emilie_b's Profile

You can buy cement shingles (without asbestos) that are a close match to the old cement-asbestos shingles, so it's possible to do repairs as well. (Our neighbors have asbestos siding, and they have matched it with new shingles where they added an addition.)

I haven't investigated asbestos shingles specifically, but it's also true that not all asbestos products are alike in their removal danger. We had asbestos tape on our (very old and inefficient) furnace; we had that professionally abated as the the fibers in the tape were finer and much more prone to crumbling (hence friable). We also had asbestos in some flooring that we wanted to remove, but the asbestos was embedded in the material in a different way (and at a different density) and much less prone to crumbling; at the recommendation of the abatement company, we removed that ourselves using a variety of standard recommendations for minimizing risk. (We did also do a lot of research before deciding on this. After we got past the scary warnings that get posted on the internet, the actual research suggested that removing the tile with appropriate precautions was fairly low risk.)

We live in a 1880 house. But when we moved in, we had the main water supply line replaced in the basement. It was a few-hundred dollar fix that delights me; I can flush the toilet when someone else is showering! I can do the dishes while a load of laundry is updated!

We have also had much of our electrical updated, so that we have enough outlets to plug things in conveniently, and we have enough circuit breakers to go around. That was not so cheap a fix :( Paying someone to snake wiring behind existing wall adds up!

We put in Ikea cabinets about 6 months ago. We priced other cabinet options, and we couldn't get comparable quality for anywhere near the price. (Since I had heard internet claims that hiring a custom cabinet maker might be a surprising bargain, we even priced this option. It was about 4 times as much as the Ikea cabinets!) Part of what made Ikea a good option for us is that we could easily modify and hang them ourselves. (We modified several cabinets to optimize space and get a more built-in look.) We were able to choose a style that was almost an exact match to the original 1880 cabinets, and we bought appliances and hardware separately. We love the kitchen, and we managed a complete gut remodel for only $10,000. (And that includes absolutely ALL of our expenses.)

We've had great luck with Citrus Strip or SmartStrip (the safer version of Peel-Away), followed by dental tools. We are able to get about 99% of the paint off with stripper and another 0.9% off with dental tools. (The dental tool stage takes almost as long as the stripper stage though!) For any bits that we just can't get off, I touch them up with extra coats of gel stain. If you look closely, you can still see traces of paint. It takes careful inpsection, though.

I think it looks light and airy!

Could you share the brand of the replacement windows? I'm looking for something with the same grid pattern and still affordable.

We just bought a 130-old house and have done a variety of updates, including an energy audit and insulation. Despite recommending MANY updates to make the house more energy efficient (most of which we took), the energy audit people said we should just stick with our original windows and the triple-track storms that were added at some point.

We have been refurbishinging the windows (stripping the paint and changing the sash cord). The updated windows are beautiful, do a fine job of keeping the heat in, and are likely to last another 100 years!

If you opt for keeping the wood look, you could consider using a gel stain. Gel stains contain a lot of pigment and urethane (as far as I can tell) and so they sit on the surface. That means that you can apply them without completely removing the old finish. (I haven't done this, but I have read about it online. I think it gives you a different look, with a less clear grain, but it's a lot less work than using a traditional stain.)

I am currently in the process of stripping off the layers of paint off of old trim in our "new" 1880 house. It looks to be in similar shape to your wood after the first round of stripping, but I have no doubt that it will look beautiful when I am done with it! (And it's a whole lot easier to finish it as it is now that to start stripping a new layer of paint.)

That said, it's obviously your choice about what you like in your own house.

I agree that the article hasn't addressed every possible issue involved in the fake vs. real debate, but that doesn't mean that the article is worthless! At the very least, it has more validity than the antecdotal evidence and emotionally-based opinions being expressed here!

"No, your life provides a small bit of anecdotal evidence in support of the study's conclusions. It doesn't confirm anything."

Just like all of the anecdotal evidence that contradicts the results don't prove anything either.

I haven't read the original article to see exactly what factors are accounted for. And, of course, an observational study can only detect a correlation, not a causation. However, many comments seem to be rejecting the results just because it doesn't match what they believe!