HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-09-27, Page 328A THE HURON IMPROVEMENT SECTION
(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 had 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, sleepingon
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 first 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 Vs"
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 thathe
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 af.
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 coiling, and then
painstakingly fitted each slat back into
place. All ceilings, once up to 12' high, are
now a uniform nine fcet.
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 tostore 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 o 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 witha little Quebec heater hat
often makes the workshop uncomfortably,
hot while Ross works downstairs on his
laminating, and upstairs Shirley teaches
floral decor to women who travel from
Atw ,d, 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 floorswere
still bare concrete, and the diningroom
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.
"Ml small children were instructed to
felt nowhere but into the living room
Aor
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 shelf 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 time, 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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Blyth house
(Continued from Page 1 A)
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. -
• All 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
heating costs and more than $50
per year in air conditioning
costs.
• A hath uses three times as ••
much N ater as a shower. 1
A; NEW PORCH -Mr. and Mrs. Grant Elliott
have a new mansard roofporch on their house in .Blyth.
l i i
YOUR KITCHEN
• Electrical
f3
Equipment
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Kitchen
Cabinets t*
Vanities
1S
And there are so many colors and varieties
to choose from. Plant NOW and watch them spring
Up beautifully:
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22 !stilt St., elitist, 482-9333
Mon - Fri. 8.6, Sat. 8-5 p.m.
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5123'4,251