Thursday, May 7, 2009

Small Steps

One of the FIRST items on our "to-do" list was to address the rotted shingle siding on the two small attic dormers of the house. The previous owner, for some unknown reason, decided NOT to have these replaced prior to sell. We did our best to confirm that there was no leaking or severe rot in these areas and began to research replacing / rehabbing these spots.

Of course, the purist in me wanted to replace the old cedar-shake siding with a matched material type, which would require standard wood siding maintenance( painting and such ). The location the third floor dormers are a tough one to reach, even for experienced contractors, which I am NOT. So research of an alternative material began. Certain Teed has a very high quality polymer "Cedar Impressions" siding which, when employed properly, I think looks very nice. Given the amount of siding being replaced, the location of the siding and the subsequent maintenance ( or lack thereof ), we opted for the Cedar Impressions product. The cost for our job was about the same or a little less than if we used pre-treated cedar siding. We also decided to provide a slight color accent to these dormers; nothing extreme, yet we have been begun to replace and add planter boxes to the house which are painted in a dark blue/ gray. The new dormer color relates to this accent color and we are VERY happy with the results!


Here are some shots of the dormers BEFORE.. notice the lack of color and wood rot on the siding, trim and window sills. Also note the odd purple flower boxes with the fake flowers at the front entry ( this shot was taken in early December, the PRIME blooming season for vinyl florescent plants )





Now the after shots... New dormer siding, trim and soffits. We also opted on a bit darker, blue / gray accent color, to correspond with the new painted flower boxes. Three boxes are going to be added to the second floor porch this weekend ( we hope )



We also replaced the dining room light with what we are calling a " house appropriate" light fixture, one that is more along the lines of a craftsman style home. The upgrade in our mind is a great improvement to the already impressive dining room. MUCH thanks to Moms and Pops who were in town for a visit and helped in selecting and installing the fixture.


The old fixture in all its glory!!! ( We still love all the natural light that we get in this room the majority of the day )


And now the new fixture. A bit more appropriate to the style of the home and interior.

We are also planting, seeding and cleaning the small landscape... and we are in DESPERATE need of a lawn mower, though Bella Mockadore seems to have no problem eating the grass we do have.
Lastly, as stated in an earlier post, we still may attack the downstairs bathroom prior to the big Trifecta Party in mid-May.. yes.. we are a little crazy in our tasks.