Farmhouse

Sue recently asked a question with regard to chinking and exposed logs in a bathroom.

Hi there,

I just discovered your Bearfort website and want to thank you for the interesting reading and the recipe and process for chinking.

I want to ask your advice regarding my old farmhouse. Unless you went to the attic, you wouldn’t know that it is an original hand hewn log house since it is covered with brick and clapboard externally. I am not certain of the exact date of construction, but the PA deed goes back to 1810.

My dilemma comes with the need to replace plaster walls due their extreme deterioration. I have salvaged plaster in all the public rooms but then we come to the current downstairs bathroom which the previous owner “remuddled” in the 1970′s. Log home magazines never seem to dwell on bathroom interiors.

bathroom log wall

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I have been working on two different projects. One here a the lodge – and the other at the farm.

Recently I have been spending quite a bit of time working on the restoration of Carley Brook Farm, an 1820s farmhouse and farm.

Carley Brook

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To the Farm: Dangerous Knob and Tube

Carley Brook Farm

Back a while ago I had discovered old knob and tube wiring in the farm house. When I had opened up the kitchen ceiling to access the source of a leak I revealed the ancient wiring. It looked like it was in pretty good shape – soft and supple after all those years. I rhetorically [...]

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To The Farm: Knob and Tube Update and More Discoveries

Carley Brook Farm

I have been busy busy busy – Have been in the process of ripping out old knob and tube wiring and rewiring – a tedious job. The old knob and tube throughout the house was divided simply by two circuits. One for lights and one for sockets. YIKES. The kitchen rewiring is complete as well [...]

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To The Farm: Plaster Ceilings, Wall, More Discoveries – and Decisions Made

Carley Brook Farm

I‘ve been out at the farm again working on fixing plaster. I did get quite a bit accomplished. All the fiber ceiling tiles that were put up sometime in the 70s and the furring strips were completely removed and taken out to the burn pile. I lit them up and stood back and enjoyed the [...]

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To The Farm: Plaster Ceilings and More Discoveries – a Medallion

Carley Brook Farm

At some point in the past the plaster ceilings had been covered over by fiber tiles. I believe that the previous owner, instead of fixing imperfections (cracks and of the like) decided to just tile over them. The ceiling in the main parlor and stairwell had furring strips nailed up and then the tiles. I [...]

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To The Farm: A Discovery in the Attic and a History Lesson

Carley Brook Farm

I had a major discovery in the attic at the farmhouse. I had been in the attic before but didn’t pay much attention to the pile of additional insulation in the corner. There under the pile was a window, the gable window. It measure 4 1/4 feet tall by almost three feet wide. The round [...]

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A Walk Through the House at Carley Brook Farm

Carley Brook Farm

Trying to incorporate some video into the site here – and first up is a walk through of the house at Carley Brook Farm

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A Roof Over My Head: The Rains Cometh

Carley Brook Farm

It has been raining steady now here at Carley Brook Farm for the past week. My attention to fixing these plaster walls and ceilings keeps diverting to the poor shape of the roof on this old farmhouse. I know the roof needs replacing. Luckily it is not leaking however, the asphalt shingles are well beyond [...]

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Farmhouse Restoration: To the Farm

Carley Brook Farm

I‘m headed to farm today to further evaluate my list of projects in the restoration of the farmhouse and repair a plaster ceiling in one of the upstairs bedrooms. The house, built around 1820, needs work. Structurally it is sound except for the porch which needs to be rebuilt. Eventually the vinyl siding will come [...]

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Vintage Appliances

Carley Brook Farm

In addition to the multiple other projects that I’ve gotten myself into I embarked on the restoration of a 1928 Magic Chef 1000 range for the kitchen at the farmhouse. The finished range will be a handsome detail to the recreation and restoration of the white Victorian cabinetry planned for the kitchen. The cabinetry will [...]

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A Weekend at the Farm

Carley Brook Farm

So this past weekend I had to spend some time out at the farm to take care of a few things. Of course it rains like all hell so most of my tinkering was left to inside jobs. I went through each room noting all that needed to be done. This gave me the basis for [...]

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