
Mona

Anonymous said...

Can o' paint: $20
Polyurethane, stain, etc: $50
Blood sweat and tears: no charge
Rolling butt ugly carpet and wallpaper to the curb: Priceless

Anonymous said...

you go girl!!!!!!!!! gosmmy