Peeling away Layers

Expect the Unexpected

Five months in from beginning phase 2 and time is flying by us. It's the end of March...MARCH, spring is here. We had hoped to have our kitchen installed by now, but like many of the DIY projects, they always take longer than planned. 

We have found side jobs and extra projects hidden behind every wall.  These are huge inconveniences, and time suckers, but every improvement we make to this home will make it better in the long run.  Hell, she's been standing since the early 1800's, maybe our fixes will give her another century sturdy and sound. 

Let's look at the ceiling project, what we found, and how we fixed it.

Exposing Beam

Our idea to expose structural beam came from 2 areas in the house, 

1. The bathroom (which has exposed beams already and a higher ceiling)
2. The pantry which exposed the extra space between the 1st & 2nd floor addition

After pulling the ceiling down, we uncovered 2 unexpected problems

1. 2 floor beams missing from the kitchen and 1 broken/spliced beam
2. A support beam not supported by anything between the living room and dining room

Problem #1

(see top of photo) There should be 4 beams going across the kitchen to the pantry.
(the 1st beam is scabbed together, the 2nd is good, then nothing :(...  )

Problem #2 

This notched piece is not supposed to be visible???
Me: Um, Don...what's holding this beam up?
(this picture was taken after Don had cut it square for repair)

Scared that the house may fall in...
We came up with a fix-it solution real fast

Problem #3
We have really old beams mixed with brand new ones. 

Time to get creative...
This is how we masked our new beams to blend with the old. 

1. 2 Stain colors 1 dark and 1 lighter (I used ebony and walnut)
2. Small paintbrush for dark accent stain
3. Hammer 
4. Nails to make holes and marks
5. Hatchet
6. Sandpaper
7. 2 clean rags, one to apply overall stain and 1 rag to wipe off the extra 
8. Chemical resistant gloves

We're going to beat the hell out of these new beams and make them look old.




Don't be scared

• Use the hatchet to make cuts on the sides and ruff up the square edges
• Hammer to make dents and pound down some of the cuts
• Make nail holes all over
• 100 grit sandpaper will smooth off the splinters

Our beams were really old and dark. the edges were smooth with age and drying over the years.  

Here's a side story about a gathering gone awry right in this house. This story has been passed down from one owner to the next over the years.  
There was a party....  conversations between host and guests must have turned to remodeling.  (see, between the livingroom and dining room there were the walls of a small parlor)  After consuming so much creativity they tore down the walls, that very night, between the two spaces making it one.  
The next morning when hosts woke up and came downstairs they had no idea what had taken place or how their little cocktail party turned into a demo party.  
Hmmm, wonder what made them soooo creative? Must have been a fun party.

Now back to the task 

• Use a small brush to apply the dark stain on the edges, and dented spots and cuts.  (I used this same technique with the overhead beams)
   
• Use the lighter stain over the whole beam.

Finished  

Beam in the works

Beams Up...Count em' 5 beams, all a little different, but they look Awesome!
Ready for the ceiling to go in now

Yes! The ceiling is starting to go up (this is the dining room looking towards the kitchen).  

Next I'll should some other small project we have undertaken and hint at more projects to come. 


Later Lulu