  | about | home | back|
|
|
 |
|
|
June, 2002 The sun room has been a classic example of the Old House mantra: 'Twice as much time, and twice as expensive as planned'. When I think back to the To Do list that I had thought I was looking at for the first year, I have to laugh. I really thought I was going to be able to take up the carpet, remove the paneling, paint, and presto! A beautiful, sunny room. Hah! Under the carpet was the linoleum;
under the paneling was rotten plaster and termite
damage. And so eight months into the sun room, it was time to
call in the pros.
|
|
  Day 1: Removed all lath, plaster and the rotten lumber that the paneling had been attached to. Added fiberglass insulation in the hopes of beginning to get a handle on obscene heating/cooling bills. Result - large heaps of debris; plaster dust and fiberglass cooties everywhere. 
|
|
|
Day 2: Drywall! I never thought I would be excited
about drywall!
   |
|
|
Days 3 and 4: Baseboards, window trim, etc. A note here on historical detail vs. the checkbook: The original trim in this house is fir, and as old as it is, I've discovered that it's just about impossible to take down without splitting beyond repair. The cost to match the room's original baseboards just wasn't do-able, so I went with a compromise that preserves the feel of the original - 1" x 8" MDF, capped with a trim piece that matches the original. As is common in houses of this vintage, the hallways and staircases have less intricate trim, and this solution, when painted, will match those almost exactly. We were able to leave the remaining window trim in place, and bring
it back to an almost exact match with the rest of the house.    |
|
Of course, there's still tons to be done before I can even think of putting furniture in here, but geez! What an improvement! Even the cats approve.
|
|
|
|
 we'd
love to hear from you!
This page last updated on March 21, 2004. © 2004 PGE, Ltd., All Rights Reserved. |
