August 2026 – Herzog Mansion

We recently finished the porch bay ceiling, including crown molding, batten strips, and fresh Haint Blue paint. We’ve been documenting our progress on our Facebook page, but we wanted to provide a more detailed write-up here on the blog.

This is a particularly meaningful project to close out, since it was one of the first trouble areas we tackled when we made the Herzog our home in late 2019. We replaced the flat roof above and the ceiling below, but the finish work took a back seat.

Before digging in, a quick before and after:

Roof

The first step was replacing the flat roof over this bay. The existing flat roof appeared to consist of an older, basic asphalt or rolled-roofing membrane that had reached the end of its useful life and had failed. Our roofing contractor removed the old roofing and decking, sistered the existing roof joists with new lumber to reinforce the framing and improve the slope for better drainage, and then installed the new roof assembly. The replacement was a CertainTeed Flintlastic self-adhered modified-bitumen system using Flintlastic SA PlyBase and SA Cap materials. Purpose-built for flat and low-slope roofs, the new assembly provides a much more durable, weather-resistant waterproofing system.

Ceiling

Next up was replacing the old ceiling. We’ve gotten much better at capturing progress photos over the years. The photos below came from our security camera and show me pulling down the old ceiling.

Here’s a photo showing a sample of the old ceiling against the new wood replacement.

Next came the electrical prep, followed by hanging the new ceiling.

The light fixtures were installed, and we painted the remainder of the porch. The finish work took a back seat. Let’s hop into the time machine and leap from 2020 to 2026. Here’s where we’re starting today:

The goal is to cover up all of the gaps, which calls for crown molding for the perimeter and batten strips for the seams.

When we were having the millwork produced in 2022 for the historic upper cornice, we decided to have enough produced to install as a crown in the porch bay area. This is a hardwood called Sapele and it’s an absolute joy to work with:

Crown

The first step is to cut and dry-fit the crown. When we saw that beautiful Sapele in place, it was tough to paint it. We did wrestle with the idea of trying to keep the natural wood but it simply didn’t work.

Once the crown was dry-fitted, the nail holes were filled. Then the crown was primed, caulked, and painted with two coats.

Batten Strips

Now that the crown is mostly done, the final task is installing the batten strips for the ceiling seams. Similar process to the crown: dry fit, fill holes, sand, caulk, and paint. While we were at it, we cleaned and gave the ceiling a fresh coat of Haint Blue.

Finishing

With everything sealed and painted, the last step was truly satisfying: the final coat of paint.

There we have it. A finished project. Now, just 9,999 more to go!

When we made the Herzog Mansion home in 2019, the south side was in rough shape. One family member took a look and said, “I’d have nightmares.” He was right. I’ve had a few.

Built in the 1980s, this all-wood addition takes a beating from the Missouri sun. Many owners might have replaced it with vinyl, but we’re committed to restoration.

The first step is repairing the rot. We’re replacing larger sections of trim with treated wood and restoring what we can with Abatron WoodEpox. Then comes primer, caulk, and two coats of paint.

One goal of this post is to show that even intimidating wood rot can be repaired. Keeping it from returning requires the right materials, sound techniques, and a little maintenance each spring.

Here’s a peek at what we’re tackling in this blog post:

This corner is a patchwork jigsaw that needs a total replacement.

On the left, the wood rot has been removed and is being prepped for patching.

A snapshot of time before caulk, primer, etc.

But first, a word from our sponsor…

Just kidding, though it sure would be nice! 😅

We’ll talk more about Abatron and why we use its products as we get further into the restoration.

First up is the south-side trim where the porch roof meets the siding. As you can see, it was in rough shape.

The real problem was the flat-roof transition, which had effectively become a waterfall. Every time it rained, water ran down the trim and fed the rot. Before repairing any wood, we installed flashing to redirect the water away from the trim and where it needed to go.

Tackling this much wood rot takes planning. Here, we’re replacing the worst sections of trim with treated lumber and patching what can still be saved. Then comes scraping, sanding, priming, caulking, and painting.

And, if we’re being honest, more scraping and sanding, followed by more scraping and sanding. You get the idea.

Notice a slight shininess around the wood rot, that’s the LiquidWood

I don’t think this side of the house had been painted in 20 years. The siding soaked up paint like a sponge. For now, the priority is getting this side of the house watertight. We’ll tackle the staircase as a separate project.

With the south-side wood rot repaired and the siding painted, we turned our attention to the southeast side.

We’re making our way around to the southeast side. Next up are the windows, and there’s plenty of wood rot to address.

These windows and the exhaust vent are good examples of where the Abatron system shines. Instead of replacing the damaged wood entirely, we can stabilize what remains and rebuild the missing sections.

I came across Abatron while researching wood-repair methods used in historic preservation. National Park Service guidance recognizes epoxy consolidants and fillers as useful tools for repairing deteriorated historic wood. According to Abatron, its wood-restoration products have been used at prominent historic sites, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Monticello.

The system has two primary products: LiquidWood and WoodEpox. LiquidWood is a penetrating epoxy consolidant that hardens deteriorated wood and creates a stable base for the repair. WoodEpox is a two-part structural epoxy wood filler that contains no solvents. It bonds chemically to the original timber and cures without shrinking, creating a durable repair rather than simply filling the surface. Once cured, it can be shaped, sanded, drilled, and painted.

Because the replacement wood is pressure-treated, we’ll give it time to dry before priming and painting.

For now, the southern addition is watertight, the worst of the rot is behind us, and I may finally sleep a little easier. Fewer nightmares, at least.

Next, we’ll finish the new trim and turn our attention to the staircase, including the upper railing. Restoration never really ends. It simply moves on to the next challenge, which we hope is a little less severe.

Stay tuned.