Q: I have an old Cape-style farmhouse, ca. 1835, in a rural area of Maine. What can you tell me about painted floors? —Rick DeBruin, Phillips, Maine
A: I think your answer is Yes! Painted floors were popular especially in that period. Old “deal” floors (of pine, fir, or a local softwood) frequently were painted in a solid color or checkerboard to refresh them. Varnish—or, today, polyurethane—is added on top of the paint to extend its life.
This is also the era of trompe l’oeil painting, with fool-the-eye, three-dimensional effects: cube blocks, “inlaid’ compass roses, even “oriental rugs” painted on wood floors. Faux marble was popular, particularly in entry stair halls. Stenciling and freehand painting on floors also are found. See more photos and information by searching “painted floors” at oldhouseonline.com. —Patricia Poore
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Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2021 de Old House Journal.
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Navigating the Lumberyard - Here's some lumber lingo you should know before you venture into a lumberyard.
Here's some lumber lingo you should know before you venture into a lumberyard. Almost everyone fixing an old house will end up at a lumberyard-whether it's a local supplier or the organized aisles of a big-box home-improvement store.
a farmhouse renewed
Sensitive renovations and restoration work preserved a house that dates to 1799.
AN OVERVIEW OF METAL ROOFING
METAL ROOFS ARE RESURGENT, FOR GOOD REASONS.
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Now back in the family who had been here since 1830, the old farmhouse is again ready for generations to come. Additions dating to 1840 and the 1950s were preserved.
ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS COME TO LIFE
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Roofing & Siding
Make note of these historical and unusual materials for the building envelope.
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When water incursion happens, the roof isn't necessarily the culprit. Maybe snaking a drain line, or clearing debris from a clogged gutter, temporarily will stem a leak. But a recurring problem usually means other forces are at work. It takes persistence-and a team with the right skills and patience—to identify the source and apply a solution.
Light-filled Craftsman Redo
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