Radon testing has begun

I haven't yet had time to post about our radon test (or have more fun things to post about just come up?).  Anyways, our long-term radon test that was recommended by consumer reports arrived a couple weeks best and I set it up right away in the basement.  It recommended setting the test up away from both laundry and heating system and on the lowest level of the house.  Well, all that points towards the basement.  In addition, it needs to be 2' off the floor.  Well, that left the top of the archaic TV we have in our basement.  Anyways, it's easy to do.  You just open the package, fill out the info and start testing.  91+ days later, you put the paperwork and test in the enclosed postage paid envelope and you get the results back 2 weeks later.  I'll have an update in about 3 months and while we pray we don't have high radon levels, we're quite doubtful.

Here it is, all set up and waiting (hopefully) on top of the TV basement

A little bungalow eye candy

...the candy may be a little stale...but still delightful...and imagine how delicious it will be eventually?

Front entry way....awesome details but tons of damage...all the tongue and groove from the ceiling is gone-note porch light, original house numbers and awesome fir screen door

check out the retro home made round planter box

We have always eyed a super old (1909) bungalow at the SW corner of Fremont and 57th.  Despite it's terrible location (there is a currently abandoned but for rent mini-market next door), it's sorta been a dream of mine to fix it up if it ever went on the market.  Well, we got a call from Steve's bro last week saying that it was on the market-cash sale only due to the disrepair.  Priced at $350K (ouch!), it's already sale pending.  However, we were lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the house this morning and hear that the owners are taking back-up offers in case the current offer doesn't go through.  The house is gorgeous but there is really nothing that does not have to be done and supposedly there are water issues in the basement.  Anyways, enjoy, drool, dream.  Loved the details and amazing that it still has the original kitchen and lights.  The son and daughter of the owners were there and said that their parents have owned the house since '53 and that they grew up in the house. 

north view  of house....so many shingles to replace

Front entry-all the woodwork is awesome but appears to need to be sanded down and re-stained...check out the gorgeous lights-with energy saving CFLs????

All oak floors on both the first and second floors covered by carpets, cool tall columns and portiere rods-I wonder how old those curtains are?

Living room to left of front door, a little clean up maybe?  An old craftsman clock-love it!   Check out the light fixture, can't tell if it used to be a gas electric

 a mini sitting room off the living room with an Englenook-I love englenooks-so cozy!  again, gorgeous leaded glass built-ins and another gorgeous light fixture

Close up of sconces above fireplace mantel

Englenook close-up

The house had two matching sets of pocket doors, one front the entry into the dining room and another from the living room the sitting room/englenook

Main floor bath in back of house, sorta behind the sitting room and to the side of the kitchen, near the back/basement doors....there were two separate rooms, one a wash room (bubble gun pink and pictured but I just love that little sink) and a toilet room

back door-sorry about the terrible lighting

craziest basement door I ever did see-industrial metal with gorgeous fancy hardware

In dining room to right of entry.  Chair rail and Lincrusta wainscot-how do I know this name you ask?  Well, This Old House magazine happened to have an article on it just this month!  Beyond gorgeous and apparently priceless being that it costs ~$45 lineal foot to install new.  I just love the geometric design coupled with the roses.  Perfect for our City of Roses and the fact that the house is in the Rose City Park neighborhood.

Dining room built-in...the kitchen is just off the dining room but sadly, I did not take pictures...super cute with 1"hex tile counters in white with mint green and black detailing.  There was also a little breakfast nook, laundry chute and dumbwaiter.

View of banister detail....also replicated on front porch

Awesome sitting area on middle landing of staircase...there was also a hidden servants staircase

all the storage you would ever need at the top of the stairs...did I mention there was an attic as well (but don't get too jealous-it was only accessible thru a 2x2'hole in the ceiling of the sunroom)?  and a full basement?

windows in one of the 3 bedrooms

only full bath in house

hmmm....I have a feeling they had some plumbing issues in the past...and that is not the original mirror

sun porch

sun porch light and luvin the coved ceilings :)

Chutes Galore

Started researching pictures of chutes to see if I could find ideas of materials that people used to line their chutes.  Found some inspiring interesting pictures of chute designs as well.

Perfect example of the entry drop point we are hoping to put in the hallway....just stained wood and unpainted hardware

Interesting choice of layout....seems like it would be a pain to hold the door up while stuffing your towel in

This might work someday for our upstairs chute...seems like this might waste a bit of storage space though....something we always consider with our not so big house

Fun modern design...no idea where you would purchase

Now these are some organized homeowners with some space-in MY dreams

what a great use of space and would keep the kids from "chuting" themselves down

Super fun idea and love the look of where the laundry drops out on next pix....I could just see trouble with our baby

nice access point-no bending to get the laundry and no waste of storage space

Love this bano!  I think the access point is behind the sink????

What?!?

Laundry Chute Installation DIY

Because we always have unfinished projects, we are now doing some research on how to install a laundry chute.  I found various information on many different websites giving helpful info with many different sorts of recommendations.  One website stated that many cities actually have codes on laundry chutes due to fire wall blocking that is required as well as materials.  I referenced Portland's codes and was unable to find anything so I guess that we could build it out of saran wrap and tin foil if we really wanted to!  (maybe I should call the city to confirm:)
Oh yea, the laundry chute (as I think I've mentioned before) will go in our bathroom, behind the built-in cabinet that is not yet built-in built, that will be in the space between the shower and hall.  We plan to access the chute from the hall as to not take valuable cabinet storage space with access from in the bathroom.
Here is a little info that I found.  I think that we will use aluminum venting material to line the space and help reduce the chance of mold growth.  Now just a trip to Home Depot to figure out sizing, materials and cost.  The challenge will be putting it up to the second story for the eventual bathroom that will be added up there.

-first, measure to make sure that your entry and exit points of the chute really do line up?  Many people have written that they have planned the project only to find that the entry and exit points are feet off from one another when the tape measure comes out

SOME DIY TUTORIALS:

-The family handyman discusses steps to install a laundry chute as outlined here.  How to Install a Laundry Chute | The Family Handyman

 
-Construct a Laundry Chute | DoItYourself.com
-DIY network for wood lined chute

Simplify

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful"

-William Morris

As I have sorta said to myself the last few years, I truly want to simplify life this year.  Weather that be cleaning out the closet, selling off some of the collections, buying less stuff, I truly would like to live life more simply.  My sister introduced me to this quote years ago and I just love it.  Hope this gives you a bit of inspiration as you simplify your own life or take on a project.  Gosh, I have a lot to do but getting rid of 5 boxes of paper on shred day last week helped start the process.

And if this doesn't show off our bano

What will?  

Sure am glad that we got at least part of our bathroom 

remodel done before the little man arrived.

Crafty Lady

Along with the house and cute kiddos (I watch Lolo two days a week and then her mom watches Ben 2 days a week so that we can both work and avoid childcare), I have also been busy crafting away.  We have moved past the a million weddings stage of our lives and now are in  a bunch o' friends having babies stage and luvin it!  Here is a pix of what I have been working on with each spare minute I get in between house work, paid work, feeding, diapering and playing...gosh, I should open my own etsy shop

quilts, burp rags, hoodie towels, paci clips and you can't forget the hooter hider

And while they just barely lost, we were sure rooting for the Ducks!

We even fit in time for a hike in Forest Hills, Portland last weekend and got to test out Ben's new pack!

What Would Stickley Do With a Computer in the Kitchen?

I started off my evening looking for instructions and codes for putting in a laundry chute.  Well, I ended up reading articles written by Jane Powell, god of everything old house...yes, I am an old house geek and I worship her.  Even e-mailed her once about a door question that was not answered in the multiple books of hers that I own.  She e-mailed me back within the hour making her rise even higher on my worship meter.  I dream of her coming to my home (although it would be embarrassing to have her notice all the mistakes I am sure we have made along the way.  Anyways, here is an article that she wrote for The Berkeley Daily Planet on August 3, 2007.  Great concise info on what to do and not to do when remodeling a kitchen to make it fit with your old house.

What Would Stickley Do With a Computer in the Kitchen?

By Jane Powell

Friday August 03, 2007

The Kitchen 

Go to a kitchen showroom or a home improvement store, or open up a shelter magazine, and you will see the contemporary kitchen accoutrements that we have been convinced to lust after: restaurant stoves, built-in stainless steel refrigerators with internet access, granite counters, and so forth. But if your house is historic, which covers everything from Victorian to World War II, you will be doing your home a serious disservice if you give into that lust and install the latest “state-of-the-art “ kitchen.  

The first “modern” kitchens, in the sense that they had stoves, refrigeration, electricity, and plumbing, came about in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Though a kitchen of that era might look primitive now, it was miles ahead of earlier kitchens, where cooking was done in fireplaces, refrigeration was non-existent, and water had to be carried in. By the turn of the twentieth century, the basic kitchen elements we still use were in place: ranges, refrigerators, plumbing, electric lighting, cabinets for storage, and even concepts about efficiency, such as continuous countertops and the work triangle. Though there have been technological advances since then (under-counter dishwashers, microwaves, garbage disposals), these basic elements have remained much the same. 

Nonetheless, the kitchen was, and is, the most complex room in the house. The demands placed on it in earlier times are nothing compared to the demands placed on it now. Then it was a utilitarian space, for the servants or the woman of the house. But now, the kitchen has supplanted the living room as the central place in most homes. Is it possible to have a period kitchen that still meets modern expectations? It depends on your expectations. An exacting reproduction of a 1915 kitchen may not be for everyone- how do you feel about doing the dishes by hand? But with a dishwasher, it could still look like 1915, but you might be a lot happier.  

The elements that make up a historic kitchen are fairly standard, and by picking a combination of appropriate elements, it’s possible to have a kitchen that incorporates modern technology yet still looks right in an older home.  

Cabinets 

The right cabinets are the most important element in making a kitchen look period-appropriate. Historically, cabinets were face-framed (as opposed to frameless European-style cabinets), with flush inset frame-and-panel doors (now called “Shaker” doors—square stiles and rails around a flat panel). Overlay doors (still frame and panel) began to appear in the 1920s, influenced by the doors on Hoosier cabinets. (Flat “slab” overlay doors, made of plywood, began to appear in the 1940s.) Panels in the doors could also be glass, either plain or with muntins.  

Drawers were either inset or three-eights inch overlay, with wooden glides. Old cabinets lacked the toe kicks of modern cabinets—the face frame extended down to the floor. (Toe kicks appeared in the 1910s.) The lower cabinets were shallower than the standard 24 inches used today, ranging from 15 to 22 inches deep, though upper cabinets were 12 inches deep and still are. Upper cabinets often hung lower than modern cabinets, 12 to 14 inches above the countertop, rather than the 18 inches now standard. Unlike many modern cabinets, the upper cabinets went all the way to the ceiling, rather than leaving the tops exposed to collect dust and grease, or by filling the gap with a soffit. Custom storage abounded, with tilt-out bins for 50 pound bags of flour and sugar (used now for pet food or recycling), corner cabinet lazy susans, sliding shelves, and so forth. There were also specialty cabinets, including California coolers- a ventilated cabinet with wire or slatted shelves, which used the chimney effect to draw cool air up from the basement or crawlspace, which was used to store foods like potatoes, onions, garlic, even wine. Another specialty cabinet was the built-in ironing board, though many of these have been turned into spice racks. And of course, the hoosier cabinet (now a generic term, Hoosier was one of many manufacturers) was prevalent in many households. There weren’t any kitchen islands as we know them, only worktables, though many work tables had built-in storage. 

Most historic kitchen cabinets locally were made of vertical grain Douglas fir, inexpensive at the time, now more expensive than oak or cherry. Cabinets were either varnished or painted with enamel in shades of off-white to beige, as white was considered “sanitary”, and they were really obsessed with sanitation back then. 

Cabinet hardware was also standardized with ball-tipped mortise hinges, surface-mount butterfly hinges, or offset hinges for overlay doors. Doors latched with spring-loaded cupboard catches, hexagonal glass knobs, or simple wood or brass knobs. Drawers utilized metal bin pulls, glass bridge handles, hexagonal glass knobs, or wood or brass knobs. In the Victorian period, metal hardware often had elaborate patterns formed by lost-wax casting, but after 1900 hardware was much plainer. Metal hardware was usually brass or nickel, until chrome became popular in the mid-1930s.  

Appropriate cabinets are offered by national companies or can be custom-built by local cabinetmakers. Suitable hardware can be found locally or on the web. 

Countertops 

Countertops are the most difficult element, since there is no perfect countertop. In the past, the most prevalent countertop was varnished wood. This is fine in some areas, but problematic around the sink or near the stove. The second most common countertop is ceramic tile. White hexagonal porcelain tiles or other small mosaics were common, although sizes up to 4” by 4” were used. Backsplashes were often subway (3” by 6”) tiles laid like bricks, though 4”by 4” tiles were also employed. Tile was white from the late nineteenth century through the Teens, maybe with a colored border or liner. In the Twenties and beyond, wild color combinations like jadite green and black, burgundy and yellow, lavender and peach, and even three and four color combinations began to be used, although white continued throughout. The third most popular countertop, surprisingly, was linoleum- it held up well on the floor so why not on the counter? I am referring to real linoleum, which was invented in 1863 and consists of linseed oil, cork, ground limestone, and pigments on a burlap backing. It is a green alternative to highly toxic vinyl.  

Stone countertops were rare—there might be a marble pastry slab in an upper middle class kitchen, and occasionally soapstone or slate would be installed, but granite is very wrong for a historic kitchen. And contrary to the hype, stone is actually porous and requires sealing. 

I detest Corian, but some of the newer composite materials aren’t too bad. Products like Fireslate, Silestone, Richlite and even concrete have an appropriate look. Even some patterns of laminate, with a matte finish and a wooden edge molding, look decent. It is legitimate to use different countertop materials in different areas of the kitchen- tile or stone near the sink and stove, wood or linoleum elsewhere.  

Floors 

Kitchen floors used one-inch by four-inch tongue-and-groove boards of the same old growth Douglas fir as the cabinets, either varnished, painted, or covered with linoleum. Occasionally hardwood flooring (oak or maple) was installed. Fancier houses sometimes had ceramic tile floors, either hexagonal tiles or quarry tiles. 

Sinks and Faucets 

Sinks were almost always white porcelain over cast-iron. There were two kinds- sinks with built-in drainboards and backsplashes, which were wall-hung, but often had decorative legs, or occasionally sat on top of cabinets, and undermount or tile-in sinks, which were set into tiled countertops. Undermount sinks are still widely available. Farmhouse-style sinks were primarily used in the 19th century. Butler’s pantries utilized small copper or nickel silver sinks, these softer metals thought less likely to chip the fine china which was washed in the butler’s pantry rather than the kitchen. The nickel-plated faucets were wall-mounted, rather than deck-mounted as most are today. In the 19th century, the faucet would have had separate hot and cold taps, but by the 20th century, mixing faucets with cross or lever handles were the norm. 

Appliances 

Vintage stoves are currently popular, and you could pay up to $30,000 for a restored double oven Magic Chef. You could also pick up a perfectly good 1940s Wedgewood on Craigslist for $500 or less, or a restored stove for somewhere between $1200 and $3000. If you want more of the modern stuff like electronic ignition and sealed burners, Elmira and Heartland make vintage-looking stoves with modern components. A simple (and thus inexpensive) modern stove also can be unobtrusive in a historic kitchen. Nowadays, people who don’t cook at all insist on having restaurant-style stoves—I guess they’re for the caterers. 

Refrigerators are difficult to deal with, being large and hard to disguise. Only a few people want vintage refrigerators, which have to be manually defrosted. A “fully-integrated” fridge that can be completely covered with wood panels is an option, as are refrigerator drawers made by various companies. Replicas of wooden iceboxes with modern refrigeration components inside are also available, as well as retro 1950s-style fridges. 

Dishwashers also come “fully integrated” with controls on the top edge so the front can be completely covered with wood. I would refrain from putting a wood panel on a regular dishwasher- it draws more attention to the dishwasher than leaving it as is. Dishwasher drawers are also an option. A dishwasher can also be recessed into an extra deep cabinet with a regular cabinet door to disguise it. Compact dishwashers are only slightly larger than a microwave and can fit into small spaces or under old counters that aren’t deep enough for the usual 24” deep unit. 

Obviously they were no microwaves until recently, but it’s easy enough to hide one in a cabinet. 

Lighting 

Electricity was available locally by the late 19th century, so kitchens would have had electric lights and plugs, just not as many as we are used to (or required by code). A ceiling fixture in the middle of the room, a light over or next to the sink, and maybe another over the range would have been usual. These were plain nickel-plated fixtures with simple shades, or even just a bare lightbulb on a cord or chain and are readily available as reproductions. You can have as many visible fixtures as you like, since we are used to higher light levels. If you want to add well-disguised under-cabinet lighting, go ahead. 

Ventilation 

Historically, ventilation was passive- a plaster or painted metal hood over the range connected to a vent in the roof, using the chimney effect of rising heat to draw out smoke and steam. Electric fans mounted on an outside wall were also employed. It is possible to buy just the guts of a stove hood- fan and light- to retrofit old hoods or use in new custom hoods. If there are cabinets over the range, there are also retracting hoods, which virtually disappear when not in use. 

Things to Avoid 

There are some things that will make your kitchen scream “twenty-first century”. Recessed can lights, although your architect or designer will tell you they are unobtrusive, aren’t. Stainless steel anything (appliances, sinks, countertops) will be the avocado green of the twenty first century. Granite is totally overdone, as are glass tiles (which replaced with ubiquitous tumbled marble of the 1990s). And fancy art tiles and a copper hood belong on a fireplace, not in a kitchen. 

Although much useful technology came about in the twentieth century, we seem too enamored of bells and whistles we don’t actually use. Many historic kitchens, some of them perfectly functional, have been ripped out and replaced with some decade’s “state of the art” kitchen. Perhaps you’ve had one: plywood cabinets and gold flecked laminate from the Sixties? An avocado and harvest gold nightmare from the Seventies? Or perhaps beige tile, half-inch brown grout and oak cabinets from the Eighties? These once trendy kitchens soon look dated, whereas a period kitchen appears timeless, like it belongs there. Today it is possible to have a kitchen that meets twenty-first century expectations and yet still feels right in an historic house. 

Jane Powell is a restoration consultant and the author of Bungalow Kitchens.

Contributed photo.  

A fully-integrated refrigerator disguises modern technology behind coordinating wood panels that help it look like part of the cabinetry.

January is National Radon Month!

I had no idea but we have been doing research on radon test kits and found out that it is national radon month!  Radon is radioactive gas that is harmful if found in high levels and is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.  While I know very little about radon, I thought I would post some info.  Steve and I assume that we live in a home that needs radon mitigation but we have never had our levels tested. 

      Here is some info about radon taken from the oregon.gov site:

What is radon? Radon is a radioactive gas.  It is odorless, tasteless, and colorless.  It is a Noble gas that is inert (non-reactive) and is found throughout the world in varying concentrations. Radon forms naturally from the radioactive decay of Uranium in rock, soil, and water.  When radon gas is formed, it migrates through the soil to the air above. Radon enters buildings through existing cracks in concrete floors or walls, open soil in crawl spaces, improperly or poorly sealed floor drains, or pipe entry points in floor slabs. Without significant ventilation and air exchange in crawl spaces and under the floor slab (sub slab ventilation), Radon builds up and enters the living spaces of homes and other structures. Radon is found in varying concentrations throughout the United States with moderate levels found in Oregon. Why is radon harmful? Radon decays and produces radioactive particles that become trapped in the lungs and may damage tissue. Over time, exposure to high levels of radon increases a person's risk of developing lung cancer. This is the only known health effect. For smokers, this lung cancer risk is even higher. It takes many years of exposure to radon before the onset of lung cancer. The higher the exposure, the greater the risk of induced lung cancer and the sooner it may occur. How does radon compare with other radiation exposure? Each of us is exposed to a certain amount of radiation each day, most of which comes from natural sources such as radon. Radon accounts for the largest percentage -- more than half -- of radiation exposure that the average person in the United States receives.

What if my test reveals high radon levels?
The important thing is not to panic.  Radon levels can fluctuate widely over time.  If your result is 4 pCi/L or higher, take a follow up test.  Follow up tests can be either a long-term or short-term: Short-term tests can be used if you need  results quickly, or if the initial test results were double the EPA action limit (>8pCi/L). Long-term tests will give a better year-round average of your radon concentration. Long-term tests should be used as a follow up to initial test results that are under 8 pCi/L.  If the average of two short-term tests  is over the action limit, or if the results of a long term test are over the action limit, you should consider fixing your home.  You can reduce your risk of lung cancer by lowering your radon level.
How much radon is too much?
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L).  The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that homes with radon levels at 4 pCi/L or above be fixed.  They also suggest that you consider taking action if the levels are between 2 to 4 pCi/L.  Recently, the World Health Organization recommended a more conservative action level of 2.7 pCi/L. Radon gas is a natural part of the environment in which we live.  The national average for radon concentrations in the outdoor air is .4 pCi/L.  Although we can not entirely avoid radon gas, we can take steps to lower levels in our indoor environments.  Reducing radon exposure reduces the risk of developing lung cancer. If radon levels are elevated in your home, contact a Radon Mitigation Company to fix the problem.  The Oregon Radon Program recommends that you utilize a company that is certified by the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) or the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). Portland Online discussed how radon enters the home: through cracks and holes in the foundation and  through the water supply.

     

Another website discussed that radon enters through cracks in concrete slabs. Spaces behind brick veneer walls that rest on uncapped hollow-brick foundation. Pores and cracks in concrete blocks. Floor-wall joists. Exposed soil, as in crawl space or sump. Weeping (drain) tile, if drained to open sump. Mortar joints. Loose fitting pipe penetrations. Open tops of block walls. Building materials, such as some rocks. Well water from some wells. I just ordered the CR recommended long-term 3 month test (Accustar Alpha Track Test Kit AT 100) from amazon for $25 and hope to start testing this week.  You can also get a short-term test from the American Lunch Association in Oregon for just $14 including processing and shipping. We  had previously bought a $10 test from Home Depot that I just found out is:  not rated well by consumer reports  short-term test which is not as reliable  the company charges an additional $30 to test and analyze what you collect) ... I will be returning the HD test. So you have high levels of radon? I read on one website that you can irradicate the radon on your home by just opening your windows for several hours 1x/week but another website said that your windows need to be open 24/7.  You can hire a company to irradicate your radon for under $2000 or you can do the work yourself.  If we have high radon levels, which we probably do, Steve plans to do the system himself so we will post info as we find it on putting in your own system.