tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22066715263140486262024-03-05T07:40:26.561-08:00The Making of a Craftsman HomeThis site celebrates the craftsman home. It is about making a home and learning to live a craftsman way of life. Simplicity, handmade, community, local, artisan: these are a few of the topics you'll encounter when reading about our journey.Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-22017592009706045592022-04-21T09:09:00.002-07:002022-04-21T09:09:40.133-07:00What is it?<p> What would you guess this is?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNpoXkMyj3IYpnm7jxbFzju1bUU-J6W3OjnCRHtFO_uJUdYVZ_8D0aO9UaDidvoetwx8Ce3slofkKr-bMDejjxrUcxTmaruB6RNZXZza4yJrJhEc2e2ZVQG27eeWeAWiBsk-nNyw1oBr26WOM-VGkwNqU6A7hkqeWag1bq6JeR6hodq384w9YaWbv/s4032/IMG_3142.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNpoXkMyj3IYpnm7jxbFzju1bUU-J6W3OjnCRHtFO_uJUdYVZ_8D0aO9UaDidvoetwx8Ce3slofkKr-bMDejjxrUcxTmaruB6RNZXZza4yJrJhEc2e2ZVQG27eeWeAWiBsk-nNyw1oBr26WOM-VGkwNqU6A7hkqeWag1bq6JeR6hodq384w9YaWbv/w300-h400/IMG_3142.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBk-FVPG-vyMHNpSffdnIJZjS_OO35ycDNbTvD0_UAONUAIMBWGyKTTG8GxueX_z9Fn5scRZswzgXN7PcrwB8p9EMwtk72ExCTX3hYMDFkhnfPTMXUnF6VynyQLzWUzL6YARlVmVbs8h0p_aXI8q8qTPTjUdViX1sUoGy7SLzpvbQf__O777tq5LQ/s2607/IMG_3147.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2607" data-original-width="2607" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBk-FVPG-vyMHNpSffdnIJZjS_OO35ycDNbTvD0_UAONUAIMBWGyKTTG8GxueX_z9Fn5scRZswzgXN7PcrwB8p9EMwtk72ExCTX3hYMDFkhnfPTMXUnF6VynyQLzWUzL6YARlVmVbs8h0p_aXI8q8qTPTjUdViX1sUoGy7SLzpvbQf__O777tq5LQ/w400-h400/IMG_3147.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you guessed windows, you are correct! We have a bank of 3 double hung windows in the dining room that are part of a wooden frame and panel wall. The more we looked at restoring it, the more we realized that much repair work was needed. Therefore, we began meticulously deconstructing the bank of windows. This is just some of the parts that make up the windows. Still to this day I find myself shocked at the craftsmanship that went into simple things. It is nice to honor this work and history by restoring it and readying it for another century of operation.</div><br /><p>Happy restoration!</p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-8150376938004389842022-04-16T11:48:00.002-07:002022-04-16T11:48:57.401-07:00Dining Room Wood Finishing<p>It seemed that the interior wood finishing of our dining room would never get to final finishing stage. To recap, the woodwork of our 1914 craftsman home was under decades of paint. We started paint stripping in 2019 soon after purchasing the house. The situation went from bad to worse. Turns out that portions of the millwork had been sanded back to raw wood sometime in the 1950s (approx). There were several coats of lead based paint in direct contact with the wood, which makes it next to impossible to to remove the paint. Therefore, we resorted to sanding almost all of the millwork back to raw wood in the dining room.</p><p>Our goal is restore the millwork back to the early 1900s finishes. It is becoming harder and harder for the DIYer to find the products necessary to restore woodwork with the finishes that would've been used during that time period. Todays stains, gels and polyurethane finishes just don't reproduce the depth or richness found in historical finishes. </p><p>In comes Dalys. Dalys is a small scale finish manufacturer/producer located in the Pacific Northwest. It always helps to know a guy when you approach a project like this. Brian is our guy. During the summer of 2021 we sent a small piece of millwork to Brian at Dalys for finish matching. We also sent a sanded raw piece of matching millwork to him so that he could test his match. From there, he sent us the following finishing products:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgt9fQeZuQq2fsmYaTtJi7zotmdeIGDJmfaf4cFpnG71VSrlxBOFtGAK5AO3vhFWKByYk-IQWjJOmGdnXgkCtWUlD3v3q58MWBQeLd_9gbE4vvAjtNbs95IWCDLvZtCzEo1WoZ6sg9qMlBRD9AlYYQEnQkHzGliq_R5JPaWoWTbx_N82g6Wsm1O8Rl/s3878/IMG_3126.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2619" data-original-width="3878" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgt9fQeZuQq2fsmYaTtJi7zotmdeIGDJmfaf4cFpnG71VSrlxBOFtGAK5AO3vhFWKByYk-IQWjJOmGdnXgkCtWUlD3v3q58MWBQeLd_9gbE4vvAjtNbs95IWCDLvZtCzEo1WoZ6sg9qMlBRD9AlYYQEnQkHzGliq_R5JPaWoWTbx_N82g6Wsm1O8Rl/w400-h270/IMG_3126.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Here, you see the following products:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Benite - Wood conditioner that treats and hardens the wood. Brian's tests were producing splotched results due to the age of the millwork. This pre-conditioner treats the wood work and prepares it to receive the final finishes. It hardens the wood by 10-15%.</li><li>Aniline Water Dye - This dyes the woodwork the base/background color. This is custom mixed to produce the red/orange tones that are present in our original finishes. </li><li>Oil Based Wood Stain - This is a custom mixed wood stain that brings our the darker tones of the millwork grain. </li><li>Blonde Dewaxed Shellac Flakes - Flakes used to mix shellac. We are still running tests to find the right cut/color of shellac to reproduce the color and original luster of the woodwork.</li></ul><div>Just when we thought we had everything ready we discovered that denatured alcohol and related products have been outlawed for sale in California. WHY?!?!?!?! Pure grain alcohol or denatured alcohol is what's used to dissolve shellac flakes. We had to mail order alcohol out of state so that we can mix the shellac. Just be aware if you live in California you will have extra red tape. How frustrating.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXw9e1l39RAGTYhwspcOSMy3JV4VRziW00YndXoEnHDr3IsGMcIddcRJfWLyUS5nZIFzrXOaxMyFMUHm0BQLv9EKmA2suiqNl2SA8pLU9_DWcv1kCIAdWE2L8cn3_th2Ssuv5iZaG-o9UMF5joY_ZIs2V8H3EdTWfhOzUfhlxJr7AXHsTcMNYe1P7/s4032/IMG_3124.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXw9e1l39RAGTYhwspcOSMy3JV4VRziW00YndXoEnHDr3IsGMcIddcRJfWLyUS5nZIFzrXOaxMyFMUHm0BQLv9EKmA2suiqNl2SA8pLU9_DWcv1kCIAdWE2L8cn3_th2Ssuv5iZaG-o9UMF5joY_ZIs2V8H3EdTWfhOzUfhlxJr7AXHsTcMNYe1P7/w400-h300/IMG_3124.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>At this point we have applied the Benite wood conditioner and are ready to do the final 220 grit sanding. For this process, we are taking it down to 220 grade because we're using a water based dye. This EXTREMELY dry 100+ year old woodwork wants to soak up the water based dye which can make it much too dark. The 220 sanding will close the grain and prevent it from soaking up as much dye. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the picture with the products you'll see our test board. Here, we have applied the Benite, dye and stain to an original piece of the millwork. Always do a test before you apply it to the wall. Results will vary depending on the species of wood, the age and many other factors.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next step is to do the final sanding and then apply the dye & stain. We also need to start the process of mixing the shellac and finalizing a cut and color. </div><div><br /></div><div>Looking forward to posting some final results photos in the coming weeks! 2 1/2 years in the making....</div><p></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-69229004078288709592022-03-18T08:00:00.006-07:002022-03-18T08:00:00.181-07:00Gone Native!<p> In 2021 we undertook a <a href="https://goingcraftsman.blogspot.com/2021/09/lawn2gaden-progress.html" target="_blank">sizable project tearing out our front yard</a> and reconcepting it as a native garden. We have a small front yard of about 800 square feet. The purpose of the project was to simplify, beautify and reduce water consumption.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFgEJ4zXdOh0dRJHXE73Z_8XN1COBR5uct2i4zCIAUQ4xZAt90yUSB-h8Dw8ltMS0Z7mjVIK6F_3RLhInYtEDN9dKXDyNFDHZ7SXSenji2w1mhA6FpWRkvlAevJZRPFveqjN27y7wpX65J-5gPF8CBNgFHQn_IihacqRvxmUu88cPeOVfPg10W5jF-=s2609" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1957" data-original-width="2609" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFgEJ4zXdOh0dRJHXE73Z_8XN1COBR5uct2i4zCIAUQ4xZAt90yUSB-h8Dw8ltMS0Z7mjVIK6F_3RLhInYtEDN9dKXDyNFDHZ7SXSenji2w1mhA6FpWRkvlAevJZRPFveqjN27y7wpX65J-5gPF8CBNgFHQn_IihacqRvxmUu88cPeOVfPg10W5jF-=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The garden really leapt to life and has grown in quite a bit since planting in December of 2021. We saw the rock swales flood a couple of times this winter which diverts less water into the storm drains. We continue to water these plants for good root development and expect to be able to cut back on watering later this year once they're established.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLi5Y50lBJ77OT5YbWi0ANoShCp907OElAJ2dtpt64gabId6o7nUUK8pioM0fKZpWvS4Qkz8MtWaXT_OI4RJrQKC5YkgVauNnN-clLgAWmEDS0c86-d_sMbUhEefasR-Wb4uwPwVq0CUkPd1m8YVGbLp-Mk2f6xfZvP3Lo51FGST7-uooS94tiBCCP=s3919" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2973" data-original-width="3919" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLi5Y50lBJ77OT5YbWi0ANoShCp907OElAJ2dtpt64gabId6o7nUUK8pioM0fKZpWvS4Qkz8MtWaXT_OI4RJrQKC5YkgVauNnN-clLgAWmEDS0c86-d_sMbUhEefasR-Wb4uwPwVq0CUkPd1m8YVGbLp-Mk2f6xfZvP3Lo51FGST7-uooS94tiBCCP=w400-h304" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtZTDAc8p9RSdrRPwCevwZSHsMNB0jz137yIMYkr7lMBeTfJLVXTYHVE5aLD3gtJiyN3arvobUxe4XzNzxZvwlpLu3FEYRYAPAW262LS3RE6lxW7h0WbuDUtBpL8J-Sw2jCeWpdB4p6AxR3XOgd4c3hs4hvlyBbUtVisxACp4pgDNn4AZ_gA-FlFSS=s3930" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3930" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtZTDAc8p9RSdrRPwCevwZSHsMNB0jz137yIMYkr7lMBeTfJLVXTYHVE5aLD3gtJiyN3arvobUxe4XzNzxZvwlpLu3FEYRYAPAW262LS3RE6lxW7h0WbuDUtBpL8J-Sw2jCeWpdB4p6AxR3XOgd4c3hs4hvlyBbUtVisxACp4pgDNn4AZ_gA-FlFSS=w400-h308" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>We did this project using the Long Beach Lawn2Garden program, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to convert lawn to garden. The process was straightforward and we experienced no challenges with the process. </p><p>We kept the plant list to plan with few exceptions. A full list of the plants used can be found <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12YU1rmPNM6RJ3yEd7dUqG383mTxl_DaLDGV5TFtHcNE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-29741041023082395422022-03-14T10:45:00.003-07:002022-03-14T19:18:37.762-07:00Mixed Bag 'o' Projects<p> Been some time since we last posted. Here are a few projects we've been working on:</p><p>First, for fun - the catio/passthrough! We have this single old casement window that was retrofitted into our sunroom windows. This window proved difficult because it opens out and therefore requires an interior screen. After two years of considering what to do, we built a custom catio/passthrough! The passthrough function allows us to pass through kitchen supplies and dishes between the indoor kitchen and our outside kitchen and dining area. We do quite a bit of outdoor dining and this will get used quite a bit when we host parties. In addition, it serves as a cat-patio for our two indoor cats. So far, the cats seem quite pleased with the results!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaod78WzkupByGjLANXN-CaPkXCWxvHKaxvm9npHzIpSrj09_OIUXKTTv6XR4933RfxXUv0Vl5S-uvJFh9WK0w8G1rZscguNmBFu_2UYjd3ESaj4oBdHP4cuU1dC_uc9KL3lKhLpHX1EXbhpX8GzhICcohzrIAIVs9SVygiIqA4Lcqzwle4Bcz6UaV=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaod78WzkupByGjLANXN-CaPkXCWxvHKaxvm9npHzIpSrj09_OIUXKTTv6XR4933RfxXUv0Vl5S-uvJFh9WK0w8G1rZscguNmBFu_2UYjd3ESaj4oBdHP4cuU1dC_uc9KL3lKhLpHX1EXbhpX8GzhICcohzrIAIVs9SVygiIqA4Lcqzwle4Bcz6UaV=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdSapBNOnsmHYh92nPYut-MNGpOxpX3Py5i_UsG-sc-fen7aOK_qsE3Wb8zH43RyHS1pCsgKmZYetVfCtUZa4_vNKYgGHSBRAI2RL4EJWj0y_AVR479a4fRRkgCmwKXPXk-p1hPremS8Njpuf7M6_XKeAU7W7im0EzC0a2toSp2r0on0hYbCl-33po=s3290" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3290" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdSapBNOnsmHYh92nPYut-MNGpOxpX3Py5i_UsG-sc-fen7aOK_qsE3Wb8zH43RyHS1pCsgKmZYetVfCtUZa4_vNKYgGHSBRAI2RL4EJWj0y_AVR479a4fRRkgCmwKXPXk-p1hPremS8Njpuf7M6_XKeAU7W7im0EzC0a2toSp2r0on0hYbCl-33po=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhI5kfy3lTIgEh6qptWitnzNNgAPyTPZbit8QoBuYYKeFcC1cZ98E7nz1XbAgXID1K24poIb66JTrz_wBNzG4quw08n895qoTDJdeZqcna41lAsnx1y9Iyq1732xT0gxGuBI7B5C233Nyzbu6TNdd26TRul3yJViKsd-OfmgLoqpWiBu82CHLnUh6RR=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhI5kfy3lTIgEh6qptWitnzNNgAPyTPZbit8QoBuYYKeFcC1cZ98E7nz1XbAgXID1K24poIb66JTrz_wBNzG4quw08n895qoTDJdeZqcna41lAsnx1y9Iyq1732xT0gxGuBI7B5C233Nyzbu6TNdd26TRul3yJViKsd-OfmgLoqpWiBu82CHLnUh6RR=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not quite as fun, but still rewarding is the restoration of our dining room window sashes. We are taking them back down to raw wood and glazing/repairing where required. These redwood original window sashes are in surprisingly good condition considering the 108 years of south facing weather they've received. This is our first foray into window repair and we've learned a lot already. Digging into this project, we learned that most of our interior windows are double hung. We're going to give it a go and restore some of the upper sash window movement as we progress.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBDXXAmm9RHOo9figBdQ5vnyZwIdyOkHT_WD-sdL8QexOBailFHZg9pBLkpJD3wUZLZv_5_fcikHb25sh3UmkoxOdFUQREIDLktOj5nPs_PNdg5Zv2rt_7RbVyELXeDCbNvr5XJD07iY8OeRKP8vH0iuAc6Q1gxyySpZ67SkgDLFO-XYcog-KKmhBM=s3414" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3414" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBDXXAmm9RHOo9figBdQ5vnyZwIdyOkHT_WD-sdL8QexOBailFHZg9pBLkpJD3wUZLZv_5_fcikHb25sh3UmkoxOdFUQREIDLktOj5nPs_PNdg5Zv2rt_7RbVyELXeDCbNvr5XJD07iY8OeRKP8vH0iuAc6Q1gxyySpZ67SkgDLFO-XYcog-KKmhBM=s320" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPFQbEUgv7mQj7pY0A8PZzscYyjqhkCn2bPcqJFa8_qUr7Uzd92aW7F68P2UwqDrQUBBdLsblNNY_rMs5yMnyrY0mmk8BIiYmWfSAy48URHOQx3rx4RK1fqUBA9zBq3f4k217ebEBAyswsX7b_CTBXACx6glnmvU8wmC7Tuo0JoFc0kRuYIi5Xm0-U=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPFQbEUgv7mQj7pY0A8PZzscYyjqhkCn2bPcqJFa8_qUr7Uzd92aW7F68P2UwqDrQUBBdLsblNNY_rMs5yMnyrY0mmk8BIiYmWfSAy48URHOQx3rx4RK1fqUBA9zBq3f4k217ebEBAyswsX7b_CTBXACx6glnmvU8wmC7Tuo0JoFc0kRuYIi5Xm0-U=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>Lastly, we've enjoyed spending time in our garden and seeing the hard work from prior years pay off. Spring has sprung in Southern California! More garden photos to come throughout the 2022 growing/gardening season.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLa-eHRfnIXA4c27l6X6WIuaDfG06Nvpy0N8Swb2I7YnbdomTKOxNe9A9_2cIQCLVni-m9yT57WYBqsM0jBk-LOVJbbyuvtmWpXyTVEYZ45tX4JFG7KhQ-PnNqns8E14VYP_o7q5-diwFX2QPpqrowD1LsLldJKJxWxeUIfbj5-wgE4S1c8J3_bBBh=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLa-eHRfnIXA4c27l6X6WIuaDfG06Nvpy0N8Swb2I7YnbdomTKOxNe9A9_2cIQCLVni-m9yT57WYBqsM0jBk-LOVJbbyuvtmWpXyTVEYZ45tX4JFG7KhQ-PnNqns8E14VYP_o7q5-diwFX2QPpqrowD1LsLldJKJxWxeUIfbj5-wgE4S1c8J3_bBBh=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The focus this year is the completion of paint stripping and wood working/restoration efforts in our dining room. Late last year we received the stain matching products from <a href="https://www.dalyswoodfinishes.com/stain-colors.html" target="_blank">Daly's</a> based out of the Pacific Northwest. We have work to do to custom tint the shellac to try and replicate the luster this house was built with. No chance of getting bored anytime soon.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-6007377697683376722021-10-04T17:57:00.002-07:002021-10-04T17:58:55.957-07:00Front yard lighting<p> Very happy to report that the landscape lighting is in! Used <a href="https://www.voltlighting.com" target="_blank">Volt lighting</a> that's available at a discount for Costco members. Very high quality - forged brass lights. Very sturdy and should last a long time. All low voltage 12v system, so pretty easy to install. It really adds a lot of drama to the space and makes it "dance" at night. Fun easy project with a quick payoff. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PDD1ae6Wehk/YVuiaJmC-5I/AAAAAAAAH0w/7nsKan4_Uj42GQ7nxbwrS40Fz1Icg_NHQCPcBGAsYHg/s3059/IMG_2010.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3059" data-original-width="2294" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PDD1ae6Wehk/YVuiaJmC-5I/AAAAAAAAH0w/7nsKan4_Uj42GQ7nxbwrS40Fz1Icg_NHQCPcBGAsYHg/w300-h400/IMG_2010.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmAtUBxMD8rQ2F9SXSn8280UAqPEEDHEQI1CFHhuirxUUcc5tuIAaU5Lw5ECgIN34f7TfQyFGGikeF0gzdPablZ_uex5kxSqnb4MBV7b6zFW6EVbo5mmeaRfZw_FlXzBTiQ-4JSPMYwM/s2918/IMG_2007.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2918" data-original-width="2188" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmAtUBxMD8rQ2F9SXSn8280UAqPEEDHEQI1CFHhuirxUUcc5tuIAaU5Lw5ECgIN34f7TfQyFGGikeF0gzdPablZ_uex5kxSqnb4MBV7b6zFW6EVbo5mmeaRfZw_FlXzBTiQ-4JSPMYwM/w300-h400/IMG_2007.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSsgMxEyCZ8/YVuiaJDtJbI/AAAAAAAAH0w/RSuTFt3timE__qSqDYUtWwxAmOoIs-ODACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_2005.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSsgMxEyCZ8/YVuiaJDtJbI/AAAAAAAAH0w/RSuTFt3timE__qSqDYUtWwxAmOoIs-ODACPcBGAsYHg/w300-h400/IMG_2005.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-89547614437229195782021-09-21T09:37:00.007-07:002021-10-04T17:53:56.368-07:00Lawn2Gaden Progress<p>In early August 2021, we received approval to move forward with our Lawn2Garden conversion. More info on the application and process can be found in this earlier <a href="https://goingcraftsman.blogspot.com/2021/07/lawn2garden.html">blog entry</a>.</p><p>Once receiving approval, we quickly jumped into action to implement the following landscape plan:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b2fNL_b-mx0/YUf2h5SnzeI/AAAAAAAAHxA/dWufirgBL7QxIkZhI8Llx9XQv9sXHJspwCPcBGAsYHg/s2086/IMG_1825.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="2086" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b2fNL_b-mx0/YUf2h5SnzeI/AAAAAAAAHxA/dWufirgBL7QxIkZhI8Llx9XQv9sXHJspwCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h304/IMG_1825.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We created this plan with <a href="https://goingcraftsman.blogspot.com/2020/10/native-plant-palette-set.html">help from Randi at Tree of Life Nursery</a> to set the native plant palette. I was already confident with what I wanted to do from an aesthetic/hardscaping perspective, but help identifying the plants made the design come together much faster. <div><br /></div><div>The design contained a number of hardscaping elements that we started implementing in August of this year. First, we designed a small fence to better define the space. We spent a number of weeks creating prototypes for the fence to get the height/width/design proportions just right. In the end, we settled on a 24" high craftsman frame and panel fence made of redwood. The wide/skinny slats are meant to emulate the wide/skinny shaker siding element on the house. The copper post caps add warmth and a homemade craftsman feel. The low to the ground design is meant to add definition without creating a sense of separation. We hand crafted the fence and all of its components in our home workshop.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENz67JVXYXaR0dZR9mDB9fYxfTHmmZBZedMmjhTeGdktKRZbq25bahN85Cky-rr1w1HVQJCrsJ0DctN0e59BDnoxz0B9S3Wup5UlG_5yTvBtUTONU4GJPRxgfZBYdkNNyhQUv_Ms4vlw/s4032/IMG_1851.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENz67JVXYXaR0dZR9mDB9fYxfTHmmZBZedMmjhTeGdktKRZbq25bahN85Cky-rr1w1HVQJCrsJ0DctN0e59BDnoxz0B9S3Wup5UlG_5yTvBtUTONU4GJPRxgfZBYdkNNyhQUv_Ms4vlw/w400-h300/IMG_1851.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>The design contained a large swale element that runs through and connects both sides of the front yard. In addition, we incorporated a berm element to add depth and texture to the overall design. Both swales are meant to be working elements and required work to tie them in with our drains. During rains, gutter and driveway runoff is directed to pop-up drains that were tied in to the swales. This will prevent excess water from entering the storm drains as runoff, and help recharge the soil with water so that the native plants can survive the summer months. Think of the swales like a battery -- they charge up the ground with water so that the plants can pull from it during times of high demand. Using a pick axe we began the process of digging through the hard sun baked soil to build the swales. We used the excavated soil to build berm elements. It is worth mentioning that we called 811 prior to digging to have the utilities marked. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PYGkZfgXx1M/YUf5aWgHDOI/AAAAAAAAHxs/ZjFwx2o__n8c611DyVKZT9zV0vfAT1ciACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1922.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PYGkZfgXx1M/YUf5aWgHDOI/AAAAAAAAHxs/ZjFwx2o__n8c611DyVKZT9zV0vfAT1ciACPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_1922.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxn7amR7VspUQhuxWn8pxC6zhuVUnXCFsoVgGdhJ7XglZhsWh6DHcFfMHKqHlOT5W35jxtHOAFVKGig4iM36LN4MsFbzTiLdtctkxg80tyaOvMw_Q_fvpxlih6GszWK7eFEKKfP7VRYQ/s1286/IMG_1923.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1286" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxn7amR7VspUQhuxWn8pxC6zhuVUnXCFsoVgGdhJ7XglZhsWh6DHcFfMHKqHlOT5W35jxtHOAFVKGig4iM36LN4MsFbzTiLdtctkxg80tyaOvMw_Q_fvpxlih6GszWK7eFEKKfP7VRYQ/w400-h400/IMG_1923.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><p>We used a long bright orange extension cord to lay out the size and shape of the swales prior to digging. You can also use a water hose for this. I find this important as it will help you establish an interesting and organic shape for your landscape elements.</p><p>It is also worth mentioning that we pulled in a 12v DC low voltage cable to run future landscape lighting. We also plumbed the yard with water for any future landscaping irrigation needs. We expect that we are not going to add irrigation because we are working towards a landscape that requires watering on 30 day intervals or less. We still decided to plumb water to the area in case it is needed at some point in the future.</p><p>Once the swales and berms were established, we installed garden edging and selected landscape materials. We decided to use the following landscape materials: decomposed granite (DG), river rock (both small & large), bark mulch, and a dessert tan landscape rock. We will also use a number of small boulder rocks to add visual interest. We used a landscape edging made of carbon steel that will rust and disappear as a natural element into the landscape.</p><p>One of the biggest challenges with a lawn2garden conversion is how to get rid of the grass. We decided to use cardboard over the existing grass with both landscape rock or bark mulch over the top. The cardboard will kill the grass off underneath and it will compost into the soil. We determined this was the easiest and cheapest method for our project. We had been saving cardboard boxes for a good 6 months for this purpose. We supplemented our cardboard supply with a number of cheap moving boxes we picked up at Home Depot.</p><p>For the swales, we lined them with landscaping fabric prior to pouring in the rock. Pulling weeds out of rock is not a fun process and we decided that landscape fabric was the way to go for this area. However, we only used the landscape fabric in as few places as possible because we want the native plants to be able to spread and develop root systems without being impeded.</p><p><b>Before:</b><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwI4bPCd_Qk/YUoMqRM_8sI/AAAAAAAAHzY/0qcUg4VdKFI_DdFZEmUsIyVgnxz2zzULACPcBGAsYHg/s2609/IMG_1720.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1957" data-original-width="2609" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwI4bPCd_Qk/YUoMqRM_8sI/AAAAAAAAHzY/0qcUg4VdKFI_DdFZEmUsIyVgnxz2zzULACPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_1720.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTw59JtcKu5hbcFQ4291hV2Qca-E7S4HzWRuJAW_fbGg1DI1cHO0MMszLnuXGJtiZwnG6R4oiMl1sYpgr0ciwaBRIABFfjDyBGMBvaYwvNW_Mxxz7dPV81RVYaDjJwjJY88Y_mjf1bfg/s2358/IMG_1721.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1768" data-original-width="2358" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTw59JtcKu5hbcFQ4291hV2Qca-E7S4HzWRuJAW_fbGg1DI1cHO0MMszLnuXGJtiZwnG6R4oiMl1sYpgr0ciwaBRIABFfjDyBGMBvaYwvNW_Mxxz7dPV81RVYaDjJwjJY88Y_mjf1bfg/w400-h300/IMG_1721.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><b>After:</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hM-gLnqQWAg/YUf8Zz82ykI/AAAAAAAAHx4/4NfD2Qh2SKoumfryN_vvPUadwTzkbkTfgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1940.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hM-gLnqQWAg/YUf8Zz82ykI/AAAAAAAAHx4/4NfD2Qh2SKoumfryN_vvPUadwTzkbkTfgCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_1940.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwRo69nHkWI/YVuiCvGxgcI/AAAAAAAAH0o/LLIxpzuGF3IzaGHKdeLA-ppRZZWVNyhqgCPcBGAsYHg/s2584/IMG_1996.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1938" data-original-width="2584" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwRo69nHkWI/YVuiCvGxgcI/AAAAAAAAH0o/LLIxpzuGF3IzaGHKdeLA-ppRZZWVNyhqgCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_1996.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joRp29hK0ho/YVuiCvOfypI/AAAAAAAAH0o/us6IdGgGGUY7beGB1N5FcnC2yVP39v2QACPcBGAsYHg/s1117/IMG_1996.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1117" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joRp29hK0ho/YVuiCvOfypI/AAAAAAAAH0o/us6IdGgGGUY7beGB1N5FcnC2yVP39v2QACPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_1996.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><p>We are extremely happy with the results. The berms adds a lot of visual interest and texture. We are excited about the swales and think they are both visually interesting and useful to capture rain water. The fence adds a beautiful design element that defines the space and harmonizes with the style of the house. </p><p>We are excited to begin planting. Earlier this week we reviewed our plant selections and will be making some changes. We found that the design on paper isn't an exact match to the physical space and therefore needs some minor tweaks. Be sure to allow yourself enough flexibility to evaluate your plan along the way. Seeing is believing and designs are meant to evolve. We expect to start planting in October and will post updates as that progresses.</p><p>From a timing perspective we have spent approximately 20 hours on our DIY front yard conversion. From a financial perspective, we have spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $700 on fencing materials and hardscaping supplies. Most all landscape supplies were purchased at our local Lowes. </p><p>It is all working! We've had so many people stop by wondering what we're doing and asking questions. We’re doing Lawn2Garden of course! Amazing to see so many people interested, and we hope our project can act as inspiration for others considering similar projects. Save water and beautify all at the same time!</p></div>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-68803490398259474372021-08-05T10:34:00.009-07:002021-08-05T14:11:46.421-07:00Summertime Highlights<p> In addition to constantly working on our 1914 craftsman four-square, we do sometimes just step back and enjoy what we've accomplished. It seems lately that maybe we don't take the time to do that enough. Perhaps it is a pandemic related behavior?</p><p>The native plant landscape we <a href="https://goingcraftsman.blogspot.com/2021/01/winter-planting.html">planted in the Fall-Winter-Spring season of 2020/21</a> really leapt to life! Here are some photos to show the progress:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-25Potnj1-4Q/YQwccnRZ2tI/AAAAAAAAHrg/eGvISTQvcoUXDAs66wzEM6CpWcVDxR3uQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/64273116878__0AB568DC-443D-4F4D-B909-287022AA6D8D.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-25Potnj1-4Q/YQwccnRZ2tI/AAAAAAAAHrg/eGvISTQvcoUXDAs66wzEM6CpWcVDxR3uQCPcBGAsYHg/w300-h400/64273116878__0AB568DC-443D-4F4D-B909-287022AA6D8D.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">View from the side-yard entry gate coming into the yard. The potted <a href="https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=806285&one=T" target="_blank">Burroughsia Fastigiata</a> is hands down one of my favorite plants. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FkcY2LlPnUM/YQwccmMCPuI/AAAAAAAAHrg/CGwpxZyZ6Mchal3fx6A2PZRQXSYpZvhfwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/64273114867__0729F8C9-6C75-46CC-A637-5C010BAE8927.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FkcY2LlPnUM/YQwccmMCPuI/AAAAAAAAHrg/CGwpxZyZ6Mchal3fx6A2PZRQXSYpZvhfwCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/64273114867__0729F8C9-6C75-46CC-A637-5C010BAE8927.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This photo features much of the hardscaping that we did ourselves in 2020. My back still hurts.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jg3lsJCeOB4/YQwccnCOPvI/AAAAAAAAHrg/OGkRenTof14MmY6_lV21NWGJOI6CAtumwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/64273113095__42F39269-018E-4BF6-997C-E184C88D8B6B.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jg3lsJCeOB4/YQwccnCOPvI/AAAAAAAAHrg/OGkRenTof14MmY6_lV21NWGJOI6CAtumwCPcBGAsYHg/w300-h400/64273113095__42F39269-018E-4BF6-997C-E184C88D8B6B.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In the background, our vegetable garden with higher-water demand plants. In the foreground, an old peach tree underplanted with California natives.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ip1q2DmvbQ/YQwcckrW6fI/AAAAAAAAHrg/n_s-DKsSmYIvT8TAY-u6OYxLcUdl5i1ZgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/64273111704__6C567A1D-080D-4FE7-B9BD-ACB8AB39B22F.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ip1q2DmvbQ/YQwcckrW6fI/AAAAAAAAHrg/n_s-DKsSmYIvT8TAY-u6OYxLcUdl5i1ZgCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/64273111704__6C567A1D-080D-4FE7-B9BD-ACB8AB39B22F.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A vegetable garden closeup. Mid-right side is the <a href="https://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/814--baccharis-emoryi">Baccharis emoryi </a>which is a wonderful bee attractor.</span></div><br /><p>In line with our need to enjoy life more and not to just work all the time -- we built an outdoor bar as part of our botanical entertainment backyard complex :). This project tested our tile and woodworking skills and we couldn't be happier with the end result. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9xJvEH3ZqU/YQwey1SD9lI/AAAAAAAAHrw/CUsCz7jFvG0qY1gf9B56TZhU7KDx_IOdwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1604.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9xJvEH3ZqU/YQwey1SD9lI/AAAAAAAAHrw/CUsCz7jFvG0qY1gf9B56TZhU7KDx_IOdwCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_1604.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bar side: notice the shingles that pattern match the house. We're very pleased with how that turned out.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1bjy7u_Bupw/YQweyxzFMuI/AAAAAAAAHrw/tBrhDnxUkDQ6hi9vJwTbx0ipHQy8kNK2QCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1603.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1bjy7u_Bupw/YQweyxzFMuI/AAAAAAAAHrw/tBrhDnxUkDQ6hi9vJwTbx0ipHQy8kNK2QCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_1603.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Redwood construction. The door panels are common redwood fence boards that we ran through the planer for a more artsy finished look.</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yiBGhGlXekY/YQwi3kuW5pI/AAAAAAAAHsI/iGM5T-b2h84BgLlN4R6GxQFAo_hvHcp1QCPcBGAsYHg/s3642/IMG_1843.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3642" data-original-width="2886" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yiBGhGlXekY/YQwi3kuW5pI/AAAAAAAAHsI/iGM5T-b2h84BgLlN4R6GxQFAo_hvHcp1QCPcBGAsYHg/w318-h400/IMG_1843.HEIC" width="318" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The beautiful tile work that my partner completed. Very vibrant and perfect for the space.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And yes, we're still working on the indoor paint stripping. In between paint stripping shifts we like to go outside and enjoy a cocktail or two. Or three. Rarely five. We have made tremendous progress on the dining room woodwork paint stripping and will soon begin dying, staining and shellac'ing. We recently sent a piece of originally stained trim in to a stain match expert I've worked with in the past when completing other restoration projects. Receiving the stain has been delayed because there is a national paint can shortage that is severely impacting small producers. Who knew!?!?! Like everything in 2020 and 2021 -- one must apply patience and learn to go with it and not against it. The delay is allowing us to enjoy more drinks at our custom built bar! See.... there are benefits to being delayed. It is helping me be more in touch with the concept of mañana ~ maybe tomorrow and maybe never.<p></p><p>Hope readers are enjoying the summer as we are. Keep keeping on.</p><br />Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-25655628109295206492021-07-29T11:33:00.002-07:002021-07-29T11:33:17.151-07:00Lawn2Garden<p> Earlier this year <a href="https://goingcraftsman.blogspot.com/2021/02/lawn-to-garden.html">I wrote about </a>the Lawn2Garden effort to convert our remaining grass lawn into planted landscape area. Since then, I've decided to leverage the <a href="https://lblawntogarden.com/">Long Beach Lawn to Garden</a> program to complete this conversion and to see what the process is like to leverage this resource. The conversion was something we were planning to do with or without the official city program, but I felt that it would be worth it to document the experience so that others can benefit from this information.</p><p>In June of 2021 I submitted the Lawn2Garden application for our 271 square feet of grass and it was quickly approved. California is in the throws of a very extensive drought, and I cannot in good conscious continue to pour water on the lawn. I personally don't find the aesthetics of a lawn to be very appealing in Southern California as it doesn't match the landscape or draw cues from it in any way. At the same time, it will allow the front-yard to match the work we've done in the <a href="https://goingcraftsman.blogspot.com/2021/01/winter-planting.html">backyard</a> so that there is more cohesion. </p><p>With the approval from the Long Beach Water departments Lawn2Garden conversion in hand, we set off to complete the final drawing for the front-yard conversion. We leveraged most of the same plants we used in the backyard when we worked with <a href="https://goingcraftsman.blogspot.com/2020/10/native-plant-palette-set.html">Randi at Tree of Life nursery</a> to complete that design. The numbers on the design correspond to the ID numbers on <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTeaYvGGC_mVVLfNjWuWrfTx14-Xu5PZm6z1pgPG8eAVAU2ofIk5WZCuUkj0-jcnQoyk-WaWJWngOwS/pubhtml#" target="_blank">this plant list</a>, which also shows watering requirements. On the plant list, reference the 'Front Yard' sheet. The plant selections changed very little from our backyard plant palette and that was completely by design. First, we've had very good luck with all the plants we used in the backyard and have lost very few. In addition, using most all of the same plants will help ensure a high-level of cohesion from front to back. </p><p>Enough talking and more pictures:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9RgMhXSuRpc/YQLu6CbXUmI/AAAAAAAAHqA/P9ijY32tom01UygN6S4nrpHFVSw3y2o_wCPcBGAsYHg/s2086/IMG_1825.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="2086" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9RgMhXSuRpc/YQLu6CbXUmI/AAAAAAAAHqA/P9ijY32tom01UygN6S4nrpHFVSw3y2o_wCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h304/IMG_1825.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Why such good luck with the backyard plants? We planted in November of 2020 right prior to what rain we did receive that winter. That proved to be very smart. The plants thrived in the cooler temps and set roots very quickly. Many sprang up and grew like crazy during the spring of 2021. Some of the most vigorous were as follows:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #103824; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: 700;">Dana Point Buckwheat</span></li><li><span style="color: #103824; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: 700;">White Sage</span></li><li><span style="color: #103824; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: 700;">Yerba Buena</span></li><li><span style="color: #103824; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: 700;">Calylophus Hartwegii</span></li><li><span style="color: #103824; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: 700;">Ray Hartman Ceanothus</span></li></ul><div>If fairness, all of the plants we've put in have performed like rock stars. The above are some of the most vigorous. Since May, 2021, we have set the <a href="https://goingcraftsman.blogspot.com/2020/12/water-water-everywhere.html">low-pressure irrigation system</a> to water 10 minutes (two five-minute cycles) every 15 days! The watering requirements have been so minimal that it is making me consider not installing any irrigation at all in the front-yard landscape. I have found that minimal water is required to nurse these plants to full health when planted in the fall/winter which prepares them to grow vigorously on what very little water they receive. I intend to follow this model in the front-yard. I will likely need to add minimal irrigation for the existing Japanese maple that is currently planted in the front-yard. This tree has already reached full-growth or we would consider replacing it with a low/no water varietal. There was a secondary non-native tree that had been planted that we removed. Instead, we replaced it with the Ray Hartman (pruned up as a tree) which will better match our backyard design.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the big features in the submitted design is the addition of a swale and a small berm. We added this feature on both the left and right side of the design. In 2020 we installed gutters and drainage to funnel roof water to pop-ups in our front yard. Based on the winter experience in 2020/21, we noticed that much of the winter rain flooded the front-yard and then ran onto the sidewalk and down to the nearest storm drain. We plan to capture more of this precious water so that it soaks into the landscape. The swales will prevent more of the water from entering the storm drain, and provide more growth potential for our native plants.</div><div><br /></div><div>We anxiously await the Lawn2Garden approval of our submitted design. We will be doing most all of this work ourselves in the September/October timeframe with the hope of planting come October/November of this year. With any luck we will receive plenty of rain this winter. If we don't, then at least we'll know that our landscape can tolerate what little supplemental water it will receive in spring/summer of 2022.</div><p></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-70190715610779450442021-06-20T17:41:00.002-07:002021-06-20T17:41:20.175-07:00Yep, more paint stripping<p> In October 2020 we started the ever so fun job of paint stripping our dining room. Here we are, June of 2021 and slowly but surely we're making process. We started and completed numerous other projects in this time. Paint stripping is one of those projects that just keeps giving week after week after week after week.</p><p>Earlier this year we discovered that the wall frame and panel was solid wood. That significantly increased the scope of surface area to be paint stripped and refinished. The following are the most recent progress pictures.</p><p>We dream of having this room fully done sanded and refinished by December, in time for a nice holiday party to show off the hard work.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwBGXoHxlQA/YM_f4ZM3rDI/AAAAAAAAHoo/3t2zvj7AUkg9xuD75Idp0dFPMFgUkwPpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwBGXoHxlQA/YM_f4ZM3rDI/AAAAAAAAHoo/3t2zvj7AUkg9xuD75Idp0dFPMFgUkwPpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1701.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JnCrSCPzZBA/YM_f4UqtcUI/AAAAAAAAHok/kvVY9nq8LRQNECAquVPtbPXNIo4YZYnawCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JnCrSCPzZBA/YM_f4UqtcUI/AAAAAAAAHok/kvVY9nq8LRQNECAquVPtbPXNIo4YZYnawCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1702.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-80082012787543369582021-02-18T18:32:00.002-08:002021-02-18T19:09:16.170-08:00Slow Painful Progress<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwSnWwUtlxw/YC7tgh4Kz0I/AAAAAAAAHbY/14OTSjHHOvQ_De2SdyhvYO2g2rE20ANNwCPcBGAsYHg/s3823/IMG_1352.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2628" data-original-width="3823" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwSnWwUtlxw/YC7tgh4Kz0I/AAAAAAAAHbY/14OTSjHHOvQ_De2SdyhvYO2g2rE20ANNwCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1352.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>We are making slooooooooooooow painful progress stripping the original built-in cabinet. Progress is extremely slow even with the Speedheater. We learned during the process that the entire cabinet and all of the surrounding trim on the wall had been completely sanded down to raw wood. We guesstimate this happened sometime in the 50s or 60s based on the nature of the oil based paint layers. The extremely strong oil based paints made a VERY STRONG bond to the wood grain making it next to impossible to remove the paint. <p></p><p>Throughout this process we have been using the Speedheater to remove as much paint as possible without damaging the wood. When we scrape with too much pressure we gouge the wood, which we've done in a number of places. That will lead to more sanding and difficulty during the finishing process. We have resorted to using chemical stripper to remove the final layers of oil paint that have adhered to the raw wood. We are using Multi-Strip Advanced, which I have used in the past. It is less toxic, but still pretty strong stuff. The trick has been to leave the stripping paste on the surface for at least 10 hours before the final scrape. It leaves quite a bit of paint residue, but we expect to be able to sand most of it out during the final finishing stage.</p><p>The good news is that we did a test run on the box beams and surrounding trim in the dining room and the original finish was not sanded off. The Speedheater penetrates through the paint layers, softens the shellac layer, and the paint slides off like butter. We are hoping that this cabinet and surrounding trim is the last of the sanded wood work. Why would anyone bother to sand all of this and then cover it all up with paint? Not sure we'll ever understand exactly what happened here. The mysteries of an old house!</p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-7203709726808725862021-02-09T09:32:00.002-08:002021-02-09T09:32:43.419-08:00Another Win in the Finish Column<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiids-y5GIHh0cz7B0SsWnJaVbhJTfLZki2jsgkmOgIHBXNSw2rUqdpX4d1A2ooD2AEecZIxvKKKWXNPfEPRa9ntt4qIkUHWOxwkfba1Ee9HTqw87Fank2_oueA0q-NAWlCVPP0nnts2UY/s4032/IMG_1323.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiids-y5GIHh0cz7B0SsWnJaVbhJTfLZki2jsgkmOgIHBXNSw2rUqdpX4d1A2ooD2AEecZIxvKKKWXNPfEPRa9ntt4qIkUHWOxwkfba1Ee9HTqw87Fank2_oueA0q-NAWlCVPP0nnts2UY/s320/IMG_1323.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>We took another project over the finish line this weekend! This one wraps up the workshop makeover we started in January. We got the workbenches and a really nice tool chest installed which mostly completes the space. This small space was a big challenge, but we couldn't be happier with the outcome. It is bright, well organized, and allows us to easily set up different tools depending on the type of project we are working on. It is really nice to have this complete! The sad part of finishing this means we have to stop procrastinating and start paint stripping the woodwork in the house again. I'd rather do just about ANYTHING else .... :-)<p></p><p><br /></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-9630389782080817902021-02-06T16:20:00.002-08:002021-02-06T16:45:05.759-08:00Lawn to Garden<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BLJ30_qf7ok/YB8wE6ugToI/AAAAAAAAHXw/vduaWLTgiFM6EFd-vURJGZEs8xKAjj2bgCPcBGAsYHg/s3770/IMG_1322.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2785" data-original-width="3770" height="295" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BLJ30_qf7ok/YB8wE6ugToI/AAAAAAAAHXw/vduaWLTgiFM6EFd-vURJGZEs8xKAjj2bgCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h295/IMG_1322.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div>After numerous walks around our neighborhood we have been considering a lawn to garden conversion. There are quite a few people in our area that have done this. Anyone else reading this blog been through this process in another city or in Long beach? The city here offers a program to do this which includes a 3$ per sq ft grant. The city recently replaced our street and curbs, and our front strip got pretty torn up in the process. In addition, they took out the 40 foot tall eucalyptus tree that was located in the front yard along the sidewalk. This has been an invitation for us to consider what to do with the small front-yard space.<p></p><p>I did a first draft landscape drawing of what it could look like should we choose to go this route. Plants corresponding to the numerical identifier on the drawing can be found <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTeaYvGGC_mVVLfNjWuWrfTx14-Xu5PZm6z1pgPG8eAVAU2ofIk5WZCuUkj0-jcnQoyk-WaWJWngOwS/pubhtml" target="_blank">here</a>. I can't help but think that this would be much more visually interesting and require a lot less water.</p><p>Trying to convince myself not to do the conversion this year, but who am I kidding. I might have this done next week :)</p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-39254502794620340612021-02-03T19:05:00.003-08:002021-02-03T19:05:31.690-08:00Final Push to the Finish<p> Why is it that the final 10% of work on a project always takes such a massive effort to finish? Perhaps because it is always detailed, or maybe it's the mental difficulty of pushing past the finish line. Nonetheless, our studio makeover project was no exception to this rule. It was one of the first projects to be started in January of 2020 and yet we just pushed it over the finish line this month! </p><p>I am proud to report that all the door and window trim is in! Even the baseboards are hung :). We trimmed the doors/windows using poplar and left it natural with a shellac finish. We used the newly acquired planer to custom mill the board depths to match the craftsman detail of the house. Overall, very pleased with the outcome and happy to have this marked off the list. The project was an excellent test of the workflow of the newly remodeled workshop and we are pleased with the result. Looking forward to moving on to a different room now...</p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIvrLpetuC4/YBth59ns2qI/AAAAAAAAHWc/q64QzD6gweowj-50LUfnUjPgHRHVft_QQCPcBGAsYHg/s3394/IMG_1316.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2843" data-original-width="3394" height="269" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIvrLpetuC4/YBth59ns2qI/AAAAAAAAHWc/q64QzD6gweowj-50LUfnUjPgHRHVft_QQCPcBGAsYHg/w320-h269/IMG_1316.HEIC" width="320" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C5xOWA-VjIQ/YBtiKvgiDbI/AAAAAAAAHWk/hv-nj-SjzmoxelHI9_JusUWr31_n9a4fACPcBGAsYHg/s2685/IMG_1314.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2685" data-original-width="2685" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C5xOWA-VjIQ/YBtiKvgiDbI/AAAAAAAAHWk/hv-nj-SjzmoxelHI9_JusUWr31_n9a4fACPcBGAsYHg/w320-h320/IMG_1314.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8OT7jwLnP87rORBdbP57gY6zs-JG6eLWWl9izJX3BThXy63M_R42ypwphiNNObUXMePYnxG5Q6jLvWVyP8Fbfc6NhfefL1mh-ch5uTKF3aVC3hG6hu2e_nc5vHpFBq6xEngtYd_8uFQ/s2694/IMG_1315.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2694" data-original-width="2090" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8OT7jwLnP87rORBdbP57gY6zs-JG6eLWWl9izJX3BThXy63M_R42ypwphiNNObUXMePYnxG5Q6jLvWVyP8Fbfc6NhfefL1mh-ch5uTKF3aVC3hG6hu2e_nc5vHpFBq6xEngtYd_8uFQ/w248-h320/IMG_1315.HEIC" width="248" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-92224594816878296252021-01-26T17:29:00.003-08:002021-01-26T17:55:43.305-08:00Workshop Refresh<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mm0YAb6XEXM/YBC59iOIZsI/AAAAAAAAHUk/IVccfwh8mS4JtSjdA7faQ22gzM8nXhADACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_3684.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mm0YAb6XEXM/YBC59iOIZsI/AAAAAAAAHUk/IVccfwh8mS4JtSjdA7faQ22gzM8nXhADACPcBGAsYHg/w200-h150/IMG_3684.HEIC" width="200" /></a></div> Well, we never would've dreamt we'd be spending so much time at home in 2020 and 2021 working on home projects! We've spent a lot of time in our modestly sized 12'x12' workshop. Over the past year we've completed quite a number of projects and having this space has been helpful. However, it was dark, cramped, and had some critter problems. The old original sagging carriage doors definitely had issues and did little to protect the space. Unlocking them and opening up the shop door was a 5-10 minute process. Not exactly ideal.<br /><p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YYuPmxCS058/YBC8wpShk-I/AAAAAAAAHU8/TLha3pZ24wsVxny1mVoe4qSbb7WQ8x_DQCPcBGAsYHg/s3759/IMG_0719.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3759" data-original-width="2869" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YYuPmxCS058/YBC8wpShk-I/AAAAAAAAHU8/TLha3pZ24wsVxny1mVoe4qSbb7WQ8x_DQCPcBGAsYHg/w153-h200/IMG_0719.HEIC" width="153" /></a></div>We set out to reimagine this space knowing that we wanted a creative space that could support any number of hobbies. I recently bought a small MIG welder in hopes of building some garden type features. In addition, it would be nice to do some creative wood working projects as well as continue to support our home remodeling efforts. I started the remodel process by drawing the space to scale and making cut-outs for all of our equipment. I spent a good four weeks moving things around and tweaking the plan. 12'x12' isn't a lot of space when you are looking to house saws, tools, and workbenches. I scoured the web for shop layout plans and youtube videos. I found plenty of inspiration, but it still required a lot of modification to suit our specific needs. </div><div><br /></div><div>We finalized the plan in the last couple of months by making a couple of critical decisions. First, we decided to remove the old carriage doors and have a garage door installed. When working with large wood stock, it is sometimes necessary to have the door open to get the larger pieces through the table saw or planer. Therefore, it was critical that the door be easy to use and open. We plan to reuse some of the old wainscot stock from the removed carriage doors on the interior wall as a way to preserve some of the material and history. And secondly, we decided to put all the wood working tools on mobile bases so they can be stored against the walls and pulled into the center when needed. This allowed the space to be multi-use and not entirely dedicated to wood working. </div><div><br /></div><div>We are extremely pleased with the design, and have have completed much of the work. We went with a vertical wainscot paneling on three of the walls and then plan to use the recycled vintage carriage door wainscot material on the garage door interior wall. This material will be hung horizontally to provide contrast, and will be planed down so that it is a simple raw wood with a clear finish. We have since worked on a couple of projects in the space, and are pleased with the workflow. The brightness and openness of the design makes it much easier to work in the space and to see what you are working on! Soon, we will be installing an L shaped set of workbenches on the right side and back wall and plan to build some overhead cabinetry for tools and additional storage. We look forward to many future projects working in this bright and comfortable space.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubwfCzTjzAk/YBC_OnMDbVI/AAAAAAAAHVQ/wdI3PHPjV781YzhGqZcisvjf7XAaf9vXACPcBGAsYHg/s2729/IMG_1302.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="2729" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubwfCzTjzAk/YBC_OnMDbVI/AAAAAAAAHVQ/wdI3PHPjV781YzhGqZcisvjf7XAaf9vXACPcBGAsYHg/w320-h240/IMG_1302.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /> </div>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-5223121038329724462021-01-02T16:15:00.009-08:002021-01-02T16:17:46.147-08:00Winter Planting<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tG4BklJQlBw/X_ELA3bi1QI/AAAAAAAAHR0/kbEC797ytSY9ShoMF2UaNAev7GbGD0N_gCPcBGAsYHg/s3019/IMG_1262.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="3019" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tG4BklJQlBw/X_ELA3bi1QI/AAAAAAAAHR0/kbEC797ytSY9ShoMF2UaNAev7GbGD0N_gCPcBGAsYHg/w320-h320/IMG_1262.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br />We've been focused on the landscape plantings to capitalize on the cooler temperatures and what little rain we've been receiving this winter. Having grown up in the midwest, I'm still adjusting to the climate in southern California and the idea that some plants grow all year long.<p></p><p>We visited the <a href="https://theodorepayne.org/" target="_blank">Theodore Payne</a> Center just north of Burbank today. Much of the gardens are closed, but the plant nursery is open. Today we found the following plants on our list:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Juncus Patens, both Elk Blue and Occidental Blue</li><li>Bouteloua Graciis</li><li>Heuchera 'Opal'</li><li>Gambelia Speciosa, Firecracker</li><li>Ceanothus Joyce Coulter</li></ul><div>Our experience at Theodore Payne was good. You can find their inventory online which is updated regularly. This was extremely helpful and allowed us to plan our visit based on what was available. Once at the nursery we found the signage and layout to be very good. We were able to identify everything on our list in around 20 minutes. Each pot is labelled, and therefore it made it much easier for us. We will definitely continue to use them as a resource as we build out our native plant landscape. We found that there were plants and Theodore Payne not at Tree of Life and vise versa. Definitely check out both as you build out your native landscape plan.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are down to two plants left on our list that we have yet to find. We're hoping we'll luck out later in the spring as the nurseries begin putting out new inventory. We're excited to see everything start to root-in and grow during the winter and spring months.</div><div><br /></div><div>A pretty good start to 2021.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-73594723296600327722020-12-30T09:44:00.001-08:002020-12-30T09:44:40.667-08:00The 2020 Miracle!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E0ESNJDuNbA/X-pmvNkbG5I/AAAAAAAAHQY/tTpP1aThVLE0R2unuOzYCvTjYTk7uiZcACPcBGAsYHg/s3381/IMG_1242.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3381" data-original-width="2536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E0ESNJDuNbA/X-pmvNkbG5I/AAAAAAAAHQY/tTpP1aThVLE0R2unuOzYCvTjYTk7uiZcACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1242.HEIC" /></a></div>I have long wanted a more powerful and larger range. However, it is hard to justify installing one when you've just moved into a new home and there are so many other things that need to be done. It is especially difficult to justify when you have a working stove and oven that gets the job done.<div><br /></div><div>Well, then a miracle occurred. Our oven stopped working this year and it wasn't reasonable to repair. Therefore, it was essential that we buy a new stove :)</div><div><br /></div><div>In comes the dream range, followed by the installation of a vent hood and backsplash! We went with the dual fuel Kucht range, NXR hood and NXR full stainless chimney cover. The backsplash was custom fabricated by Commerce Metals.</div><div><br /></div><div>This project tested our skill level. Retrofitting the house for the hood took much more work than we originally anticipated. We watched countless videos before making a hole through the lath and plaster ceiling to ensure that we did not damage the surrounding plaster. We designed custom brackets for the back of the hood to allow it to be secured to the existing wall studs.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have thoroughly enjoyed cooking on it, and appreciate having the high power burners for searing and for high heat cooking applications. We also installed the shelving to the left which puts pots and pans, essential kitchen utensils and oils and spices near the stove. We are extremely pleased with the outcome.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is much work to be done in the kitchen, but after living with it for a year we plan to keep the exact same layout. It is a great cooking triangle and has proven to be an efficient space to cook in. We will be refacing cabinetry by building custom shaker doors, replacing counters and installing new floors. Much of this work will be DIY in the months ahead.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p></div>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-53668747293643245282020-12-06T13:57:00.004-08:002020-12-06T14:44:04.726-08:00Water Water Everywhere<p> Water water everywhere! That is if you took the time to plan it.</p><p>Southern California presents some interesting irrigation challenges. Water does not naturally fall out of the sky most of the year, and therefore you pretty much have to irrigate. A large portion of the decision to go native was to conserve water. Therefore, does it make sense to plumb water water everywhere?</p><p>I went back and forth in my mind on whether to cover this topic on the blog. I am not an expert and the more I read about the water requirements for natives, the less I understand. Everyone has an opinion on this topic and yet no one has actual information you can easily use. </p><p>Like I did in the Pacific Northwest, I am installing a system of drip irrigation, as well as mini spot sprinklers. I have added a number of new functions, such as shrubblers and plant pot sprayers. In a good year we are out of town frequently, and I prefer that the landscape be self maintaining. Just last year we lost most of our potted plants after we were out of town for one week in the height of summer.</p><p>I am not going to give a comprehensive overview of the installation of our irrigation system in this article. Instead, I am going to mention some of the products we used, and then I am going to offer to post updates about the irrigation methods after we've used them for 6 months, 12 months and so on.</p><p>Almost all of our irrigation products are from <a href="http://dripworks.com">dripworks.com</a>. They are an Oregon based company, and I absolutely love them. Get the catalog and study it. Order a kit to start, and that will inform the parts and part numbers you need to expand it further. Here are some of the products that make up the basis of our system so far:</p><h3 class="product-name" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shrubbler on 5" Stake 360°</span></h3><span face="museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;">DSHS</span><div><span face="museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;"><br /></span></div><div><h3 class="product-name" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Micro-Jet 90°, 180°, 360°</span></h3><span face="museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;">MAJ90 MAJ180 MAJ360</span></div><div><span face="museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;"><br /></span></div><div><h3 class="product-name" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4" Soaker Dripline 12" Spaced</span></h3><span face="museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;">DSD12 </span></div><div><span face="museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;"><br /></span></div><div><h3 class="product-name" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Potstream </span></h3><span face="museo-sans, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;">DPS</span></div><div><br /></div><div>There are dozens of other product numbers for EasyLoc connectors, tubing, etc, but again I'm just covering a few of the products I use in the system overall. I'm happy to answer questions in the comments section about other products/parts in use.</div><div><br /></div><div>I ended up using hose end timers, and have purchased a number of the wi-fi connected b-hyve Orbit faucet timers. Again, might not be the easiest solution long-term, but so far they are serving my needs well. Irrigation companies are not geared for low-water native landscapes and my biggest question was whether I could set it for interval watering with values greater than 7 days. Good news -- the answer is yes with the b-hyve faucet timer. I was able to set it for 15+ days between watering cycles. This will allow me to decrease the watering intervals as the plants mature and their water requirements reduce over time. Goal is to only have to water most natives once every 30 days.</div><div><br /></div><div>My advice is to start out with a plan. Understand the watering requirements of the different planting zones in your landscape. We have a kitchen garden, the native landscape beds, potted plants and a drought tolerant grassy front yard. Each of these areas has specific watering needs that differ from one another. You will have to take this into consideration as you design your system. A healthy dose of planning will ensure less frustration and failure during and after implementation.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I learn more from our experience with this system and getting the native plants established, I will be sure to revisit this subject in future posts.</div>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-16604704517199369072020-12-01T12:47:00.002-08:002020-12-01T16:44:57.530-08:00New Plant Babies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-flK7jjB5VRs/X8anrB1C4pI/AAAAAAAAHNk/_vmnOAnG91Eeez5SbxWorr9alwIg6bxCgCPcBGAsYHg/s3832/IMG_1186.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3832" data-original-width="2299" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-flK7jjB5VRs/X8anrB1C4pI/AAAAAAAAHNk/_vmnOAnG91Eeez5SbxWorr9alwIg6bxCgCPcBGAsYHg/w240-h400/IMG_1186.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /> Few things excite me more than new plants. Just finished a trip to Tree of Life nursery and brought back the next batch of native plants to round out our landscape plan. Today's finds were:<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Juncus Patens</li><li>Satureja douglasii</li><li>Dudleya Brittonii</li><li>Dudleya Hassei</li><li>Ceanothus Julia Phelps</li><li>Archillea Millefolium</li><li>Festuca Idahoensis</li><li>Baccharis Emoryi</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>We had a good lesson in patience and thinking out of the box today. Many of our native wish list plants were not available. Sometimes the nursery has propagation failures or the plants are not rooted well enough to put out into the nursery for sale. This was the case for many of the plants on the list. That's okay, as we plan to do this project in layers and who doesn't like repeat trips to get more plants.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, we discovered that there are many different Ceanothus varieties. We were ultimately looking for a Joyce Coulter which is lower growing with a greater spread. We decided to try a Julia Phelps which is a bit more upright. Our plan is to train this plant into a larger spread with careful staking and weighting of the branches. </div><div><br /></div><div>All of this is a reminder to remain flexible, do plenty of research and be open to alternatives and other ideas. The world of natives can be a tricky when it comes to sourcing. There are far fewer nursery's specializing in these plants and therefore they can be more challenging to obtain.</div><p></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-51133267392722097472020-11-28T16:06:00.008-08:002020-11-29T12:23:50.675-08:002020 Retrospective<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YAYJyQJdjbY/X63nBkjCeaI/AAAAAAAAHHs/JQpxmU43sz0_pne9_j-Mxc0anKsjJO3wACPcBGAsYHg/s1848/IMG_1159.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1848" data-original-width="1848" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YAYJyQJdjbY/X63nBkjCeaI/AAAAAAAAHHs/JQpxmU43sz0_pne9_j-Mxc0anKsjJO3wACPcBGAsYHg/w200-h200/IMG_1159.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Well, if you look hard enough you can find beauty in this year. This was our first full year in our 1914 craftsman bungalow. Our first two months were spent creating plans for the property and our improvement wish list. Little did we know that we'd make so much progress towards that list in 2020. Amazing how much more time a person has at home during a pandemic!<div><br /></div><div>Starting off the list was our studio makeover. The property contained a building that's 12'x32' and a complete mess. Originally it was a carriage house, but it had gone through a number of conversions through the years that left it in pretty bad shape. We carved the building into two sections - a studio and a workshop. We stripped the building down to the studs and began remaking it into something usable. In March of 2020, we finished the studio. The studio serves as a workout space and a home office. Little did we know that we'd get so much use out of it in 2020! We have planned the back workshop portion and expect to start work on that project in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for further updates on that.</div><div><br /></div><div>In parallel to completing the studio, we started planning out the landscape makeover. We had a particularly rainy spring in 2020 and experienced some localized flooding. From that we learned the drainage around our 1914 home was terrible. Water is the enemy of an old house, so we began the effort of laying over 100 feet of drainage pipe. Come May 2020, we had gutters installed on all three buildings and tied it into our new drainage system. It wasn't a romantic project, but will help prevent damage to the old foundation. It took months to complete, but had to be finished before breaking ground on the landscape hardscaping.</div><div><br /></div><div>From there, we decided to remove 400+ feet of concrete from the property. From past experience, we knew this was something we wanted to hire out. Sure glad we made that decision. The crew was here for a week removing concrete, and making a long cut down the remaining concrete driveway to install drains. 2020 was the year of drainage. Glad that portion is over!</div><div><br /></div><div>Once the concrete was removed, we had a blank slate and could finally start laying in the hardscaping. We built a paver patio made from recycled rubber tiles, and a concrete paver patio area and pergola. For this project, we moved approximately 9 tons of gravel and sand using an old dilapidated wheel barrow. This is one of those projects you reflect back on and swear you'd never do by hand again. Whew, we are very glad that this project is done and we reap the benefits of our labor on a regular basis.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are finally at the stage of planting and layering in the softscaping. We have started this effort and hope to finish it up before the end of the winter. In the meantime, we've moved our efforts inside and have started stripping the painted woodwork in our living and dining rooms. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was a very big year for us. It was a difficult year, but I can't imagine how we would've gotten through it without all the projects we accomplished. When I reflect back on 2020 in the future, I will remember it as the year of the pandemic and the year we got so much done at our new house. Hopefully I'll be doing that reflection while sitting in our beautiful landscape enjoying wine :)<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-64789544017494061822020-11-24T11:28:00.001-08:002020-11-24T11:52:27.855-08:00Potager Nook<p>Sometimes procrastination leads to the best decisions. We'd been trying to figure out since this spring what to do with the northeast corner of our house. This area is part of our kitchen potager garden, and is the utility corner for cable, telephone and electricity. We tried planting this area with veg, but nothing grew well in the mostly shady area. It gets flooded with morning sun, and then remains shaded most of the day.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBNOzui0n8M/X71ddkTSEYI/AAAAAAAAHK8/3RF344HSn5wEuB5L2axTci1P9BVQvCSzQCPcBGAsYHg/s2389/IMG_1175.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2389" data-original-width="2389" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBNOzui0n8M/X71ddkTSEYI/AAAAAAAAHK8/3RF344HSn5wEuB5L2axTci1P9BVQvCSzQCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h400/IMG_1175.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>This weekend we built a small brick S curve patio with recycled bricks we had laying around. Instantly, the area was transformed and now has a purpose. We tested the nook today with our morning coffee and we love the area! It is a great spot to enjoy morning coffee and to admire the garden. Finally, a solution for an otherwise dead and difficult spot.</p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-31685945259347370312020-11-14T12:48:00.000-08:002020-11-14T12:48:08.113-08:00Potted Plants for Interest<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5h57rPTEqw/X7A-rGfQvVI/AAAAAAAAHJE/6H36lzw43hERZQ1hUlatxjRDK0Ssh7shgCPcBGAsYHg/s3735/IMG_1161.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3735" data-original-width="2401" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5h57rPTEqw/X7A-rGfQvVI/AAAAAAAAHJE/6H36lzw43hERZQ1hUlatxjRDK0Ssh7shgCPcBGAsYHg/w258-h400/IMG_1161.HEIC" width="258" /></a></div>We have a decent amount of concrete hardscape up the South side of the house that we decided to keep for our patio area. However, we knew we needed to soften this with plants and with the help of Tree of Life nursery, we identified a number of natives that would be good candidates.<p></p><p>Today we got this <a href="https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.rsa0006391" target="_blank">Burroughsia Fastigiata </a>planted and absolutely love the outcome. The pot matches the scale, and we are very pleased with the free flow feel and growth pattern of this bush. It is amazing how a plant in the right spot can change everything. This pot is along the approach of the back yard landscape, and is serving as great visual interest.</p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-71415441901100564892020-11-12T15:25:00.004-08:002020-11-12T18:29:39.386-08:00The Big Day<p> Well, we got our first rain for the season and we just couldn't wait any longer to start getting the landscape in. We made our first big trip to Tree of Life nursery with a focus on getting all of the trees and the plants for one of the main garden beds. Earlier in the week we received the water feature and got that installed. The following is a preview of the finished product:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCy0c0a6PM8/X63BnEq-g_I/AAAAAAAAHHE/wVFHMXdU3PQ2tKIkU9VJmS3auhdn0yMrwCPcBGAsYHg/s3121/IMG_1152.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2341" data-original-width="3121" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCy0c0a6PM8/X63BnEq-g_I/AAAAAAAAHHE/wVFHMXdU3PQ2tKIkU9VJmS3auhdn0yMrwCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_1152.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We're happy with the area, and especially like our new water feature. We think it will add a lot of life to the landscape by drawing in birds, bees, dragon flies, and all the wonderful forms of life that water attracts. Here is an overview of the plantings in this bed from left to right:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Byrd Hill Manzanita (back left)</li><li>Euphorbia Misera (front left)</li><li>La Cruz Manzanita (mid left)</li><li>White Sage (behind water feature)</li><li>Eriogonum Dana Point (right side) x 2</li></ul><div>Here's the original design we're working from and the expected scale when grown in.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FDB196fj7jU/X63kdzeCRcI/AAAAAAAAHHY/o0sEyPJ-xlECs5-cozpnBnexT5mk7ZbBQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0962.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FDB196fj7jU/X63kdzeCRcI/AAAAAAAAHHY/o0sEyPJ-xlECs5-cozpnBnexT5mk7ZbBQCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0962.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We are looking to put one or two Salvia Cedrosensis in the bed, but the nursery was out.</div><div><br /></div><div>We also got the California Bay, Toyon and the Ray Hartman planted. It has already completely transformed the feel of the landscape. All of the hardscaping took a tremendous amount of work, but seeing the plants go in is a real treat. We are still looking to add some larger landscape rocks to soften it and add a more natural feel. </div><div><br /></div><div>More about the plants can be found on <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTeaYvGGC_mVVLfNjWuWrfTx14-Xu5PZm6z1pgPG8eAVAU2ofIk5WZCuUkj0-jcnQoyk-WaWJWngOwS/pubhtml" target="_blank">this list</a>.</div> <p></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-84275049317920519082020-10-17T09:01:00.007-07:002020-10-19T14:46:37.019-07:00Native Plant Palette Set<p> The native California plant palette has been set with the help and direction of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/randi-gunder-8a5296ba/" target="_blank">Randi Gunder</a> at <a href="https://californianativeplants.com/" target="_blank">Tree of Life Nursery</a> in San Juan Capistrano. Randi is a Landscape Designer and a tremendous help to us as we evaluate and plan the next steps of our native landscape.</p><p>So, why native? There are many reasons that we chose to go with a more native landscape. First, I have always enjoyed the great outdoors and am most impressed with mother natures ability to create grand gardens. These eco-systems always seem to strike a balance and plants flourish. Second, the native plants of the region are well adapted to the climate, and therefore require much less water and are less susceptible to disease. Third, I appreciate the small and proportional flowers and showmanship of native plants. Far to often I see plants that have been bred to produce flowers they can barely hold up. To me this looks like a Frankenstein anomaly, and I struggle to find the beauty in it. I am convinced that many of the natives produce better looking foliage with striking colors and textures. These plants have evolved to protect themselves for survival and the armor that they've built is beautiful and purposeful. And finally, native plants draw wildlife and insects while maintaining a natural balance. These are just some of the reasons why we're committed to an 80% native plant garden.</p><p>We arrived at the Tree of Life Nursery at around 11am. From there, we sat with Randi and shared the work that we'd done to date. She had prepared a base drawing using photos I had sent her earlier. Fifteen minutes into the design consultation and we were browsing the Nursery grounds discussing plants, textures, insects and fragrance. This was a really wonderful way to develop the conversation and learn about each others tastes and interests. In fact, we learned a lot about what native plants make great cocktail infusions. What a fun idea!</p><p>After an hour of discussing plants and looking at all different shapes and sizes, Randi was off to the races heads down building out a conceptual landscape plan based on our likes, the space we have and all the considerations that we discussed. There was some discussion during the design/drawing phase to clarify and work towards the final product. This took her approximately 45 minutes, and the final product was this:</p><br />
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<p>To better visualize this, I loaded the plants into a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTeaYvGGC_mVVLfNjWuWrfTx14-Xu5PZm6z1pgPG8eAVAU2ofIk5WZCuUkj0-jcnQoyk-WaWJWngOwS/pubhtml" target="_blank">spreadsheet and attached photos</a>. The IDs in the document correspond to the numbers on the design. This document makes up the palette that we plan to work with. We are making a few adjustments and will continue to look at this for the next couple of months as we plan the planting project in phases.</p><p>Overall, our experience working with Randi and the Tree of Life nursery was exceptional. It was exactly what we were looking for. We had spent months looking at books, but were overwhelmed with the choices and needed direction. Her help to build the palette was what we needed and we would recommend it to anyone taking on this type of project.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-87014625889228310312020-10-15T14:37:00.004-07:002020-10-15T14:42:32.622-07:00Then and Now<p> When living in an old house I like to imagine what it would've been like to live there at the time the house was built. What is the story that the home tells? In Tacoma, I lived on D street and discovered that it was where the street car travelled from Puyallup into downtown Tacoma. That street was a flag-stop area -- there were no dedicated stations, you would just flag the street car down and jump on. In Long Beach, the Red Line street car system would've been in operation for 12 years at the time this house was built. From what I can tell, it would've travelled down Broadway which would've been the nearest stop from our house.</p><p>It is crazy to think how things have changed 106 years later in 2020. First, Los Angeles county became an area completely reliant on the car where as before it had one of the nations most extensive street car systems. How would've daily life been different without the tremendous reliance on the car? What about design, would houses, building and retail coridors look different? Would the area have sprawled like it did, or would it have grown upwards like New York and Chicago? Would we see urban development more centered around street car lines?</p><p>Turns out the last trip on the red line was sometime in the early 1960s. Just 9 short days before it was completely shuttered, the following video was shot from the front of the red line street car as it departed downtown LA towards Long Beach. </p><p>It is a pretty amazing experience to watch this and to consider how things have changed. How will they change again and where will they go?</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ebboO52In1w" width="400"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At some point in the future I would like to research this further and learn more about what it was like to live in this home in 1914. For now, this is a pretty good glimpse into what was and the extent by which it all has changed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206671526314048626.post-34307836748139171292020-10-11T14:53:00.002-07:002020-10-11T14:53:55.829-07:00Paint Stripping<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QwE75iwWbgs/X4N-bgF1xtI/AAAAAAAAG6A/Pr7B9_9Lnn4o88MwzRivbxLK9tc_hCkDgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0865.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QwE75iwWbgs/X4N-bgF1xtI/AAAAAAAAG6A/Pr7B9_9Lnn4o88MwzRivbxLK9tc_hCkDgCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0865.HEIC" /></a></div> We have started the long process of stripping and restoring the wood work in our 1914 craftsman bungalow. From what we can tell so far, it appears that the woodwork has been painted at least 40 years which means several layers of oil based paint.<br /><p></p><p>From past experience, I know this is a long arduous process. Our goal is to strip most of the woodwork in the living room and dining room areas.</p><p>We purchased the <a href="https://eco-strip.com/" target="_blank">Speedheater 1100 kit</a> to start the process. It is a hefty $500 device to strip paint, but if it helps, it will be well worth the investment.</p><p>We have been at it for around 30 minutes, and we've already made noticeable progress. Having used chemical strippers, I can tell you that this is much faster and less messy. In the next couple of months we will be posting a more detailed review of the paint stripping device as well as more progress photos.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3ZQzwlhk5NgWcCgUXcBGokF2UfHSgWC0ZpBF6YnBTB_N8jjm-EePhmAp0S8vskRnI70Edej96WGPyx-bjsvP84DLhv299VCF1NTpjXgHDEjeya2iB5-J6KeqtBt7hxOIROoVyLg1uwg/s4032/IMG_0863.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3ZQzwlhk5NgWcCgUXcBGokF2UfHSgWC0ZpBF6YnBTB_N8jjm-EePhmAp0S8vskRnI70Edej96WGPyx-bjsvP84DLhv299VCF1NTpjXgHDEjeya2iB5-J6KeqtBt7hxOIROoVyLg1uwg/w400-h300/IMG_0863.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Boehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598714628080942818noreply@blogger.com4