De-EEKING the NE Corner
The NE corner of the Cross House was in TERRIBLE condition.
Really shocking. In addition to all the EEK issues, there were three AC condensers huddled around the NE corner, causing additional blight. Note shed roof to left.
The beginning of the de-EEKING. AC condensers still huddling.
The non-original shed to the basement was removed by Jeremy. See, too, all the electrical to the left? Bit by bit all that is being removed, and transferred to the basement as part of the de-EEKING process.
Shed gone. The angled basement entrance is original, and will once again have those cool doors where the white plastic is now.
Rotted siding now gone, too, along with the rotted sill.
I had the AC condensers removed and stored. The plan is to reinstall them a bit remote from the house, behind a fence. Their electrical and copper lines will be buried.
The non-original “red” door was removed, and Justin is hard at work also replacing termite-damaged framing. The basement window has been restored. I live for micro improvements. So, BEFORE, and…
…AFTER. The lost window frame has been recreated, a new water-table installed (the way cool bottom trim), the whole wall resided, and the restored stained-glass transom reinstalled.
Again, the BEFORE…
…and AFTER!
The very eek BEFORE, and…
…AFTER. Whoee!!!!!!!
The NE corner has a really unattractive fence around it. Image from 2012.
This year the NE corner will be fully de-EEKED. The siding- and trim-work is all completed, and I am working on the painting. The AC condensers have been removed. The electrical array on the back porch is being removed. And, soon, what was the least attractive part of the exterior will actually be quite beautiful. I am LIVING for the day when the fence comes down.
13 Comments
Leave a Comment
Your email address will NEVER be made public or shared, and you may use a screen name if you wish.
Remarkable improvement indeed!
From Eeeek to Eeeeemazing!
That made me laugh!
fantastic! I have to ask though… by the time you’re done painting that mammoth of a house, isn’t it going to be time to repaint it as well?
I am using Never Ever Ever Wear Magic Paint™.
Guaranteed to last till the end of time.
Bwaahaahaaa! I gotta get me some of that paint! 🙂
You first need a magic wand…
Ross, I like your paint choices. I love magic paint . . seriously though. I’m not familiar with outside basement doors. I suppose there is a security door that’s floor to ceiling level in basement. Is there an inside door to the basement. As an Architect explain the reasoning behind it. If your log has stated previously please forgive me.
I will be installing basement doors something like this.
Love love love all the de-EEK-ing! You are making tremendous progress. NE corner is amazing!!!!
I love the cellar doors–like olden days when outside and could zoom to the cellar during a tornado.
I love the downstairs round window. Did the 2nd floor round window have the same decorative insert? I like matchy-matchy.
Yes. The second sash will be restored this year.
Me, too, like matchy-matchy!
More Jeremy!!
Hi, I have an idea which is very bad. It may not be allowed because the Cross house is a landmark building; also I love your kitchen plan in progress already. Really, I should not even mention this idea because it would change the footprint of the house and is so awful. But, I have a project due and so I am thinking about this instead of working on it: … have you ever considered installing an exterior wall on the east side to enclose the porch and increase the s.f. of the kitchen? I know I know, this is a BAD idea, probably comes from living in 2017 and seeing walls removed here and there for no good reason except to create vast echoing chambers of poor boundary living. But… looking at the lines and volumes of the east facade of the house, it does not have the same rhythm and beauty as the other facades. Imagining this wall as one flat wall does not seem like a crime against the utilitarian design of the east exterior… or maybe it does. I can’t decide. But… it could be interesting to play with the kitchen layout possibilities if this wall were continuous — maybe the breakfast nook could lose the adjacent wall … oh, just awful, I know there are a thousand excellent reasons involving the historical narrative which this idea would not honor. Truly terrible!