It takes time and meticulous work. Two weeks ago we set the initial process of installing the bond beams and today the work continuous. Digging two feet deep is necessary to receive the steel foundation required in the stabilization for the three floors. More work is being done on the stone…
A foundation footer is perhaps one of the most critical aspects of the house. It’s almost always the first building element that contacts the soil that the house rests upon. A pier is a narrow vertical structural element made from wood, steel or concrete. The best analogy I can come up with is a table…
Bond beams are courses of block constructed with special units designed to receive horizontal reinforcement and grout. These units are used to integrate the horizontal reinforcement with vertical reinforcement bars in a reinforced masonry wall. Bond beams often are placed at regular intervals in the wall to permit placement of more reinforcement than would be…
Three weeks ago, I likened the photo of the facade to getting a facial. Today’s post is no longer cosmetic but a very crucial step to the stabilization of the stone building. Notice the new wood element on the top of the building? It is this step, called “bond beaming” that ensures that the building…
Driving to Calistoga on a 68 degree sunny day is part of the joyful “chore” of the project. It is the best tasting “coffee” in the morning. This week the task of drilling holes thru the stone walls then inserting plastic tubes that are injected with epoxy continues. That is what the Rafael is doing…
Over the course of 6 months, I have been asked about plans for the interior spaces of the Francis House. “It will be true to its French design but in a very casual, country laid-back style.” Inevitably the question segues to our home in San Francisco, another “restoration” of sorts (albeit in a smaller scale).…
Window frames have been stripped, cleaned, sanded and primed. Areas where ornaments have come loose were re-attached with epoxy. Several window jambs have been re-installed this week and ready to get painted.
Richard and I joined this 4-day Intensive Hands-On Innkeeper Workshop at the Bed & Breakfast at Tiffany Hill in North Carolina last week. There were serious moments like understanding the plating, proportioning and serving of breakfast. And hilarious moments to “lighten” the load of physical labor. But alongside the informative and well-spaced…
Some of the original redwood window jambs and frames are back installed today. The building survived but not this company “Corlett Brothers Napa” where the original redwood window frames and jambs were from. A sample “patch” of the exterior stone all washed and grouted. Eventually all the “age”…
Still sanding architectural ornaments. A tedious and arduous task- all in the name of restoration.