Repairing Old Downspouts

On the front of Christian's farmhouse are three distinctive downspouts in need of repair and replacing. Replacing all of them with copper downspouts was a thought, but since the gutters are hidden and the shapes of the spouts are very customized, keeping galvanized units to be painted seems the best choice.

Bill repaired the porch roof and installed a gutter here last summer to avoid any further water damage.

Eight inch wide lead flashing was installed behind the base of the long (3" round, ribbed/galvanized) downspouts; which will both connect to an underground PVC pipe we'll install leading down to the road...

Below is the first gutter completely replaced on the back of the house. It will also connect to a redirecting pipe.

Painting in the Barn

Bill and Christian are much happier to be out of the hot sun and painting house siding in the horse barn.

Some of these cedar boards are 18' long and I hauled them home on top of my wagon with a support board underneath. We plan to have few joints around the new front window, with the longer lengths.

Christian turned the barn fan on in the back wall, which works beautifully.

The Master Bath

The Master Bath was added to this old farmhouse much later than the original part of the house, and the bath tub here was installed plumb and level. The subway tile was started right from the tub to the ceiling which felt very lucky. The wall sconces have been installed for light, but will be mounted later in reverse with globes flaring upwards. They are "Double Bistro Sconces" from Restoration Hardware like those in the main bath, but will have a different look here.

Sunroom Slipcovers

I have just replaced two red leather art Deco style chairs in this sunroom, with white slip covered small arm chairs. I worried the leather was fading and since this is a seasonal room, the slipcovers instead can be removed, washed and stored for the winter.

The room itself remains partially restored, but still a favorite place.

Filling In The Cracks

This weekend, Bill and Christian grouted between the subway tiles and filled in missing trim pieces before priming the wood in the main bathroom. It is starting to feel more finished.

The grout is "Delorean Gray" from Home Depot. Next we install the final fixtures.

All Subway Tile Niche

I had originally bought 1/2" square Carrara Marble tiles for the back of this shower niche, but we decided to finish it in subway tiles for a more classic look. I found 6" square matching bullnose tiles from Home Depot which Christian cut 3" deep to go in the sides. Bill cut the niche opening 1/4" taller for a full tile fit, and we are all pleased.

The Heat Is On!

The new boiler system Bill designed and built with Christian's help this past winter, was fine tuned and turned on by the best HVAC person one could imagine; Gary Stellitano (whose advice and guidance were invaluable)! God Bless this new "Mother Ship" which impresses people most who come to visit and has saved Christian's old farmhouse. The new boiler installation, high voltage wiring, and gas line we installed were all approved with permits pulled first.

The Weil McLain gas boiler, modern Runtal cast iron radiators, and Pex radiant floor heat, are all wonderfully efficient and quiet while creating six zones of heat. This boiler and parts take up very little space being tucked into an old chimney foundation. 

The new air handler was installed in the crawl space Christian dug out, and the new duct work was mostly fit in between the floor joists, giving the entire basement a terrific amount of open space now. This work was done by "Stellitano Heating and Air Conditioning".