A Little Something Awesome

S is a prolific and proficient finder of the good stuff - retro treasures to restore our (and sometimes D's parents') home to the way it might have been.  A prime example is the two crosshatch vintage doors S nabbed from impending trash collection, and we've held onto for over a year.

Pre-framed doors.

Front door, before (without storm).

Garage door, removed.

We knew replacing the front door, and the "people door" of the garage were imperative.

The front door was a fiberglass big-box store special, and just didn't go in either style or color.  It also didn't lock easily, and the storm door wouldn't latch.

The garage door  frame was too small for the trash and recycling carts to fit, and then the door's window glass shattered in the bitterly cold winter (replaced by ever-so-classy particle board).



This project seemed like a good test run for a contractor (who will eventually be doing our kitchen and main bath remodel) and an excellent way to get some stuff out of the garage, by doing a project we would not be able to efficiently address ourselves.

S sanded, stained, and sealed the doors, and then sent them off to be pre-framed, and have the holes added for our locks.  We had already ordered replacement door knobs (Schlage - to match the original hardware's insane backsets) and escutcheons (Rejuvenation) to match our existing locks.

The garage door required a larger opening, which in turn made finding matching bricks very critical - and after a couple "eh, close enough", the subcontractors came through with a perfect match.

Old door out.

Larger opening, temporary storm.

New bricks going in.

The front door was installed on the first day, and the subsequent trim work occupied the rest of the time.  There was some minor issue with the 9" backset extensions not quite working with our new knob, but D's refusal to accept reality paid off, and she got it to work.

Front door opening.

Front door rough exterior.

The in-progress product was very impressive, inside and out.

Garage door interior.

Garage door exterior.

And we even got a functioning doorbell, like real people!

Yes, a little bit of awesome goes a long way at Skyline.

Front door interior

Front door exterior with storm.

Out and About

 The house has brick facing on the east side, and maintenance-free siding on the other three sides.

The roof is unique and durable aluminum shingle.

Along the driveway fence is a french drain.

 The landscaping in the front includes five yew bushes, and two smoke bushes, surrounded by river rock.  There is thyme around the stepping stones.

The side landscaping is Japanese maple, and two blueberry bushes, with more river rock.

 The fully-fenced back yard is shaded by a slippery elm, with two raised garden beds.  Both the beds are filled with a rich mixture of peat, topsoil, and sand for drainage, over a layer of pea gravel.

The southern bed gets the most sun, and contains everbearing strawberries.










There is a brick paver path along the southern bed, and also the north edge of the deck.

The western bed has posts for training vines, annual vegetables, and perennials, including day lily, variegated iris, and lavender.



 The rain barrel on the deck collects runoff from the roof, and has a spigot on the outside of the decorative cover box.

Sitting on the deck in the summer, watching the "back 40" is one of the greatest joys ever.














The garage is a very generous two-car size, with electric door opener (three remotes), and lots of storage, including a workbench.