Under the McGinn | McPeake Roof

chicago restoration references

2009-09-14T12:28:00.002-05:00

Electrical Services Group 773-774-5190 http://www.esgillinois.com/

Jack's Blanton Jr. Plumbing Company 847-328-8100

Radiators - ACE Sandblasting 4601 W Roscoe 773-777-6654

Radiators - Al @ A&M Heating and Cooling Services 773-292-1313

Jeron Intercom Replacement PartsISS/Chicago 4039-43 N. Ravenswood 888-528-4070

Construction – Day 1

2009-08-14T09:43:00.001-05:00

The Crew:

Rewired kitchen light wiring – need to patch/hang new track lighting
Demo’d 1/2 bath for conversion to full bath
Painted Common Area Hallway (3 Flights)

Our Projects:

Scraped and Repainted the front cement blocks
Fixed Closet Drawers – Guest Room
Painted Guest Room Trim
Finished Repainting the Dinning Room a more “neutral” color

Guest Bathroom:

say goodbye yellow - hello modern vintage

2008-08-25T21:30:00.006-05:00

not only paint but FINALLY decorate

2008-08-25T21:18:00.012-05:00

and now for the entryway....

2008-08-25T21:13:00.010-05:00

hallway >> before and after

2008-08-25T21:09:00.007-05:00

plaster walls and wood trim

2008-08-25T21:00:00.008-05:00

learning to skim coat, caulk, and repair really squishy plaster spots...this project we truly learned how to repair plaster walls. the whole corner was beginning to crumble and cave in and now we have never square/sharp lines.
the trick is to with a straight edge and razor to "seer" a square around the area you want to take out. gently tap around the line with the hammer to break the plaster while maintaining the straight edge.
measure the dimensions of the removed section and cut the new quarter inch thick dry wall to as close as possible. using dry wall tape and screws secure to the wood lathe. and then join compound, smooth and sand - repeat, repeat, repeat prime and paint.

for the rest of the plaster walls that do not need to be replaced but are cracked or bumpy - open the crack more and repair. to smooth out the walls we put a very thin skim coat of join compound over all the walls sanded and primed and painted.

BRAND NEW WALLS! we couldn't be happier. the process went much quicker in the living room.

radiators project finished

2008-08-25T20:30:00.024-05:00

removed, valves replaced, sub-floors added, floors replaced, radiators sandblasted, cleaned and primed. they all work! for the first time so well in fact we turned a few off during the cold chicago winter.

Here are the before and after shots. Enjoy. It was well worth it for all the radiators.

BEFORE: gross AFTER: detailed and clean

BEFORE: Floor shots. No sub floor so a few radiators were falling through. New subfloors were added for 3 radiators and the floor boards replaced.

The biggest one fixed.

The dining room.

The "leaning" tower is no longer.

The valve had to be replaced differently because once we raised the floor and leveled it the valve was too short.

radiator 101

2007-11-07T13:28:00.000-06:00

so there are several things i have learned about our radiators. originals and decorative. one pipe steam radiators.

[Excerpt: Old House]

In a one-pipe system, steam from the boiler rises under pressure through the pipes to the radiators. There it displaces air by evacuation through the radiator vent valves, condenses on the radiators inner surface, and gives up heat. Steam condensate flows by gravity back through the same pipes to the boiler for reheating. The pipes, therefore, must be pitched no less than one inch in ten feet in the direction of the boiler to ensure that the condensate does not block the steam in any part of the system. All piping and radiators must be located above the boiler in a one-pipe system.

replaced - all valves with Steam Angle Radiator Valves (http://www.pexsupply.com/)

replaced - all vents with Hoffman Adjustable Angle Air Valves (http://www.pexsupply.com/)

replacing all pipe flanges with new decorative, thicker flanges (http://www.vandykes.com/)

flushing each radiator and sandblasting exterior and properly pitching each one

steam, banging, and radiators...oh my!

2007-11-07T12:29:00.000-06:00

ah the joys and cries of steam radiators. we spent last winter with only having 4 of the 8 on either due to them not working, leaking, banging or extreme hissing. Upon inspection the 100 year old floor no longer felt the need to properly support the radiators either. The radiators themselves are covered in years of rust, layers of paint, and just plain nasty (not a proper towel or blanket warmer for sure).
so the plan is to squeeze in a multi-job project into two weeks before the chicago cold winter really begins.
what we are learning about the old condo is every thing we do is like picking a scab, never good and always creating more bleeding. this time we thought we knew what we were getting into but of course not...

once the radiators were removed the floor was in much worse shape in expected. so the radiators are at ACE Sandblasting getting all prettied up, the new valves are on that the great team from A&M Heating and Cooling installed (so the radiators can be completely shut off or turned on) and the floor is waiting for repair. we can't wait for the consistent heat and the restored 100 year old detailed radiators to return to our condo and settle in for the winter.
the restored radiators are being sandblasted, primed, and painted with Sherwin Williams special heat oil based paint (Urbane Bronze) to give it the cast iron look instead of a painted look. i am eagerly awaiting the completion of this project since it has been on my top project list since we moved in. michele, although not as enthused is ready for steady heat.

halloween/autumn 2007

2007-10-29T14:18:00.000-05:00

FORM DINNING ROOM

MAIN ENTRY WAY

LIVING ROOM MANTEL

PUMPKIN CARVING PARTY

...and the sunroom is done!

2007-09-05T13:57:00.000-05:00

we are so excited. our first room project has been completed. and we love it. it is formal, casual, urban, vintage, modern, relaxing and best of all no electrical distractions except for our vintage record player and wonderful record collection (thanks mom and dad).

check out the before and afters:

View From the Living Room

Window Corner of Sunroom

Charlie LOVES the new carpet

New View from the Living Room

(minus the artwork)

DecorView from Living Room Window

sunroom window

2007-08-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

so michele wanted to remove the storm window in the sunroom (it covered the window that connects the living room to the sunroom). our thought was now that we are insulated, etc that we want this interior window open all the time to connect the two rooms better. and of course it turned out to be yet another undertaking. the edging was riped out to find nothing but a hole around the window, the ledge removed to find newspaper insulation (dated June 22, 1958 Chicago Tribune) and Ace Hardware ruler/stir sticks as levelers, plus the storm window broke during removal - bad glass.

anyhoo. the window is finished, below are the before and after pics and some of the randomness found during the renovation.

June 22, 1958 Insulation

The Shelf and "stir stick" levelers

Shelf

Window Done!

sunroom update

2007-06-21T13:02:00.000-05:00

so Sally is almost done so we thought we would take some sneak peak pictures. the 100 year old barn wood we got for the ledge was purchased at this fanastic little store in wrigleyville called American Barn Company. check them out for project ideas: www.americanbarncompany.com

Before and After:

new hardware and strip, stained wood frame/windows

replaced rotted ledge with restored 100 year old barn wood

painted brick was stripped

window trim painted and sealed

close up of the window trim and new ledge

Additional Photos:

wainscoting ceiling --> wall of windows

close up of the new ledge --> insulation through out

flea market finds

2007-06-01T23:26:00.000-05:00

we started hitting the flee market scene this summer. we have a few things in mind when we are looking but we just enjoying taking the dog and looking for the next hidden gem.

the first find was an adirondack rocker bench, hand made from st. louis, mo. we thought it would be perfect for the sunroom. not sure if it is going to work or not yet but it will make either make the perfect bench or the best gift for our friends with the lake house. needs very little work. just need to clean it and then seal it with a clear coat. we are planning on putting a linen seat cushion on it as well.

not a month later, michele stumbled upon a great antique while walking the dog. no work needed and perfect for the guest room table. the brass mirror on the wall was found in our basement storage unit when we moved in. we now joke that the guest room is the free room as the 3 main peices were either found, given to us (my great grandparents brass bed), or purchased from the neighbor down the street for almost nothing.

sunroom (our happy hour room)

2007-05-01T16:16:00.000-05:00

we have the most perfect sunroom. it is 8.5 x 7 feet with waist to ceiling windows that all open in. we are close to the lake so their is a great breeze that comes in. however, it is outdated, the wood is rotting, there is water damage, nothing is sealed (unusable this past winter), windows cracked, screens missing, etc. so basically we have an unusable space that really could be so many things. so where better to start. by the time we are all done it will be almost like we added on another room to the house.

we have grand ideas. our inspiration comes from one of my photographs that i took while at the Adirondacks. this place is where happy hour occurred every night to toast to the most amazing sunsets. my photograph captured the mood we want our new sunroom to embrace. a lake house within the urban condo. a resting place to a hard day at work, an indoor porch for dinner for two, star gazing, and a place to read the sunday paper in your slippers and robe and hot coco as the snow falls.

restoration plans:

strip all brick to expose the red worn brick
strip all wood and window frames
replace rotted window ledge with leveled ledge
replace all window hinges/latches
replace all window screens
scrape and repaint outside windows and seal
re-glaze window panes and seal windows
replace broken glass
stain window and frame
insulate and seal all possible areas
replace false ceiling with insulation and stained wainscoting
replace particle board wall with insulation and new dry wall
replace all floor trim
install carpet
repaint and buy lounge/outdoor furniture, candle lanterns
hang vacation photographs

of course we know that there is no way we can handle this first project on our own as the most i have yet to do is patch a hole on our plaster walls. so we talked to the best handy woman in the chicago area, our good friend Sally Beaumont. she has been extremely patient with us and understands that restoration is full of surprises, derailments, and ideas continually evolve as you get farther and farther in.

we will keep you posted on any got ya's, lessons learned, and the before and after photos.

post move in

2007-01-21T11:49:00.000-06:00

here are some condo photos with our stuff instead of the previous owners...more to come.

Left --> Right: kitchen, guest bedroom

Left --> Right: pantry, utility room

Left --> Right: guest half bath, master bedroom

celebrate the 2006 season

2006-12-21T13:37:00.000-06:00

i like to decorate - take after my mom. so i thought it would be fun to capture some of the holiday pieces and decorations we put togther over the years. so here is for 2006 in our new home.

Thanksgiving:

Winter Holiday:

the beautiful tray is from my Aunt Heidi and the plates that we set on our built in plate trim in the dinning room are from my grandma. They are hand painted and perfect for the plate trim.

the crappers

2006-11-21T10:27:00.000-06:00

both bathrooms had sponge paint all over them. we are not really into sponge paint and it doesn't really seem to go with the urban or the arts and crafts feel of our condo. unfortunately we didn't capture the whole sponge paint look of the bath rooms (you can see little corner sections) but now the bathrooms are pleasing to the eye, well at least the wall colors. again, grand plans for both of these rooms, including making the half bath a full bath and in the master bath separating the shower and tub. but down the road...

The Painters:

The Finished Bathrooms:

first up - eating with style

2006-11-15T22:55:00.000-06:00

it was how both of us grew up. eating family dinners around the formal table. the dinners and family size differ between our two families, but having a dinning room was something we hoped for but didn't think possible in the city. so it was no surprise that we both agreed quickly that it was the first room we wanted to focus on.

with all the wood, trim, and plaster walls it made sense to have our friend and fantastic professional painter, Stacy Karonis (Broad Spectrum Interior Painting - 773.895.3838) and her all women crew do the work. all we had to do was pick the colors.

we wanted the formal dinning room to be classy, warm, and feel a bit more on the victorian style than the earthy arts and crafts. think chandelier with hanging glass prisms (michele is not sold on the chandelier yet).

so we went with pittsburgh paint - chilled wine (base) and heavy cream (trim) and purchased a new rug on ebay. we were very happy with the end result and our continually keeping our eye out at flee markets for that perfect finishing piece, the chandelier. what the pictures don't show is all of the cracks and dripping dried paint that was cleaned up.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

move in condition (sellers decor)

2006-10-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

Living Room (sunroom door on right)

Formal Dining Room (built in hutch/pantry)

Bedroom 1

Updated Kitchen

4828 - the beginning

2006-10-27T11:58:00.000-05:00

oct 27 - closing time. we purchased a vintaged condo that was built in 1909. the building has 6 condos total. 3 on each side. the building faces the east with a front yard and a back parking lot. we look forward to large and small renovation projects along the way. this site will allow us to share with friends, family, and others the pain and results of restoring rooms in the arts and crafts period while modernizing for today.

condo basics - around 1700 sq ft. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath, front sunroom, formal dining room, back utility room. built in pantry, hutches, bookcases, picture molding, etc from 1909. red brick fireplace, victorian style steam radiators. kitchen updated with granite counter tops and new black appliances.

see other post for the previous owner's for sale pictures. we will be posting details with each project we undertake. we hope you will enjoy our mistakes, mishaps, and finished projects as much as we do.

First Recommendation is our awesome realtor and mortgage broker:
BERNADETTE LA ROCCO
Broker Associate
COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE
Direct:(312) 543-3838
Fax:(708) 867-5596
goerie606@aol.com

-and-

Kathleen "Kiki" Calumet
Sr. Vice President
Millennium Financial
1122 N. LaSalle
Chicago, IL 60610
Direct: 312-377-9903
Cell: 312-909-9372
Fax: 312-377-9953
kcalumet@mfcchicago.com