That Story

This is not going to be a Reflection on the Past Crummy Year post, though it may sound a bit like that as I begin. Please, stay with me, for the New Year will begin with a new house. Last fall I found that house Craig's list, another in the box, unassembled Dura Craft kit first issued in 1998 for $40. A little research shows it to be rare. There is only one finished house showing both the interior and exterior at Nonnie's Dollhouses , which also features the Bellingham along with other kit houses that she build's and sells. Not only do I now have it out of the box--sort of--but I posted about the addition that I just purchased from Real Good Toys in my last post to add two extra spaces to decorate. 😃

But first let's finish the Bellingham. I first wrote about Dura Craft Bellingham Farmhouse June 8, 2016 in post titled simply "New Project". I don't remember who found it on Craig's list--me or one of my daughters--at any rate my husband drove to Boulder and bought the unassembled-still in the box kit for $25. If you check eBay, you will see that these vintage kits are once again holding their value. While I had problems assembling the roof with all of different elevations and triangular roof pieces, causing a major flaw in the house that probably only I can spot at first glance, it is a grand house. You can review my long building process by poking through the blog. 

Along the way, I've become discouraged because I didn't always know how to do certain things so I quit working on the house, and I became distracted with other projects, leaving those dreaded tasks that would properly finish the exterior undone The house requires a lot trim work with angled cuts. Such a pain. The roof is huge. Last year I managed to shingle the house, but next I needed to stain the the speed shingles purchased from Greenleaf, and I'm still wondering if I will use them again. 

I am glad to announce that I am almost done with this house, motivated by the new house. I was ready to dig in when I decided that I had to finish the Bellingham before I started new house. Not to mention that I need the work surface, an old computer desk. 

I had two big chores to finish: staining the roof and adhering the trim. I revisited the bloggers and Youtube tutorials that I had searched months ago trying to figure out how to finish the shingles. Some of the shingles came already rippled while others rippled due to the humidity already in our basement due to the evaporation from 3 big aquariums, so I worried that what ever medium I used the thin shingles would warp even more. I tested my shades of wood colored stain gels and paints which caused the thin shingles to curl even more. I just wasn't crazy over the dull finish that these left. Next I tried my pine colored stain

 

I finally decided on thePuritan Pine with Golden Pecan to create the variation in the shingles.

  

On my to the hardware store to purchase my second stain, I took a quick photo of our roof just for fun to see how the shingles were colored. Had I used the original shingles that came with the kit, the roof would have been naturally colored.

   Before I started on the house roof, I stained the roof on the chicken coop just to make sure that I had the technique and that I liked the colors. Yes! 

                                   

I began with the back pieces of the roof, working my way around to the front. With a ray of direct sunlight, its hard to photograph the stain's effect.

On the front side I stained the lighter shingles first.

The Chimney was another troublesome feature. I used plaster of Paris bricks, but I'm not a mason. For mortar, I used a product for patching mortar that we might use on our own brick house. I thought that the chimney looked clunky with poor workmanship. I even made a second stone chimney which I didn't like any better. Keeping Warm chronicles that misadventure. I finally decided to use the brick chimney and now I am glad that I did since it looks naturally aged and does have character in its imperfections. 

Because I didn't get this roof piece lined up correctly, there is a huge gap between roof elevations, so now I have to figure out a flashing of some sort to hide the error. I've been considering copper flashing for around the bottom of the chimney and as gutter down this unsightly seam. Any suggestions? I'm thinking craft copper sheets. 

I love this house. It has been quite a project for a beginner. That's why I am so excited to tackle another large kit house to apply what I have learned as I worked on this house. While the next house won't be as large as this one, it will still be a fun build. 

I still have to adhere the trim work; again I'm procrastinating, mostly because I had decided to put away Christmas decorations, but I as you can see, I'm not doing that either.

One last look.

Dura Craft Bellingham Farmhouse

It's had to believe that a new year is well underway. I avoided the year in review post because we already know that story, don't we because we all share our own variations of that story. I do wish for you a better, stronger, healthier year full of life sized and miniature adventures and successes. 

Thanks for joining me. 

•