The vestibule had once been quite grand. Some of it had been added later – the doors have definite Eastlake hardware.
Things had gone somewhat aslant: the left side is a bit lower than the right and the steps are quite worn.
The support beams were partially rotted. The 19th-century iron rods that were used to support structures like this had little surface to bear the weight. The doors were in rough shape.
<- The first step was to brace the structure so the supports could be replaced.
the work area was cleared.
Temporary supports were added
New support beams went in
House jacks held everything in place
Heli-coil pylons are driven into the ground
The support structure is fully in place. Now the real work can begin. The windows need work, the doors are in rough shape, one of the columns is rotted out and the roof is sagging.
First, the 9-foot windows were removed:
Once the window frames were stripped, repaired and painted, they were set aside.
All the woodwork was stripped.
One column was rotted
Rotted areas next to it were built up with new material.
We were able to save the other column by adding material
Next to be addressed was the condition of the roof. The slant told us there were problems underneath, but I was reluctant to go the whole route and tear the roof off. Instead, the decorative elements were removed, then the fascia, soffit and old rain gutter.
The old gutter was badly deteriorated. At some point, a metal roof had been installed that covered it. When the soffit and gutter were removed, the rafters were seen to be quite rotted. The galvanized metal roof was in decent shape and showed no sign of leaking. We left it alone.
The roof deck was punky in places but we left it in place. New rafters were slid into place and shims were placed under the rafters to get the roof sorta level.
The bed mould and dentils weren’t worth reclaiming
New ones were created.
Parts of the brackets were repaired
New and old pieces assembled
I like pocket screws
Some fiddly corner bits
The old-style rain gutters were a challenge.
I managed to approximate the profile using crown moulding. The metal roof extends over it to provide drainage.
The repaired mouldings, dentils, soffit and brackets are back on the wall. you can see the new rafters peeking out. Also note the column on the right doesn’t have a capital on top yet.
New Fascia boards cover the rafter ends
Finally, the pseudo-rain gutter goes on. I found a drain hole in the trough of the metal roof, ran some copper pipe and used a whole lot of roofing tar to seal it in place. It’s mid-November, 2014. There’s snow on the roof in the background. Time to wrap it up for the winter.
All this while, work had been going on on the East and North Walls. Work on the Vestibule resumed in July, 2015. When the capitals went back on the columns, I added a bit of extra protection by cutting pieces of clapboard and making a tapered cap.
Next, the doors:
The interior faces were in good shape, but the exterior was badly deteriorated. This was going to be a challenge.
The bottom inches of the veneer could not be saved. It was cut off using a router, and the bottom was built up with fir and wood/epoxy resin. Instead of trying to match the veneer, the bottom of the doors were fitted with brass kick plates.
After the exterior was cleaned and sanded, it was oiled. Repeatedly.
Notice the outline of the hardware. This door will never be that color again.
The old fittings were revived. The doorknob is a replacement, the original was missing.
With the refurbished doors in place, work on the vestibule was complete, There’s more to be done on the steps and surroundings, but as 2015 came to an end, the major work was complete.