Chronicling my adventures restoring and updating a quirky old Philadelphia rowhouse
On Monday Tito and I were leaving for a day trip down the shore and the front door wouldn’t lock. Usually before the door jambs would swell in and the door wouldn’t close (until you shoulder checked it with all your might) and I’ve had to grind it back with a belt sander 3 times.…
Read more
Sorry, I’ve had some technical difficulties trying to write this post. But anyways, I’ve had some good and bad news. The good? I’m officially done cleaning the brick! The bad? I’m done because further tests haven’t shown any noticeable improvement. My house looks a little dirty next to the house next door… and next to…
Read more
Sunday was the big day. The project I’ve been waiting 5 years to start. The great reversal of architectural vandalism. We had to work from the bottom up. The giant awning downstairs made it impossible to access anything above it, including window glass (ew). Looking at the giant awning from underneath, I could see 3…
Read more
Viewer discretion advised: this post contains graphic images of architectural violence. I was too impatient to wait until the weekend to start peeling off the low-maintenance downgrades my house got. The capping was a job I could take on myself. I actually bent a little bit of it back years ago and left it that…
Read more
I really should have been starting the kitchen, but that got held up this weekend so instead I decided to go to Philadelphia Salvage. Just to look for a skeleton key for the vestibule door and set screws for some old porcelain door knobs. Really, that’s all I was looking for. But, no luck. The…
Read more
I’m hoping to start facade restoration next year as soon as there’s no risk of frost. In the meantime, I need to take my front door off and refinish it while the awnings are still up. I will be locking the house with an old fashioned skeleton key in the vestibule door in the meantime.…
Read more