Thursday, January 29, 2009

Siding Going Up


This is the exterior right side wall.....the Parlor is on the other side of the wall. It is going to be the easiest of the walls to put the siding on, since I only have the windows to work around. The other walls will have the porch roof, both front and side, the tower, and 3 bay windows.
I first started with Elmer's glue..KNOWING full well it would warp and curl...but it was worth a shot, just to see how it'd act. Trashed that piece. Next, I tried Aileen's Tacky Glue and it did the same thing. Trashed that, too. Now, I'm using contact cement, a Dap product, and it's a water cleanup and easy to work with. I'm very happy with that.
On the part where there's no window, it takes 1 full piece and about 2" of a second piece. I glued the first pieces even with the bottom of the house. The second piece I put on, you can't see from this photo and I forgot about it until I started typing. It is on the front, touching down on the porch floor, to give me a guideline of how to keep the rest of the siding straight going around the house. So, the third piece is on the side, even with the piece I put on the front porch. ( Am I making sense? ) From there, it's just straight up the wall. I am barely overlapping the pieces, not measuring the distance, but using a tiny level ( the little black thingie at the corner of the house )
to make sure that it looks, well, level. I tape each piece down once it's up there and go do something for at least 15-20 minutes for it to set, then come back and do another.
I've got to tell you, it's going to be amazing when I'm done; I can tell that already, but it's not a fun thing to do..tedious ( my sister's word and I agree ). Good thing I'm in no hurry. If I was in a bigger room, I could work on different areas around the house, but I only can reach one side at a time.
The next wall to do will be the very front and I may have to do some other things first...I want to do the floor in the wood planking and I have the porch roof and railings to deal with.....the roof is the part that concerns me first. I'm going to let it surprise me.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is coming along very nicely Kathy. I think one of the most frustrating things about any craft is waiting for the glue to dry. I get too impatient and don't always wait like I should.

Sumaiya Mehreen said...

Looks amazing!

Kathy Calhoun said...

Thank you, dear Ladies. When I sit back and look at the results, unfinished as they are, I'm rather smug at the effect it's taking on the house. Eventually, it'll be painted a tan color and this wall will have a riverstone chimney; the foundation and tower will be riverstone also.

Patience comes in different packages and this particuliar one is not one of my better ones, but I certainly have enough to keep me busy while the glue dries.

"Good things come to those who wait." Right?

Larry Marshall said...

Your construction project is coming along nicely, Kathy. It makes me tired just to think of all the cutting and fitting :-)

Cheers --- Larry

Kathy Calhoun said...

Oh, thanks, Larry. Cutting and fitting, plus waiting for the glue to dry takes a patience that I have to work on, which is why it takes longer for me. It sounds like a quick "do", but it'snot, as you well know. But, it is a great deal of fun and something I am thoroughly enjoying.