I have a 200+ yr old cape and part of my summer projects involves redoing the front doorway. Over the years, water damage has led to rot, etc. I will be replacing the wooden fan design over the door and would appreciate any guidance towards articles/books that may address the construction process.
Thanks in advance for any help/guidance.
Kieran
Replies
The only advice I can give you is to carefully deconstruct the existing fan and copy the details as closely as you can. Keep an eye on water shedding details and maybe improve on them. Try to get some old growth white pine or cypress to construct it of. How about posting some pics?
Rich
Thanks Rich,
I have taken some photos in anticipation of the deconstruction and will post them later.
Kieran
They make that in a form of foam, can't remember the name right now.
looks good and paints well also.
Here are some pictures
kieran.... i'd make the rising sun out of 5/4 Azek
the outside moulding would be Azek or pvc
the rays would be primed cedar clapboards, all backprimed and edge primed
cut the rays with a shooter board ( make one or use an EZ-Guide )
the whole thing can be built on a sheet of plywood after you have a templateMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
We have discussed this here before. Also Fypon makes one or two of them in molded polyurethene.
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Do you have any suggestions as to which specific topic I should search under?
Thanks
ktkamm, thinking a little more about this, if there is any historic signifigance to your home, it might be advisable to disturb it as little as possible. I know that is always the aim of preservationists. Have you considered epoxy consolidants and fillers? They work well for repairing rotted wood.
If I do redo it, I would only do it in wood the way it currently is. I am a bit concerned about what lies behind the fan. The posts, trim, etc around the door definitely need to be replaced. I am first starting by replacing the cornice molding and trim boards on the front of the house and if time permits, do the door.
Thanks for the suggestions/help
Kieran
I'm with Jeff on this.
That fan design does not look as though it were the original detail.
It looks completely out of proportion.
You might be able to incorporate it within a larger header detail, but even then, I'm not sure it will look right.
Any shots of the entire house front? Using the window trim details might help inspire a more aesthetically pleasing surround.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
Kieran -
Given the fact that your house is 200 + years old, I suspect that the fan is not the original design at all, but rather that the original architrave over the door surround rotted away years ago.
The fan simply does not look historically appropriate above the pilasters.
I suggest that you (1) see if there are any historic photos of the entry available, (2) see if there are 'shadow marks' of the original architrave and, failing both, (3) compare to other nearby houses of similar vintage with their original surrounds.
Fypon is not appropriate here.
See attached photo
Jeff
Edited 4/29/2008 8:27 am ET by Jeff_Clarke
as I was mentioning Fypon I was short of time so I didn't say it, but I was thinking that it might be hard to find one with the right proportions for the house.But you are totally right after seeing the pictures! That fan is disproportionate and totally wrong for the house. Even the detailing it bears is not concurrent with the pillasters. It had to be something somebody added as a 'good idea' in the past genration.
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Probably between 1900 and 1940 - 'rising sun' motifs weren't too popular during and after WWII.
This is most obvious in the last photo with the flag .... and the dog ... and the photographer ;o)
While there certainly is such a thing as a Federal fan this one is all wrong.
Jeff
Edited 4/29/2008 10:47 am ET by Jeff_Clarke
Thanks to all who have replied.
I like the fan motif and would like to replicate it in one fashion or another. I would be open to any suggestions as to pictures of a more appropriate design that would incorporate it.
Kieran
One problem is that the fan and the transom are competing for attention. a bold entablature/sill separating the two would help.
Next - the lines formed by the pilasters are wide apart - say 8-9" as you draw those vertically, but they intersect a trim detail around the fan that is only about 2" wide. So reconstruct with that trim wide enough to align with the imaginary lines tracing the pilasters vertically. Give some stepped detail to that curved trim to create shadow lines. The fan will still be there, but smaller within the overall, but in balance
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Thanks for the advice Piffin. For a non builder type, that will take me awhile to digest and process. If you were a flatlander and I had the money available, I would have you come over and do it for me! Unfortunately with college bills and the current Maine economy, my ability to pay someone else is limited.
Thanks again.
Kieran
Kieran, I have to agree with the others. IMO the composition is mis-matched and unrefined. If you have access to a good library there is a wonderful series of studies of early homes and buildings known as The White Pine Monographs. Originally published beginning in 1915, they have excellent photographs and measured drawings. They might be worth a look before committing to any changes.
Rich
Thanks Rich. I wlll see if I can get my hands on those books.
Kieran
You could also check your local historical society for older photos, look at similar houses nearby (there are regional differences in trim styles) and do a test demo to see if there is a 'shadow' of the original layout.
Jeff