For the past several weeks, it’s been demolition and restoration work in the office—what may have originally been the home’s parlor. There’s still a lot to tackle in this space.
We uncovered some old drywall patches near the fireplace, which is never a good sign unless you happen to enjoy mold in your house. Finding proper lime plaster and putty in the U.S. isn’t easy. And while you can mix some of the base coats on site, the finish putty really needs to be aged. For this room, I just ordered materials from Lancaster Lime Works—it was simpler and faster for now—but we’ll need a more practical long-term solution given shipping costs add up quickly.
So far, I’ve patched, primed, and painted the ceiling, working from the top down. The cornice is in fairly good condition, with only a few minor issues to address. The window moldings, however, will take more effort—there’s quite a bit of patching needed to bring them back into shape.
Meanwhile, the foundation repair or replacement is still under discussion, with no clear timeline yet. There are plenty of options, plenty of costs, and no shortage of opinions from “experts” across the Midwest. It’s important that we get this right, so for now we’re taking our time and weighing the possibilities carefully.
