So it started. The contractor showed up, did some things and then left. Somehow they managed to get one gable end ALMOST done in the coldest week of the year. In the snow. Sure am glad I don't work for them!
So just an update one what is happening. This past summer I decided to restore the outside of the house. The Aluminum siding just wasn't floating my boat (for obvious reasons). It was also holding in condensation!! Soaking the walls and wall paper for the melty part of the winter. Thank-baby-Jesus we don't have a mold issue!
So we had a few people come over... look at the metal and project what it would cost to make it look like it did. Making the assumption that everything that was once, was no more.
A few astronomical quotes later I found myself on the upper end of a 30' extension ladder ripping off bits of my house.
SURPRISE! Everything underneath was original to the house!
After documenting what was there.. and assessing what, if any, rot there was (nothing really...) We had the quotes re done. And Ta-daaaah. The restoration begins. the aluminum has been ripped off. The original cedar shingles photographed and removed and the OLD tar-paper shredded.
The new Cedar Shingles are going up (the old were too brittle to keep :( ) We carefully measured the staggered reveal to exactly recreate what was original.
A new horizontal strip with a great drip cap detail is getting installed between the stucco and the shingles... and it's getting properly FLASHED in. The window trim was covered with aluminum, and was (to my dismay) not particularly salvageable. The bargeboards on the eaves and the the bead board soffits are quite intact. With a little scraping it really took shape. I don't think we're going with the original red.
It's going to look a little dingy until we paint in the spring.
You can bet I'm going to update these pictures often!
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2 comments:
Looks like it is off to a great start. I am also impressed that you are starting the exterior restoration in December. How did you go about finding your contractor?
I had a number of people come by and look. I originally went with a one-man-show... and, after reviewing his policy and engineering abilities, let him go.
The current contractor was a recommendation from a friend. They weren't initially the least expensive, but considering the amount of time they needed for the addition in the back it works out to a good deal. And they have a long list of recommendations. I will see how the work finishes up and, hopefully, put a plug for them on here.
thanks!
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