carpentry, repairs and historic house research in Ipswich, MA
This fireplace wall was built with three sets of bricks sticking out to support a beam. I purchased a 7 1/2" x 5 1/2" fir for the 104" beam, which the intention to cover the double upper and single lower bricks. The beam weighed over 100 lbs., and I decided to trim it down to… Continue reading Fir fireplace mantel
These Simpson performance doors are constructed of fir, and the exterior has a thin Medium Density Overlay Water Barrier that provides excellent durability and resists moisture absorption. UltraBlock and Weather Seal technology adds a water-resistant composite block in the bottom of the door stiles
This bookcase consist of three units, shelves and trim that I made in my shop and assembled on site. The kickboard, casings and crown mold are installed after the units are mounted.
This client requested self-supporting shelves for his collection of unopened vintage record albums.
To restore this front porch I replaced the deteriorated finger-jointed risers, post sleeves and skirts with PVC trim boards; replaced the rotting mahoganey decking with Fiberon Paramont decking; scraped, sanded, primed and painted all surfaces, replaced the post caps and extended the steps.
The owners asked me to design and build a new doorway, deck and stairs that would give them access to the rear yard.
For this 18th Century house in Ipswich I built a set of stairs from the deck to the rear patio. Design and construction meet or exceed the International Building Code and the DCA-6 Prescriptive Deck Construction Guidelines.
I laid out the frames on my bench and installed the lattice and trim with trim-head stainless screws. All surfaces received a coat of oil base exterior primer and two coats of white exterior acrylic paint.The units are mounted to 1 1/4" heavy duty angle iron, painted with white Rustoleum, and driven 3' into the ground.
I created this opening to bring light into the living room from the south side. Second-floor weight is supported by the beam and studs, transferred to the center beam in the basement.
Gordon Harris 