A face only a mother could love

I always knew this, but I'm realizing anew that it really does take a special kind of person to own/restore an old house. Do you honestly know many people who could be excited about walls that look like this:

I have plaster! (somewhere...)

It didn't feel much like Halloween yesterday, probably because I can't really do anything to celebrate. How can you when you're at work (and at a job that absoloutely requires a uniform...)? We didn't even bother to decorate, what with the wallpaper project and all. I was hoping to put a few things up for fall in general, but there's really nowhere to hang or put things where they won't be in the way.

All things considered, the wallpaper removal is going well. It's much more time-consuming that I had anticipated, but I'm very pleased with the progress. Last night I finished the front wall of the living room. It was probably the most difficult wall, since it has a set of windows as well as the front door. Until my next 3 days off, I can only work on the wallpaper before and after work, so progressis slower than I would like. There seems to be 3 layers of paper, then a layer of painted paper over the plaster. The first layer came off very easily, but after that, it's all scraping and peeling after wetting it down. I'm laving the final, painted layer of paper on for now, since the plaster underneath is "naked". I was expecting ugly, cracked, patched plaster after feeling all the bumps and uneveness under the wallpaper, but our plaster managed to surprise me. It's actually in very good shape. There are cracks, of course, but that's really about all. Except for the fact that it's missing its finish coat. This was done to save money and time, and I've heard that it's fairly common. Only, instead of painting, it was papered, which was more popular at the time, but has caused a snafu in our plans. The final layer of paper is VERY stuck to the plaster, and I have no idea how to get it off. I'm afraid to use chemicals, since the plaster is porus, and I'm afraid the primer won't stick to it if we do that. I don't want to scrape too much, because of the sandy texture. It's much softer than a finish coat, and I'm afraid it will just come off the wall. It will look nice once we paint it, judging from the upstairs closet that was painted, but I have no clue how to get that last layer off. Here's a pic of the painted paper with the plaster showing underneath:The picture doesn't show it too well, but there is sand and horsehair right on the top layer. it's actually very interesting to look at.

Funny thing: I thought that the wallpaper was up because the plaster was in horrible shape. It's great to know that the plaster is fine, just kind of unfinished! :)

Next step: remove the baseboards and window/door trim. Get that danged paper off the walls, and start stripping the woodwork. The ceiling tiles will also come down and we'll deal with whatever is under there. at the same time, we'll also pull up the carpet. It's helping to keep the dust down right now, but it really has to go. We'll then paint the walls and ceiling and have the floors refinished. It's exciting to make progress, no matter how small!

Ode to the wallpaper

I have official spousal permission to start tearing down wallpaper...! I've decided to start in the living room, since that's one of the most often seen/used rooms. I'm really nervous about the whole thing (what if the wallpaper brings the walls down with it??), but it has to be done, and there's no time like the present! Plus, it's one of the least cost-intensive things we can do that will have a big impact on the house. And... once the wallpaper is down, we can bring up the carpet and have the floors refinished. So it might start looking like an old house instead of a 70s remodel gone bad. Before the floors will be the ceiling tiles, and that will probably be the hardest part. For one, I'll be working on a ladder the whole time. Plus, the adhesive left behind will need to be warmed with a heat gun, then scraped off (can you say labor-intensive??). Then, you have to figure that they covered the ceiling for a reason. Like maybe that it's falling down and cracked and scary. So it will need to be fixed. As much as I'm hoping to find beautiful, intact, plastered ceilings, I'm really not counting on it. At all.

I think one of the reasons I'm so worried is that right now, as much as I hate the "decor", the house is intact. There are no cracks, holes, dust, dirt, or anything that would lead you to believe that this house is in need of repair. Sure there's ugly wallpaper and carpet, but it's liveable. I don't have to dread people coming over because the house looks like a home. When we start messing with stuff, it will usher in at least 5 years (and probably more like a decade) of work. And even though the work will result in our house becoming a restored home, we'll have to live in it during the transition. Which will mean dust, power tools, extension cords, displaced furniture, dust, scary walls, lead paint, dirt, dust, and disorder. I, unlike Shayne, have never lived in a disorganized home under construction. I'm afraid of getting in way over my head with a project I have no hope of completing without professional help, and having to live in self-imposed chaos for longer than I can stand. And this is about 99% likely to happen. We will uncover something scary, ugly, and expensive to fix. That's what happens when you disturb the status quo. It's not that there aren't things wrong with the house, it's just that you can't see them. So we don't have to deal with them. And even though I know we're financially prepared to deal with plaster issues, I'm afraid that whatever I find under those layers of wallpaper will scare me out of wanting to restore our house. Or any houses in the future.

Logically, I know this isn't true. I've worked on old building before, scraping paint off of Frank Llyod Wright tiled windows, sweeping up 40 years of plaster and dust, scraping paint out of plaster-cast moldings with a dental pick, and stripping 7 layers of laytex and lead paint off of woodwork... And I love it.
But I've never had to live in it.

For me, the wallpaper is symbolic. It's the first step of a journey into the unknown. It's the first layer to uncovering the beautiful home that's underneath the paneling, wallpaper, carpet, and remuddling. Once the first strip of wallpaper comes down, the house will no longer be finished, and it will usher in the begining of the restoration. And as scared as I am, I can't wait to see the house that will be revealed as we peel off the layers of ugliness that have encased it. Besides, this house is 80 years old. Nothing I can do to it can be any worse that what it's already seen.

How wrong is this?!

I want to replace the heat vents upstairs with ones that match the originals in the spare room and living room. Problem: They're expensive! See Exhibit A. Not only are they $45 a piece, but that's for broken ones!

"Continuity" Question: What is a period-appropriate replacement for bi-fold closet doors? Granted, we will be replacing the walls that both closet doors are located on, but the space is too narrow to make a single-door walk-in closet. I don't mind the idea of a curtain, but I don't think Shayne will go for it.

Yes, I'm lazy...

But the truth is, we just don't have anything to report. Saving up money to begin a project seems to take forever!! I need to remind myself that We're not on a time schedule, and that there's no rush. The gawd-awful wallpaper will still be here in December... Plus, as you live with things, you tend to get used to them. I hardly even see the ceiling tiles and paneling anymore. And the 70s carpet? Not an issue. I still want it gone, but it doesn't seem as pressing as it did 3 months ago.

In addition, we now hae 2 new things to worry about. First item: the little extension that connects the original garage (now workshop) to the new garage leaks. A LOT. The wood is rotten, and we're desperately hoping it will last til spring. We plan on retarring the roofm which is unfortunately flat, but are unsure how to do it, since we don't think it will support our weight. It's only about 3 feet wide and 7 feet long, but it's making a mess every time it rains.

Problem #2: Our garage is infested with squirrels. They're tearing out the insulation and making a mess. We can hear them running in the rafters over our heads when we pull in at night. We thought about trapping and releasing them, but Shayne read that they can find their way home from over 25 miles away. And we thought about trapping them to kill them, but that doesn't really solve the problem of them getting in. We have no idea how or where, so others might move in even if we kill the ones that are there.

Oh, the joys of living int he country...