Space On Porch Has Many Uses By DAVID L. BOWEN X you have aa old-fashioned bouse with an old-fashioned porch, don't H€ content to put an old-fashioned swing on it. That space is valuable and could be incorporated When we moved into a 30-year- old 2% storey Dutch Colonial exterior. While pleasant in the summer, the area could serve no useful purpose in cold weather, It be- eame a catch-all for oddly shaped items that resisted storage else- where and an echoing tavera to be crossed before actually enter- ing the house. COMMON PROBLEM Presumably there are many other older homes -- which make popular havens for large families eosts -- with a similar vestige of bygone architectural style. Each one und presents its own modernization problems, but for what it's worth here's an account of what we did with ours. MULTIPLE NEEDS The first phase took a lot of time. We spent weeks talking about what we were going to do. The biggest need on the ground f@loor was a bathroom, a luxury overlooked im the original plan which put that facility upstairs. Also, with am infant im the household and prospects of piano lessons ia the future, there was eshvious use for a small room that eould serve as a downstairs nur- sery now and music room later. The "before" and "'after" floor plans above show the eventual solution. i was worked out by aa architect after our amateur cogi- tation produced nothing but pro- posals with a distinot aic of the makeshift, Execution of the plam present- ed no problems beyond the skill of an average handyman. The plumbing and wiring, of course, were farmed out. A do-it-yourself manual provided enough advice for the rest. First step was ripping off ithe wooden shingles, exposing the flat siding. Then the partition be- tween porch and the former closet was cut. Sines Yue stud big 36. mo on thi ring wa it, Bi were doubled up .Fram- ing around the old closet door was removed and a stud centered in the middle of the opening. Since the deck flooring of the porch was 2 below the living room level, part of the porch area was raised with inexpensive furring lumber and bwe thick- nesses of %"' plywood Studs for the new partitions went up quickly and one of the French windows was closed off. This required a section of new siding and shingles on the out- side. END IN SIGHT Then insulation was placed in walls and above the ceiling. After the raw plumbing and electrical cables were in place, gypsum wallboard was nailed te the studs and the new rooms began {to take final shape. After several experiences with spackling wallboard joints, I have one word of advice for those trying it the first time: don't try to do the job im one application. The best you can hope for on the first application is to properly seat the perforated begins to cover tape. second sanding, a third coat of spackle, and a final sanding should produce a professional re- sult, BUILT-IN BOOKCASE Painting and installation of tiles and wall covering in the powder room came next. We by- passed the problem of matching N. H. EDGAR & SONS LIMITED PAINTERS and DECORATORS WALLPAPERS Benjamin Moore PARA PAINTS eo INDUSTRIAL eo COMMERCIAL eo RESIDENTIAL It Will Pay You First To . Contact us! RA 3-7351 34 KING STREET WEST PAINTING PAPER- HANGNIG SPRAY PAINTING 3 E E : 1 T BE Hl i ol i E tL fii fh s38§ g Eig : AM siaef i i | i gi Know Insurance gaged property covers only outstanding balance of the loan. In case of damage, this would protect the lender but not the home owner. Every home owner should know exactly what insur- ance is carried on his home and make sure that it is sufficient to cover his own as well as the lender's loss. SLAB FOUNDATIONS Many new one-family homes in this country are being built with- out basements, researchers at Al- lied Chemical's Barreit Building Materials Division report, but homebuilders in the New England THE OSHAWA TIMES, Seturdey, Merch 19, 1960 7 | WITH RELIABLE GOOD CHEER You Get Automatic oil firing at its finest whem you specify "Good Cheer" made by the oldest name in heating in Canada with modern meth- ods and skilled workmen. FOR HEATING ADVICE PHONE RA 5-1660 ANDREWS HEATING -- -- ! a. and nth tral stat stil A aah Al 7 PATRICIA OSHAWA out of four homes. i Are You Planning To BUY A NEW HOME THIS YEAR? We have four beautiful homes completely finished in North Oshawa and ready for you - REALTORS RA 5-6165 RISTOW & OLSEN to move right im. McCULLOUGH HOMES LTD. For information or am appointment to see these homes, contact HARRY MILLEN REALTOR RA 8-1679 oR ALSO A FEW CHOICE BUILDING LOTS FOR SALE IN OSHAWA AND PICKERING AEE Gidea iA I FE IY FEET I $e BEAR ge ' . 4 a i fib: S$ \