Touch Ups

Painters Mark and Jason put the final touches on the stairs today.  We agreed that the stairs ought to have four coats of polyurethane, rather than three, because they will receive heavy wear and tear as compared to the oak flooring. So they returned briefly this morning, gave the stairs their last coat, and also put another coat on the clothes hook boards and the "picture frame" at the stove hearth.  I am very pleased with the stairway.  The finish slightly darkens the wood, but more especially is causes the grain to "pop" in an attractive way.

Yesterday, Mark "prays" over the stairway.

The finish pulls out the grain in the oak.  Note that
Kyle and Dave plugged the lag bolt holes on the stringer.

Today, Mark puts a final coat of finish on the "picture frame."

You may remember that the first paint crew neglected to cover the baseboard radiator in the living room, and the overspray turned the top of the unit a bright red.  Mark was able to closely match the original color.  Now, sanded, primed, and painted, you can't tell there was ever a problem!

The living room radiator before...

...and after.

Mark and I looked over the ground floor and concluded that the original paint crew put only one coat on the walls.  He has given me an estimate for fully painting the downstairs and also for staining the exterior doors.  Both jobs will wait until late summer.  I would rather paint after I've moved in and settled, because that process is almost certain to mar the walls here and there.

Today I moved two loads of my things from the rectory to the house.  I'm not rushing this move, because I want to give the polyurethane a couple days to harden up before I use the stairs again... and then, for a week, only in stocking feet!

The house, nearly ready to live in!

We had a brilliantly sunny day at Lake Esau, as the photo above will show.  Now, at 9:00 p.m., clouds are moving in from the west, promising at least light rain overnight.  At least that's the forecast on the NPR station at Central Michigan University.  They are doing their spring pledge drive this week, and the announcers are getting a little punchy.  Thus, according to NPR, "In northern Lower Michigan south of the Straits, you can expect a few wrinkles after midnight."  That'll preach. •••