The Huron Expositor, 1980-05-01, Page 61,
SUPPLEMENT TO
TagEXSVCr1N
THE BRUSSELS POSTAOTUYTSTANDARD
APRIL 30,1880
BY YVONNE REYNOLDS
When Paul Ross put,
chased a big, old house on
Goderich Street West last
November, he believed he
had found an ideal location
for a law office' in Seaforth.
Before the deal was closed,
his wife, Heather went on a
, treasure hunt. Armed with a
hammer and a wrecking bar,
shepriedunder rugs, pbked
into partitions, and chipped
paint down to the Underlying
wood. She could envision not
only office space, but ideal
living quarters as well.
As soon as the Rosses
decided to combine two
needs under one roof, they
started a looseleaf book of
plans for each room
brochures from building.
supply companies, pictures
cut from magazines, notes. on
features they had admired in
other homes, and creative
-ideas from, Heather herself.
, The old house had been
dupleied and then leased to
tenants. Doors were nailed
shut or hidden behind ply-
wood, transoms were
covered inside and but, floors
Were topped with a layer of
nailed -on plywood over
whieh linoleum- had been
glued. Noticing a water stain
two-thirds, of the way down
one bedroom vvall,,Mrs. Ross
went outside to check and
immediately spotted the
frame of a small windOw
which has now been restored
to its original function. The
whole house was rewired,.
replumbed, and new duct-
work added.
Mrs. Ross acted as general
contractor during-- the
renovations. "Never go on
reputation," she advises,
"and get three 'estimates in
writing before you make a
decision." She told each
tradesman that she ,had X
number of dollars to spend
and "if they wanted the job,
they would negotiate." She
also cautions that you should
plan ahead very carefully'. If
you get an estimate and then
add extra wall "plugs, more.
hot air registers, and .
.additional plumbing,- you
may get a rude shock when
you receive your total bill.
- Whenever' possible, she
contract ed for local men and
tocal materials. First Arnold
Stothers,was hired to sand-
blast one hundred years
paint from doors, mouldings,•
and wainscotting. The job,
took two -and -a -half days and
three -and -one-half tons of
sand. Although Mr. Stothers
wore a gas mask and hood,
• he hadto stop every hour, go
outside, and breathe in the
open air. "He'd be working '
in a room and you couldn't
find him", Mrs. Rorecalls.
A gracefully curved staircase, with cherry bannister,'weicomes visitors to
the foyer of the house Heather and.Paul Ross'hav§ recently renovated in '
•Seaforth.
(P ot .by Yvonne Reynolds)
The 'original o law footed bathtub was
this upstairs bathroom.
•
oined, by neV4ifixtures/.16;
The os es rented a big
•belt Sander and a small
' edger, and sanded the', floors ,
themselves. The floors in the
former ;kitchen and the
present kitchen are fir; the
foyer is 13A" maple, and the
flooring in the rest of the
house is„pine, '
,
Heather 'Ross has nothing,
but praise for Reg and Harv:
Construction. "I wanted to
keep the integrity and feel of
the original " house", ,she
said, so •all closets,. and
cubbyholes added. during the:
years were torn out.- Reg
Badley • and Harv IBernard
Worked for almost two
,.,..months tearing out
putting' up dry wall, patching:
and ' :repairing 7 floors, .‘
matehing•:fiew mouldings'. to • •
old arid performing with skill
and efficiency .whatever, Was
asked of 'thein. '''Their Work
is suPerbrfr,'• says. ,
."They, have d good partner -
almost like a marriage.
, They usually didn't :even
have to SPeak to each other,
,..they just knew what to do -11'
With just a few alterations,
the: old kitchen became a' •
reception room • ' and
• Heather's ' office, and the:
room is now a ,
inviting laiv office.:
"
Tho present living room was
,„
stripped to the bare„walls; • a ,
false ceiling . and dark •
; •
Panelling rentoved, To obtain
the.desired • ,Country
'trench'; effect, beams Were
installed in the replastered
ceiling and , an area: •rug .
coMplexpents the mellow
:pipe flooring. The carpenters."
built a floor to ceiling -
combination bookcase: -
entertainment -storage, area •
along one ,W'all. The :huge • •
open archway between living
room and dining room' was
:filled in and equipped •with' •
French doors. •
,,(Continued on Page -,;2J