Schenectady Restoration Project

10/10/2026

The rusticated paneling (almost all re-created) on the front right is officially installed! We finished cutting the vertical bevels, put a linseed oil coat on all the tongue and groove edges and nailed them in! Just beat the end of daylight.

10/06/2026

From temporary covering to fully cut boards, almost ready to be painted and permanently attached, the right side of the façade rusticated paneling is almost fully done!

This portion took HOURS over the weekend with the fitting and temporary screw-in tonight. This portion of the siding never existed because the original roof line was substantially lower, but when they raised the roof in the late 1800s and covered up the cladding, this portion was never finished as there was a layer on top.

Cut to us creating new siding boards in the same style and tongue and grooving them in!

10/03/2026

09/27/2026

No rest for the weary… after an empowering and exhausting 6-hour open house yesterday… disassembled and reconfigured the scaffolding this morning (and added the third level) so we can continue our work on the facade repairs. Too bad it’s raining today 😭

09/26/2026

We had such a great turnout today for the Walkabout! We were again honored to welcome hundreds of visitors into our home to show off our progress and talk about the history of our amazing home! It was great to see/meet such lovely people, many of whom are along here for the ride. Thank you!

09/21/2026

Got in a post-work sand and paint just in time for four days of dry weather! Good for the linseed oil paint.

09/19/2026

Some post-work house work and ran out of daylight, but a couple spotlights saved the day and we were able to finish the last three top pieces completing the bottom rusticated facade replacement! This section had been horribly water damaged, but no more! Fingers crossed the weather stays so we can paint it this week!

09/14/2026

Ran out of daylight before we could install the last two boards on the front. But they are cut and we are SO close to having the original siding finally all patched up.

There remains a section at the top that needs to be added since the original roof came down lower than the original siding, but that is for the weeks ahead.

09/13/2026

If you know… you know.

09/12/2026

Another section of rusticated paneling is cut and installed! This was a section damaged by years of water that rotted the 1700s boards which were there originally 😭