The Boiler System

This Christmas season, Bill and Christian have completed their efforts installing the new boiler/heating system in Christian's old farmhouse. We have ended up with six zones which include forced hot air, radiant wall and hydronic radiant floor heat, and indirect domestic hot water. We will hire help to install the duct work and air handler. The red and green parts kept it festive looking here.

My jobs have been to clean the non-removable duct work and design the hydronic floor heating system, which kept the holidays busy...but not too busy to dress up the dog Anders. Happy holidays!

Using a Transom Window

Christian has started opening his transom window to let warm air into the house on sunny days he is working in the basement. The trim on this large window is primed and flashed now.

Here is the work going on in the basement...building the heating system. Bill and Christian have also repaired all of the burst copper plumbing pipes in the basement besides reinstalling very long ones removed in order to dig out the new crawlspace.

Installing a Big Beam

Bill and Christian have just finished installing a 4" X 6" X 12' pine beam which was first fitted into the original old oak house beams, by notching them for a level fit. This will make the new floor going in above them very solid and without movement up or down.

One other 4" X 4" post was added to a corner to reinforce the old beams there (below left).

This is a lovely sight for us. Coming home though, it is very lovely to see my Petunias still blooming this late.

Salvaging An Old Factory Window

We decided to use 5/4" X 4" clear pine lumber for trim around the old steel factory window - Christian has used to close in his antique side/front porch. Bill has helped him to create an angled wooden lintel above it and sill below, which mimic the surrounding windows in proportion and style. Four inch wide lead flashing will be installed above the lintel and below the sill.

The window panes are 3/16" safety glass we installed with clear silicone and original size wire clips. A new thermal window of this size would have cost about $8,000 and would not have a transome that opens or the character of this one. Since only 10-15% of window heat loss is through the glass itself, using tempered (safety) glass in a refurbished frame is quite efficient while lessening outside noise and being a requirement for glass near ground level. The total cost of this window was about $1600. 

It seems to blend right in already. This window captures great (southern exposure) sunlight most of the day, preserves the original porch architecture which is special to early New Jersey farmhouses, encloses the basement door, and will protect the plumbing within which had been run outside of original 1780 brick insulated walls here. Now all four sides of this house have lovely glassed in living areas.

First Farm Fire

Last week Christian and Bill cemented in the hearth bricks and today the "new" wood burning stove went in. The stove pipe will be painted black.

It seems strange to have a fire here before the floors are in, but tonight it will freeze and there is much work yet before the new boiler can be used. Two old floor beams will be notched back into place in order to lay a plywood subfloor soon though. What a fun way to get rid of scrap wood we have around.

Rerouting Plumbing and Electrical

Christian and Bill have rerouted the vent and drain pipes in the main bathroom here, in order to allow for a medicine cabinet to be built in. This wall was built out for another; larger vent pipe earlier, creating much interior wall space we felt should be utilized.

The electrical wiring has also been rerouted to include a shower light, new ceiling exhaust fan and double sconces on either side of the medicine cabinet. New wall switches operate the first and last two.

Closing in the Porch

Now that Christian's new boiler has been lowered into the basement through a porch door, we are able to frame this area and close it in to protect water pipes.

The surrounding siding has come off to install new, clean, and insulate an old window space. The large casement window is framed to let most light into the porch windows and dining room behind them.

Below is the very old (1780) brick insulated wall exposed.