My Old House

2012-05-15T15:47:00.000-06:00

Choosing a shade tree is a big decision. I had to consider, climate, size when full grown, leaf size, does it produce too much trash, bug resistance etc.

For example, I loved the shade my cottonwoods gave, but they dropped cottony seeds and sticky sap in the spring, twigs, piles of big leaves that had to be shredded before they could be mulched and limbs that broke off easily. Once topped, they rotted down the center.

After researching and asking experts for advice, I chose an autumn purple ash that is supposed to adapt to most soils including clay, is easy to grow, drought tolerant, diseases are not usually serious enough to kill them, long lasting fall colors, medium-sized leaves, grows to 70 feet tall, and is a relatively fast grower, up to two feet a year. It is exclusively male so it is seedless and is hardy to zone 3. Deer do not particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone. The canopy is relatively dense and medium in texture, and the leaves drop nearly all at once; perfect for one fall cleanup. They require little pruning to develop well. The biggest threat are ash borers.

After having two holed dug, I had Skyview Nursery deliver and plant two of them. Time will tell if I made the best decision . . .

Shade in the making.

Weeds, Weeds & More Weeds

2012-05-10T18:25:00.001-06:00

Can you say, "Weeds!"

To the east of my house between the curb and the street was a large patch of weeds. Spraying with weed killer just seemed to make them healthier. For several years, I had asked several contractors for bids to replace the dirt with gravel to help keep the weeds from taking over, but none ever got around to making bids. When the man came to grind out the tree stumps, I ask him if he knew of someone who could bring in gravel, and he said he could do it.

I had the weeds sprayed again! He excavated about 4 inches of dirt and weeds and replaced most of it with road base then topped it off with a couple of inches of pea gravel. What a difference! I will still have to spray it in spots from time to time, but I can at least stay on top of them.

Nice and clean with gravel!

Naked Victorian

2012-04-24T11:38:00.000-06:00

Ouch. I'm naked.

With the cotton wood trees gone, my old Victorian house looks naked. The stumps will be gone next week along with the Charley Brown pine tree that never grew much because it had been planted in their shade and it was a rutting tree for mule deer. In the fall during the rut or breeding season, bucks assert themselves by backing at a tree and rubbing the velvet from their antlers. This activity can be territorial, and bucks return to a tree they like. My little pine didn’t stand a chance!

I have chosen two new shade trees that I plan to have planted when the stumps are gone and holes take their place. Choosing shade trees was more of a challenge that I first thought it would be, but they will not be cotton woods or Siberian elms!

Charley Brown's tree.

January 2012 - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2012-04-12T17:32:00.015-06:00

This year started out good with a mild winter, yet occasional snow for moisture, but it turned bad when I found my two 100-year old cottonwood trees in the front yard had to go.

82-year old Floyd, using a chain saw with one hand.

Alas, I called in Floyd Bishop, a tree expert to diagnose them and after inspecting them, he advised me to have them cut down. Lightening had hit the one on the west sometime in the past. It had rotted down the middle to the ground. When we kicked the trunk it sounded hollow. I hoped to save the one on the east, but it had a crack from the crotch to the ground. One strong wind could have toppled half of it onto my house.

I grieved and grieved to lose them and the old rope swing that hung from a lower branch and that my grandchildren loved. With those trees gone, I knew my front yard would be bare and ugly.

Floyd Bishop is an amazing tree topper, felling trees since he in his thirties. He is 82 years old, has one hand missing (he lost it in a farm accident as a young man) and can out work most people half his age. On other’s recommendations, I hired him. WOW!!!

Fell right on the mark!

In a couple of weeks the trees were gone. Floyd waited until I was at home so I could watch the biggest one fall. He closed the street in front of my house and started to cut through the trunk. He had previously removed many of the limbs. After he hollered a warning, the tree fell exactly where he said it would. It was over 100 feet tall, and the trunk was about 6.5 feet across.

Notice the rot in in the center of the trunk.

August's Table, Summer Beaches and Fun

2011-08-26T10:05:00.002-06:00

Seashells and dragon flies, two of nature's wonders!

With summer winding down, I decided to celebrate water fun with its beaches, seashells and sand. I made a table runner in earth tones that pick up the colors in seashells and salt grass. I fringed the edges of the table runner, napkins and the bread-warmer cloth. I found a set of three glass candle holders at Bed Bath & Beyond that included sand and seashells. I scattered a few larger seashells around the centerpieces. They are fond reminders of beaches I have visited in my lifetime, from Hawaii to the Atlantic Ocean. I chose earth brown chargers and my versatile clear dishes. The many dragon flies in my yard called for dragon fly napkin rings to complete the decor. This table setting was a fun way to bring the out-of-doors inside!

May's Table - April's Snow Brings May Flowers

2011-05-05T20:44:00.005-06:00

Royal purple with daffodils - almost spring!

I wonder if winter in Manti will ever end this year. At least the daffodils and tulips bloomed in profusion. I decided to dress up May table with purple, lavender and silver, and the bouquet of daffodils and purple tulips made a perfect centerpiece. I bought purple glass candle holders at Bed Bath & Beyond, a silver-colored pot and the light purple nakpins at a thrift store, made the purple table runner and a bread basket napkin. I had previously bought the purple tassels in the Los Angeles shopping district. When the tulips and daffodils fade, I hope to have irises and lilacs in bloom for the center piece and maybe some Iceland poppies.

Small Things That Make Me Smile.

2011-04-27T15:08:00.003-06:00

Aren't I Pretty?

There are things in life that just make me smile every time I see them. For example: my grandchildren, the bubble nightlight at the top of my stairs, butterflies flitting around my flowers, deer sneaking through my yard, sleeping babies and my African violet. I bought the small African violet at a hardware store, took it home, watered and feed it. Nothing! For several years it did not put out a single blossom, but the leaves got big. When my other African violet died I took the newer one downstairs and put it in its place. At first it wilted and looked like it was going to die. Then “Viola,” it blossomed and has not stopped since, blooming almost continually. It is also a sporting African violet that has gives me different looking blossoms each time. I especially like the self-watering pot that makes tending it so easy. I love that flower!

I think May's table setting will be inspired by this flower, lavender, purple, green and accents of silver.

April's Easter Table - Where is the Lamb?

2011-03-31T17:37:00.009-06:00

Where is the Lamb?

April is here with some beautiful sunshine after a long, cold winter. I started April’s table with some Easter eggs from Tuesday Morning and candle ring and candles from Tai Pan Imports. I looked for a matching fabric to sew a table runner and finally found one I liked at Joann’s Fabrics. The bad news was it was an expensive Ralph Lauren fabric, but I had a 50% off coupon that made it good news. I sewed the table runner and fringed the ends then used two scraps left over to trim a matching napkin for the bread warmer.

This month I used a pale yellow table cloth and my versatile Arcoroc tableware with chocolate-colored chargers. I had some clear turquoise-colored napkin rings and pale yellow napkins. I put the eggs in a pedestal fruit bowl with some raffia and placed a stuffed Easter bunny on the top. When I looked at the display, something was missing. Easter is a holiday to celebrate the most important event in the world, the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and there was nothing on the table to indicate the reason why I celebrate Easter. I decided to replace the Easter bunny with a lamb. After all, Jesus Christ was referred to as a lamb 27 times in the Book of Revelations by Saint John and not once as God’s little bunny! With that in mind, I went out shopping and could only find chicks, dogs, cats, pigs, horses and cow toys, but no lamb. Before the month is over, I hope to find the perfect lamb for my centerpiece.

I visited my children in San Diego and while there mentioned my quest for the perfect lamb. My granddaughter happily gave me one of her stuffed toys. Her unconditional love and generosity makes this the “perfect lamb.” Besides it is very white and cute!

The perfect Lamb.

Green, Green, Green for March

2011-03-04T08:58:00.022-07:00

Green for Spring

In honor of my few Irish ancestors and St. Patrick’s Day, I chose greens as the theme for March’s table setting. All the St. Patrick Day decorations I saw were glittery and cheap looking, so I made these center decorations of lemons and greenery from a garland I purchased at Michaels. I bought three different shades of green candles from Tai Pan Trading. For the middle candle I took a copper pot decorating a window sill in the kitchen, placed a glass candle holder in the opening and sat the candle on it so it would be higher than the other two candles. I put foil-covered chocolate coins around the base of the candle in the holder and scattered a few around the base of the pot on the table and added a leprechaun. The brown chargers pick up the color of stems in the candle greenery. I selected green napkins with a leaf pattern and green napkin rings. I sewed a green table runner and trimmed the ends with dangling gold coins to add to the "pot of gold" Theme.

One of my favorite table accessories is a basket with a cloth napkin and a pocket that holds a flat terra cotta stone. The stone is heated in a microwave or the oven and placed in the napkin pocket and it keeps rolls, bread or tortillas warm throughout the meal. I made a matching green napkin for the basket. I found several styles of these baskets on line. I bought my Keilen bread warmer and basket from Amazon.com and another one at T.J. Maxx.

Green, green, green is for spring.

February - Love, Hearts and Valentine

2011-02-22T13:33:00.004-07:00

Valentine red, hearts and flowers.

I chose the traditional Valentine theme for February’s table setting. I purchased tulips, red, pink and pale pink roses with an accent of flowering grasses at Michael’s, placed them in a vase with red glass hearts and clear crystal marbles. Heart-shaped candles sit on clear glass holders with a floral heart ring circling the bottom. I used cherry red chargers, red linen napkins, silver and red napkin holders and clear plates, glasses and dishes. Each place setting has a miniature shakers filled with natural salt and fresh ground pepper. As I have mentioned before, I love rich red and silver together.

January's Blue - The Color of Winter

2011-01-04T13:29:00.012-07:00

Blues, silver and white add shivery elegance.

Now that Mother Nature has Manti grasped in her frozen fingers, I chose blue as the main color for January’s table setting since that cool color reflects the chilly hues of winter.

On New Year’s Day at about 7:00 AM, I found myself gazing out at a beautiful sunrise bursting forth in all directions with light blues and pinks above a glittery snow-covered landscape and knew blue was the right choice.

The centerpiece is a large brandy snifter filled with several sizes of silver and blue glass bulbs and topped with a silver glittering butterfly. On either side, a blue glass holder flickers with a tea candle. Crystal reminds me of winter’s ice so I chose cut crystal stemware and napkin rings that look like they are made from ice chips and circle dark blue linen napkins. Blue and white English china sit on silver chargers. Serving dishes and bowls are crystal clear or deep blue. I particularly enjoy the crystal gravy bowl and ladle I bought at Linen 'n Things. As the winter sunshine streams in on this table setting placed on a stark white table cloth the decor looks shivery but elegant.

December - A Holiday Setting

2010-11-03T19:02:00.005-06:00

Red and silver, one of my favorite combinations.

I wanted to have some added fun when I cook dinner each weekend for friends. I bought some dishes from a friend and decided to be creative in setting a theme for each month. I love chargers because they add such a wonderful touch, especially with this clear and etched glass dinnerware. Here is December's table. I found the angel in the centerpiece and the red napkins at Tuesday Morning. The silver napkin rings are from Bed Bath & Beyond.

Chargers are my friend

November - Thanksgiving Already?

2010-11-01T21:25:00.001-06:00

I struggle with my Thanksgiving table setting. I am still looking for a centerpiece I like. The one I purchased is too big and dwarfs the table setting. Hopefully I can find one I am grateful for before November is over.

October's Halloween Funtastic

2010-10-05T09:45:00.018-06:00

Halloween is a holiday I have always found to be entertaining and fun. I spent weekends for the last couple of months working on a project making Grim Grinning Ghosts busts for my son who decorates his yard in Southern California with fantastic props that pop up, fly through the air, glow eerily in the windows or stands around adding to the spirit of Halloween. Here is the link to my other blog describing my project to help make his yard a real treat for trick or treaters. http://halloweengrimgrinningghosts.blogspot.com/

Not too spooky to make guests lose their appetites.

Fall came too quickly this year. Here is October’s table setting to help set the mood for the holiday. While at Michael’s I found this Halloween centerpiece on sale. The price was right, and I like the color combination of purple, orange tones and black. I added a couple of orange butterflies I had bought several months previously. I purchased two spider-shaped candle holders from Michael’s, purple napkins, black with silver trimmed napkin holders from Bed Bath and Beyond, black chargers and orange candles from Tai Pan Trading. I made a purple table runner and bread basket liner. I found the purple and black tassel for the table runner in the shopping district in Los Angeles. I previously purchased over 100 pieces of Arcoroc dinnerware from a friend. The clear glass with an etched wheat pattern is easy to decorate around, and the numerous pieces add a variety of possibilities.

September's Table - Sunflowers Inspire Me

2010-09-13T19:10:00.011-06:00

Silver and blue,
elegant and calming

When I was driving to work one day, I was inspired to decorate August/September’s table with sunflowers. It had been a wet spring and summer and sunflowers grew profusely along the road in full bloom. I took my blue and white English china off the shelf, bought some sunflowers, other flowers, some silk butterflies and blue candle holders. Since most retail stores have limited colors for home decor, I bought the dark, blue napkins at a thrift store. Bed Bath & Beyond is a great place to find napking holders. This cheerful table setting makes me smile.

Butterflies and sunflowers brings cheer to the table

Where Have All The Flowers Gone? Frozen!

2009-12-28T18:05:00.009-07:00

Another cold winter has grasp Manti in its frozen finger (-29 degrees already), but I never feared, because I had insulated my attic with battings of 30R insulation. What a difference that made from previous winters. The bats of insulation were on sale so a grabbed or rather hefted 10 rolls home. My two dear friends volunteered to help me install it. After climbing through the small access opening in the ceiling and looking around, I almost hollered "uncle!" What a mess. There was old batting under blown-in insulation that was heaped around where workers had pushed it aside to install lights, heating etc, leaving bare spots and bits of trash discarded everywhere. I had to bend over to work and crawl through a small opening to get from one section to another. My friend cheered me on, and we got started. I cleaned up much of the mess and handed down a box of trash. My younger friend (in her 70s) cut the batting as I yelled down the measurements. Her sister (about 80) stood half way up the 10-foot ladder and handed insulation up to me through the small access hole (she insisted and there was no talking her out of it). To our suprise, it only took 3 hours to finish the job.
I have a new appreciation for anyone who installs that itchy stuff for a living.... .

Year 2008 Winds Down

2008-12-14T10:12:00.003-07:00

Time kept ticking away and so many small projects were unfinished on the entry doors to the house. I think the projects were neglected because I thought it would take more time than it did to complete them so I procrastinated a little.

As fall 2008 came to an end, I finally finished this much-needed work on the outside of my house. I thank God for giving me warm weather that lasted until the week after Thanksgiving. I also thank two of my friends for their help to get these projects finished before the snow began to fly. We scraped, sanded and painted the outsides of all the entry doors and door frames. I painted the bead-board ceilings of all three porches and the master-room balcony. I sanded and painted the other screen doors and had the screens replaced. I also replaced two transom screens and some doorway trim. I used metal screen in the south porch and balcony door to keep the integrity of the house. Since the climate in Manti is so dry, I do not have to worry about the metal insect screen rusting.

What I difference new screens, new screen moldings, cleaned hardware and fresh paint made. Instead of the entry ways that were worn and shabby, they now look fresh and inviting.

Something is Rotten in the Town of Manti

2008-11-20T12:25:00.021-07:00

This is not a phrase describing the political hierarchy of Manti, but a sad statement about the state of my west porch that was being consumed by DRY ROT!

Dry rot is the weakening of wood by one of several species of fungus. The fungus digests the parts of the wood that give it strength and stiffness. The weakened wood is somewhat dry, hence the name “dry rot.” Dry rot usually results from too much moisture in contact with wood.

The dry rot on the trim and posts on the west porch of my house was depressing. Rain had run off the roof and rotted the trim. It had splashed on the floor of the porch and had started rotting the bottoms of the posts. Some of the turned posts were missing and the porch rails were in bad shape and coming apart. What an eyesore! I had to do something soon to prevent further damage.

I rolled up my sleeves, took out my checkbook and got started. I bought new trim at Crossroad Mills. I hired Tom’s Woodturning to turn me 24 new posts. Tom had previously turned some Newell posts for this porch, and I had bought hand railings when I repaired the front porch. Dave, my favorite handyman came over, bringing his tall ladder to start the repair job. He replaced and painted the trim then started on the porch.

When I returned from a trip to San Diego a week later, I drove in the driveway and was excited to see the porch posts were repaired or replaced and painted. What a difference! Of course Dave’s work made the rest of the porch look shabbier. I pulled out my 8-foot ladder, a bucket of oil-base primer, bought some Dutch Boy Extreme Adhesion paint and went to work. I filled in dings, sanded and painted the outside door casing, the porch ceiling and window casing. I removed the screen door to have its screen replaced. If I had known how cheap and easy that was, I would have done it sooner. I repaired, sanded and painted the door before I rehung it. I also took down an ugly shelf that was a junk collector, wondering why I had not removed it sooner.

I am planning to have raingutter hung to prevent this dry rot problem in the future.

What is that smell?

2008-10-09T14:32:00.023-06:00

Recently a visitor asked me, “What’s that smell?” This question could be bad or good, depending on the odor. The ambiance of a home not only comes from décor and tidiness, but can also be enhanced by a pleasant smell. I had transplanted some herbs from my garden to indoor pots before the first frost of the season. I placed the potted herbs in rooms throughout my home. The smell my visitor was enjoying was cinnamon basil.

I use several other methods to bring pleasant smells into my home. When the weather turns cold, I place an old teapot filled with water and a few cinnamon sticks, mint leaves, sprigs of lavender or drops of essential oils on my wood-burning stove. This not only adds humidity to the air, the faint odor of cinnamon or other herbs waft through the rooms. At Christmas time, I place pine oil in water in the teapot to add to the season spirit. I have scented candles placed throughout the house and sometimes use an essential oil diffuser.

Home cooking adds warmth and pleasant odors to the home. There is nothing like the smell of a pot of spicy soup or baking bread. Yum! Unlike the original owners of this house, I am fortunate to bake bread in a gas oven rather than a wood stove.

Here is my favorite dinner roll recipe.

REFRIGERATOR POTATO DINNER ROLLS
(dough can be stored in refrigerator for about a week)

1 cup milk, scalded (or warm powdered milk)
1 cup hot mashed potatoes (I mix up some instant potatoes)
½ cup oil or shortening
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon granular yeast
½ cup lukewarm water
2 beaten eggs
5 to 6 cups flour

Combine milk, potatoes, shortening, sugar, and salt in large mixing bowl; let stand until lukewarm. Add yeast softened in the ½ cup water and eggs. Add 1½ cups flour and beat well. Cover and let stand in warm place for 1 hour or until full of bubbles. Stir in 3½ to 4½ cups flour to make a fairly stiff dough. Knead until smooth on a lightly floured surface (I use my KitchenAid bread mixer with a dough hook). Return to greased mixing bowl; oil top of dough; cover and chill in refrigerator (or you can let it rise immediately until double in bulk, shape into rolls and let it raise again [about 30 minutes] and bake). If you store it in the refrigerator, about 1½ hours before serving time shape desired number of rolls; place on greased pans; let rise 1 to 1¼ hours or until doubled in bulk. Bake in hot oven (425°) about 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown on top.
Punch down unused dough and store in refrigerator. Makes 3 dozen medium-sized rolls. Also great for making cinnamon rolls.

Cutting Cinnamon Rolls Easily

See my helpful hints on baking bread under Helpful Hints and Tips on the right side of this blog.

A Tisket, a Tasket, I’m in Love with Baskets . . .

2008-09-11T10:10:00.014-06:00

Baskets are my friends. Baskets can help organize and clear clutter in every room in your home and create the appearance of tidiness while adding interest to your decor. They come in all shapes, colors, sizes and materials. In my old house, things related are sorted and placed into baskets on shelves in the laundry room, closets and cabinets. A decorative basket filled with incoming mail is better than a pile of papers sitting on the counter. A small basket in the bathroom filled with sample-size shampoos, conditioner and lotions is great for guest's convienence. A basket in the bathroom filled with magazines and reading material helps contain clutter. I used lots of small plastic baskets in the bathroom cabinet by the sink for out-of-sight storage. Plastic is good for things that leak or spill or need to be washed from time to time. All toothpaste, dental floss and extra tooth brushes are in a small basket, hair items in another, makeup in another and so on. I rolled towels and wash clothes in a square wicker basket with brass-colored handles in the guest bath by the sink for decoration and easy access. Since I have the habit of kicking off my shoes when I enter the house, I have shallow square baskets near the outside doors just for shoes. They also help coral guest's shoes. I never use baskets that are too large or deep where items are hard to see and can get lost.

Plastic boxes, decorative boxes and plastic drawer units also come in handy. I bought a plastic drawer unit with wheels and used it for my sewing items, placed my portable sewing machine on top and rolled it into a closet out of sight.

Manti is located in a somewhat remote area so I often buy in bulk. In my basement where my extra food and supplies are kept, I sorted everything the same way a grocery store is organized, sauces together, soups, fruit, dry goods, spices, packaged food, soap and paper towels all in their own areas on the shelving units. Many smaller items like spice-mix packages are stored in plastic containers with lids or flat baskets. When I go down to find an ingredient for a recipe, it is like grocery shopping.

DEUTERONOMY
CHAPTER 28 Verse 5
Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

You Don’t Love It and It Doesn’t Love You, Release It

2008-08-19T17:24:00.011-06:00

Moving from a home I had lived in for over twenty years helped me de-junk. Still, I had too much clutter. I was fortunate to get help from a relative and another friend who were naturals at organization; they actually enjoy doing it! I started the daunting task in the storage shed then moved to organizing the house. My master-organizer friend helped me sort items in three categories:
● Trash

● Keep

● Give away

Sorting through my treasures and deciding what items to keep and what items had to go was painful. Fighting the thought “I might need that someday” that was stuck my brain, I waded through “stuff.” My cousin said, “If you don’t love it and it doesn’t love you, its time to release it.” This phrase helped me donate some of my neglected treasures to charity. Out went the comb-binding machine and boxes of binding combs, away to an acquaintance went my oak drafting table, chair and drafting arm, and to EBAY went my drafting templates and supplies. I was surprised and pleased how many others needed the things I had held onto, and I have not missed the clutter. It's amazing how much easier it is to organize when there is less to organize. Now my motto is: If something comes in, another item must leave and this usually works.

I have found the ancient proverb “cleanliness is next to Godliness” has merit. I believe that a tidy home allows positive energy to flow more freely and is not so frustrating to look at. If anyone needs help or ideas for reducing clutter, my daughter clued me to the website http://www.flylady.net/ a great site for packrats or some of us that just need a little help.

Decor: Tell Your Story

2008-08-07T18:44:00.037-06:00

I wanted my décor to reflect the era of the house and tell my story. I sorted through things I already had to find like items for grouping. In the living room I started with photographs of ancestors since genealogy and family history are two of my loves. I had them printed in sepia and framed with wooden frames. I had an old fiddle that a grandfather once played and placed some guitar strings in an old package on the front. To help tell about my heritage, I grouped the family momentous together at the corner of two walls.

Because I am an artist, displaying some of my paintings is a must. I find a mirror hung here or there is useful in opening up a room. In the photo above on the right, the mirror on one wall reflects one of my paintings which adds more dimension to the living room. As you walk across the room, the mirror discretely reflects other scenes. On the wooden sconces on either side of the mirror are a few keepsakes.

Since I grew up with the colorful Utah deserts as my playground, I am interested in geology, rocks and crystals. I grouped my fossil/rock/crystal collections in areas around the house intermixed with other keepsakes such as my father’s cribbage board and one of his favorite books. I once found a large commercial antique butter churn with my maiden name printed on the front. Since it had my name on it, I had to buy it. This is where I store my firestarters (see my Helpful Hints and Tips, Tip: Firestarters on the right side of this blog page). I grouped it with crocks, a washboard, my father’s branding iron, and a large antique-looking vase containing a few peacock feathers and some hand-carved walking sticks.

I look to the experts such as Pottery Barn catalogs, decorating magazine and books. Stores like T J Maxx and Pier 1 Imports offer fun decorating items. If you have a treasure, make it the center and decorate around it. In the kitchen I used my Mason jar collection and a few old cook books to add my interests to the décor. See my post Adding Flavor to the Kitchen

Manti has power outages now and then so a kerosene lantern is incorporated in the décor of each room. Too keep the lanterns well supplied, I found wick by the yard at http://www.wickstore.com/

Hold Me Back Before I Jump

2008-08-04T12:47:00.012-06:00

I can be impulsive, like buying a hundred-year-old house and jumping into the project. The south balcony was so bad it could have temped me to jump in a bad sort of way. I tried to ignore it because I did not have a clue how to fix it. When I bought my Victorian, I was fortunate that the house had a new roof, but I was not to happy that the roofing material covered the floor of this guest-bedroom balcony. Stepping on it in the summer was like stepping on hot blacktop. The railings were loose and posts were rotting and falling apart. I was stumped on how to repair it. I did not opt for a wood floor, because my other balcony floor takes so much upkeep. I considered plain tile, but I just could not get excited about that idea because I was afraid it would crack or come loose during winter. I found that other people in town had tile on their porches that held up through the cold weather. As I was discussing this option with a friend, he said, “Have fun with it.” That triggered my interest, and I started shopping for tile with a pattern. I chose ceramic tiles with a rough surface so they would not be slick when wet, and drew up the floor plan to scale with a graphics program showing how I wanted them laid. I called my trusty carpenter, gave him the pattern and he went to work. When he pulled off the roofing material, he found the floor was rotting in places and was uneven so it tilted to the side. He repaired the balcony floor and installed white metal sheeting on two sides to stop water from doing damage in the future. The floor dips slightly to the center so the water runs off the balcony in the middle. He did a beautiful job laying the tile I had chosen. I replaced the railing and posts. The colors in the tile pull the gray roof, the red brick and white railings together. I now have balcony I enjoy standing on, especially when the breeze is rustling the leaves of the cottonwood trees and bird are singing or flying about. When I look down I often see butterflies flitting about in the flower bed below. It is a job where money was well spent. The tile made it through this last cold, long winter and has not shown any wear or damage.

Stripping: Not for Entertainment

2008-07-19T15:01:00.030-06:00

When renovating an old house you usually need to strip or replace porch railings, doors or moldings. I did a little of each and it was not entertaining. My old house has 5 outside doors with porches or balconies. That is a lot of posts to refinish or replace. As mentioned in the previous blog, I had replacement posts turned by an expert woodturner.

To strip turned posts, I bought a plastic flat storage container just longer than the posts and wide enough to hold several posts. I poured enough Citrisrip (about 1 large bottle) in the container to come 1/2 way up on the sides of the several posts and sealed it with the lid. I soaked the posts for several hours turning them over from time to time. After the paint bubbled and lifted, I took each post and scrapped off as much paint as possible into a separate container then returned the posts to the plastic container to soak again in the stripper. When most of the paint was loosened and wiped or scrapped away, I rinsed off the posts and let them dry. I used a utility knife or any other tool that worked to dig paint out of creases. I sanded the posts with a Makita BO5010 5-inch Hook & Loop Random Orbit Sander (one of my favorite tools). I hand sanded any places that the sander could not touch.

To strip woodwork or doors, I used plastic drop cloths. I folded the drop cloth once and laid the door on it. I then painted the door using Klean-Strip® Strip-X® Stripper. I folded the drop cloth around the door to let the sripper soak into the paint. Every half hour or so, I would rewet the door with another coat of stripper. A couple of hours later the paint lifted as the stripper soaked through the paint to the door’s surface. The plastic helps keep the stripper from drying out. I found Jasco® stripper dried too fast for this method, but works great for a first coat to get the stripping started. Be patient and let the stripper do the work! After a couple of hours, I unfolded the drop cloth and used a 3 or 4-inch spackle knife to scrape off the paint. Sometimes I used a small chisel for hard-to-scrap places. Repeat the process until most of the paint is removed then sand. For woodwork, I painted it with stripper and cut strips of a drop cloth and covered the stripper-covered moldings. The wet stripper held the plastic in place. I would pull back the plastic and rewet the molding with more stripper from time to time until the paint bubbled down to the bare wood.

On to the Outside

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I finally moved to working on the outside of the house. Exiting to the outside of the house is easy since I have five outside doors, two upstairs and three downstairs. When I had a locksmith rekey all the deadbolt locks, he had a box of skeleton keys in his van. He let me dig through them until I found a key that fit almost every lock on the inside doors of the house. I went to the fabric store and found small tassels to hang from each key. It is those small details that make renovating so much fun.

My handyman poured and finished new sidewalks that wind up to the dining room and living room porches. The previous sidewalk was made of brick and with time had become uneven, a real ankle buster. I followed the same pattern and kept the winding effect. I had curbing poured on the street sides of the lawn and a automatic sprinkling system installed.

I discovered a wonderful mailbox. I drove up 10600 South in Salt Lake and admired a mailbox by the road near 13th East. By a stroke of luck I found one just like it and had two young men I knew dig the hole, pour the cement and help install it. I used a round cardboard mold made for pouring cement bases to line the hole in the ground and made a cardboard template showing where the bolts should be placed in the cement. After we poured the cement in the hole, I place the cardboard template on top of the cement and pushed the bolts into the cement where they were marked on the cardboard. After the cement hardened and the bolts were set in place, I lifted the mailbox and carefully set the base down right over the bolts. After tightening the nuts on the bolts, the mailbox was solid in place.

In the summer 2005, someone parked in front of my house to visit the Manti pageant. In the process of parking, they backed into the mailbox. The post snapped in two. Fortunately, it is made of cast aluminum, and I was able to find a shop that was skilled in welding aluminum and had it repaired. After touching up some paint, It looks as good as new.

The porch railings and posts needed a lot of work. Some of the posts were rotting while others were in good shape. I did not want to replace all of them so I found a wood craftsman who took one of the posts and turned others like them on his lathe using the original post as a pattern. I had them made out of redwood so they will last longer. I shopped around for porch railings and finally found some I liked at Crossroads Mill in Draper. The railings were surplus from the historical Cove Fort Restoration, and I bought them at a good price. Their employees have been especially helpful in aiding me in finding other moldings I needed from their stock, and the mill also turned rosettes for me. Even though I am not one of their major customers, they still gave me great service.

On the east of the house is weed patch next to the street. I have not decided whether to bring in gravel or to black top the area or look for another option for making the area tidy and still stay useful for parking. I need to get bids on each option and look at pros and cons. Any ideas anyone?