The Cottage gets a Face Lift

IT'S OURS IT'S REALLY OURS

Our little cottage has undergone years of neglect. It became truly "ours" last June and we started our list of Must Do Projects. We repaired the tilting chimney and updated the antiquated heating system. We had both gas AND oil. The oil burner was an old coal burner that had been converted to oil back in the 1940's! We even had to have the men in white suits come to remove the asbestos from the basement.

We went all gas and put in a Energy saving burner and hot water heater.My goal is to go as "Green" as possible with all the renovations we do. Even with an old house built in the 1880's, there are some things that can be environmentally correct.

Now that Spring is here we are starting on the outside and giving the cottage a much needed face lift. However this will not be simply a cosmetic fix. We discovered there are parts of the roof where there are as many as FIVE layers of shingles! I do believe two is the legal limit. Old house, grandfathered repairs and quick fixes, before the age of permits and strict building codes all are part of the project we now face.

THE "GREEN" ROOF IS RED

I did a lot of research about houses on the shore and came to the conclusion that a metal roof was the best way to go. These roofs withstand the wind, the salt and all the other elements we have on the shore that are not problematic elsewhere. The style is that of shingles, not the flat lap so many people think of when they hear about metal roofs. The new metals help reflect the sun in the summer and retain heat in the winter. I am told you do not get the "ping...ping...ping" when it rains. This is called a enhancement, not a replacement, so the value of the house will go up. Not a bad thing.

I chose a brick red for the color and it is as pretty in person as it looked in the sample. We plan on doing the siding and doors as soon as the roof is finished. Again, we chose a siding that resembles
shingles, not the strip siding. The color will be a silver/blue with white trim. I plan to paint the doors the same color as the roof. No plans for the deck color yet. That will come later. I will post some before and after photos as soon as I can.

Good Bye from Seagull Cottage for now.