Instead of adding on to this thread:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,18327.0.html

I decided to start a new one, because I took the plunge and bought a house on Youngstown's north side. (on land contract, against the advice of some posters here)  Not many people were impressed with this house, when I only posted the exterior shot.  I hope the interior shots will help change their mind.

 

I took possession of the house today, and spent the day sorting furniture on the first floor, and cleaning out a single closet on the second.  (as if it wasn't obvious in the pictures, the house is a real mess)

 

These are pictures I took in January 2010:

 

Foyer:

 

Looking into the front parlor from the foyer:

 

Back Parlor:

 

Plumbing damage in back parlor:

 

Looking into the dining room from back parlor:

 

Dining room built-in:

 

Kitchen:

 

Downstairs bathroom that was originally the back porch off the kitchen:

 

One of 4 bedrooms: (either the previous tenant smoked a lot, or they didn't paint for a few decades)

 

Original fixture in hall:

 

Original fixture in bedroom:

 

Apparently, the previous tenant just decided to leave one day:

 

Bedroom converted to kitchen:

 

Upstairs bathroom: (those are plastic tiles, not porcelain)

 

But it still has the claw foot tub, and there is an original built-in linen cupboard behind the door:

 

Up to the attic that is filled with "stuff":

 

Not cedar, but nice anyway:

 

Here are a few more pics I took today:

 

This is the rear window in the back parlor.  I didn't know it was real leaded glass until today.  I thought it was some cheap, applied grate.

 

I went into the garage for the first time, too.  While there were some good things, like:

 

I also saw this for the first time: (I was paying attention to the house, not the garage.  I'm not sure if it's more cost effective to fix or demolish the garage.)

 

Amazingly, the owner told me that, if I hadn't come along, he planned on removing the valuable architectural items, and demolishing the house.

The house looks like it has a lot of potential. I like it.

I see nothing that looks too difficult to fix there.  Even that garage roof is pretty easy at the end of the day.  Work from top to bottom, and make yourself a little sanctuary somewhere, and enjoy the exciting house-renovation safari.  At least you know what you are doing every night for the next two years!!

Thanks!

 

Yeah, I know it's going to keep me a little busy. ;)

That will be a beautiful house...after a lot of work. Do you think there have been any updates since it was built?

That will be a beautiful house...after a lot of work. Do you think there have been any updates since it was built?

 

Sure, the original kitchen and bathroom were redone in the 50's or early 60's.  The back porch was converted to a bathroom sometime later.

Wash the walls and ceilings with trisodium phosphate before you paint.  I bought a house from (the estate of) a heavy smoker.  I used covering primer, but the smoke stains still came through.  When I washed other walls with TSP, the dirty smoke washed right off.

 

The woodwork in your house is super.  I recommend that you address "infiltration" energy losses before you insulate. Have fun

Congrats!  Looks like you have a bit of work to do, but should be really rewarding to see it come back to life.  I look forward to your progress photos!

Congratulations! I know your quest to find the ideal home to restore has spanned several years, so this is a carefully thought out decision. The "bones" of your late Queen Anne style house are outstanding-not only is the original millwork and trim in place but most have never been painted. That means you won't have to spend hundreds of hours stripping old paint off the woodwork and picking paint particles out of the woodgrain. You''ll find the darkened finish is shellac and should clean up easily with denatured alcohol or similar solvents. (even rubbing alcohol will strip it) But, of course, good ventilation is a must. One can also use "safe" strippers such as citrus or soy based.  Best would be to gently clean the woodwork without stripping out the stain and then covering with polyurethane finish for durability. Poly goes over old surfaces well but should be applied sparinging with thin coats and light sanding between coats.

 

As for the bathrooms and kitchen-upgrades they're are a must but you have the choice between looking totally modern or capturing the flavor of the period when the house was built. (which no one was doing back in the 1950's and 60's but is popular today) Since your home is so incredibly intact and original, your best return on investment would be to keep the house to period and restore rather than replace everything with new. Two special "gifts" your house is giving you are the super-rare fretwork spandrel with colonnade and the beautiful mantel and original tiles. (probably made by one of the local art tile companies in Ohio which shipped them all over the U.S.) The fact that your staircase still has the newel post finials is a further sign of originality-so many are missing from houses that did time as rentals.  Add the pocket doors (save any that are off the tracks they can be repaired and made functional again) and the other details like leaded glass windows and you have a real period treasure. Don't be in a hurry to gut everything to the studs; plaster walls can be easily repaired and have better sound deadening properties than drywall.  Best to live with the house for about a year and let it guide you in the rehab process-a slow, deliberate approach is far better than a rush to completion project that will always look like it was done in haste. The workmanship that went into building the house originally was slow and deliberate with meticulous attention to detail. The ideal rehab will reflect and respect that careful approach which the original builders used. You might want to seek out issues of the Old House Journal (not This Old House) magazine as well as Victorian Homes magazine-the former has scores of D-I-Y advice while the latter shows how to keep the interior looking to period. As for the "junk" sort through it carefully just to make sure there aren't any gems like a 1930's Superman comic book worth a million or two. Lots of old 1950's stuff is collectable and quite valuable. Don't throw anything away that might be original to the house-even if you don't put it back a future owner will thank you for saving it.

 

Surely you weren't serious about taking down the garage? Just remove the roofing, repair or replace the joists as needed, deck with 5/8 plywood, lay down 30 lb. felt, and top with decent 3-tab asphalt shingles. Timberlines from GAF have a wood-shingle look or you could even use the scalloped end "Carriage House Shangle" (their spelling) by Certainteed for a true Victorian look. The balustrade in your garage is the original front porch balustrade and looks to be in restorable condition. You can either replace missing baluster spindles from salvage sources or have them custom turned. (not as expensive as you might think) I'm pretty sure the window on the side nearest to the front porch (which appears to be covered with plywood) once had a nice stained or beveled leaded glass window-maybe the previous owner still has it or someone has a photo of it.  One can now buy nice reproduction stained glass windows from Asia for less than $200 which would put the sparkle back in the room without breaking the bank. That room with the missing window is most likely in the former Parlor which was usually the "showiest" room in the house. Just curious, do you perhaps have inlaid patterned floors in any rooms? (most often featuring a border with a darker wood for accent)

 

In any event, congratulations on such a wonderful intact find and should I be able to help you with restoration information, please feel welcomed to ask. I've been engaged professionally in historic restoration work since the 1980's. How fortunate you are to own such a rare find.

I appreciate the comments everyone.

 

Congratulations! I know your quest to find the ideal home to restore has spanned several years, so this is a carefully thought out decision. The "bones" of your late Queen Anne style house are outstanding-not only is the original millwork and trim in place but most have never been painted. That means you won't have to spend hundreds of hours stripping old paint off the woodwork and picking paint particles out of the woodgrain. You''ll find the darkened finish is shellac and should clean up easily with denatured alcohol or similar solvents. (even rubbing alcohol will strip it) But, of course, good ventilation is a must. One can also use "safe" strippers such as citrus or soy based.  Best would be to gently clean the woodwork without stripping out the stain and then covering with polyurethane finish for durability. Poly goes over old surfaces well but should be applied sparinging with thin coats and light sanding between coats.

 

As for the bathrooms and kitchen-upgrades they're are a must but you have the choice between looking totally modern or capturing the flavor of the period when the house was built. (which no one was doing back in the 1950's and 60's but is popular today) Since your home is so incredibly intact and original, your best return on investment would be to keep the house to period and restore rather than replace everything with new. Two special "gifts" your house is giving you are the super-rare fretwork spandrel with colonnade and the beautiful mantel and original tiles. (probably made by one of the local art tile companies in Ohio which shipped them all over the U.S.) The fact that your staircase still has the newel post finials is a further sign of originality-so many are missing from houses that did time as rentals.  Add the pocket doors (save any that are off the tracks they can be repaired and made functional again) and the other details like leaded glass windows and you have a real period treasure. Don't be in a hurry to gut everything to the studs; plaster walls can be easily repaired and have better sound deadening properties than drywall.  Best to live with the house for about a year and let it guide you in the rehab process-a slow, deliberate approach is far better than a rush to completion project that will always look like it was done in haste. The workmanship that went into building the house originally was slow and deliberate with meticulous attention to detail. The ideal rehab will reflect and respect that careful approach which the original builders used. You might want to seek out issues of the Old House magazine as well as Victorian Homes magazine-the former has scores of D-I-Y advice while the latter shows how to keep the interior looking to period. As for the "junk" sort through it carefully just to make sure there aren't any gems like a 1930's Superman comic book worth a million or two. Lots of old 1950's stuff is collectable and quite valuable. Don't throw anything away that might be original to the house-even if you don't put it back a future owner will thank you for saving it.

 

Surely you weren't serious about taking down the garage? Just remove the roofing, repair or replace the joists as needed, deck with 5/8 plywood, lay down 30 lb. felt, and top with decent 3-tab asphalt shingles. Timberlines from GAF have a wood-shingle look or you could even use the scalloped end "Carriage House Shangle" (their spelling) by Certainteed for a true Victorian look. The balustrade in your garage is the original front porch balustrade and looks to be in restorable condition. You can either replace missing baluster spindles from salvage sources or have them custom turned. (not as expensive as you might think) I'm pretty sure the window on the side nearest to the front porch (which appears to be covered with plywood) once had a nice stained or beveled leaded glass window-maybe the previous owner still has it or someone has a photo of it.  One can now buy nice reproduction stained glass windows from Asia for less than $200 which would put the sparkle back in the room without breaking the bank. That room with the missing window is most likely in the former Parlor which was usually the "showiest" room in the house. Just curious, do you perhaps have inlaid patterned floors in any rooms? (most often featuring a border with a darker wood for accent)

 

In any event, congratulations on such a wonderful intact find and should I be able to help you with restoration information, please feel welcomed to ask. I've been engaged professionally in historic restoration work since the 1980's. How fortunate you are to own such a rare find.

 

Thanks for the reply John S.  I've also posted a thread very similar to this at the Old House Web forums, and they are trying to convince me to save the current kitchen and bathroom.  I am considering saving the kitchen, but I'm not sold on saving the bathroom; I'd rather take it back closer to the period when the house was built. (even to the point of using separate hot and cold faucets on the sink)

 

Judging by the lack of weathering on the rafters in the garage, it looks like the collapse happened recently.  I wonder how long it will remain structurally sound this way.  I'd rather spend money making needed repairs to the house, (like stabilizing the front porch) before the garage. (although, since it's not 2 stories, I would consider doing some of the work on the garage roof, myself.)

 

Since you offered, I do have a restoration question about the plaster. (I definitely want to keep as much as I can; it has a high-quality finish)  Around the house, there are places where the skim coat of plaster is popping off of the rougher brown coat, because the house was only minimally heated.  Do you have any tips on how to repair these spots?

 

Thanks again!

Plaster--there is a distinction between slaked lime plaster and newer plasters that are more like Portland Cement.  Be sure to match the material types.  Your house has the same foundation blocks as ours.  I would expect that your house is 100 years old and has the cement plaster.

 

Our house has notable built up layers of plaster.  The first layer is coarse, it looks like it has coarse sand in it.  The top layer has fine material in it, so that the surface can be made smooth.

 

I learned how to fix cracks from this guy.  He even takes email questions!  He has sections on crack repair and how to do big difficult patches on walls that have difficult problems: http://www.plaster-wall-ceiling-solutions.com/

JRC,

Of course, some folks love a 1950's bathroom and/or kitchen. But you have to keep in mind that when these areas in your house were "upgraded" the look they were seeking was totally modern for the time, not in keeping with the late Victorian period of the house. Today, a more sensitive approach would be to re-do the bathroom using period (early 1900's) fixtures and patterned small hexagonal tiles or even marble for the floors. I can connect you with a lot of resources for period details if you want to go that route. As for the kitchen, a sane compromise is to install cabinets that reflect the period of the house (using reproduction or salvage hardware) rather than the 1950's (when an attempt was made to modernize) Some purists go crazy and will buy a costly reproduction "cast iron" range and refrigerator (from Elmira Stove Works) or even a refurbished 120 year old original stove. Others will camouflage new appliances with wood fronts to blend them in with the old.  A true c. 1900 kitchen would turn off all but museum curators as they tended to be Spartan in the extreme. Only servants, cooks, and the homeowners ever ventured into the old kitchens. Of course, now kitchens are sometimes the most "public" room in the house so bringing in modern appliances and conveniences are almost mandatory. Since it seems like the budget is a little tight, fresh paint does wonders and a good scrubbing and cleaning will bring back some sparkle to old linoleum floors and metal cabinets. Epoxy appliance paints can freshen up metal cabinet work as well.  Do you know what a "Hoosier" cabinet is? It was the forerunner of the modern kitchen and included a porcelain work table, storage for cookware, often a built in flour sifter and other neat features. From the late 1800's until the modern kitchen with built-ins emerged in the 1930's Hoosier cabinets were the work-centers in almost every American kitchen. The Hoosier name came not only from one of the better known brands but from the fact that Indiana had dozens of factories making them during the period of popularity. Some even have etched glass or stained glass doors and they can be found in antique outlets and better flea markets. Not cheap, but an authentic touch to consider. So long as the porcelain work surface is sound, any loose joints or age defects can usually be fixed easily and cheaply.

 

As for the garage roof, better to take care of it sooner rather than later.  Next winter's snowfall might cause serious damage and best not to bring attention to code enforcement so that they condemn the garage. I'd give it some priority. And yes, it's a good D-I-Y project-lots of home remodeling books illustrate proper roof work. PM me and I can recommend a title if you need one. The sticking point will be the condition of the joists-if a lot of them are rotted then the whole roof will have to come off and be reframed. I didn't see that in the photo, though. It's a messy project, but not complicated. Getting a couple of buddies to help with decking and laying down the felt would speed it up enough to maybe get it done in a weekend. Free beer and pizza are optional.

 

Last, plaster repair. I use a professional product called "Plaster Weld" made by Larsen products. It is a water based "glue" that helps bond new repair plaster to the old. However, if delamination of the old plaster is due to water-moisture migration through the wall, then the leak source will have to be repaired and stopped before any permanent repair can be made. The "hard" plaster from the early 1900's often had a small amount of Portland Cement added for strength. The aforementioned Old House Journal has had many plaster repair articles-PM me for specific issues or further information. I usually dig a wide but shallow channel (wide enough for fiberglass mesh tape but not deep enough to go below the finish plaster layer) then brush on some Plaster Weld followed by the mesh tape and a repair plaster that is "proud" of the surrounding surface. Upon drying, I sand down flush with the original surface and prime.  Deep cracks take more time and a build up of several layers of repair plaster but are basically the same principle. When areas of plaster are damaged past the point of repair you can either cut out the old damaged plaster area carefully and put in some thin drywall and skim coat over it to bring it out flush, or, if you are really determined, can use a metal mesh ("expanded metal lath") over the removed damaged area and then re-create a proper 3 coat plaster job-(scratch coat, brown coat, and finish or "neat" plaster coat) It's far easier to use drywall (use the "blueboard" or green board made for high moisture areas in plaster wall repairs) in my opinion usless you're working on a museum house. Like most old house repairs, plaster repairs are not super high tech but definitely require some patience.  Please feel free to follow up or PM me for more specific information.

 

I think your prioritizing a full house clean up followed by repairs to the most pressing problems is the best approach. While cosmetic improvements are the most fun, the structural issues and dealing with leaks are by far the most important. If the main house roof has leaks or there are foundation problems by all means deal with them first. One thing's for sure, you'll never have to look for a project to work on for a few years or more... make it fun while you are doing it and thanks for saving a piece of history.

 

 

JRC,

Just wanted to quickly add that in looking at the photos you posted they were dark on my monitor. However, I was able to lighten them enough to see more details-incredible! The fretwork spandrel and colonnade are of quarter-sawn oak (often called "Tiger Oak" due to the distinctive stripes in the wood) as is the very fine mantel. I'm also blown away by the built in sideboard with the leaded glass doors. Although the house may look faded and tired now it certainly was of mansion quality when new. You have some wonderful original features to work with for which most old house lovers would turn green with envy to see one so well preserved and intact. Quarter-sawn oak was not cheap around 1900 so having these high-end details is a big plus. Do you know anything about the original owner(s)? Most likely, they were prosperous merchants or professionals of their time.  Sad to see the neighboring houses looking so faded-hopefully you can help the area to improve.

Great house, JRC. I'm jealous.

 

Great location too accross from Wick Park. I remember seeing this one just south of Broadway, I think.

My browser shortened the title of this thread on the main page to JRC's Nightmare on E. I'd suggest getting your Ecstasy only from people whom you trust, not just some that's randomly handed to you at a rave.

 

Anyway, does your place have two separate kitchens then? Had it been converted to two units at one point? I'd find it satisfying to restore a house to it's original state.

JRC,

 

How are things going with the house?  Any updates?  I'm going to put a gallery up on the website with the photos you took.

When I was buying properties in Youngstown in 2005 and 2006, I tried to get this house but the owner was unsure as to

whether or not he wanted to sell the place.  I'm glad you talked him into it.  This house is in WAYYY better shape than the

house on Woodbine.

 

 

The garage is not a big deal - just get some sturdy plywood and replace the damaged deck, and put some tar paper over it for

now.  This is something that wouldn't be too hard (or too expensive) to do, and it will stop the deterioration while there is still

time to save the garage.  With one or two helpers, you could knock the whole thing out in a few days and then focus your efforts

on the rest of the place.

 

Does the house have a double staircase?  This was very common with the houses in this neighborhood... my place on Woodbine

has one.  The woodwork in your house is absolutely breathtaking - you are so fortunate to have found a property that has not

been stripped of these architectural treasures and everything is in such good shape.  For now, you might just want to clean up

the woodwork with some Murphy's Oil Soap - it's very gentle and would bring out the shine in the old finish.

 

If you can get the kitchen, one bathroom and a bedroom into livable condition, you're good to go.  You can "camp out" in these

rooms while you work on the rest of the place one room at a time.

 

Drop me an email or send me a private message when you have some time....

 

 

Allan

:)

 

 

I sort of forgot about this thread.  I've been busy! ;)

 

The previous owner has been very slow to deal with.  There is still some furniture that he wanted to keep (and that I agreed he could keep) sitting in the front parlor and foyer!  I asked if he could send me the history/information he has about the house, but haven't heard anything yet.  He told me--in person--that this house and the neighboring house, were built for two unmarried sisters.  He gave me their last name, but I can't remember it now. :( (It wasn't Weick, they lived around the corner, on Illinois Ave.)

 

So far, the only "real" work I've had done, was to have the electrical service upgraded from the original 60 amp with fuses, to 150 amp with a nice new breaker box. (but the wiring is still original, so far--I'll have new circuits run when I get into the project further)  And, I've had some trees removed from around the garage to give better access to the roof. (or lack thereof)  It's amazing how fast those weed trees grow!

 

Other than that, I've just been clearing out the accumulated junk that the previous tenants have left behind over the years.

 

I've made a couple interesting (at least to me) discoveries.  The bathroom has the original oak wainscoting hiding under those plastic tiles, that I'm eventually going to attempt to restore.  I've found a few nice pieces of antique furniture hiding in the attic--their value has yet to be determined.  And finally, the linoleum in the upstairs kitchen is NOT glued to the floor! Whoo Hoo!

 

Allan, I'm glad the owner finally decided to sell, too. (although, it was a really rough process, and I'm still little more than a renter, at this point.)  No, it doesn't have a double stair, oddly enough.  The woodwork is amazing, and intact.  Having that amazing woodwork damaged or stolen is my biggest fear. (well, that and fire)  So I had an ADT system installed.  It's not a perfect solution, but better than nothing.

 

Here are a few more pictures:

Before:

 

After:

 

Some of the antiques:

Wow, JRC, I'm not sure how i missed this thread, but that woodwork is spectacular! Who would have known a house that looks like that on the outside would have such treasures inside! Please update! :)

Hey Cort, I've been updating a single thread on another website: http://www.oldhouseweb.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=27270

 

But, if you want to skip the minutia, here are some pics:

^ Slowly exposing the original oak wainscoting under the plastic tiles.

 

 

All cleaned out:

 

Removed upstairs kitchen sink:

 

Here are some color combinations I've been playing with:

I like the blue!

Thanks!  That seems to be the one most people like.

I like the yellow and green. Going to check out your link.............

I like the yellow and green. Going to check out your link.............

 

Me too!

 

I think a dark blue with a red accent could look really nice as well!

BTW, after reading through your "this old house" thread I'm wondering more about this owner. Is all the stuff in there his stuff? Did he use it as a rental? Was it his family home, parent's or grandparent's? Is he local? I can't believe he actually would have considered demo! Also, how did you find out about this house/woodwork?

^I know a man who has demolished several houses, but salvaged what materials he could for sale, and actually turned a profit. That is, the materials were worth more than the asking price for the house and land. There is a market for that stuff.

 

Congratulations and I hope it goes well for you.

What is the finish on "all that woodwork", is it shellac?  I imagine one would want to stain and varnish the woodwork to restore it.

How would one restore that finish, would one have to bleach the wood before staining it?

Holy Cow, JRC! I noticed you have FOURTEEN pages of comments from readers on the other forum. Guess you've realized by now you hit a "home run" on buying this fine vintage house. You've got a couple of decent "bonus" antique furniture pieces too like the c. 1870 walnut wishbone mirrored dresser. 95% or more of old house woodwork finishes are the standard common orange shellac. The original solvent in shellac is denatured alcohol but using it in a closed environment will give you a mighty headache. If I were going to strip the wood, I'd use one of the organic strippers like soy based or like 3M's "Safest Stripper" which is citrus based. They are non-flammable but cost more than solvent strippers. Best to do small areas like 2 ft. by 2 ft. at a time. Clean up is with warm water however using 0000 steel wool or a scotchbrite type pad and some old towels. The stripped wood should be allowed to fully dry out for several days before lightly sanding (with the direction of the wood grain with 180 or 220 grit paper, open coat) Then you can stain if needed or simply apply brushed poly in satin sheen. (lightly scuffing between dried coats) Polyurethane has to be applied in thin coats as heavier coats will always sag and drip. Talk to your local pro finishing supply people for the best products to use. There are wood bleaches too but I think the "patina" and occasional slight blotches that come from age are acceptable-you probably don't want your 110 year old woodwork to look brand new.

 

As for the missing fireplace cover, here's a true story: We had one of those nice embossed copper/metal covers over our parlor fireplace when we bought our place over 2 decades ago.  When I took it off I was horrified to find it had asbestos backing and the asbestos was fraying badly. I wetted it down with a spray bottle while wearing a mask. Double bagged it in heavy contractor bags and disposed of it properly. I customed made a new cover from plywood with printed fabric and foam backing as we do not use the fireplace for fires. We had two young kids at the time and they didn't need exposure to asbestos. Your's may not have had such a fireproof backing. I've seen such old covers occasionally for sale at salvage sites. (measurements needed)

 

Last, as to paint schemes, I like your blue & Colonial white combination the best but the green, straw-yellow, and Colonial white combo is nice too. Painting the sashes a darker color like the dark red is (black, dark green, dark gray are also) period correct as well. Awesome house, JRC. I noticed one of your garage photos showed a towered Queen Anne style house a street over-looks like you're in a nice historic neighborhood. Lot's of work ahead but you've got some fantastic "bones" to work with. The main thing is to be patient and steady, old houses take a lot of time to restore and it's best to prioritize and work on small projects rather than have five going at the same time (as I've foolishly done in the past) One thing's for sure-you won't need any new hobbies for the next few years...

BTW, after reading through your "this old house" thread I'm wondering more about this owner. Is all the stuff in there his stuff? Did he use it as a rental? Was it his family home, parent's or grandparent's? Is he local? I can't believe he actually would have considered demo! Also, how did you find out about this house/woodwork?

 

The owner is local; he grew up in the house next door. (the house to the right--not the salmon colored one)  But now he lives in Hubbard.

 

My house was bequeathed to his father, and then he inherited both houses when his father died.  He won't sell the other house to the Ursuline nuns who live there, because he claims he wants to live there when he retires.  That is also the reason he was so picky about who bought my house. (he also doesn't seem to do anything quickly--the furniture he wanted to keep is still sitting in the foyer, waiting for him to pick up.)

 

My house was a rental since at least the 70's.  But, it had been empty for about 5 years, when I bought it.

 

I learned the house might be for sale from the guy who lives in the mansion at the corner of Elm and Broadway.  I had been interested in buying a house in this neighborhood for a couple years, and I was telling him about my house-hunting troubles at a Wick Park Neighborhood Assn. meeting.

 

What is the finish on "all that woodwork", is it shellac?  I imagine one would want to stain and varnish the woodwork to restore it.

How would one restore that finish, would one have to bleach the wood before staining it?

 

I haven't tested it yet, but I'm pretty sure the finish is shellac.  I just want to clean most of it, and leave the finish original.  I will try to clean the areas that need touched up (i.e. the water damaged area next to the window seat) with denatured alcohol and 0000 steel wool, and then re-shellac.

 

Holy Cow, JRC! I noticed you have FOURTEEN pages of comments from readers on the other forum. Guess you've realized by now you hit a "home run" on buying this fine vintage house. You've got a couple of decent "bonus" antique furniture pieces too like the c. 1870 walnut wishbone mirrored dresser. 95% or more of old house woodwork finishes are the standard common orange shellac. The original solvent in shellac is denatured alcohol but using it in a closed environment will give you a mighty headache. If I were going to strip the wood, I'd use one of the organic strippers like soy based or like 3M's "Safest Stripper" which is citrus based. They are non-flammable but cost more than solvent strippers. Best to do small areas like 2 ft. by 2 ft. at a time. Clean up is with warm water however using 0000 steel wool or a scotchbrite type pad and some old towels. The stripped wood should be allowed to fully dry out for several days before lightly sanding (with the direction of the wood grain with 180 or 220 grit paper, open coat) Then you can stain if needed or simply apply brushed poly in satin sheen. (lightly scuffing between dried coats) Polyurethane has to be applied in thin coats as heavier coats will always sag and drip. Talk to your local pro finishing supply people for the best products to use. There are wood bleaches too but I think the "patina" and occasional slight blotches that come from age are acceptable-you probably don't want your 110 year old woodwork to look brand new.

 

As for the missing fireplace cover, here's a true story: We had one of those nice embossed copper/metal covers over our parlor fireplace when we bought our place over 2 decades ago.  When I took it off I was horrified to find it had asbestos backing and the asbestos was fraying badly. I wetted it down with a spray bottle while wearing a mask. Double bagged it in heavy contractor bags and disposed of it properly. I customed made a new cover from plywood with printed fabric and foam backing as we do not use the fireplace for fires. We had two young kids at the time and they didn't need exposure to asbestos. Your's may not have had such a fireproof backing. I've seen such old covers occasionally for sale at salvage sites. (measurements needed)

 

Last, as to paint schemes, I like your blue & Colonial white combination the best but the green, straw-yellow, and Colonial white combo is nice too. Painting the sashes a darker color like the dark red is (black, dark green, dark gray are also) period correct as well. Awesome house, JRC. I noticed one of your garage photos showed a towered Queen Anne style house a street over-looks like you're in a nice historic neighborhood. Lot's of work ahead but you've got some fantastic "bones" to work with. The main thing is to be patient and steady, old houses take a lot of time to restore and it's best to prioritize and work on small projects rather than have five going at the same time (as I've foolishly done in the past) One thing's for sure-you won't need any new hobbies for the next few years...

 

Thanks again for your informative replies!

 

Yes, the neighborhood is great, IMO.  It was once one of the most prestigious in the city.  When it was in vogue, the Victorian mansions on Wick Ave. (where YSU is, now) were going out of fashion, and many of the grand homes on Fifth Ave. weren't built yet.

 

How, exactly, do I use that fireplace?  There is a plate in the floor where a key is inserted; I assume to turn on the gas. (and I still have the key)  But, after that, do I just use a match to light it?  Can I take out the insert (and store it in the attic, of course) and put a modern gas insert in its place?  Is there a possibility that I could ever burn wood? (I know I'd need to talk with an expert in person for the specifics of that, first)

 

Thanks again for the replies everyone!

Since you raised a couple of additional issues, I hope you don't mind some added information. Shellac finishes can be cleaned up without complete stripping. The citrus based, water soluable, orange cleaner (orange blast being a popular brand) works as an effective cleaner with steel wool and has a mild stripping effect on shellac. (if spilled on a shellac coated surface and left to pool, the orange cleaner will strip the finish off in about 30 minutes) There's also a popular brand of "Wood Soap" named after someone named Murphy that works well to remove dark old shellac stains without taking off all of the original finish. Keep in mind that if you try to coat over the old shellac with new (orange) shellac, most likely it will somewhat or will completely dissolve the old finish. Denatured alcohol also acts as a shellac solvent and unlike cured-out lacquers or urethanes, old shellac easily dissolves. (rubbing alcohol and the drinking variety also dissolve shellac) Best to get as clean a surface as possible (while retaining the old finish) before applying any new shellac finishes. I was able to clean up our c. 1890 oak parlor overmantel using the aforementioned techniques while retaining the original finish and stain color. (golden oak-an orangey-amber color) 

One more thing: shellac, once it is thoroughly dry, can be top coated (over) with polyurethane and it shouldn't affect the old finish. However, best to experiment on a spot before doing a large area. (poly)urethane is only useful for protecting areas with HEAVY wear (floors, stair treads, hand railings, bathroom walls etc.) Last, if you decide to clean your stellar fretwork panel use extreme caution as the old wood (most likely oak, ash, walnut,  or maple) is very brittle and will almost break off if you do anything more than take a look at it. It might be best to carefully take the fretwork spandrel down to a soft padded workbench for cleaning and touch up-it requires a brain surgeon's delicate approach to it. (old toothbrushes come in handy for cleaning out nooks and crannies)

 

We too had old gas fireplace inserts in our original coal burning fireplaces. Given their age and condition, (very rusted) they were replaced. Our one probable wood burning fireplace (in the parlor) also had a later installed gas connection so we used an early (vented) 1900's heater. In any case, almost every old chimney/flue will need to be relined to be safe for re-use. The creosote from burning wood is extremely corrosive and will eat away old lime mortar that was used in the 1800's and early 1900's. Best to pay for having a fireplace relined with proper specialty cement by a pro and installing modern stainless steel flues/vents. Of course, a gas insert might not need such extensive retrofitting but since there could be a possibility of carbon monoxide leakage you might have to get a pro to retrofit even for merely a gas insert vent. Best to get a pro to check those things out and make sure it is in compliance with local modern codes. Insurance companies would also insist on proper, up-to-code venting too. No one said saving an old house was cheap. (but living in a unique old house is priceless)

Thanks again!