I live in an old house that was virtually stripped of its moldings in the 1970s. It was an act of modernization, ever so popular back then when it was the style to simplify. My house, however, was built in 1867, when trims were considered the finishing touches to a room. It would have been considered bad taste not to have a fancy wooden or plaster molding crowning the upper walls.
On the parlor floor, where the public rooms of the house are located, crown molding survives only in the dining room and library. It offers a glimpse of the well-conceived decorative trim that once dressed the 12-foot walls. The adjacent room—which we plan to use as a small family sitting room—had some insignificant 2-inch trim that looked very out of place by comparison. Upstairs, it appears that moldings were never installed, making the 10-foot-high ceilings look naked.
Before I could find a suitable molding profile, I needed to educate myself on a variety of fronts and turned to the folks at Good Millwork to help me understand the four terms that are bandied about in millwork selection: height, width, thickness and projection.
GoodMillwork.com
Next, I needed to learn some basic rules:
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What Do You Say to a Naked Ceiling? Remodel.
It started with a casual stare. Then I gave my kitchen ceiling a withering glance and declared it dreadful! The kitchen actually changes elevation over the cooktop from a flat to a peaked ceiling so the transition that should have been an eye-catcher, was actually an eye-sore. I knew a ceiling remodel was in order.
A fresh coat of paint would certainly be an easy solution to conceal the nasty, discolored wallboard. But, I wanted the ceiling to be more important. Perhaps even a different material… like the wood plank ceilings that I remember seeing in European homes. And that’s exactly what I decided to do.
I live in the land of pecky cypress (Georgia) and wanted to adorn the ceiling with a local wood that looked like it had always been part of the house. Finding rough sawn cypress was not a problem, though it was disappointing to discover that much of the knotty character would be lost when planed into tongue-and-groove planks.
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- Tankless Hot Water Heaters: Should I or Shouldn’t I?
Tankless Hot Water Heaters: Should I or Shouldn’t I?
Rinnai Tankless Hot Water Heater
Whether you are building a new home or retrofiiting an older one (like me), take time to evaluate the hot water system. After all, estimates report that as much as 30% of a home’s energy budget is consumed by heating water.
My new “old house” came complete with an old, rusted gas, tank hot water heater in the attic that was dying…well, dead. The question was not “should it be replaced?” but rather “should it be replaced with a similar model or a new tankless system?”
A traditional water heater continuously heats water in the tank regardless of whether it is being used. By comparison, the newer tankless designs heat water only when there is demand for it. Less stored water to heat…less cost. And, let’s not forget, more compact and wall-mounted designs.
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