Category Archives: SMALL HOUSES

SLOW SUMMER PROGRESS

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While we’ve had a relatively mild summer, the heat still can limit the amount of time one works outdoors. Regardless, we’ve made good progress on various bits and pieces around Crockett Street.

The rotting wood porches that we originally thought we could repair were simply demolished. The rot was so extensive that while dismantling it we discovered that no part of the east and west porches predated the 1960’s! The east porch concrete slab was most likely poured in the 1960’s during a remodel, and the main wood structure dates from the mid- to late 1960’s as proven by the wood stamps. The eaves and trims were from the late 1990’s.  We opted to demolish all of this and will rebuild it with properly sized structural members using historic photos to guide us.

PORCH CONC 2  PORCH CONC

PORCH ROT  PORCH 3

Below 6” of topsoil we found another poured concrete slab that might’ve been installed to protect the foundation from rainwater.  This was probably installed during the 1920’s when there was a garage on this side of the house.

SLAB 2  SLAB

One of the most important repairs made in the late spring / early summer was the reconstruction of all of the roof cornices. For years the cornices rebuilt in the late 1990’s had failed resulting in rainwater rushing down the 12:12 roof and pouring down the exterior walls. The water damage as a result has been pretty bad but luckily, repairable.

PORCH ROT 2

Repaired roof and new cornices throughout!  Even the front canopy got a new eave!

SOUTH ELEV  CORNICE NE

We’re getting our act together indoors as well! It might not look like it, but this is proto-bathroom and proto-kitchen.

PROTO BATH  PROTO KITCHEN

Reviewing an awkward front entry.

FRONT DOOR

We’ve owned the Crockett Street House for 18 months and have been working on it since April 2013.  Although much of the heavy lifting has been done, the house is still in the ugly duckling stage.

BUT  – – there is light at the end of the tunnel!  What few rooms there are, they’re beginning to feel like places that will support our living plans quite nicely.