Still a w.i.p but getting there. It was my original intention to put 3/4" wood for the roof and then slate on top, but I think I'm just going to do slate instead, and forgo the wood.

 I also decided not to put a perch. I read that predators like to use it, and just stick there head into the birdhouse. Of course, this bird would have to have a pretty long neck for this birdhouse.

I really don't know much about birds, so if anyone has any comments or suggestions please let me know.

I've seen some beautiful thatched roofs before, but I never heard of thatched finials.

The Dodson Brothers create some impressive works of art.

It's a bit too hot for me to work outside, so I've decided to start a project I've been meaning to do for a while. Birdhouses made of slate and some copper. I'll post some pix after I compete this one. I imagine they'll be a bit on the heavy side....lol.

I follow Fine Homebuilding on Facebook, and occasionally come across some good information.

Yesterday, they had a post about Flared Cedar Shingles, which will really come in handy when I redo the shingles on the top half of my house.

I really love the look.

After having this oak frame in my shed for some 15 years, I finally printed something for it and got the glass for it. I think it turned out pretty nice.

 It was printed on an Epson P9000 using Epson Cold Press Natural paper.

The image was downloaded for free using the New York Public Library Digital Collection.

Rounding the corner. The slate on this side was in bad shape due to the sun exposure. The pine decking is hard as a rock, and it looks like I'll be using stainless steel nails instead of the usual copper.

In case you haven't seen this yet..... Free images of turn of the century posters (and more)! If you find one you like, you can download a tif version and see how large you can print it.

Hello! I've still been working on this never ending project.....just took a bit of a break. Here's a gif of before (as it is now) and after (with use of photoshop) I hope to get someone to do the framing for the roof and entry for me. Can't wait for that to be done, so I have a nicer looking house!



via GIPHY

Change your anode!

Later today I'll be changing out the anode in my water heater and thought...hmmm I wonder how many people do this sort of thing?

 It's a good thing to do every few years, especially if you have a finished basement as I do. Also water heaters are pretty expensive, and this will keep it lasting longer. The hardest part is getting that anode out, but if you have the right tools, and a cheater bar, it shouldn't be that hard to do.

I ordered my anode through Amazon and it was about $50 bucks. There are cheaper one's made of aluminum.

 Once you replace it, write on the water heater with marker the date it should be replaced.

 The video from This old house explains it very well. That cut-out is pretty gross though.

On go the Berger copper snow guards.

Best coffee table book ever.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Slate-Roof-Bible-Understanding/dp/0964425815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403344678&sr=8-1&keywords=slate+roof+bible

Taking the roof scaffold down today on my last dormer. The rain is a bit tropical today....always on and off with some sun in between. Peaceful...except for the occasional leaf blower.

After much deliberation,  I decided I really didn't need a double laundry sink in my basement. It was made of soapstone and it was huge. I never thought I'd ever break the thing up, but I did, and it really cleared up a lot of room. I replaced it with a simple $80.00 sink from Lowes that came with a faucet. It was a no brainer. While I was there, I came across a product called lint trapper. You place the thing right in the drain and it collects the lint before going down the drain. No need for a lint screen on the hose itself! Simply clean it off and re-use. You should check it out- it's brilliant--

It's hard to beat a post as sexy as a lint trap...but I'll try and kick it up a notch on my next post.

OK--back to working on the roof.

A very broken piano turned into a desk. The piano was beyond repair. I saved all of the remaining oak to later re-purpose. All metal including piano harp is now in my car for metal recycling. Man,... that harp was heavy.

 The original kitchen door leading to the basement was beyond repair, so instead of replacing it with a full door I decided to put in a swing door that was cut in half to will allow a bit more light coming from the side door. I found an old oak door someone put out for trash, and it worked great. I really like the ball catch in lieu of a whole door knob.

Just purchased these concrete urns for the front. Took a while to find, but I'm quite happy with them. Now to find some flowers to put in them--and it's back to the roof!

Front steps! The day that ugly awning comes down will certainly be a happy day.

Looking for a door like this one, is turning out to be a bit of a pain. I could do without the mail slot though.

I decided to head out to Lancaster PA yesterday and just spend some time at Architectural Salvage yards trying to find a door to replace the one that is currently on the house. No luck. I guess I'll keep checking craigslist, but I'll probably just end up buying new. I was able to get these 2 exterior lights for the front though--and the price wasn't too bad, ...only $80bucks. He even helped me find the appropriate porcelian insert for the bulb which I'll put in after I clean these up. Each glass has a crack in it which probably helped with the price, but I can just turn it toward the back. Far cheaper than Rejuvination

 I went to many salvage yards, but oldhomeparts.com was my favorite. The owner was very knowledgable and helpful. If you live in PA and are anywhere near it, you should give it a try.

I went to a lot of salvage yards that felt more like I was walking into an Urban Outfitters with loud music and high prices.

 I'd love to go to the salvage yard in Baltimore called Second Chance. It's just a bit too far for me. Anyone been there?

Do you have a favorite salvage yard?

Hip slate installation

The last dormer is slated and I've started nailing on the hip slates.