Beacon Hill Builders: The Next Generation

[KathieB]

You can leave patches of your bricks showing, like plaster falling off of the bricks: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&image=47448

Sophia and her husband would never let their home exhibit that level of disrepair. However the chimney if finished, it will be pristine -- except for some vines or moss or other natural effects of life in a subtropical climate.

[sparklepuppies]

Somewhere on this forum (cannot remember where), someone said its good to do the sidings with hotglue. Which is best? Hot glue or woodglue for the sidings?

Hi Elize! So glad your daughter is okay! And glad the damage to the house isn't too bad, it is repairable.

I use wood or tacky glue for my siding. If you use small amounts of glue, and apply it to both the top and bottom part of the strip, they won't curl too bad, and will straighten out as it dries. Every few strips I clamped with masking tape, and didn't have any problems.

A lot of people do use hot glue for shingles and siding. Hot glue and I do not get along very well.

[havanaholly]

...Can anyone of you people tell me why everyone leaves the kitchen side panel out and do not put it in and glue it? The piece with the three windows? I am feeling like closing it up there but I see on all the forum pics that you all leave that piece out at first. Why is that?

Somewhere on this forum (cannot remember where), someone said its good to do the sidings with hotglue. Which is best? Hot glue or woodglue for the sidings?

I haven't built the BH, but one reason for leaving off that wall for a while might be an access issue; the righthand (from the back) outer wall of the Glencroft doesn't go on until the stairs are in, and I dry fit it then and marked it and then decorated the stairwell and the interior of that wall before I finally glued it into position.

Different people use what they use because it works best for them. I apply siding and shingles with the same wood glue I use to build the kit. I use small beads of glue, do a few rows and then tape them down with masking tape and clamp scrapwood over the rows and let them dry before continuing. The very thin wood does curl, since it's so thin; and once the glue dries it flattens back out.

[Elize]

Hi Louise. Thank you so much for the offer, but I am okay with the forums help and the instructions Tracy mailed me. Luckily the forum is here and it helps so much being able to ask. All the people answering my glue and kitchen questions - thank you very much! Hugs.

[WyckedWood]

@ Elize, about the kitchen window...I cant remember any specific reason that piece is left out, but it is kind of a hard to reach area. It would be much easier on you to insert the windows and apply your window trim (at least the interior window trim) before that piece is glued in.

I just wanted to give a suggestion to you BH builders who still have time on your side....two things I wish I had done before it was too late. Consider adding some small screw in type eye hooks into the ceiling of the bay windows in the living room. You could just paint them the color of the ceiling and forget they are there,they wont be seen....but the bay windows would be a great place to hang a plant like a spider or ivy...the plant would hang down and be seen through the windows from the outside as well. Your hooks would be there for you if you ever decide you might like a plant there.

Also consider if you want to cut the back piece of the highest roof top ( I call it the top hat piece) for an extra decorating space...secret room...attic space...whatever, I really wish I had done that. Im considering a roof top garden eventually, and I could have used it for a potting shed:-)

[havanaholly]

The hooks are also a good idea for if you decide to hang a swing later, too.

[WyckedWood]

That's true, and the kitchen bay window area is another place eye hooks are handy...but I was able to reach that space (with some difficulty) after the build, and made a spider plant and a hanging ivy.

[Blondie]

Love that spider plant!!!

Elize, the kitchen wall is left off simply because it comes later in the directions. The front and left bay windows and the kitchen window thing all go on at the same time in the directions. There is no "reason" to leave them off, it just comes later. You could certainly add it on now with no problems.

I have been using Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue for the siding. Another member here (Gina from More Minis) suggested it to get the siding to dry quickly. I make a zigzag ( like this /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\) down the middle of the siding piece. Then I add a little bit more on the edges to make sure they stick down to the siding right underneath it. I let the pieces overhang just a little bit. I'm only looking to see if they look right. I'm NOT measuring each piece -- I don't have the patience for that!

Great idea about adding eye hooks into the bays ahead of time. I will do that because my bays are the next thing I need to work on structurally! I also DO want to leave my tower roof part open in the back, so I'll figure that out soon. So much to do! But it's exciting.

[havanaholly]

In the Fairfield where I made the third floor tower room accessible I extended the side wass onto the rest of the house and made the roof removable.

[WyckedWood]

By the way...if anyone decides not to use the smaller (really small) L shaped trim that is used on the porch for trim and I think in a few other places...please let me know if youd be willing to send it to me Id do a swap & pay postage ...Im needing more of it for under my window boxes.

[KathieB]

The chimney is in place and I'm working on the roof bits. The wood glue and I have become good friends as bits and pieces get permanently attached. I'm running into some areas where I'd glued earlier when I wan't supposed to, but it all seems to be working out all right with just a little trimming of some tabs. No picture while the glue dries.

[Blondie]

GO Kathy GO!

[KathieB]

GO Kathy GO!

:LOL: Tomorrow I'm going to take the roof trim pieces outside to sand the edges with my pistol-grip Dremel before putting them on the house. It makes way too much sawdust to do it inside.

[Blondie]

I want a dremel so badly. And a mouse sander. Saving my pennies!

[Elize]

Also saving my pennies: FOR SMALLER HANDS!!

[Patsea]

I want a dremel so badly. And a mouse sander. Saving my pennies!

I was thinking the same things. So much more I could do with a dremel. Also adding a printer to my wish list!

[havanaholly]

Among my many Dremels is a power sander.

[KathieB]

Well, the rain has made sanding on the porch a bit iffy this morning. Guess I'll be working on something else. I posted a couple more photos in the gallery: the chimney solution and patching with Spackle.

[WyckedWood]

I finally have all of the shutters and window boxes in place. It wasn't something I thought much about when I didn't have them (I never planned to add them) but now that theyre on I think they add so much to the homey~ness of the house, Im so happy I decided to try it. Now Im working on finishing the paint on the window boxes and then filling the 7 boxes plus the kitchen window box (giant) with handmade flowers and leaves. But on the plus side...besides still making rugs and accessories,plants,paintings,etc...its the last main thing I have to do on my BH..actually I just remembered I still want to do a narrow landscaped base,sitting on a wood frame to hide electrics....so, second to last thing. These window boxes are going to keep me busy for at least several weeks if not more.

[Blondie]

Is the BH ever really done? Hee hee. Wycked, your flower boxes so far are stunning. I look forward to seeing more!

I've not been working on the BH due to Real Life stuff. I'm also waiting for another sheet of latex brick to come in the mail. I want to paint all of the brick floors at the same time so I know they match. In the meantime, I'll do some siding and enjoy watching all of your progress. :popcorn:

I'm currently trying to figure out how I want to do the floors for the bar/library, which will be the big downstairs right room. I want to figure out the floor and walls BEFORE I put in the bay windows, so I'm at a standstill while I make decisions.

[Elize]

Karin I will never compare my BH with yours because you are busy with a masterpiece!

Blondie I have no idea who is ahead of you and me because we are working in such a different way. I am, however glad you are ahead of me with the building because its easier to check out your stuff than to read the instructions. If I look at the amount of work the roof and porch looks like, I think you are still way ahead of me. You are talking about "real life". My real life has been pushed aside for this. My brain is not even in real life, its just doll house all the way. I am suppose to work from home which is starting to get a problem because it is bothering me when I want to play with my house....

[WyckedWood]

All houses are different, Ive spent years on mine making decisions and going in different directions as it seems to guide me and the architecture and beauty of the design inspire me...thats how I feel anyway:-) Elize, my head is always in the clouds too, glad I don't have to hold down a job or Id be fired for daydreaming about dollhouses all day and not doing any work lol:-) Going outside now to spray paint some stuff....I hate spray painting..ugh

[havanaholly]

Kathie, your chimney looks like one of those flashes of brilliance you're so good at! Love it!. Is the roof going to be flat tile or shingle?

[Blondie]

I've been obsessively looking at houses while driving. Real life ones. I have never noticed all of the detailing before! Lol. I need to stop and focus on the road!

[KathieB]

Kathie, your chimney looks like one of those flashes of brilliance you're so good at! Love it!. Is the roof going to be flat tile or shingle?

Thanks, Holly. The mansard sides will be shingled. I think the flat bits will be painted black and sanded. I'm not sure what you mean by flat tile? Is this something I should be considering? You know me -- nothing is set in stone and I vacillate until the house says, "So, DO IT already!" :lol:

I just came inside from sanding. I nippy 57F at the moment, but the rain is over. We should see clear sky by this evening.