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.

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.

Beautiful Bluestone

Bill and Christian installed more beautiful Bluestones which makeup the opposite side entrance to this farmhouse. They run along a thick; beautifully built stone wall and are filled in with barn gravel. The stones are 2' X 3', nearly 2" thick, cost about $60 each and are very solid to walk on!

The ground was dug up pitched, leveled and filled with sand while bordering bricks were reset and more added to this walkway.

Redirecting Gutters

Bill, Christian and Leif dug a pitched trench leading downward and away from a central back gutter here which used to run along the trellis edge and empty onto the back lawn. They used 3" PVC Structural pipe and fittings which will carry the rain water under the back deck and away from the house foundation.

They also dug around the buried water pipe here leading to the back barn, which had developed a leak. Luckily the leak is in the foundation wall and the area will be jack-hammered to fix it from inside the basement. Fixing both these water issues will cost less than $100, which is wonderful.

Fun Farm Games

 Cornhole

One of the older origins of the outdoor game"Cornhole", is a 14th century German farmer who devised it to replace children throwing rocks in a hole for sport (not always so safe). Bags of corn thrown into a hole in a wooden box was the result and the game came to this country with farmers. Any design can be painted on the box, and we chose the Norwegian flag to honor our sheep farming relatives there as well as Christian being born on Norway's Independence Day.

Christian used 2" X 4" boards for a frame and faced it with finished plywood with a 6" hole cut out. The paint is 2 coats of Rustoleum and bean bags are best ordered on-line. The back of the box is elevated off the lawn and 3 points are scored for a bag thrown through the hole, or 1 point for landing on the box. Christian is planning for a summer party.

Kubb (Viking Chess)

This lawn game originates from the Viking Era and is played on a rectangular field where opponents try to knock over wooden blocks across it and then the king in the middle; using wooden batons. Christian built this set quite quickly.

Laying A Flagstone Path

The path to this old farmhouse had several large cast stones that had settled and cracked, collecting dirt and water. Bill and Christian removed the first five to replace with lovely blue flagstones. The bordering bricks were also taken out, the soil dug out and leveled with dirt and six bags of sand before leveling the new stones into place. The surrounding bricks were power washed afterward.

I have planted Otto Luyken English Laurels and Franklin's Gem Boxwoods next to existing William Penn Barberry bushes, around this path and Bill's sculpture. All attract birds or bees and not deer.

Ceramic Garden Tables

Bill has now made quite a few ceramic garden tables which everyone loves as much as his garden seats. Each one is very different than the next and the glazing is wonderful on all of them. Gallery price is $2,500 each and nearly half that price bought directly from Bill. Two are now being custom crated and shipped to Florida. It is exciting to have his work so far from home. He sold two garden seats in Kansas for the same price and a museum there.