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Thursday, September 13, 2012

You have all been waiting....HOUSE UPDATE!

As you all know...I had been in the process of removing the old green asphalt siding from my hut...In the beginning I had no idea how to replace the horrendous ugly siding that adorned it...how do you buy siding with no money? paint was not an option...this stuff is like gravel and it is UUUUGGGLLLEEEE! And people just don't leave new siding laying around in piles for scroungers like me to take home...

After the first winter...I was working away outside and noticed that a piece of that siding was askew...hmmmm...it was white underneath it...I went over there and ripped it right off!   underneath that green gravel  nastiness was cedar clapboard...why would they side over that? I know it was considered a "poor" siding...meant for cheap building of the mining houses that are so prevalent in my area but why would someone let Mr. Siding salesman put that nasty stuff on their house?  Well...after questioning several of the natives...they all were of the same mind...INSULATION! and at the time, I suppose...there was no HGTV and no decorating no no's! HAHA!  and insulation was a new concept beyond stuffing paper under the linoleum and wall papering with news papers to keep out the draft...

Another concern, though...did they do it to cover worn out siding? were there pieces missing? broken?  I spent all that day carefully prying up random pieces of that asphalt siding...peeking under it to see if all the clapboards were still on the house....AND THEY WERE!  I got really brave the next day and took off two entire layers on the bottom of the house...I found some damage...water damage mostly...from being exposed to the elements...but nothing structural...nothing a reallly good pallet or cheap board could not fix!



I got this far before I could not reach any more without a ladder...and it stayed that way for the better part of 6 months...and went about my business...the wooden orchard ladder leaning on the house was beyond my comprehension...NO WAY was I shimmying up the side of a house on that thing....

My Honey finally borrowed a ladder from his family...a nice, adjustable ladder that reached to the roof...I was still not getting up there...it is a really long way down! I couldn't let go of the ladder with even one hand after I got up there...this little hut is 3 floors tall....and it felt like Mt. Everest to me....so I would go half way up...stick the pry bar up under the siding and give it a tug and then duck really fast...it was a long...slow process....It was either that or wait for Honey to do it on the weekends...I climbed, pulled and ducked a lot that week...Honey got the top most siding...and it was gone....I saved every nail...an entire 4 gallon tub....and that ugly green asphalt is now a floor in our shed.....and I have 16 pounds of  green finishing nails...

That siding was in amazing condition! We did end up buying a roll of insulation to stick in the walls upstairs as you could feel the draft....the house had blown in insulation and it sunk! The ground floor has lot's!

Then came the sanding...it took 5 days and 1 roll of auto body sanding paper to get the house sanded...I had a palm sander...that lil sucker sanded that entire house...and it still works! We had been given some scaffolding and that was a great blessing, considering my aversion to the ladder...Baahaa!

Ready for Primer!! YAAAAAAAAAY!






I had been decorating , setting up and bartending all summer for the weddings in our area and I finally had saved enough money to buy the doors I wanted for the house...with what was left over I bought primer...


Before


New door!
 After

and we borrowed a sprayer from the neighbor...

And my Honey went to town...we finally finished at 10p.m...that evening....aided with the headlights from our car....



It took 6 gallons of primer to cover that thirsty old cedar in two coats....

And another new door!




I don't know if any of you have noticed the details on this lil hut? the foundation is hand tooled rock...and just painting the house with the primer brought it out in all it's loveliness....

But this is where we left off for the winter...more compost pile runs for firewood and garden clean up took up the rest of the season...

The sunlight thru those doors is wonderful and I can't wait to show you the house color...and what those doors look like painted red.....

20 comments:

  1. Oooooooooooooooooooooooooh, SO exciting!!!!!
    It looks fabulous already! Great work you and your Honey are doing. Keep it up, girl!

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  2. Oh my sweet goodness! I love it primed!!!!

    I'm sure the completed house looks even better, although, I don't see how. I must say...I DID notice the hand tooled rock around the foundation. I noticed how it really popped once that green stuff was off there.
    Amazing.

    I know you like the doors and the sunlight filtering into the house.

    ...I'll be watching for more. Pat

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  3. She is just beautiful! The white does make the rock jump out! Love the new doors. Congrats on a job well done.
    Sandi

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  4. Beautiful! I noticed the rock right away..I can't wait to see what else you have done. You are such an inspiration! I love how you reuse and recycle in such creative ways...
    -Jennifer

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  5. The house looks soooooo much bigger !!!!! Love the rock foundation, the primer really lets the beauty of the entire home shine.
    Vanessa

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  6. Wow! What a transformation! We need to replace the siding on our house, but no money...

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  7. Oh my.. How beautiful your place is looking.. I know that green stuff was nasty, but look at what it has preserved! I don't know what color you plan on painting your home, but that pristine white primer looks so nice and clean and bright.. And your beautiful new doors.. You can almost see your little place smile.. Thank you for keeping us updated!

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  8. Wow, Lisa, you are really cutting and polishing that little diamond in the rough. It looks amazing in its pristine new coat of white primer. I love that front door - I'd like to have one just like it. I can't wait for the next installment and to see what color you ended up choosing. You are one impressive lady...and your Honey is pretty darned great, too!

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  9. I'm so glad that you are blogging again! I just randomly would check your blog every few months, and I'm so happy to see you're back! I love all your great re-purposing and thrifty ideas. You are such an inspiration to me. The cedar siding looks great and I can't wait to see the finished product! Thanks for sharing all your wonderful ideas and home improvements!

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  10. I agree. You could take care of your house’s insulation better than stuffing paper under the linoleum. If they have limited money for siding replacements, you could suggest to your neighbors the use of cheaper but good insulation materials, like fiberglass. But back to your on-going project, it’s looking good. Great! :)

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  11. Oh my gosh, Lisa. I just realized you were back. I'm so delighted! So, of course I had to go back and read your recent posts. Your garden is amazing and I noticed the rock foundations on your house immediately. It looks great! Waiting with baited breath for the next installment!
    best from Tunisia,
    nadia

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  12. I’m glad you preferred white siding even though it requires more consistency in upkeep. Make it a point to schedule regular inspections to preserve the appearance and prevent the formation of mildew. Mildew can definitely damage your house’s exterior and make it look dirty and dingy. I don’t know which is worse between the two.

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  13. Hi, Lisa:

    This is the first time I have ever left a comment on a blog, but I wanted you to know that I miss your posts. I check every few days to see if you are back yet. I am very inspired by the way you have chosen to live your life. Please come back!

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  14. Great job in painting everything out! It looks as good as new! The doors have a lot to say in improving the look of the house. I really love the outcome, it looks so neat!

    Aubrey Mullins

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  15. Hi Cathy! I can really say I love the life style...it makes life simple...and fun...and adventurous...I WILL come back! If you need anything or any information, please email me...being out here driving does not afford me much time to blog and I am truly sorry for that, you all have been a great inspiration to me too!

    Aubrey, THANK YOU!

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  16. I miss you too, Lisa, and hope all is well with you. Happy holidays from your devoted blog readers!

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  17. Wow, it’s a good thing that you decided to change all the sidings of your home! I think you made the right choice with that type of siding. Painting it white definitely brightened the façade of your home.

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  18. Lisa,
    A lot of your followers are anxiously waiting to hear how your little hut is proceeding. I know I for one can't stand the wait. Hope everything is okay with you and your family.
    Looking forward your next post.
    Vanessa

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