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Property Updates & Improvements

2024 Plans

  • New Sterns & Foster bed in bedroom 6 West Wing
  • Change wallpaper in bedroom 6
  • Bathroom renovation on #3 and #4 East Wing
  • Rebuild bike shed
  • New outdoor shower
  • New driveway portico
  • Planning – convert bunkroom to office

2024 cooling improvements

We dealt with the issue of not enough AC cooling during a 2022 heat wave. The main unit serves the 3rd floor and the 2nd floor through two thermostat zones. The fan for the main 3rd-floor unit was set on Auto. When an HVAC fan is on Auto the fan will shut off after the cool setting for the temperature is reached, aka satisfied. In other words, if the thermostat is set to 72 degrees cool then everything runs at 73 degrees. At 72 degrees temperature, the fan and refrigerant pump both turnoff. This usually works great but in very hot weather, the very cool condenser will still meet warm moist air in the ducts, and frost will begin to form on the fine fins of the coil. This can lead to the entire coil becoming a large block of ice which reduces the surface area available to cool each molecule of air that passes over and through the coil. The end result is very poor cooling. The solution suggested by our professional HVAC contractor was to simply set the fan to ON permanently during periods of hot temperature.

In 2023 we implemented this strategy but came upon a new problem where guests had babies that needed to nap and where areas of the house needed additional cooling. Here are our planned improvements for 2024.

1) We will install a separate split system into bedroom #10 aka The Sail Loft. This will allow us to concentrate the main units cooling into the 3 West bedrooms, #7, #8 and #9.
2) We will add 2″ of foam insulation to the roof when we replace the roof this fall. This will allow us to keep cooler during sunny days. This project is bid.
3) We will insulate the walls of the house. We do not have insulation in any of the walls now. This project is already bid 

2023

  • West Wing 1st floor renovation
  • Removed kitchen wall to make it “open plan”
  • Removed beam and benches at the patio door
  • New Sectional couch
  • New dining room table seating 12
  • New lighting throughout
  • New Samsung 65″ QLED Frame TV with soundbar
  • East Wing Improvements
  • New Samsung 65″ QLED Frame TV with soundbar
  • General Improvements
  • We have Mesh Wifi via twin ASUS ZenWiFi AX6600 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi XT8 routers connected to a 2023 Xfinity Cable modem providing fast and full coverage at 800+ mbps. Higher speeds are provided upon request.
  • New kitchenware and glassware throughout
  • A new whole-house humidifier
  • New Paint on Morse and North Water sides of the house

2022

  • New Sterns & Foster King bed in the primary bedroom East Wing
  • Replaced queen bed in bedroom #3 of the East Wing
  • New American Range 36″ wide for kitchen #1
  • Wing Rentals added for renting to smaller groups up to 14
  • Interior repainted front and back
  • Additional storage refrigerator
  • New Linens and Towels
  • Two new Restoration Hardware sofas for the East Wing
  • Four new Restoration Hardware chairs for the East Wing
  • Four new chairs for the West Wing living room
  • Available 16′ Boston Whaler Ventura 160 – must be booked separately on Boatsetter

2021

  • UV anti-virus lamps and MERV 13 filters were installed in all three of our air handlers
  • Top safety preparation and cleaning of the property to the highest standards
  • West Exterior freshly painted
  • Upgraded stove
  • Two Bull BBQ grills with rotisseries – Super quality with high heat
  • Available 12 passenger van – must be booked separately on Turo

2020

A normal year for us with no big improvements planned but as the year progresses we will probably end up with some anyway

  • Extensive painting in the interior spaces as well as touch-ups around the exterior
  • Refinished the West Wing teak walkout and the lower front porch
  • New full-size bed replacing the single bed in bedroom #7 (Hidden Bedroom)
  • New blinds on several windows
  • Shutters rebuilt on the backside of the house
  • Hired a new landscaping company
  • So far …

2019

Some interesting improvements were done this year

  • We put new tile for the floor of bathroom #4 opposite the middle room
  • Fresh paint in several bathrooms
  • New Mattress in the Master Bedroom #1
  • Added a new qeen bed and mattress to the sail loft room on the 3rd floor
  • We removed the asbestos off of pipes in the crawl space under the house
  • We refinished the back patio tables
  • New Whirlpool Microwave with convection was added to the front kitchen
  • Two new Vilanno Hybrid bikes with disk brakes added

2018

This was supposed to be an easy year with just one new bathroom being worked on.

  • We did put new tile for the floor of bathroom #5 opposite the green room
  • New wallpaper for bedroom #1 and bedroom #2 courtesy of the roof being blown off (partially) in March
  • New drapes in several of the bedrooms
  • New LG refrigerator was added to the front kitchen in July.
  • Three new hybrid bikes

2017

The big project for 2017 was to insulate the top of the house. This was an enormous job and all designed to improve the cooling of the top floor of the house.

2016

The back bathroom en-suite to bedroom #11 was completely redone. This first floor bath is now handicap accessible yet still provides a feeling of luxury. Features include a curbless shower with easy entry by Schluter, Grohe shower and faucet fixtures with new KOHLER San Souci Comfort Height one‑piece commode. The new banjo style counter top made from Wana, Louro vermelho is from the boatyard of Gannon and Benjamin. The floor now features radiant heat. All tile is Porcelanosa from Spain and was installed by Skip Dostal off MV Real Estate Rentals.

  • Complete repainting, gutter repair and roofing of the North side of the house.
  • Complete repainting of the front and back of the house and the Morse street fence. Interior painting.
  • New front door railing over the portico. The old one was as rotten as possible to be.
  • New garden gate, raised for more privacy with a new 4 foot tall privets.
  • New Johnathan Green “Black Beauty” sod lawn from Sodco of Rhode Island
  • Updated electrical outlets on second floor and upgraded lighting and fan on back of first floor
  • New drapes and upholstery were done by Nancy Johnson in Bedroom #2, the Cat Room. New shades with the ability to either go up from the bottom or come down from the top were installed
  • New 36″ GE Monogram stove and Beverage Center
  • New patio table and chairs with seating for 16 courtesy of Vineyard Decorators

 2015

Major work was completed before the snow flew but painting the the 2nd floor of the porch awaited.

The weather closed in before we were able to start the second floor but we got started on it this May 12th. The rot was extensive and required dismantling most of the second floor deck and the replacement of about half of the beams. We used 9 sheets of 4’x8’x1″ 25mm Meranti Marine plywood for the underlayment. We then finished the plywood with a liquid rubber membrane waterproofing made by Ames Research. Finally we rebuilt and then re-hung the railings.

Due to the cold weather this spring the drying was slowed considerably and we were not able to apply more than one coat a day. Since the system called to use all of two 5 gallon pails we needed 10 days plus to apply the coatings. On good days we could apply thin coats in the morning and afternoon.

The porch is now set for another 150 years.

Before link here

Project parameters See Our Blog here

Each year we make many improvements to the property. Some are routine like painting but many are major. With a home that is over 175 years old there is always something to update or fix.

 2014

  • Complete rebuild of the front porch
  • Repaint and repair chimneys
  • Repaint the 3rd floor dormers and the western backyard side of the house
  • New paint inside
  • New rugs

2013

  • Installed 100 amp electrical service to the backyard to support weddings and functions.
  • New overhead lighting in the tool shed
  • Installed dual ASUS ASUS RT-AC66U Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router
  • New Motorola SURFboard SB6141 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem
  • TRENDnet 8-Port Unmanaged Gigabit Switch
  • New Denon AVR-X2000 – 7.1 Network Receiver – Air Play – SiriusXM – Pandora for whole house sound
  • Improved HVAC controls.
  • Renovated the front basement area with drylock and epoxy paint – dryer and fresher house.
  • Installed a new invisible screen so now both access areas to the front porch are screened.
  • Rebuilt the Bull Texan BBQ and provided a new rotisserie and grill lighting.
  • New Krups and Black and Decker toasters, kitchen accessories and door mats
  • New lighting over the two kitchen sinks.
  • New shelving around the refrigerator in the front kitchen for a built in look
  • New Panasonic silent bathroom pans with Leviton 10-20-30-60 Minute Countdown Timers
  • 8 Yoga mats for front bedrooms

2012

  • Floors sanded and re-finished through the entire house. The front porches and interior baseboard were repainted.
  • New upholstery for the front living room furniture.
  • Major upgrades to the lighting and electric in both living rooms.
  • Speakers added in both living rooms, dining rooms and the back patio with local volume controls.
  • Four new laundry appliances. Front loading LG steam washers and dryers so all linens are washed in house.
  • Renovated the back basement with paint, electric and upgraded lighting for the new laundry facilities.
  • Replaced the roofs on the tool shed and over the back entrance.
  • Replaced approximately 100 feet of wooden gutter and replaced the back bedroom fascia.
  • Upgraded internet and computer.

2011

  • Removed the old oil tank that took up space in the back laundry area as per DEM specifications.
  • New deluxe air mattress sleeper sofa in front game room and two new chairs.
  • Replaced the older furniture in the back family room.
  • New combination lock system for main entry.
  • Two new Umbrellas and new SS grill for the back patio.

2010

  • Purchases 5 new bicycles for the use of our guests.
  • Added a wine cooler and new lighting for the back bar.
  • New lighting in the front hall.
  • New box frame in the master bedroom to compliment new mattress.
  • Added Internet controlled thermostats for comfort and fuel savings.
  • Reset the stones in the back walk area.
  • Improved the HVAC system and 3rd floor bathroom.
  • Painted the Morse Street side of the house, gate and fence.
  • Fixed the roof and gutters.
  • New back patio furniture.

2009

  • New central air-conditioning and gas fired heating system installed.
  • Renovated both the front and rear kitchens with new cabinets, granite counter tops and gourmet appliances.
  • Extensive interior and exterior painting.
  • Both dining room tables refinished.
  • The front game room was re-configured with an updated bathroom and large flat screen TV and DVD player.
  • New lawn and new irrigation system.
  • New WiFi internet service is house wide and has been improved for the 2009 season.

2008

  • Interior is substantially re-painted.
  • Bathrooms are tiled.
  • Plans are made to improve the residence for rental use.

2007

  • The home is put onto the rental market.
  • 6 bathrooms are renovated and tiled.
  • 3rd floor is renovated

1956

  • The original kitchen is reconfigured to a dining and living area to serve the back of the house.
  • Two kitchens are installed along with a system to rent the back of the house out separately from the front.
  • Child’s playhouse is built but is later turned into a tool shed.

1955

  • Property is purchased by my father from the estate of Mrs. Dinsmore