 For
some holiday fun, click the picture and 'elf yourself', like
Sherrill, the 'dancing' elf... |
 We
wish everyone a happy holiday season and a prosperous and healthy New Year!
Since holidays are
about eating all kinds of wonderful food, we thought our readers might enjoy
learning a bit about cooking – the kind that was done over 200 years ago,
that is! Not that we’re great cooks, but we’ve often thought about how
women
cooked meals day after day for their large families.
Talk about stamina.
Cooking over h earths was back-breaking work and potentially dangerous what
with long skirts brushing near hot embers and coals. The swinging iron
cranes were helpful in that regard, for the cook could hang pots and kettles
from the crane and push them away from the fire as needed.
So,
how did they do it? Fireplaces back then bristled with all kinds of
equipment – dutch ovens, toasters, griddles, long-handled tongs, shovels,
trivets, pots, skillets and roasting pans of all shapes and sizes. The
picture below gives you an idea of the kind of iron armament the women
worked with.
CLICK here for rest of article
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The Builder's Corner |
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Rebuilding Damaged Timber Framing with Epoxy
 In
Part 1, “Epoxy Repair of Split Framing”, I wrote about the use of
epoxy injection to repair splits in timber beams and framing
members. In Part 2 I will address the use of epoxy to repair
locally damaged timber framing. The damage spoken about here is
that of localized pockets of rot, insect damage, mortise pockets,
deep gouges, cuts or drill holes. Here a chop, there a chop and the
member is reduced in strength, perhaps right where you need it
most. It happens on new construction and old.
 This procedure is
not an appropriate repair for extensive framing damage such as long
lengths of rotted sills or insect damage. In those instances the
members should be replaced or, if possible, treated with epoxy as
described on the Rot Doctor web site. So far I have not found a web
site that presents the repairs described herein. Like the epoxy
injection repair, I have evolved this repair over the last 20 years.
There are many
occasions when it will be less expensive to sister a member, that is
to say, fasten a new member alongside and against the damaged one to
restore the strength needed. There are times when that cannot be
done such as when a timber valley beam has a pocket of rot caused by
a leaking flashing. I’ll use that as the example here because it
actually happened to a 60-year old, post-and-beam house that needed
help. There was no room to work under the beam and replacing it
would have required dismant-ling the roof for 20+ feet. The process
used here would be similar for most other localized damage cases.
CLICK here for rest of article |
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Check out The Maxcy
Fisher Homestead in Hollis, NH
  Unique
one of a kind offering! Reconstructed 1700's cape from Franklin MA,
relocated to Hollis Village. Integrating old with new, this flexible
floor plan has 5 fireplaces, hand forged hardware and fixtures,
master suite, large gourmet kitchen with Viking range, and great
room with wet bar. Ideal for the cook who loves to entertain. So
much more in upscale amenities. A house to love and live in for
years to come.
CLICK
on the picture for
listing information,
CLICK
for a virtual tour
or to
contact Sandi Roberto for
more information,
CLICK
on her picture. |
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Do You Know? |
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Where did the
expression “Wet Your Whistle” came from?
Think about it
for a bit and email us with your answer. Take a chance- you might know
the answer!
Answer to last month's quiz:
Where did the expression
“Mind Your P's and Q's" come
from?
In
English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. In old England, when
customers became unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their
own "pints and quarts" and settle down. From that, we got the
abbreviated phrase "mind your P's and Q's." |
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From Across the USA |
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W e hope you, our readers, visit our website on occasion. When you
do so, please email us - we would love to hear from you as we value your
opinions and ideas.
Much to our surprise we have visitors from all over the country
coming to our website - and from other parts of the globe, too -
Singapore, Okinawa, Jordan, Mexico, England, France, to name a few. The
interest in saving old homes is growing - as is interest in our New England
architecture. |
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