You may remember that I posted a bit about gnat season and gneeding a screen door on the front of the house.....if you don't, here's an update....it's gnat season and we needed a screen door on the front of the house!
While I was in South Carolina visiting Daddy Mac after his open heart surgery, David and Hunter went garage sale searching....and they found stain glassed windows from the Civil War era but David wasn't 100% certain I'd like them so took a chance and didn't snap them up...when I returned, we went back to the house they had found them to see if they had been sold...which they hadn't....so we bought them for the bathroom....
The house we were visiting is in the historic district of St. Augustine and had been renovated by its current owners who also happen to be restoring an 1890 house in Lincolnville....AND who also just happened to have an old screen door for sale from THAT house. (Every now and then, we get the awesome adventure of meeting other old house enthusiasts and usually it ends up beneficial for all concerned...this was one of the every now and then occassions!)
One of the things you run into in these old houses is larger than average entry doors....if you're really lucky, either the original is still there and in good condition or a previous owner already paid the exorbitant cost of a new door in a style that you consider appropriate for your old house.....in our case, our door is the original and in great condition....but it needed a screen door....and we'd found out our first summer here that to get a "good" one special ordered to fit would be approximately $700.00~ now, when you have electrical issues, plumbing issues, roofing issues among other things, $700.00 for a screen door just isn't practical at all. So we waited.
While I was in South Carolina visiting Daddy Mac after his open heart surgery, David and Hunter went garage sale searching....and they found stain glassed windows from the Civil War era but David wasn't 100% certain I'd like them so took a chance and didn't snap them up...when I returned, we went back to the house they had found them to see if they had been sold...which they hadn't....so we bought them for the bathroom....
The house we were visiting is in the historic district of St. Augustine and had been renovated by its current owners who also happen to be restoring an 1890 house in Lincolnville....AND who also just happened to have an old screen door for sale from THAT house. (Every now and then, we get the awesome adventure of meeting other old house enthusiasts and usually it ends up beneficial for all concerned...this was one of the every now and then occassions!)
One of the things you run into in these old houses is larger than average entry doors....if you're really lucky, either the original is still there and in good condition or a previous owner already paid the exorbitant cost of a new door in a style that you consider appropriate for your old house.....in our case, our door is the original and in great condition....but it needed a screen door....and we'd found out our first summer here that to get a "good" one special ordered to fit would be approximately $700.00~ now, when you have electrical issues, plumbing issues, roofing issues among other things, $700.00 for a screen door just isn't practical at all. So we waited.
We searched flea markets and estate sales and antique stores looking for just the right door....to no avail....David and I had even begun to discuss his building a replica of one so that we could sit inside our living room and enjoy the view out the front door without the need for bug spray and zapper lights. We were thrilled to find that this couple had a screen door from their 1890 house that they were willing to sell....so we made arrangements to go see that door....fully expecting it to be quite expensive, but if it suited us, we'd bite the bullet....
Well, I'm thrilled to say that we now have a very appropriate screen door! It needs some adjustment because even this old door wasn't quite tall enough although the width was perfect....and although it is tied with a peice of yarn at the moment until we can get a the perfect latch kit for it and although it has a crocheted, stuffed "worm" at its foot.....we are very happy with our find....and with the price.....!
And, since this house was built with 26 windows designed to enhance the air flow in the hot summer months, our electric bill should go down as well as we'll now have a full cross breeze from front to back........!
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