The team from Anmar Plastering has taken over the farmhouse bringing with them the tools of their specialized trade. Though we have yet to see one of these craftsmen using them, they strap on stilts to reach the ceilings.
The process of plastering requires prepping the plaster board seams and corners with a fine mesh. Once prepped the walls and ceilings are sprayed with a mixture of ground stone and water. They receive two coats of plaster, with time in between to dry. The walls are finished to a hard smooth surface – perfect for wallpapering – while the ceilings are sculpted with trowels to leave a textured antique finish. The completed rooms look incredibly fresh and light.
Plaster ceilings make the old timber beams “pop” with the contrast in color. This begs the question of what other finish decisions are we making. What color will the floors be? Painted or stained? How will old boards be revived and repaired without losing their their charm?
There are a myriad of other questions to be answered. Which rooms will be painted? Which will be wallpapered? What color trim goes with each wallpapered or painted room? These are questions with complex and interrelated answers. To keep our decisions straight, we have created a spreadsheet, but here’s a visual representation of some of the combinations.
Outside, carpenters built small roofs over the two doors that lead out to the back deck. A small crew carried on siding the exterior walls of the basement level with wide rough textured boards, primed with a first coat of the granite colored stain we selected to blend in with the actual granite of the retaining wall. Note the use of ladders and scaffolding. Each crew has their own tools. No stilts on the deck!
3 responses to “Post 51: Tools of the Trade”
We forgot to study the plaster ceilings!
Holy Moly! The progress is amazing!! We’d love to come by and see it in person!
We’re getting closer! We’d love to have you visit anytime but best in September when we’re in.