Oli hasn’t quite gotten used to the new, big window. He still goes to the small sidelight to look out! Silly puppy.
Tag: Front Door
New Front Doors Installed!
It has been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. Bill was able to come up yesterday to install the new front door and the screen/storm door. It wasn’t all easy going, we ran into a couple of problems, but Bill was able to make everything work. Now we just have to do some touch-ups, and it will be perfect.
Also, some cleaning. Bill made lots of sawdust, and the glass needs a serious cleaning. It still has lots of sticky residue from the stripper, the stain, and the finish.
Oh, and Oliver is enjoying the breeze coming in through the screen door.
Jack was Back
Jack delivered something today. Do you know what it was? A couple of somethings, really. And I’ve been waiting since February. Can you remember back that far?
That’s right! Doors!
The storm door/screen door frame, along with the screen inset and the storm inset, and the actual new old front door.
I called Bill as soon as Jack left this morning, and asked him when he might be able to get them hung. He said he’d try to squeeze it in this week, but he wasn’t sure. Next week he’s on vacation. But I think Bill knows how excited I am to see this finished, so I think he’ll get here as soon as he can.
Jack is not happy with the way the rest of the frame around the front door is weathering, so he said he will come back after Bill has hung the new doors. This way Jack can finish anything Bill needs to trim, and give the whole thing a new coat of finish. Something more durable. I honestly think this is really terriffic of Jack, I mean I know we are paying him for this project, and I think his price is quite reasonable, but I’m impressed he’s willing to fix a problem that was made by someone else.
The door trim seems to be getting lighter and the wood is looking awfully dry. I’m not sure why, because it is under the porch, mostly protected from the elements. It gets the sun only early in the morning, and is in shadow by 10 AM. I suspect it didn’t recieve the proper finish coat for an exterior. I mean, it has only been like three years. Seriously.
But don’t worry, Jack is going to fix it.
Time Of The [re]Turning
Okay, we are back. It has been a rough winter, but spring is finally here. I have been fighting the winter doldrums since November, and it finally got the better of me. But with the sunshine and the temperatures warming, I’m feeling more normal every day.
There hasn’t been much to report on the house, Jack did come and collect the front door, and the new screen door/storm door, but I know he is busy, so I don’t know what stage they are at right now. I hope to have the new doors in place in time to enjoy the screen door this spring. We’ll see.
Last week we pulled that ugly shrub in front of the porch. I’m so glad to see it go. The new grass is beginning to make an appearance, and I’m planning what type of small, ornamental tree I would like in that spot.
I’ve always loved purple-leaf plum trees, but I’m hesitant because of the plum-pox virus. Although it has now been almost completely lifted for almost the whole original quarantine area in South-Central Pennsylvania, and it was never actually restricted in my township, I’m still not sure it is responsible of me to plant one. So, I’m not sure what else to plant.
It is a tough spot, right between the porch and the sidewalk. I don’t want the roots to interfere with the foundation of the house, or to cause the sidewalk to buckle. I don’t want something that is going to drop fruit on the porch or sidewalk, making stains. Or worse, having berries the birds will eat, then drop their berry-colored poop all over my car. Also, I have to keep it to a short tree because of powerlines that run right above the sidewalk, parallel to the house. But I want something to shade the front porch a bit. And I want something with dark purple foliage, to contrast nicely with the green siding. What else fits that bill?
Front Door Project: the Abrasive Story
Mom and I worked on the door a bit more the other day because the weather was nice. After an application of chemical stripper, much patient, diligent scrubbing with stiff bristled brushes (mom) and whining, stomping, and a hasty once-over scrub (me), I declared we were done with the stripper. I’ve had enough of this project. Remind me to thank my grandfather for thinning his paint and applying it in so many tissue thin layers.
We pulled out the big guns.
Now we were finally seeing some results. I started with 60 grit on the orbital sander, then moved to 100 grit. Mom played around with her new 3D sander, which has three small rotating discs that flex; nice if you are working on something curved. Think men’s electric razor. I guess I should have snapped a picture of it in action, but we were both tired by then.
The sanders made pretty quick work of those last two stubborn layers. Makes me wonder if we shouldn’t have broken out the sanders earlier in the game. 
We flipped the door and gave the other side a quick wipe down with the denatured alcohol. For some reason I had it in my head that there was shellac on this side, not sure why. Turns out that’s not the case, so all the denatured alcohol did was take off the top layer of dirt. I’ll let Jack worry about what to do here.
Speaking of Jack, we expect him to pay us a visit any day now. He’ll come and pick up the “new” front door, and the shiny new storm/screen door. Jack will take them back to his workshop, do his magic and when he returns them they’ll both match in color and both look shiny new. I’m not sure exactly how he’ll get the stained side to match, or anything about his process, but quite frankly at this point I don’t care, just so long as someone else takes this project off my hands. Mom and I have done as much as we have the skills and patience for. Now it is up to Jack. I’m sure I won’t feel as surly about the front door by the time it is returned to us, so maybe I’ll ask Jack about his process. Then I can share that part of the saga with all of you.
p.s. for my friends and family who only read my blog to see pictures of Oliver, sorry to disappoint today, but chemicals, power tools, and puppies don’t mix.
Green Bungalow Craftworks 