This is the place right after I got it. The PO did all she could to keep it nice but just didn't have the wherewithal to keep up with the upkeep. Another year and it would have been past saving. The most recent big project around here is getting the old gal painted and the pile of rotten or otherwise scurvy wood replaced before it falls in the hole. Of particular concern are the a) fascia boards and the b) front porch windows. The fascia boards are half done. Remaining are the two six-footers on the front porch and the two foot section on the southeast corner. The windows on the porch are another pot of socks. On the main house the storms took the brunt of punishment for the house, and the windows turned out pretty good, but the porch has no storms, or rather the windows are
all storms, and used as the regular window. There are three that are needing help like yesterday.
Each time I do work on this place I gain more respect for whomever built it. The porch windows came out easily, and looked as though they were designed to replace with a minimum of fight and fuss. My neighbour and I had all three windows out in five minutes. Two are repairable, one had the pickle. When a local glass man sold his shop I snagged some old wood storms from him, and one fit, with the addition of a chunk of 5/8" to the bottom. Primed and in, you wouldn't ever know it was replaced. The other two will get the bottom inch cut off and a piece added to combat the decay in their corners. The sill is 1 5/8" thick and 8" deep, and had some rot in it. We couldn't get it removed without a pile of misery, and the bad spot didn't have to bear any weight, so we primed hell out of it and put an aluminum skin over it.
The sash were then glazed and primed, and put back in. The glazing was soupy and wanted to stick to the putty knife-we had a hell of a time keeping it on the window and off of the blade. Next time I am putting the tub in the ice box a few hours before I start in glazing.
Next up, staining and refinishing the porch door. Yippie.
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