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FireHouse 51

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Victorymike18

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Oct 1, 2010
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329
Location
North NJ
Could you repost some of the pictures where the links died?

I was showing a coworker (a fireman) this thread, and really wanted to show what you had done in the front with the fountain.
 
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cjcrazy8

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Jul 24, 2009
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161
Front Landscaping:

The front was originally pretty drab, dull, and boring. My awesome wife made a few contacts, sent an email, and the next thing you know Desperate Landscapes is tearing up my yard!

Before:


After:








 
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cjcrazy8

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Jul 24, 2009
Messages
161
Family Room:
The family room originally had a wall around the stairs that I tore down. The floors were carpet over linoleum over Masonite over maple. Refinished the maple, built a knee wall, and then just cosmetics.

Before:




During:






After:






 
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dubber

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Dec 31, 2012
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5,326
Location
Canada's Capital
Wow, great job. The little touches are great, such as the above mentioned fire hydrant. I also like that i didn't even notice the seating area in the first pic due to the colour choices. Well done and keep up the solid work.
 

LutzTD

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Dec 31, 2011
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Location
Lutz, Florida
I used to live on the same street on the other side of Hamilton Ave. I love those big old houses and I always admired that station. Funny enough I almost bought the one down at the bottom of the hill in college hill by Old Colerain must have been 20 years ago. Cool to actually see one inside and used and to see it being restored.
 
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cjcrazy8

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I used to live on the same street on the other side of Hamilton Ave. I love those big old houses and I always admired that station. Funny enough I almost bought the one down at the bottom of the hill in college hill by Old Colerain must have been 20 years ago. Cool to actually see one inside and used and to see it being restored.

I also almost purchased the station on Old Colerain. I believe it was engine 19. I was literally a day late and a dollar (couple k ) short.

I looked at Northside on chase as well a couple of times. This first time it was too much $. The second time it was going to be too much work to get it back to it's former glory. A photographer/ grapic design co opened up shop and renovated it in to office space and destroyed the original character.
 

LutzTD

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Location
Lutz, Florida
I also almost purchased the station on Old Colerain. I believe it was engine 19. I was literally a day late and a dollar (couple k ) short.

I looked at Northside on chase as well a couple of times. This first time it was too much $. The second time it was going to be too much work to get it back to it's former glory. A photographer/ grapic design co opened up shop and renovated it in to office space and destroyed the original character.

Small world :), I didnt pursue it too much because I was early 20s and alread too many projects, but I always wondered what it would have been like, now I can live it through your posts :)
 

jabin

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May 3, 2007
Messages
526
Location
SW Ohio
Love the landscaping and the whole project. Did they lay the patio stones over the front concrete?
Thanks
 

bleazenb

Member
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Jul 25, 2011
Messages
19
Location
Central Indiana
Love that fountain idea!! Can you describe or better yet have any build pictures of it? I'm a firefighter and also have a hydrant that I modified for a fountain and was just doing to dump into a plastic pond, but I like your idea.
 

honda_fox3

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Jun 14, 2013
Messages
327
Just now found this thread. Amazing work! I would love to get my hands on an old firehouse. I'll be syealing from your hydrant fountain idea also, hope you don't mind.
 
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cjcrazy8

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Jul 24, 2009
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Love that fountain idea!! Can you describe or better yet have any build pictures of it? I'm a firefighter and also have a hydrant that I modified for a fountain and was just doing to dump into a plastic pond, but I like your idea.

I do not have photos.
There is a pump in a plastic pond that circulates the water through the hydrant and back to the pond. The pond is covered by some industrial plastic grating that has lava rock placed on top of it. Power for the pump was run underneath the patio to a outdoor outlet. I want to rewire that line to a switch in the family room so I can turn it off and on inside. I utilize the outlet for x-mas lights as well.
 
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cjcrazy8

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Guest bath:
The guest bath was the original full (3/4, no tub) bath. It consisted of a throne that was surrounded by a granite stall, a prefabricated metal shower, and a sink. It was gross. I had to scrape the bath matt off the floor with a floor scraper. I completely gutted this space. The floor was a concrete/plaster mix that was 1.5" thick placed on a wire mesh that was nailed down every 3". The room was originally very large so I used half for a mechanical closet and half for a guest bath.

Before:



During:




After:
 
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cjcrazy8

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Jul 24, 2009
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Guest Bed:
The guest bedroom was the first bedroom I completed as that is where we lived during construction. The room is part of what was originally an open air dorm and then a workout room. The floors were covered with linoleum and Masonite which was removed to expose what I believe to be a red oak floor which did not weather well.

Before:



During:


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28HopUp

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Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
295
Location
Lowcountry SC
Front Landscaping:

The front was originally pretty drab, dull, and boring. My awesome wife made a few contacts, sent an email, and the next thing you know Desperate Landscapes is tearing up my yard!

That episode was just on! Very nice transformation to the front of your home. I love the water feature. It looked like the firefighters liked what you have done with the place.
 

Victorymike18

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Oct 1, 2010
Messages
329
Location
North NJ
Awesome! Thanks for the updated pictures.

I was also wondering: between the before and after pictures of the outside, it looks like the brick used to be faded and dull, and now looks more vibrant... Did you pressure wash it, or is it just the camera/lighting?
 
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cjcrazy8

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Jul 24, 2009
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161
Fire Pole:
Enclosed the fire pole in a closet. I need to rebuild the trap door and put in new limiting straps.
I still need to paint the closet.
 

southernfriedcj

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Dec 28, 2005
Messages
421
Location
Athens, GA
Front Landscaping:

The front was originally pretty drab, dull, and boring. My awesome wife made a few contacts, sent an email, and the next thing you know Desperate Landscapes is tearing up my yard!

Awesome!:pimpflash

I'm stealing the hydrant fountain idea!

When I sold my house 10 years ago I left my hydrant outside the shop. Went back by to pick it up a week later and it was gone. :mad:

I'm gonna paint my hydrant AFD Company 16 colors(I spent the majority of my career at 16).
 
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cjcrazy8

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Jul 24, 2009
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Air raid siren is gone. The original control box was left. It is pretty neat. It was gutted many years ago but has a place for a switch and lights. Lights are labeled "Manual", "Attack", and "All Clear."


The fire pole is quite rigid. It is a steel pole. I wish it were brass.
 

Oldbear

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Aug 31, 2011
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620
Location
Linden, Alberta, Canada
Your place was finally on DIY when I could watch it. Great job on the transformation. But now you have to be honest... your wife is a robot/machine - everyone else was sweating buckets and she didn't even break a sweat - and I saw video evidence of her working hard... my wife wants to know how she did it.
 

dfreeman616

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Oct 13, 2009
Messages
242
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
great job with the remodeling. between you and s1mpsons with his brooklyn warehouse, now i'm always looking at old buildings with garages as the main floor. i now know of a few that aren't for sale, but i'm watching them. by the way, nice CJ8
 
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cjcrazy8

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Jul 24, 2009
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161
Your place was finally on DIY when I could watch it. Great job on the transformation. But now you have to be honest... your wife is a robot/machine - everyone else was sweating buckets and she didn't even break a sweat - and I saw video evidence of her working hard... my wife wants to know how she did it.

Ahhhhh the tricks of cinematography!!!
Yes she really did work. She was able to cool off prior to a few clips.
 
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cjcrazy8

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Jul 24, 2009
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161
Long time no post. Life is keeping me busy and the family is growing. I did finish the office and worked on some lighting and flooring in the kitchen.
Cleaned up the office. Added windows in the hose tower upper structure. Created a chandelier out of fire hose and hung it from the hose drying rack. Cork flooring.
From this:



To this:



 
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cjcrazy8

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Jul 24, 2009
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161
Kitchen Update:
Built a chandelier that would move with the table as it is pulled away from the banquet. Mason jars and an old municipal lighting control box. Also took down the CFD sign off of the front of the house and put it in the kitchen. Replacing the sign with lettering above the old "Police Substation" sign. Re stained and sealed the floor.


 
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