It was built in 1895. Last summer my landlord had the stucco taken off the front of the building to reveal the original white brick underneath.
A couple of days ago my landlord stopped in to tell me he was replacing the six windows across the front of the building. Three of them are in my living room.
It seems that the city, in trying to preserve the old look of the downtown area, wants the old buildings brought back to their original architectural designs. Sometime in the life of this building, the original tall windows on the second story were shortened and modernized, probably when the apartments were partitioned off.
Sure enough, the last couple of days the sounds of banging on the brickwork and sawing through Lord only knows what have filled my apartment. They started on the side hidden by the little tree out front and are moving steadily toward me.
Here's the thing.....it is winter. It is cold outside. It snowed some this morning and is likely to do so again tomorrow. I hope they are just doing the prep work and will change out the windows come spring. But if the new windows go in this week, it will be interesting to say the least!
I like the look of the building now that the stucco in the picture is gone. I'm pretty sure I will like the look of the tall, old fashioned windows. But I think I will like them much better in the spring than at 15 degrees F.
Vicki, isn't there a saying about the more things change the more they stay the same? I also hope that the actual changeout will happen in more temperate weather. Keep us advised.
ReplyDeleteNever a dull moment, Sue...The changeout will be happening now. The guys who are doing the work came by to see what had to be moved to get to the windows. They will deal with all of that so I am not expected to move anything myself, thank goodness!!
DeleteYou should threaten them with a lawyer if they expose your apartment to the cold. I hope you post a new picture whenever the work is done.
ReplyDeleteIt can't be helped, Gorges. There is going to be some cold when a window is removed. They have to take out part of the wall both above and below the existing windows. They will hang plastic to keep the dust down. If it gets too cold, I can take my green fuzzy blanket, go to my bedroom and shut the door. It will be OK, except the cleaning lady may quit. :)
DeleteWhat Sue said. Keep us posted!
ReplyDeleteI'll let you all know how it goes, Rev. Paul. Guess I bragged about my nice quiet life once too often, for it seems to have come back to bite me in the posterior. :)
DeleteThe reason the LL is doing it now, he got a sweet deal on the labor, because its winter. These guys work fast, they are just as cold as you. Could be a great time to offer coffee, and cookie depending on crew size when they are done.
ReplyDeleteRob...My old landlord had gotten a grant to renovate the outside of this building, preserving the historical aspects of the architecture. I am wondering if the new landlord has a time limit on completing the work to satisfy the grant. At any rate, a batch of chocolate chip cookies will be baked this morning and a bowl of them left on the kitchen table for the crew of two. They said they will move everything that has to be moved to gain access to the windows, and move it all back when finished. That is surely worth a few cookies. :)
DeleteOh, my goodness. I'd think hearing protection of some kind might be in order as well.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of when I moved here. The complex had just completed two years of exterior renovations - new siding, all new doors and windows. And people lived through it all. I just had to deal with the new fences and landscaping and that taxed my patience.
Love the photo of the building, btw. It puts a 'face' and place to your stories.
Having a quiet day here - reading and watching dvds.
Cheers, SJ
SJ...I can take my laptop and bucket 'o yarn back to my bedroom and shut the door if the noise becomes unbearable. I don't expect it to be too bad until they start removing the wall both above and below the existing windows. I think when all is said and done, I will like having more natural light in my living room.
DeleteI like that picture of my building, too. It really isn't a bad place to live considering it is in the middle of a downtown area. It really is more like a small town than a city setting. The worst of the crime is located in Minneapolis, 35 miles away, and hasn't really affected my neighborhood, with the exception of the silliness from the bar next door. And even that is fairly quiet. I will ask Duane to take my camera with him on one of his walks and take a picture of the building when the new windows are in.
I am dead in the water with Maddie Mae's afghan until my daughter brings me more yarn. I used more of one color than I planned on and need a few more skeins. I may just use my laptop to work on genealogy until the construction is finished. Or watch YouTube movies. Or something else equally lazy. Works for me. :)
I expect that the new windows will go in ASAP... I had all new windows put into my house last year in February... it was cold and even snowed one of the days. The crew was experienced and moved quickly and at any one time no more than 2 windows were out at the same time. It is an inconvenience but in the end your place should be warmer and quieter. I bet the new windows will be at least double if not triple pane glass... more energy efficient. Do you pay for the heat or does the owner pay? He may be getting a tax credit too for updating the windows. In the end I think you will be happy for the change. Good luck!
ReplyDeletecarol fun...When they put in the three windows in the apartment next door, the actual sawing and replacing of windows took only about half a day. I am sure the new windows will be an improvement over the old ones that are somewhat drafty. All of the utilities except phone and cable are included in the rent, so the savings will be to the landlord, which is one reason I'm sure he is going ahead with the project. That and the city is interested in preserving as much of the 'historic downtown area' as possible. My benefit will be more light and a warmer living room.
DeleteWhatever happens, life is never dull, is it!!
Oh my, I am surprised they replaced them in winter.
ReplyDeleteUnk...Imagine my surprise when I discovered they weren't just doing the prep work like I thought, but were actually replacing the windows now. I feel kind of sorry for the crew. The temp here this morning is 10 degrees F.
DeleteWhat a cute building. I'll bet the new (old style) windows will look nice. Hopefully they get it done fast so you don't get too cold.
ReplyDeleteOne Family...The picture was taken before the stucco was removed. It looks better now with the original white brick exposed. It was just too cold today to do the work, so the crew will be back Monday when warmer weather is promised. It would have been tough to work, especially after it began to snow!
DeleteI love that you live in a historic building and that it is being preserved!
ReplyDelete