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Phil replied to Mark Reynolds's discussion Cleaning Age Stain from Stucco
"Yes, if mold I would use a mixture of watered down chlorine bleach.  When painting, I like to use a mixture of tsp and bleach to wash mold blackened surfaces.  Wear gloves if you are not trying to wear away your fingerprints!"
yesterday
Mal & Greg replied to PennyAnne Taylor's discussion Removing extreme cat odor from heart pine floors
"The ammonia from the urine is probably what is making your eyes water.  If it is soaked in there in a great quantity,  make sure you don't use bleach on the floors as it will mix with the ammonia and make a dangerous gas.  Strip…"
yesterday
Bill Hendrickson replied to Mark Reynolds's discussion Cleaning Age Stain from Stucco
"My guess would be that the areas not under the eaves have been bleached by the sun. How does the north side look? Have you tried using TSP with the pressure wash, which could help. Is the black stuff mold? Have you tried a bit of bleach?"
yesterday
Phil replied to PennyAnne Taylor's discussion Removing extreme cat odor from heart pine floors
"Yes, definitely don't do shellac without asking around for someone who knows for sure!"
yesterday
Bill Hendrickson replied to PennyAnne Taylor's discussion Removing extreme cat odor from heart pine floors
"I think the key will be you will have to seal the wood with something. A floor refinisher should have the answer."
Tuesday
PennyAnne Taylor replied to PennyAnne Taylor's discussion Removing extreme cat odor from heart pine floors
"Thanks Bill! I'm finding lots of info here. Vinegar & baking soda just aren't cutting it! I know I will need to sand and refinish, but before I can do that I've got to get the odor out. It's strong enough to make your eyes…"
Tuesday
PennyAnne Taylor replied to PennyAnne Taylor's discussion Removing extreme cat odor from heart pine floors
"Thanks Phil, I'll explore this option. I know nothing of shellac, but I'll see if it can help."
Tuesday
Phil replied to PennyAnne Taylor's discussion Removing extreme cat odor from heart pine floors
"This has come up occasionally on this forum.  While I am lucky to have none of these issues, I recall that one ultimate remedy is to shellac the floors (with real shellac, which I guess is a serious sealer).  That apparently seals in the…"
Tuesday

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Old House Forum

Cleaning Age Stain from Stucco 2 Replies

Hi all;I now own a storybook cottage (yeah, a 3500 sq. ft. "cottage") in Detroit. It is clay tile and brick with a a rough stucco exterior (no wood frame!). Fortunately, the stucco was never painted, and is in overall good condition. However, the areas not exposed to the weather - under eaves, porches, etc., have stained almost black, versus the tan-grey finish of areas exposed to weather.My first attempt at cleaning with detergents and a power washer were disappointing. All I got was a mild…Continue

Started by Mark Reynolds in Old House How-To. Last reply by Phil yesterday.

Removing extreme cat odor from heart pine floors 7 Replies

I just purchased my Great Great Grandparents 1875 Italianate home. The floors throughout the entire house are heart pine. The previous owner lived in it with about 50 cats! How do you remove cat urine odors from wood floors? This situation is extreme!

Started by PennyAnne Taylor in Old House How-To. Last reply by Mal & Greg yesterday.

Porch Decking Ideas 29 Replies

In the next week or so we are starting the process for renovating our porch. The deck was cut about 18" from the end, the whole length. I am thinking this was done because of settling. Hard to see it, but at the bottom you can see it well enough.…Continue

Started by Bill Hendrickson in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by Bill Hendrickson on Monday.

Walkway ideas - is concrete cheesy??? 11 Replies

We are in the process of returning our porch to it's original design which includes moving the stairs and creating a new walkway. I'm curious what sort of walkway this should be. It is short, and goes directly to the sidewalk. Is concrete too cheesy for an old home? We can not afford something like slate. Are pavers lame?? Really I have no idea. Ideally I'd like something that is easy to shovel and for that reason concrete has an appeal. Any ideas?This picture is from 1980, when the stairs used…Continue

Started by Casey Towne in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by Casey Towne on Monday.

Hidden storage and hiding places in your Victorian home 3 Replies

Hello allI am new to this forum and I am glad I have found such a great resource. I bought my 1895 Masonic Queen Anne Victorian home about 3 years ago. My home is about 98% original. It was built by a 33 degree Mason and has a pyramid topped tower with the all seeing eye cut out on the weathervane. (Neat Stuff). All these features made me want to own it more. Quite a mystery about the original owner.As I have lived here I have been doing cosmetic restoration (Paint, wood staining etc). While…Continue

Started by WIDOW in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by dawn mohrbacher on Monday.

Why did you buy your house? 43 Replies

Was it the grand foyer, the stained glass, all of the originals hiding under years of paint and veneer, or maybe the vision of what you knew your house would be? What was it that made you buy your home and love it, when so many others probably ran away screaming?Continue

Started by Liz in The Old-House Attic. Last reply by PennyAnne Taylor on Monday.

Interior woodwork refinishing 6 Replies

Hello:I stripped and refinished my 1910 Victorian interior woodwork with several coats of Ben Moore oil based sanding sealer.  That is all I used and it looked great!  Now 15 years later the stain in the wood seems to be fading.  I guess I should have applied a coat of varnish to protect it. I really want to use an oil based finish but I live in NJ and the only oil based product that is non-poly is Man-O-War Spar varnish. I was all set to use this but now having second thoughts thinking about…Continue

Started by Ken the Old House Guy in Old House How-To. Last reply by Mark Reynolds on Monday.

Is your house haunted? Do you believe in ghosts? 10 Replies

I took this photo on a clear night in early February. Several Ghost hunters and others interested in the paranormal have been very excited over it - I was, actually, on a "Ghost tour" that is part of our annual WInterfest. I enjoy it for the stories, humor and history Martin Sweeney, our historian and tour guide, brings to the walk. I had climbed up the steps in front of the town hall to take a photo of the group and when I looked at the screen after snapping the picture, this is what I saw. I…Continue

Tags: ghost, photos, spectral, images, events

Started by Charles J in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by WIDOW on Sunday.

Porch Suggestions 15 Replies

Looking for suggestions for my porch reno.  House built 1901 Queen Anne.  Want to keep everything as period as possible.  WOuld like suggestions for railing options and decorative options for uppoer part of porch.  If I have issues with code due to porch not being appropriate due to the height (I know the rail should not be higher than the window sill) I will not be doing the porch.  Images are attached.  Thanks.

Started by N. Bey in Old Houses: 1900-1945. Last reply by Lair Tienter on Friday.

Adding a third color to house - is this idea crazy? 2 Replies

My house is currently bright blue with antique white trim (POs did this, not me.)  I don't like it - to me, the formula doesn't work at all or highlight the house's architectural features. However, the house doesn't really need to be repainted yet, so I have decided to wait to redo the scheme and instead just add a third color to some of the trim instead to liven it up.  Not too much - just the dentil around the lower windows, the upper storm windows, and maybe one or two small porch elements…Continue

Started by Dublin1982 in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by Garrett F. May 15.

Blog Posts

Arts & Crafts or Coastal Style?

Our new lakefront cottage has a vintage look and I am trying to decide if an Arts & Crafts look or a Coastal look is more appropriate. I think an Arts & Crafts look is tougher to pull off but I really respect and admire that style. A coastal look may be more suitable to something that is lakefront and is easier with all that wicker and white paint.  Any thoughts? I have attached a picture of the front. …

Continue

Posted by Terry Spencer on October 15, 2012 at 11:13am — 7 Comments

Cheap Winter Window Fix

I have turn of the early 1900's "replacement" windows and good old aluminum storms.  Drinking straws make wonderful, easily removed gaskets.  They even fit in the storm window bottoms.  When I close a window, its tight! 

Posted by lyn joy on October 1, 2012 at 8:45am — 2 Comments

Imminent Teardown of an Historic Home

 

Yet another of New England’s early saltbox homes has recently been condemned to teardown in the name of commercialism and historically insensitive…

Continue

Posted by John Poole on September 26, 2012 at 1:30am — 4 Comments

House style

Picture%202.pngWhat do you think is the style of my Victorian house?

Most say it is in the Gothic Victorian style due to the arched windows and front double door and the quoins in the corners.

Posted by gary minnick on September 19, 2012 at 5:00pm — 4 Comments

Old-House Online

Friendly Kitchen in a 1912 Foursquare

You might say that Julia Hanfling has been stewarding this house in Portland’s Colonial Heights since she was 14 years old. That’s when she took it upon herself to “rescue” the door hardware from a neighboring house about to be razed by a developer. She carried the items home and then installed the vintage hardware [...]

Fancy Painted & Cottage Furniture

From the mid-1600s to the mid-1800s, paint was the humble medium of choice for embellishing furniture. Painted furniture was not just a country or folk art phenomenon, but was also de rigueur in fashionable urban homes. A new finish could disguise inferior woods, visually unify objects made of varied woods, and update out-of-style pieces. Paint [...]

Romantic 1920s Bayou Bungalow

The Louisiana vernacular meets suburban bungalow in this well-tended house in Lake Charles, in the southwest corner of the state. Its low gabled roof overhanging a spacious porch, horizontal windows, and exposed rafter ends are bungalow basics; the straight-through center hall recalls shotgun houses. Inside, the treatment is more cottage than Craftsman. Early 19th-century country [...]

How to Choose the Right Paint Color

During a century that witnessed at least five major architectural movements and the birth of interior design—all before 1950—color palettes went in and out of fashion. Some looked to the past, while others looked to the future with formulas based on new technologies like plastics or chrome. Some hues consistently reappear, only to look fresh [...]

New Classic Kitchen in a Cape Cod Federal

When a new kitchen meets an old house, start with black and white. In this Cape Cod Federal house built in 1844, the classic white cabinets with wide stiles and rails are handsome and evoke styles from colonial to Arts & Crafts. They are grounded with natural soapstone countertops in a very dark charcoal. This [...]

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