You’d think, free for the last 16 months to make my own schedule, I’d have gotten more done on the house. You’d be wrong. Lacking a regular paycheck, I’ve been afraid to spend any money and eager to earn money, and have thus spent most of my waking hours editing for The Chronicle, Lost Art Press and Mortise & Tenon, and teaching woodworking classes.
But I’m tired of living in a tip, and there’s plenty I can do with an investment of time, but little cash outlay. So I’ve decided to set aside at least a few daylight hours each week to work on the house. This week, that day was today.
After months of looking at the exposed lath and door framing to my bathroom, I’ve finally denailed and installed the trim I salvaged off the original hallway entrance to the bathroom.
After hauling all the necessary tools up from the basement, I cut back the base moulding (every homeowner should have a multi-tool!) to fit the corner blocks, drilled pilot holes then nailed them to the door frame bottom.
The rest wasn’t as simple – which is why I’ve put it off for so long. Because I’d stripped the lath on the bath interior to install drywall then flushed the door frame to that surface, on the bedroom side the mouldings wouldn’t be flush to the frame and plaster without the addition of filler strips (stained to match the old moulding).
After gluing those strips in place (so I didn’t have to worry about them shifting as I nailed), I worked my way up both sides.
Unfortunately, this trim was originally against a wall on the left side, so there are no returns on the left corners of the cap. I’ll have to cut some – but not today.
Even with that wee moulding replication job remaining, the doorway now looks as if it has always been there. Sure, I still need to make a threshold and haul the refinished door up from the basement then hang it (and refinish the bedroom, hall and study floors, then paint the bedroom), but I’m pleased to have made some progress – with more to follow shortly.
Rude Mechanicals Press Blog 
Looking great Megan! Much nicer view to wake up to. Eat the elephant one bite at a time…
There goes the neighborhood. Carefull. You’ll spoil your view out the window by hanging a door.
Sincerely?
Mike Woodward
P.S. All honesty, lookin good. 👍
Damn! That looks ver, very nice. Great job, Megan!
I’m glad to see renovation updates. I always enjoyed them.
I have an 1889 house, and have come to hate old plaster. When I first bought the home, I had no pneumatics, and quickly learned the damage that hammering a nail would cause.
Good ol lath-n-plaster. Used up lots of masks tearing/smashing it down with a coal shove, hammer and, a crowbar to, “Led Zeppelin.”
Sincerely,
Mike
P.S. Good thing is I saved time RE-insulating I just insulated and cleaned out mummified 🐀’s.
Looking good! I think you have good strategy moving forward. I’ve been working on some repairs/organization around my home. Thought it would take a couple of weeks max, five weeks later and I’m almost done…inside the house. Maybe I should look into one of those multi-tools 😉
That’s the ticket! Make some time and use it wisely. DONE! Gotta love the forward motion. Congrats. Now pour yourself a stiff one and watch great oldie on the tele. Enjoy your well earned respite from the everyday travails of being a freelancer. Cheers.
I love the fluted trim. so beautiful.
Thanks! (I’m just glad I was able to scavenge some. I love the way it looks, but didn’t love the idea of having to make it!)