Getting the Stains off the Glass

Water and a wet rag took the window from this:

to this:

The principle at work is to start mild and then use increasingly heavier cleaners only as needed.  I really wanted to see what wonders the #0000 steel wool would do to it, but we don't have time for me to be picky.  It does look better than it did, anyway, and that's good enough for now.

I Can See Clearly Now

The stuff on the window panes refused to go quietly with a razor blade, so I did some research.  A professional window cleaner on the internet recommends using #0000 steel wool in cases like this.

Boy, does he know what he's talking about.

(That's not a crack you see in the window; it's the arched window resting with the rest of the windows that don't have cracks.  *sigh*)

Now I'll have to ask someone like him about the best way to safely clean stained glass windows.

Not Framed: I Really Did It

The height of the windows from the inside is one thing.  The height from outside is just a little bit more.  Look carefully, and a small person in navy blue should be visible next to that red space elevator leaning against the building.  Near the top of that ladder is where I've spent two of my recent afternoons.

In preparation for winter and to protect the wood storm window frames and trim from its effects, I've been scraping out old glazing and paint while trying to balance comfortably on the narrow ladder rungs.

The view from there isn't always pretty, either:

What is that cloudy stuff on the inside of the glass?!  I don't know, but I really didn't want to leave it there.  We hadn't been planning to take the storm windows down, and Paul was reluctant to undertake that project, even though it would be the only way to clean it up.  What to do?  Leave it there to spoil the look of the freshly painted windows?  Or spend a lot more time on each window than we'd originally thought?

The answer came in a way I would have rathered it didn't:

Yes, that's a crack.  I applied to much force on the putty knife in trying to get out that old, stubborn, dried-out glazing, and I cracked the glass.  Argh.

Long story short, Paul climbed the ladder to take a look at the situation and began taking out the panes of glass.  Now I'm cleaning the windows (I still don't know what that stuff is, and it's awfully stubborn about coming off!), and he's being more particular about removing the old paint from the wooden frame.

It would seem that to do the job right we can't just paint the weathered wood; because of its age and condition we need a wood restoring product that will allow the paint to properly adhere for years to come.

It's not that I don't like hanging out with a paint scraper in the upper strata of the troposphere, but I'd really prefer to do the job right the first time and do something more enjoyable a second time.

Wouldn't you?

Reverse Shopping

Praise God for Spring Cleanup Day! Getting ready for this special trash pickup on Monday has been so fun! It's like shopping in reverse:

"I don't want that one, or that one. I certainly don't want THAT one OR that one!"

And then I get what I really want: less of the previous owner's life and more room for ours.

YAY!

Where There's Smoke...

The wind calm, Robin and I took charge of the burn pile. Mounds of leaves and bits of other burnable junk all waited their turn, and to make a fire strong enough to withstand their frosty moisture, I dragged over a couple of the leave-behind beams, once salvaged from a collapsing homestead somewhere, now rotting in rows in the side yard, and added them to the pyre.

We knocked a pretty big chunk out of the collection of yard junk and even used some of the outdoor time to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate together. We would have done more, perhaps, but we've been sternly cautioned about the noxious nature of sumac, so we left it alone. For now.

The Gift of Service That Just Keeps Giving

I don't remember us ever really asking for Kevin's help. He just brings John and starts to work. And he keeps coming back to work.

Sometimes he brings his wife, and then I don't work. I don't plan it that way; it just happens like that.

No More Crying over this Room

A cry room, perhaps? Of all the possibilities we've entertained, that seems the most likely. Regardless, it was an impractical eyesore, and it had to go.




So did the red carpeting. Next: the remaining tan and beige linoleum laid in a basket weave pattern.

Trash and Treasure

When we first looked at the property, the nave looked like a flea market booth, and it still looked like a flea market booth when we came home to it after closing. Countless wooden chairs in all states of disrepair leaned against each other for support. Unnumbered wooden floor boards lay quietly behind piles of mismatched molding. Supposedly original pews sat religiously upright in the front of the church. Armies of old wooden doors stood at ease against a tacked-on room in the corner.

We knew there was only one thing to do: call our handyman friend to see if he thought he might make some treasures out of the trash that the owner had left behind. He drove off with quite a load, and we're grateful. Thanks, Kevin! We look forward to seeing your finished projects!

As it turns out, we're keeping the floor boards for our custom-made office counters. That alone will save us a lot of money down the line. We're keeping the chairs that have all their pieces, while some of the orphaned chair backs will become towel racks in the bathroom and kitchen, and the dresser with unrepairable drawers will become our bathroom vanity. So all those extras really are a blessing.

Is anyone interested in a couple of ugly lamps?