This is understood. The wood is soft and meant to be painted. We do not deny that the undertaking was insane given the complexity of the millwork. It is done however, and we do not regret it. This was a rooming house for ages and the second floor was divided into units that must have turned over many times, each time requiring a fresh coat of paint. The painters did not clean the woodwork well...or at all between coats, therefore the layers were lumpy (they painted over fuzz...bleh), beaten, chipped and so gored with various lock sets and hooks and so forth that we simply couldn't do a light sand and call it good. We started chipping away at it one day and found that since the surface hadn't been properly prepped after the first painting, most of it just flaked off with a putty knife. We went at it in June and it's finally ready for a fresh coat. Phew!
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| These giant double hung windows in the turret bedroom...now that they have been stripped, are fully fundctional. |
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| If it weren't so beautiful, we never would have been able to stick with it. |
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| Some millwork was cracked or cut into for a lock set. We Bondo and glued the hell out of them. Bondo carving is an under appreciated art form. They look as good as new. |
Bondo carving! You crack me up.
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