Another project I have been working on these past couple of weeks has been a refurbishment of double hung wooden sash windows on the third floor of a Karen and Mike's house.  Some of the windows require a little bit of repair, others need to have the counterweights reattached, and the "G" hooks need replacing, but for the most part, it is a matter of loosening the windows, stuck under layers of paint.  Once this is done, there is scraping and sanding to do, which allows the windows, bottom and top, to move freely.  In the end, most windows move well, although there is a certain amount of quirkiness that people with modern windows would not find a familiar experience.  Such as it is, the windows are a hundred years old.  That is testament to how well they were made and the quality of the design.  It also points to the value in keeping up old things.  Well taken care of, they can still be usable and perhaps a better match with the house itself.

I have recently completed work on the entryways of two neighbors.  In the first case, I constructed new columns and did some repair work to the eave of the roof over the front door.  In the second it was general refurbishment, including repairs to the eaves,  [a common problem, those eaves take a beating from exposure to the elements!], caulking and repainting.

Before:

Nearly finished:

The purpose of this blog is to record some of the travails that come with owning an old home in the Forest Hill neighborhood of Newark, NJ, trying to improve the home and, along those same lines, the work I do for neighbors.

Currently, I am prepping my own house for appraisal, refinancing to take advantage of the low rates.  As such, I have mainly been doing some painting, as well as other small projects, like reglazing windows.

I have also been working on some projects for neighbors, a new service, working as a handyman/carpenter/woodworker.  So far, that has included working on rebuilding the front entry's for a couple of neighbors, with some light painting.  I am also working on fixing up some old windows for another neighborhood family.

There are pending proposals for two other projects in the neighborhood, one of which would entail more woodworking and carpentry skill.  Lots of photos will follow.  But for now, I'll leave you with photos of the wine cellar I built out of an old coal bin.

This is my house.  Some of our neighbors here know it as it as the one with the red door:

The wine cellar at an early stage, with some insulation and one rack in place:

The wine cellar at a more advanced stage.  The ceiling and walls are finished and a door is in place:

Additional racking has been added, and filled.  The next step would be a library effect: