So where were we?
Ah, yes, the façade. The epic project to end all projects.
To recap: scaffold went up, and we had 28 days to strip. On day 29, the scaffolding turned into a pumpkin and went on to a different job site.
Façade
Black Doors
Things have been a bit sluggish over the past few months, but a few projects did get crossed off the list. First up: front doors.
The doors are not original, but they are close enough. The previous owner installed these and overall, we’re really happy with them. They are a close match to what the original doors looked like. The problem was the finish – or lack thereof. Our house has southern exposure and it gets quite a bit of morning sun, which was unkind to the varnish.
Here is a before/during shot (of course I forgot to that a proper before photo). Both sides used to look like the one of the left.
Removing the finish (with ZipStrip)
Once free of the varnish (and whatever else coated the door), we gave it a light sanding and filled in some holes with putty.
The wood was quite damaged in some spots, and we decided it would be better to paint rather than stain it. We decided on black with just a tad of shine (which is a fun thing to go buy at the Benjamin Moore paint store).
– You just want black?
– Yes.
– We have this new onyx color that has a little bit of gray…
– No thanks. Just black.
Anyway, here is what it looked like with one coat of paint:
And this is what the doors look in place. Of course, we forgot to paint the outside of the trim holding the glass. We also learned that entry door hardware is absurdly expensive (particularly the period appropriate kind I want), so the full makeover of the door will have to wait a little longer. Considering I’ve been slacking on the façade job, pretty sure no one will notice the unpainted trim…
Update-ish
With the weather getting cooler stupid cold, the work outside has slowed stopped. October/November were not particularly productive because work (as in we need to fund this restoration by actually working) got in the way. Here is where we left things off:
The garden level is mostly done, but there are still some stubborn patches, primarily where the stone is deteriorating. It’s particularly bad where there are patches on the brownstone. I have yet to find a good method of removing paint from cement (at least I think it’s cement – I can’t tell for sure since it’s covered in paint).
Not surprisingly, we are STILL waiting for estimates from the contractors for the stripping and repairing of the brownstone. Somehow, I have a feeling I’m in this for the long haul and I best get cracking and learn how to patch the stone myself.
