Author: Michael Morgan

Categories
Renovation

Guest Bathroom Remodel – Part 1

We remodeled the main guest bathroom off the family room. By far, the toughest interior space we have tackled. As with many bathroom remodels, this project was plagued by surprises and difficult challenges. Let’s get into it.

Table Of Contents
  1. Background & Before Photos
  2. Subfloor Replacement
  3. Renovation
  4. Vanity
  5. Clawfoot Tub
  6. Summary

Here’s a quick snapshot at the before and progress:

Background & Before Photos

This is one of the two first-floor bathrooms. It’s part of the 1980s addition, which, when the house was a B&B, was used by the inkeeper. Today, the bathroom and connected bedroom are part of our primary family living area, right off the family room we remodeled a few years back. Prior to the remodel, definitely the most used bathroom in the entire house.

Of all the spaces in the house, this was in the worst shape. The floor was spent, the vanity was literally falling apart, the veneer on the lighting was peeling off, and there was a hole in the door for some unknown reason. The condition of the bathroom is consistent with how it was when we bought the house, and as it goes, took a back seat to much larger projects.

I’m sure there’s a story here from the previous owner. In a single photo, the motivation for the bathroom reno.

Subfloor Replacement

A closer look at the flooring revealed nothing was sealed. The baseboards, toilet, and beneath the pipe escutcheons were not caulked, allowing water to reach the subfloor.

So, first surprise, the subfloor needs to be replaced. Down to the floor joists we go!

Working through the layers, not liking what we’re finding
Oh, boy. That’s not good.
Removing the toilet flange and starting on the subfloor demo
Subfloor removed, next up is blocking, given that the subfloor was original to the addition
Blocking required on both the left and right side
Tight spaces required crawlspace access to fasten the blocking
Blocking done, next up is the new subfloor
AdvanTech is heavy! Next up is filling the screw holes and gaps

Renovation

With the subfloor construction behind us, it’s time to rebuild this bathroom. Since this is not a historic space and is part of the 1980s addition, we decided on a design fusion of historic and modern elements. The casing, bullseyes, and plinths are already Victorian-inspired. The clawfoot tub was manufactured somewhere in the 1920s. We chose a new vanity that is a nod to the home.

The twins chose the paint color. They wanted their “Pink Barbie” bathroom, and Alexandria designed around it. The new flooring is porcelain tile in a black and white pattern.

Three very excited little ones to see the paint!
Vanity arrived, taking a peek at it in the space
We’ve already replaced nine of these MDF laminated window sills, this makes ten
Before installing the casing and rosette bulleyes. There was wainscotting before, requiring some work to reintroduce.
Installed, holes filled and caulked, ready to be sanded and two coats of paint
Tile installed, next up is installing the four plinths and new baseboards
Time to for the plinths and baseboards to go in
With the floor raised, each plinth needed to be cut to size
The plinths go in first
Dry fit of the new baseboards
Plinths and baseboards installed, caulked and waiting for paint
Caulked the baseboards and plinths, along with two coats of paint

Vanity

We chose a Victorian-inspired vanity. Above is a quick mockup of the vanity and porcelain tile.

From an install standpoint, the vanity was tricky. It has claw feet, which, when placed against the baseboard, would create a 1/2 inch gap. We labored over how to solve this.

We did a lot of research, and everything pointed to removing the baseboard behind the vanity, which we did not want to do for various reasons, including: 1) A continuous look, 2) Sealing. Our argument is that the vanity represents “furniture”; why would you disrupt the baseboard to install furniture?

The final decision was to retrofit the clawfeet to provide enough clearance to allow the baseboard to run continuously around the vanity. We accomplished this by carefully removing a 1/2 inch of the back of the clawfoot.

The result is a flush and seamless install. It helps that we bought a baseboard that fits right under the clawfoot’s curve. Planning for the win! By the way, not that anybody is going to be looking at the backside of the feet, but look at that perfect paint match!

Clawfoot Tub

One of the few items to return to the remodeled bathroom was this gorgeous Victorian clawfoot tub. We have seven clawfoot tubs throughout the house, and it’s our understanding that we have the Birk’s to thank for them.

It’s hard to beat the beauty of an original clawfoot tub. The challenge in this space was the configuration. It was set up as a shower, and the curtain dominated the space (blocked a lovely window, too). We decided to do away with the shower curtain, which opens up the space. We replaced the fixture with a beautiful Victorian telephone faucet.

Alexandria took on the project of restoring the tub. The blue was out! We decided to go back to a classic white. We also cleaned up the clawfeet and copper drain pipe.

Summary

Nearly every facet of this bathroom was touched. It’s easier to list what wasn’t replaced: the casing, Victorian bullseye, and plinths, sheetrock, and tub. Everything else was replaced or refreshed, including the subfloor, new flooring, vanity, lighting, faucets, a TOTO toilet, light switches, outlets, etc. A new bathroom!

A common question we get is how many of these projects we do ourselves versus how many we contract out. There are several areas/domains we feel pretty confident in these days: finish carpentry, painting, restoration, plaster work, and electrical. When it was all said and done, the two areas we hired out were: plumbing and tile installation; we did the rest.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this bathroom remodel for all of the final touches! We also have a number of other projects coming to an end that we’re excited to share.

Until next time, The Morgan Family.

Categories
Restoration

Mansard Roof – Part 4: Upper Cornice

This is the fourth part of the mansard roof restoration. Check out Part 1: History & Planning to start from the beginning. The previous in the series is Part 3: Slating the Roof.

This post covers the upper roof line, including the crown molding and upper gutter. It also covers the radius hips and parapet ridge cap.

Table Of Contents
  1. Crown Molding
  2. Upper Gutter
  3. Conductor Heads
  4. Radius Hips
  5. Ridge Cap
  6. Conclusion

Crown Molding

The crown had seen better days and was one of the worse eye sores for the roof. As bad as it appeared, we were still surprised that it was original. During planning, we contemplated replacing it with copper for easier maintenance, given the difficulty of access. Once we learned it was, in fact, original, we shifted our mindset to replicating as close as possible.

Millwork

We spent months working with our team to reproduce the two-piece crown molding. The molding was very weathered. While we could determine the profile, the top and bottom angles were difficult. We worked with Wood Innovations of St. Louis to cut a custom knife to replicate the molding in Sapele lumber.

The crown and the tapered board it sits atop
Sketch of the new molding and angle

With the crown molding replicated, we turned our sights to replicate the lower board the crown sits atop. This piece is likened to roofing, given that it protrudes out beyond the refuge of the gutter. We chose Western Red Cedar, commonly used for roofing shakes and shingles. The boards were originally tapered by hand. The taper allowed the board to hover above the slate and not apply pressure to the slate during expansion-contraction. I replicated the taper by ripping the nine 16-foot boards vertically on the table saw. As expected, I spent more time creating and testing the jig than pushing the boards through.

oil Paint

We spent several weeks researching the best option for paint. We knew we did not want a typical exterior alkyd paint. The biggest fear is looking up and seeing cracking paint. This exterior wood trim gets some of the worse exposure to the elements. We decided on the Allbäck linseed oil paint system imported by Sage Restoration. We mixed in zinc oxide 20% by volume to protect against mildew.

Since we were starting with new wood, we began by impregnating it with raw linseed oil. From there, we painted four coats of linseed oil paint.

Impregnating the new wood with linseed oil before painting

Installation

There are some subtle differences with the installation, mostly seen with the blocks used for the conductor heads.

Upper Gutter

In the 1980s, the upper roof was built up with a steel standing seam and an aluminum gutter installed. The aluminum gutter was painted red. We replaced the aluminum with new copper gutters. The original drip edge was also covered.

More photos of the new upper gutter with the conductor heads next.

Conductor Heads

The roof originally had four conductor heads, and only one remained on the west side. The sheet metal crew masterfully reproduced the steel conductor heads in copper.

Originally, there were two conductor heads on the west side and one on the north and south sides. Here is an old photo showing the two conductors on the west side:

A photo from 1989 shows both of the conductor heads on the west side.

Here are the new conductor heads installed on the north, south, and west sides:

Northside
Southside
Westside

Radius Hips

The original hips were terne-coated steel and had been painted. The team replicated the radius hips using copper.

SE hip
NW hip
SW hip

Ridge Cap

Behind the parapet is a ridge that connects to the mansard. It turns out this was the source of an on-again-off-again leak. When the team went to replace the very rusted ridge cap, they found a board underneath that was barely hanging on. Originally, there was crown molding that sat right underneath the ridge cap. For better water management and long-term maintenance, we opted to use only copper for the ridge cap and omit the crown.

Conclusion

The next steps are working through the final punch list and removing the scaffolding. Stay tuned for a final recap with before and after photos!

Categories
Restoration

Mansard Roof – Part 3: Slating the Roof

Check out Part 1: History & Planning and Part 2: Architectural Built-in Gutters in our series covering the mansard roof restoration.

This post covers laying the slate, painting the barrel dormers, flashing, and the new skylight install.

Table Of Contents
  1. Slate
  2. Flashing & Vent
  3. Barrel Dormers
  4. Skylight
  5. Conclusion

Slate

With the architectural gutters brought back to life in Part 2, the next step is laying the slate. The goal is to match the original pattern as closely as possible.

We are using a Vermont S1-grade slate in unfading green, red, and Vermont black. Here is a photo comparing the original slate to the new slate:

Original compared to the new slate.

Slating the roof began on the north side, then the east, west, and finished on the south.

Cutting slate creates a fair amount of dust. We will see even more contrast between the different slate colors with a few good rain showers.

Flashing & Vent

With three chimneys and the parapet, there is a fair amount of flashing and counter flashing. An area that turned out more beautiful than expected was behind the parapet:

Work in progress on flashing behind the parapet.

The vent on the south side is a Lomanco Copper Exhaust Roof Louver (Model 750). Finding model 750 in copper was difficult, but from a maintenance standpoint, we are happy we tracked it down.

Lomanco Copper Exhaust Roof Louver (Model 750)

Most of the metal used throughout this project has been copper. The exceptions are aluminum for the skylight and for a drip edge for the upper roof line.

Barrel Dormers

The roof has three barrel dormers which are terne-coated steel. All three dormers are structurally sound but showing signs of rust. We aim to preserve as much of the original architectural elements as possible. Each dormer was cleaned, a base coat applied, and then several top coats. A Karnak elastomeric system was used, which is comprised of a cleaner, base, and finished coats.

Before photos of the barrel dormers.
After photos of the barrel dormers.

Skylight

The west side of the house had an aging skylight. The skylight was added sometime in the 1980s when the third floor was converted to four bedrooms. It is an important skylight, given that it is the emergency exit for the third floor and the only window for one of the four rooms.

Conclusion

With the slate laid, the next step is the upper roof line, radius hips, and parapet ridge cap.

Thank you for reading, Michael and Alexandria.

Categories
Restoration

Mansard Roof – Part 2: Architectural Built-in Gutters

Check out Part 1: History & Planning in our series covering the mansard roof restoration.

This post covers the rebuilding of the original architectural inlaid gutters that wrap the house at the lower cornice.

Before and after comparison
Table Of Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. Before
  3. Carpentry
  4. Copper Inlaid
  5. Downspouts
  6. After
  7. Conclusion

Introduction

The original gutters were covered, and a k-style gutter hung on the outside.

Proper water management is critical for any building. Back in the 1990s, the original built-in gutters were covered, and k-style gutters hung on the outside. There were two major issues:

  1. The south side was not finished, so water had been rushing over the decaying soffit/fascia/brick for decades.
  2. The k-style gutters were insufficient in moving the volume of water produced by the mansard. The original built-in gutters are much larger, the original architect decided drainage.

Before

Here are photos of each side of the house with the covered gutters in various conditions, with the south side being the worst:

East side
North side
South side
West side
Most of the galvanized steel had begun rusting.

The most challenging and concerning aspect of this project was “the south side ruins”. Here are close-up photos showing the state of the inlaid gutters:

Nightmarish

Carpentry

The team had to return to the rafters to bring the south side back to life. The rotted rafters were sistered to provide structure to build the new gutter boxes. Certainly, the biggest unknown going into the project.

We discovered that the outside of the gutter box had been trimmed to provide a slope for drainage of the galvanized metal covering into the k-style gutters. With this, a decorative piece was lost. Not only did the entire parameter of the gutter need to be increased in height, but the decorative trim needed to be added.

Mockup of the molding, ice & water shield, copper cleat, and gutter

Once the parameter framing was replaced, we turned our sights to the crown molding. We worked with Wood Innovations of St. Louis to produce the trim. We went with a hardwood, Sapele, and matched as close as possible to photos from our archives.

Sketch of the profile and the end result

The crown molding serves more than decoration; it creates a structure for the copper cleat and drip edge.

Crown before being painted

Copper Inlaid

Once the carpentry was complete, the focus shifted to the copper inlaid. The first step was installing the copper cleat around the parameter. Each section was custom fabricated to fit and then soldered into place. Every dormer and chimney has a box projecting out, creating a lot of miters. All of the copper used is 20 oz.

Downspouts

With the architectural inlaid gutters brought back to life, all four of the downspouts were replaced with copper. Over the years, the downspouts had been replaced with PVC, and there was a mashup of different brackets.

After

The video starts with the downspouts, showing the new copper gutters surrounding the house, and ends with the new lower cornice with molding.

Photos of the rebuilt inlaid gutters:

How did the scary south side turn out? Here’s a before and after:

Conclusion

In order to protect and preserve this historic home, it all starts with water management. We couldn’t be more thrilled about what is next, the new slate roof!

At the time of writing, the team is halfway through laying the new slate. Here is a preview:

Thank you for reading, Michael and Alexandria Morgan

Continue reading Part 3: Slating the Roof.

Categories
Restoration

Mansard Roof – Part 1: History & Planning

Two years in the making, this summer, we embark on the biggest project the house has seen this century, restoring the mansard roof.

Table Of Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. Slate Mansard
  3. Architectural Built-in Gutters
  4. Dormers
  5. Crown
  6. Upper Gutters
  7. Skylight
  8. Radius Hip / Ridge
  9. Soffit & Fascia
  10. Timeline

Introduction

When we first set eyes on the house in 2019, we knew the roof would need some work. The extant of work would take time to unravel. In this post, we will review the history and details that make up this victorian mansard roof, along with covering the scope of work and timeline.

Here are a collection of photos showing the roof over the years.

Oldest photo of the mansard roof circa 1934
A late 80s rare photo before the mansard was painted
Photo of the painted slate in 1997 before the inlaid gutters covered
The day we moved in with painted slate and crown faded
A birds-eye view from late winter.

Slate Mansard

We have spent the past two years working with consultants and contractors and researching the best path ahead for the mansard roof.

Delaminating slate on the west side

The Problem

The current slate roof faces three major issues:

  1. The slate was painted in the 1990s, and as a result, many tiles are beginning to delaminate.
  2. Most of the slate is Pennsylvania black, with a life span of about 100 years.
  3. A major valley flashing is beginning to fail, resulting in a leak that was “fixed” only to be undone by the expansion/contraction during the winter.

We hired a consultant in 2020 to assess the slate. Even though the slate had been painted, we were given a life expectancy of around 20 years. The primary issue is the combination of the delaminating slate and the failing flashing. Exploring the cost of fixing a major valley became the motivator for looking at the whole mansard roof.

The Solution

Some of the black and green slate that recently arrived.

We are replacing the slate with Vermont S1 grade slate, which has a life span of up to 200 years. We are closely matching the same “floral” pattern with a combination of black, green, and red slate tiles. All flashing is being replaced with 20-ounce copper, and the original inlaid gutters are being brought back to life.

Sorry, honey, your dream kitchen will need to wait.

– A brave husband named Michael

While the slate makes up most of what you see on the mansard roof, there is a lot of water management from restoring the built-in gutters, copper flashing, and dormers.

Architectural Built-in Gutters

Restoring the original built-in gutters is nearly equal in scope and complexity to replacing the slate. In the 1990s, the original built-in gutters were covered with galvanized steel, and aluminum k-style gutters were hung. We are going back to the original built-in gutters with 20-ounce copper.

The k-style gutter hung on the outside of the covered original built-in gutter.
The rusting covered built-in gutters with the k-style hung on the outside.

Dormers

Most of the metal work on the house is terne-coated steel. Three barrel dormers need restoration. Terne-coated steel requires painting and can show signs of rust in as little as a year1. To preserve the architectural detail, the rust will be cleaned up, and a special coating applied.

An angle showing two of the barrel dormers.

Crown

The upper crown has seen better days. One of the first items is extracting a sample of the crown and sending it to our millwork company in St. Louis for reproduction. We are working with the same millwork company that has reproduced the interior casing seen in the library restoration.

The crown below the ridge cap is at the end of life.

Upper Gutters

When the flat roof above the mansard was installed in the 1990s, a k-style gutter was hung and painted red. We are replacing the aluminum gutter with copper, which will sit right above the new crown. Custom copper scupper boxes are being fabricated with 3-inch downspouts leading to the inlaid gutter.

Photo of the mansard roof in 1989 with original scupper boxes before the roof was painted.

Skylight

The backside of the mansard features a skylight door. It is the only window for one of the third-floor bedrooms and acts as an emergency exit. We are replacing the skylight door with a custom-ordered replacement from Velux coming from Denmark.

Radius Hip / Ridge

As mentioned, most of the metal is terne-coated steel. The radius hips and the ridge behind the front parapet will be replaced with copper.

Radius hip
The ridge behind the front parapet

Soffit & Fascia

The south-facing side of the house needs the most work. The number one issue was when the gutter system was hung in the 1990s; it was not continued all the way around. As a result, water has been running over the fascia and brick for decades. We are going to solve this problem by rebuilding the inlaid gutter. From there, we can replace the soffit and fascia. At a later point, we plan on repointing this side of the house.

Timeline

Below is an overview of where we are at the time of writing.

  • We finalized the construction plan in February. The goal was to start work in late spring.
  • The Vermont slate is ordered in March.
  • In late March, we learned there was a delay for the Vermont Black due to slowdowns at the quarry. Either we go with a Vermont Gray Black or wait an additional ten weeks for the Vermont Black. We chose to wait for the black, which closely matches what is original to the roof. Waiting for the black slate pushed the timeline from late spring into early summer.
  • The slate arrived in St. Louis in May. We are waiting on the copper and for the team to free up from their current project.
  • Scaffolding is erected the week of July 4th. First up is removing the existing roof, shoring up the decking for underlayment, and beginning work on the inlaid gutters.
The slate was clipped at the quarry
The red slate is the inside of the flower

Thank you for reading, Michael and Alexandria Morgan

Continue reading Part 2: Architectural Built-in Gutters.

  1. The Slate Roof Bible by Joseph Jenkins, Third Edition, page 285 [↩]
Categories
Report

2021 Progress Report

This year has been the most transformative in terms of turning a house used as a B&B for decades back into its original intended purpose, a family home.

https://vimeo.com/661772552
Table Of Contents
  1. Family Room
  2. Library
  3. Porch
  4. Men's Parlor
  5. Windows
  6. Conclusion

Family Room

A full write-up of our renovation of the family room is here.

This year, a major undertaking was renovating this 1980s addition, which served as the community room for the B&B.

Before
After
The exit sign, fire alarm, elevated entry floor, and cold lighting are gone.
Mars helping remove nine window sills.

Library

We made strides this year in the library. Be sure to check out our latest update here.

We end the year having refinished the original floor and recreating the ornate doorway into the Men’s parlor.

Porch

Last year we began the process of painting the porch. We continued this year by painting and replacing all of the exterior screens.

We have also continued working on the main french doors.

Before
After

In the spring, we added porch gates for an increasingly curious toddler.

Men’s Parlor

As we get closer to finishing the library, we are preparing to tackle one of our favorite spaces in the house, the Men’s parlor. When we first moved in, it was still configured to be the game room for the B&B with a pool table and poker table.

Around the time we refinished the library floor, we moved the pool table from the Men’s parlor into the basement. The floors in the Men’s parlor are in good shape since there was a large carpet covering most of the heavy foot traffic.

Windows

One of the most important features of a historic building is its windows. Windows are like eyes for your home. All of the windows in the house (except the three in the mansard roof) are wood. Before we moved in, they had begun chipping. We have been in the process of restoring every window. We are happy to say we are now 20 windows in of what feels like countless.

I’ve learned that it’s a labor of love carefully scraping, sanding, sealing, reglazing, and painting these windows. I have chosen to take this on because this will be needed every 5-10 years.

Conclusion

We feel truly blessed and surrounded by community. On December 1st, we welcomed our twin girls into the world. The outpour of love and fellowship has been truly overwhelming. We chose Hermann to raise a family and restore a historic building; we couldn’t be happier with that choice.

We are excited for 2022 and continuing the restoration of this home. Stay tuned!

Categories
Restoration

Restoring the Library – Part 3

Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the library restoration.

The restoration of the library continues with a focus on refinishing the floor and recreating the doorway to the Men’s parlor.

Flooring

The floor was quite literally a jigsaw puzzle for such a compact room. We were fortunate enough to get our hands on antique donor wood, which we reworked into the disrupted areas due to the previous kitchen.

Before tackling the flooring
Sometimes you have to go backward to move forward.
Working in antique donor boards
Ready for stain and polyurethane

Carpentry

We were surprised in Part 2 to discover a doorway to the Men’s parlor. The hard part was bringing back the original plinths, casing, rosettes, baseboards and more. We spent quite a bit of time scouring for artifacts looking for the originals in the basement. At times we got lucky, such as having the original door that fits like a glove. We also had several plinths and rosettes. When it came to the casing, we were not so lucky. We ended up having to recreate all of the casing on both sides of the doors.

Original
Reproduced
Original casing compared to the reproduced.
Original used as the source to turn two new rosettes.
Casing, rosettes, plinths, and baseboards installed.
A little bit of planing and the door is a perfect fit.
Recreating the transom was a project in itself.
Both the library and Men’s Parlor have faux transforms
The other side of the doorway

Recap

It is fun to look back on how much this space has changed, from a second B&B kitchen to being carefully restored to a library. We’re now in the home stretch of finishing this room! Next up is paint.

Kitchen in 2019
Kitchen removal in early 2020
Floor removal in summer 2020
Restoration of trim and floor prep in 2021
Before adding casing to parlor door
Baseboards, casing and refinished flooring in 2021

Categories
Renovation

Family Room

Our largest interior project we have taken on yet. The family room was added in the 1980s and is around 900 square feet. It was used as the reception and breakfast space for the B&B. As a result, it was by far the most in need of a refreshing. Since it’s our primary living room, it also sees the most action. Since this space was an addition, it is the only space we plan on using modern design.

Table Of Contents
  1. Before: Community Room
  2. Casing, Aprons & Sills
  3. Painting
  4. Double Doors
  5. Flooring
  6. Lighting
  7. Before & After
  8. Conclusion

Before: Community Room

When we moved in, this room was still very much a B&B community room. There was a reception desk, three dining tables, and a sitting area. Over our first year, this space naturally turned into our family room–especially an ideal space for a toddler.

The original community room for the bed and breakfast.

Casing, Aprons & Sills

Before embarking on the prep work for painting, we took inventory of the windows. The room has nine windows total and needs updates. The window aprons that were originally chosen were too thick and protruded beyond the casing. The window sills were laminated MDF with a marble pattern.

The window sills were laminated MDF and the window apron protruded beyond the casing.

Needless to say, everything about this configuration needed to change. We fabricated custom window sills that better matched the style of the windows and replaced the window aprons with the proper thickness.

Painting

The room has nine windows, and we quickly learned about a winter tradition previously common, taping up over the windows. We spent more time removing goo from the casing and windows than painting.

A mockup of the paint selection and new window apron, including wet paint.
Before
After

Double Doors

The main entry doors into the room has seen a lot of action over the years.

Before
After

Flooring

The biggest part of this project was the floors. When you first entered the room, there was an elevated floor, and the remainder of the room was carpeted. It turns out that the commercial carpet is original to when the room was added. We knew we wanted to do away with the elevated entry, but we wrestled choosing the right flooring. Our goal has been hardwood throughout, but this is the main space for toddlers and a large dog. We ordered countless samples of everything under the sun, from engineered to rigid core. It’s amazing how few passed the “toddler-proof” test.

The elevated entry floor and very worn carpet.
After removing the entry floor, we discovered there was originally parquet flooring.
Baseboards are up and numbered; next is removing the carpet.
The mastic from the 1980s carpet was a project itself.
Entry floor and carpet removed, next is prepping the subfloor.
The Varathane ezV made short order of the mastic.
Sanding the perimeter
Two coats on the plinth blocks, base and trim.
The floor was mostly level.
Prep is done and ready to put down the new floor.
Halfway done
Dueling saws
The raised entry required shimming the plinths and base.

Lighting

There were three ceiling fans, likely original from the 1980s. We started with the main entry, replacing the fan with a 16-light chandelier.

There were eight outlets near the ceiling that we changed out for sconces. We replaced the other two fans with 12-light chandeliers.

Before moving in furniture, our little guy loved the extra space.

Before & After

Conclusion

Renovating the family room is a project of projects, and we are happy it’s nearly done. Just in time, too, the twins are due in December!

Categories
Report

2020 Progress Report

Alexandria after we recently painted the porch floor.

We are excited about the momentum we have after our first year of working on the home. It has been a big year for our family. We moved from Florida to Missouri and soon welcomed our son into the world. With all of this change, we were able to kick off important projects for this house.

Table Of Contents
  1. Victorian Porch
  2. Library Restoration
  3. Cast Iron Fence
  4. Landscaping
  5. Lamp Post
  6. Basement
  7. Conclusion

Victorian Porch

Before
After
Darker green, creamier white, haint blue ceilings, darker floor color, and new accent colors bring new life to a once tired victorian porch.

We chose to tackle painting the porch this year because it represents most of the house’s external wood. It was over 20 years ago since the entire porch was painted; the paint was chipping and had faded.

Before
After
New ceiling and light fixtures after replacing the roof.

We were surprised when we first moved in; it turns out we had a major water feature built directly into our porch! The flat roof covering the gazebo had a major leak that had supposedly been fixed.

This leak turned out to be a larger problem than expected, and the entire portion of the roof had to be replaced. After replacing the roof, we turned to the ceiling that was ruined.

Here are progress photos:

Before
Down come the screens in prep for pressure washing
Before painting with the original lighting
Starting with the ceiling
Progress across most colors
Painting in the dark is hard work
Before: Mildew, layers of paint and boards needing replacing
Prep: Replaced the parameter of the porch floor, pressure washing and sanded the entire floor
Crisp results
Replacing the parameter of the floor
New light fixtures are installed
Almost there, molding is left to be installed
Baby approved
After

Library Restoration

Before
After
Goodbye, second B&B kitchen, and hello library! Removing the cabinets revealed beautiful molding. We also uncovered a doorway into the men’s parlor.

Having been a B&B for several decades, it only makes sense that there would be a second kitchen. We came across an old photo of this room and discovered it originally was the library. Being one of the smaller first floor rooms, it is one of the more complex. The library originally had a marble fireplace, one of the largest windows in the house, built-in wood cabinets with glass doors, and a doorway into the men’s parlor. We’re putting it back to how it was as close as we can. Be sure to checkout Part 1 and Part 2 of the library restoration on the blog for more detail.

Cast Iron Fence

Before
After
Correcting the listing fence took several months and multiple teams.

One of the home’s most beautiful exterior features is the original cast iron fence with large limestone footers. Unfortunately, it has been playing a game of tug of war with the Missouri winters. The expansion and contraction have slowly pushed the left side of the fence, almost tipping over at one point. In February, it made a big move and jumped to the top of our list.

I lost track of the number of contractors and specialists that looked at this fence. I have to admit, in the end, I overthought my entire approach to rescuing this fence. We did find help, and it took a degree of finesse. Trenches were dug on the backside of both sides of the fence, and wood was used to move the footers back into place carefully. I had thought deadmen were the way to go, but after careful assessment, the engineering needed to protect the 133-year-old footers was overkill for the length of the fence. To help protect against the fence listing in the future, we’re using drainage on the backside to help during the winters.

Landscaping

One very large sick tree towered over the five-story house. We knew it was one bad storm away from a terrible consequence. We also took out two overgrown bushes that were eyesores.

Before
After
View of the porch from 7th street.
Before
After
An assortment of bushes and grapevines form what we nicknamed “the thing”.
Before
After
An invasive weed tree with a sick core towered over the house.

Lamp Post

Before
After
A small win, the front lamp post is refreshed.

After trying multiple bulbs and flipping every switch we could find on the first level, the post would not light up. It wasn’t until removing an unpermitted room in the basement that I discovered electricity to the poll had been cut. We restored the electricity, and now the light post shines bright. Looking down from the third floor, it had started to rust. With a bit of prep, it only took a couple of hours to paint the lamp a fresh gloss black oil paint (refreshing quick win after countless hours of acrylic paints on the porch).

The Herzog Mansion front porch and lamp post shine again!
The Herzog Mansion front porch and lamp post shine again!

Basement

We love the basement; it’s the entire footprint of the historic home. It has an original coal room, cellar, and multiple large rooms. There was a nearly finished room that turned out not to be permitted. I ordered a construction container and demoed the room in a day. Fortunate to do so, discovered where electricity had been cut to the ladies parlor above. The entire basement had plaster ceilings originally, which had been largely removed. First time removing plaster, and I have to say, wow, that’s a messy job!

Conclusion

We are excited about the momentum going into 2021. Alexandria and I were reflecting recently on our first year in Hermann, and the main theme that surfaced was gratitude. We feel truly blessed to have been so warmly welcomed into the community.

What’s next? Wrap up the porch and library restoration. From there, we’re going to start painting exterior windows. There is still much to do!

Thank you for reading, The Morgan Family.

Categories
Restoration

Restoring the Library – Part 2

Be sure to check out part 1 of the library restoration.

The library has seen significant progress since removing the second kitchen this summer. Here is where we left off for reference:

After removing the second kitchen used by the bed and breakfast.

The first order of business, remove the layers of flooring, and expose the original wood:

To the left, evidence of a fireplace. The house originally had six marble fireplaces, only one original remain in the dining room.

The original wood underneath is in much better condition than we expected. There are three square openings for vents and various holes for plumbing the kitchen that will need to be plugged.

Next, we move on to the casing and trim around the historic window. This project was an undertaking, and we were fortunate to be working with a talented carpenter that was excited to take on the effort. Here is a picture of what we started with:

A little bit of everything was needed, from casing to filling holes, baseboard moulding, and intricate trim.

From casing to trim, there was a lot to put back in order:

Upon careful inspection, we know there was originally a doorway walled off leading from the library to the bathroom connected to the men’s parlor. We decided to give it a go and open it up:

To our surprise, the door jam was left in great shape. We also found the original door in the basement; perfect match!

Matt Heaney confirming the door fits! Nearly all of the doors and windows in the house are different sizes.
A new perspective emerges seeing the beautiful library window from the bathroom.
The library only had one entrance and always felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the house. Space flows much better with the door-way opened up.

What’s next? The final effort of this room is waiting on the following:

  • When we removed the walled-off doorway, we introduced a new problem: We don’t have enough original casing moulding to surround the door. We had the moulding custom milled in St. Louis. It’s now complete and ready for pick up.
  • The library originally had a marble fireplace. We have a hand-carved marble fireplace mantel surround coming in from New York scheduled to arrive this week. It took Alexandria months to make a decision, and it’s beautiful!
  • The transom above the door we opened up was originally stained glass, and we are working on having a replacement reproduced. It’s an interesting architectural element given that the transom “goes nowhere” but is there for consistency. We found that power was run to light the transom.

While our primary focus for 2020 has been on the exterior, we are excited about the progress of restoring our first room. We’re planning on posting updates on the victorian porch soon, so keep an eye out!

Thank you for reading,

Michael and Alexandria Morgan