HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1979-09-19, Page 28(Continued from Page 1A)
trusses for the roof and went
ahead and pre-fabricated
those. The roof will be
shingled later.
Grant said there wasn't
any real major problems with
the porch once they got going
but they made sure that it
was built very strongly.
Alt the cracks in an average
house, taken together+ would
equal a hole in the wall the size
of a basketball.
Proper corking and insulation ;,
can save you $200 per year in 1;
heating costs and more than $50
per year in air conditioning
costs.
it A bath uses thirec times as
imich ater as a shower,
8A THE HURON IMPROVEMENT SECTION
Old church now cozy home
(Continued from Page 7A)
the brand new appliances we had purch-
ased, which were being kept for us until we
were ready for delivery," Shirley recalls.
The future gift shop-tea room bad top
priority. The three-level choir loft was built
up to the highest level, and a kitchen was
installed in the former hymnbook and choir
gown storage room. By concentrating all
resources on this one task, the Smiths were
able to open for business in July, 1973.
The first winter was difficult one,
camped in a 10' by 10' space, sleeping on
mattresses, no modern appliances, no
income, and trying to get the main floor
ready. For the following two winters, the
Smiths rented a farm house.
Work on the living quarters moved
ahead most rapidly during January, Feb-
ruary and March, when the shop was
closed. "We were doing everything for the
first time" Mr. Smith said. They read
books, asked questions, and experimented.
Mr. Smith admits now that the ceilings
evolved, and not too much imagination
went into the fi rst one. Three-quarter inch
styrofoam was nailed to the original
ceilings with galvanized nails and washers.
Mr. Smith moulded the strapping with a
router, then fitted in large sheets of 1/2 "
gyproc.
Bradley's room has stained beams,
made by 2 by 4's laminated together. By
the time Ross reached the master bed-
room, he was becoming an expert. The
beams in this room were made by mitering
three pieces of pine boards over the 2 by
4's so expertly that no joins are visible. He
began to stipple the gyproc with a seaming
compound, but it dried so quickly that he
grabbed a trowel and smoothed out wide
borders around each section, adding
artistic swirls in the centers. The result is
decorative and unique,
The kitchen has solid cedar beams; one
is from a piece of lumber 24 feet long. Ross
used his router to run a 5/8" groove down
the center of each beam, intending to fit in
moulding, but the grooved beams looked
so good he left them that way.
The original floor was made of pine
boards over two layers of concrete. The
good boards were saved to be used in the
attic, and the Smiths removed one layer of
concrete in an irregular 20' by 18' space to
create a sunken living room.
The basement ceilings, being the under-
side of the upper floor, had the same slope
as the former sanctuary, with an 18" rise
from the choir loft to the outer wall. The
living room ceiling, like the one up above,
was made of narrow boards skilfully fitted
together. Mr. Smith removed the boards
one at a time, numbered each one,
insulated, lowered the ceiling, and then
painstakingly fitted each slat back into
place. All ceilings, once up to 12' high, are
now a uniform nine, feet.
When Shirley returned from a craft and
hobby show in Texas in 1975 her husband
had a surprise for her - the kitchen was
painted, papered, and finally completed.
However, the living room still had to be
used to store stock for the shop, and a large
saw had been a permanent fixture in the
dining room since work began. Both
Shirley and Ross needed a workshop. Ross,
a pilot who owns ,his own Fleet Canuck,
takes aerial photographs of farms, then
laminates and heat-seals the enlarged
. colour prints onto particle board. The
purchaser can display his homestead on his
wall, or use the board as a serving tray, as
it is impervious to heat, water and alcohol.
Shirley had taught classes in macrame,
decoupage, and flower arranging in the
unfinished living quarters.
A 24' x 24' two-storey workshop was
completed in 1976. By using 2 by 6 studs,
packing in six inches of insulation, choos-
ing a mansard roof which covers part of the
upper storey with an added layer of
protection, and omitting windows on the
windward side, the whole structure is
warmed with a little Quebec heater that
often makes the workshop uncomfortably
hot while Ross works downstairs on his
laminating, and upstairs Shirley teaches
floral decor to women who travel from
Atwood, London, Gorrie and Kintore to
attend her night classes.
When asked what relatives and friends
thought of the Smiths' project, Shirley
throws up her hands in mock dismay.
"They thought we were stark, staring
mad", she exclaims. "They started to
speak to us again after the rugs were laid."
RUGS LAID
That momentous event took place two
years ago.`TWas the night before Christ-
mas, the Smiths were preparing to host a
large family gathering the next day, the
dining room and living room floors were
still bare concrete, and the dining room
carpet had not been delivered. A workman
came out that night, cut the living room
carpet to size, and just put it down over the
concrete as a temporary solution.
"All small children were instructed to
nowhere but into the living room",
Shirley grinned.
The final touch was added, recently, an
extra layer of glass, giving, each window on
the lower level triple glazing. The Smiths
have compared their heating bills with
those of friends who live in poorly insulated
older homes, and have found that their
costs compare very favourably with those
of a normal large house.
If they were starting again, the Smiths
would do some things, differently, Instead
of insulating the old walls, Ross would
build inner walls of 2 by 8's, and insulate
them with fiberglass batts. Shirley, who is
a petite five feet nothing, finds the
standard cupboards a bit too high. (Ross
has made her a low fold-down sheIf to hold
her bowl when she is mixing up large
batches of scones for the tea room.) If she
ever tackled another renovating job, she
would make sure she had a lower
countertop.
Another tinie, they would raise the living
room, as hot air rises and cool air stays
near the floor. "That's the reason for the
footstools" Shirley adds with a rueful
smile.
"Renovating has many advantages,"
Shirley maintains. "You learn to appreci-
ate everything - hot water, 220 wiring, bath
tubs, all the conveniences we take for
granted. And you never have to worry
about cleaning anything, as you are in a
constant mess."
After recalling all the hard work and the
sacrifices, the Smiths look around their
lovely home at all they have accomplished,
then nod in unison. Yes, even with the
benefit of hindsight, they would do it all
again.
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