Our Biggest DIY Project of 2019

We have been living in Blake Hill House for almost five years now. When we first moved in, there were several items that we fixed right away like the roof and the all of the water damage in the back two bedrooms. The situation was dire. (Yikes! Our photography has come a long way in five years.)

After that, we spent the most money having the house painted. We hired the best painters to do the job right the first time. That price tag came in at nearly $26,000 split over three years. Even though shelling out that kind of money was painful, we have never regretted switching BHH from the moldiest and greenest house on the block to the bluest.

I have joked with Andy that we’ll stay here until it’s time to pay for the next paint job or roof. Then, I’m out of here. Let it be somebody else’s problem.

This year’s high ticket item is rebuilding the back chimney with three flues from the roof line up. The other two chimneys could use a little TLC too. Again, shelling out big bucks is a bummer, and I cross my fingers daily that our two 1990s furnaces hold out for a few more years.

Even as we have saved and spent money on these high-cost repairs, another big job has been slowly unfolding as we continue to live here, and we are preparing to tackle it as a DIY project.

First Floor Woes

The floors on the entire lower level need to be refinished, and that’s nearly 2100 square feet of hardwood. Way back in 2014 when we were moving the furniture in, we noticed discoloration on the floor in the living room, but everything else was in pretty good shape.

After living here for a couple of years, a few things started to unravel. For one, the surface of the floor in other areas began to flake and peel — the same with the paint on the beautiful woodwork in the foyer and around the front door.

Currently, it looks quite shabby, and it is only getting worse. Part of the problem is normal wear and tear, but there’s more to it.

What I suspect happened is that before the house went on the market, it needed a bit of sprucing up, and the executors of Dorothy’s estate were in charge. I think that they paid someone to hang the beautiful toile wallpaper we currently have in the foyer and throughout the second-floor landing. Score! That wallpaper stays forever.

That’s where our luck ended. I believe the executors of the estate also paid someone to repaint some of the white woodwork and throw down a fresh layer of poly on the on the first floor, but oddly, only here and there. That was a reasonable idea except they painted latex over oil-based paint without a primer and likely a water-based poly directly on top of an oil-based floor finish. And that’s why the sad trombones are playing in the background.

Latex and water-based products do not adhere properly to oil-based finishes without adequate preparation. Paint and poly are popping off everywhere.

A Project With Many Moving Parts

Right now, the basic plan is that we will move everything from the right side of the house into the living room and shut the pocket doors. Then, we will put plastic everywhere to keep the dust out of the second floor. It will be impossible, but let me live in is my fantasy world. I am happy here.

We will refinish the floors on that side of the house, and then swap sides and do it all over again.

It is a bit of a logistical nightmare. We will have to board Millie to keep her off the wet poly. We will also lose access to the foyer staircase for a short time. However, we do have a servant’s staircase we can use in a pinch. And then there’s the kitchen. I’m picturing us all trapped in the living room, surrounded by furniture, and surviving on Cheez-its and dry cereal until we can come out again. At least we’ll have each other a TV.

Once the floor project is complete, there will be a ton of shoe moulding to install, and then the painting will start. I will be focusing on the front door first. A couple of weeks ago, I finally called a contractor to come out an assess the situation. He gave me some advice about repairs, and he is going to come back and install our new door handle and deadbolt as soon as I buy them. Naturally, the hardware is a specialty item, and I cannot buy something off the shelf. #oldhouseproblems

The Timeline

Over the next couple of weeks, we will relocate everything in preparation for phase I. Since we are essentially moving on a smallscale twice, it will be an opportunity for more decluttering.

We plan to have the floors finished by the end of February, and the rest of the projects will follow. It may take months.

Plans Schmans

Even though I have laid out the plans here, there are some things I am lobbying for in the background. I’ve priced out renting a 16-foot POD for one month. If we do that, we could avoid working on this project in two parts. I am also planning to have a company bid on the sanding portion of the job. I am curious about how much it would cost. It might be well worth the money.

So, I’m pretty sure that the next time we come up for air, it will be 2020. We will be covered in wood dust and paint spatters. Ok, I kid, but this project is enormous, right?

Lie to me. Please

-Stacy