Burst Pipes

When water pipes burst in an old farmhouse, the demolition and repair work can be challenging. Bill and Christian are removing more of the kitchen ceiling under the master bathroom plumbing, which is fixed and soon insulated with two layers of Roxul R15 Comfort Bats. Roxul insulation is nonflammable and will make the corner of this kitchen quiet.

Next; two layers of 5/8" sheetrock were installed to meet the old plaster ceilings and all covered with beadboard to match the rest of the ceiling. Bill primed the higher grade beadboard in the barn. We have painted the new beadboards a brighter white which is like the same ceiling in the sun room. It is a great solution for covering many issues and easy to keep clean. This kitchen will have gray walls and all white woodwork eventually.

A Brick Garden Border

This raised and angled brick garden border was here when we bought the farmhouse; but buried, partially missing and in disrepair. I have used leftover old chimney bricks from our own house to rebuild this bed border after it was dug up and re-positioned. The pattern is charming I think.

I hope all of the beautiful large flowered orange lilies will come back here, but will separate the bulbs of the ones that do if need be. I have added these lime green Aralia plants which are so bright to be a shade plant it seems and will grow to be 3' tall as well as wide.

Engraving A Stepping Stone

This year Old Farm turns 300 years old and we have had the original date of the house carved into the front stepping stone. We choose "Old Caslon" typeface which was used in the Declaration of Independence and popular at the time. Ironically, William Caslon developed this font for King George III of England who reigned during the American revolution. It is an organic serif font resembling handwriting which looks good in a long body of text (fashioned after earlier Dutch typefaces).

We have been told the date was painted on the original brick chimney of Old Farm before it was rebuilt.