Makeover

The farmhouse is getting a makeover these days. This farm was the first land claim made in Mitchell County back in 1851, but there was a log cabin here first. We don’t know for sure how old this house is. When we bought it the appraisal said it was built in 1875. But the carpenter that put the new basement under it for us in 2003 didn’t think it is that old, judging by the construction methods and materials used. Regardless, it is cold and drafty and in need of new insulation and siding. (And windows, but that’s next year’s project.)

Both entrances to the house are on the east side, and each one has its own porch. At some point the northern porch was replaced with a concrete pad and steps. We’re having a more Victorian-style wooden porch put on, which is surely what was originally here, and making the two porches connect.

You can see originally the second story was sided with wood shingles. We would liked to have kept that look, but in the fibercrete siding we’re using shingles are four times the cost of lap siding. So instead we’re just using the shingles around the bay windows. There’s a second set of bay windows on the front of the house.

Here’s a closeup of them.

The siding we’re having put on is pre-painted fibercrete. The paint is good for 20 years, or we can repaint it before that if we get sick of the green 🙂 We’ll be leaving the original decorative mouldings on and painting them in cream and shades of burgundy once the siding is on. I keep threatening Matt that I’m going to pick out at least 6 or 8 different colors 🙂