CH: Day 84
By some miracle, most of the deck was moved intact to the NW corner. We only had to…
…lop off one end. This will be reused to build the kitchen deck.
Today. Reborn. I LOVE IT! In 1894 this NW corner had a porch, with a roof over. So, I am putting back what was. The deck framing will remain. The pressure-treated deck boards will later get replaced by historically-correct flooring. The left corner will get a stone plinth, and a single column to match the big house. The 1894 railing will get installed. The steps will be trimmed off correctly. By moving the small diamond window to this location, the living room will have more privacy. The concrete block foundation will need some…attention. Or bushes!
An unexpected bonus. The new door location aligns perfectly with the stairs. I had not anticipated this. I like it. A lot.
Justin, Scott, and I all noted how good the new deck location feels. “It’s more private.” It has an intimacy that the old location never had. It feels…safer. More protected. This should intensify when the roof is installed.
Before.
Today.
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Oh Ross! Look at all you and the boys have accomplished in 82 days! The carriage house looks so much better.
It looks great! Congratulations
Are you going to add decorative brackets under the tower? I think it looks odd just hanging there.
Hi, Jenine! Turrets normally did not have brackets. I love how it visually floats!
I wondered if the deck would be in good enough shape to be reused. How great is it that it could be done that quickly and in relatively one piece. I had wondered where the stairs were going to end up. Wasn’t sure if it would be the current side approach or you would relocate them to face the Cross house so you could easily go out one and in to the other. At least now you can easily get in and out of the building through a door like a person instead of through the window like a burglar.
If unwelcome wildlife decide to take up residence under the deck you can always temporarily seal it off with diamond lattice. Paint it black and it won’t be that noticeable and it will mirror the small window while keeping the larger mammals from squatting.
That is a huge and powerful change. After you finish that side I don’t think the city is going to have any objection to signing off on your work, even if you don’t hit every item.
I love the view up the stairs from the door. It’s utterly felicitous.
I’m short and so feel the need to ask how you’ll finish painting the wall with the deck alienated.
I’m also noticing the difference between the foundation blocks at the right end, which have texture and a flat frame, and the blocks where the deck used to be that just look like cinder block. I’m probably forgetting the part where you told us what you’re doing there. Could you just remind me please? The plain cinder block look is not felicitous.
So much better! You are making great progress
That new front porch is going to be really nice, and a cozy spot to sit after the roof is over it. It should be a nice balance between privacy, but still the social front-porch attitude. I’m excited to see it continue to come together. It’s going to look so much more appropriate to the style of the structure vs. the previous front. I’m really glad that you bit the bullet and moved the door now, rather than later.
I will admit I was a bit startled to see you put the door so close to the inside of the front wall, since that’s the strike side. That arrangement can be a bit annoying to pass through, since you have to swing the door open farther to get a wide enough opening to pass through the wall (we naturally otherwise kind of walk around the end of doors to get through the opening between the door and strike jamb, as much as walk straight through). A friend of mine’s house was built that way (1989), and I helped him swap the door to the opposite hand (no change in location) so the door swung up against the wall when it was open, rather than past it with the strike side. It’s something you can always do later, but I think that would be the ideal configuration for where you have the door located. I know it requires some filling and cutting new mortises for hinges and door strikes, but if it’s like most old door frames, it may already have damage from previous hackery that can be fixed at the same time.
A few thought on the aversion to a narrow strip of clapboard between the door and corner trim: I’ve seen those plenty in old houses (including our last one, in a lot of areas), as well as widened trim to fill the gap if it was very narrow (2″ or less). I’ve had to re-side those narrow strips too, and as long as it’s a consistent-width gap, it goes pretty fast to cut up a stack of pieces, and then pop them on with stainless finish nails (since the clapboard pieces are usually too brittle at that short length to handle full-size nails).
In any case, it’s your place, and I’m enjoying living vicariously through your progress when my own is so sluggish (demanding job and little kids don’t give me much “free” time to work on the house anymore these days).
Seth, when all is done the door will swing to the right when entering.
Ah, very nice, I must have missed it! That’s going to be perfect!
The view through the open door and right up the stairs is amazing.
Ross, that is a tremendous change. Congratulations!
The house looks much better with all these changes. The alignment of the door and the staircase is great; I think it is the way the house has to tell you that that was the right place for the entrance door.
Beautiful! The deck is now sheltered and integrated with the building.
Are you familiar with the book “A Pattern Language “ by Christopher Alexander et al? It collects and connects hundreds of “patterns” – concepts and arrangements that make architecture “work”. The deck move fits the pattern “entrance transition” – because people now have to turn to the right before entering, it creates a pause and a transition between the public and private spheres. I don’t think anything in the book would be new to you, but for me it has been invaluable.
Wowsah!!! This was GREAT to see.
And, yes to bushes to camouflage the concrete and give good curb appeal!
Beautiful work! The porch is in a much better position.
Concerning the porch stair location, will the stairs ultimatedly remain to the right or will they be placed in the center of the porch? I ask because if the front door has a screen door, it would be better for it to swing into a porch railing rather than into the stairway.
WOWZA! Looks so good! What all is left to do to comply with the unneighborly neighbor’s complaints? I know you would like to keep working on the carriage house, but we REALLY want you to get back to the main house so you can finally move in!
Ooh, this is so very, very, very, very exciting! I will be back in Emporia soon and I can’t wait to drive by and ogle all the changes!*
* And I will be bringing my husband on this trip. So: if the planets align, you might get to meet my “alleged husband”!
I really like the new location of the front door. Great progress!
I just noticed it does not appear the old door location was aligned with the center of the turret. That really bothers me, wow. The new door location continues to grow on me.