This week we’ve been working on the platforms at the front of the store. The platforms were covered with three layers of flooring. Beneath the flooring is tongue and groove pine boards that resemble dock boards. I bet I pulled 1500 staples out of those boards! The staples had been used to attach the original flooring to the pine boards. It took me about fifteen hours over three days, my fingers are really sore, but the demo is done!
Now we can finish the platforms to look like docks with wooden pole railings and rope connecting the poles. The docks will be used for our window displays. We also removed sheetrock where the new windows will go.
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Lincoln Park has been very quiet during the past week. Many businesses are closed, have reduced hours or have limited service. Ecolibrium 3 has a list of resources for businesses and residents on their homepage, check it out for the latest information. Since the coronavirus concerns began in our area last week, I've witnessed amazing examples of generosity and kindness by members of our community. I've seen this attitude of kindeness many times since I moved to Duluth ten years ago. Thank you to all of you great people! You make Duluth a wonderful place to live. We've been staying home as much as possible. The only other place we go is to the shop, where the work continues at a much slower pace this week! On a lighter note…these tomatoes are "The Bomb"! We bought these tomatoes at Sam's Club about a week ago. They were so good that I dried seeds from several of them and planted them tonight. It will be fun to watch them grow!
These "Flavor Bombs" are sweet and taste as good as homegrown. The seeds originated in France. I sure hope they grow because I love homegrown tomatos! Take care, Beth You can't see the new roof from ground level, but the new flashing is visible and looks great. I'm so happy the roof is done and we can now focus on replacing the ceiling tile and painting. ![]() The shiny, restored terrazo floor is also done. I learned a lot about terrazo floors this week. The process originated in Ancient Egypt and Italy. New methods include tinting the concrete with rich colors and embedding decorative metal shapes into the terrazo. The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport recently commissioned a huge public art project using terrazo, check it out! We have been hoping to open in mid-to-late April, but our plans may be delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Although this is a bit disappointing, it is a small inconvenience compared to the hardships being faced by many businesses. My thoughts and prayers are with all of those people who are impacted. Please protect yourself and others. Beth On Monday Grant and Taylor from Concrete Treatments Inc., Rogers, Minnesota arrived and started work to refinish the terrazo floor. The first step involved removing the mastic adhesive, this took all day Monday and Tuesday morning. The next steps involve polishing the floor eight times with progressivly finer diamond bits. Next week I will post photos of the finished floor!
Work to replace the rubber roof began last Thursday and will continue to the end of this week. We really needed a new roof and our contractor, Duluth Architectural Metals started the project as soon as the weather permitted! We really appreciate their concern for our building and my need to open this spring. They are doing a fantastic job, starting early and working late each day to get the project done before the next rain or snow. We also want to give a big shout out to Lincoln Park Restaurateur, Tom Hanson, for giving up his spot up on the roof scheduling list so our project could be done first! Tom you are such a great guy, thank you! I hope you are enjoying the warmer weather, spring will be here soon! Beth The work continues! Last week Dave and Mark dismanteled the Train Station canopy. It will be reassembled and used at the old Railroad Depot in Knife River. I'm so happy it will be installed at a place where people can enjoy it for many years to come! I have been busy moving things into the basement and doing anything else I can do to help. We have to clear the entire main level so the floor can be restored. We discovered a beautiful 1940's terrazo floor beneath the tiles. It has flecks of reddish, rust, ochre and grey. We had the existing tile and the mastic glue tested and both are asbestos-free! My next job will be to remove all of the old tiles. Thankfully they pop off easily with a ice chisel. The walls are being repaired and soon I can prime and paint. The replica Train Depot will be repainted and transformed into a "Fish Market". The fun continues!
More updates next week! Beth |
The captain's BlogAhoy! Visit our blog the first Tuesday of every month. We share fun information about the shop, exciting events in Duluth and Lincoln Park, restoration tips & tricks and more! Archives
December 2020
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