Ken,  It's not abandoned but wanna come wander in our old farmhouse?  I
need lots of advice and help.  Ruth, yes we're finally moved




At 4:28 PM -0400 8/23/02, Ken Follett wrote:
In a message dated 8/20/2002 3:11:31 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

Ken, are you saying you'd try leaving it "natural"?



Yes. My preference. This has nothing to do with what you may want to do
with your porch slab. If there is no coating it means less maintenance, at
least less coating maintenance, that is, if the concrete is in good
condition to begin with. Lousy concrete is lousy concrete even when it is
covered up. The condition of the concrete, and how one feels about it, that
is the deciding factor. As with any naked masonry you do have to worry, I
suppose, about dropping liquids on it and staining, but that in itself can
be seen as the patina of life. You can also apply a sealer that will soak
in to the concrete to limit staining. I suppose it also has to do with
one's aesthetic... I like seeing signs that people have been using a space,
particularly with a non-urban space, rather than always seeing everything
clean and perfect. Door saddles with a belly in them I find inspiring, they
make me want to follow and step through the door. I would also be inclined
to do a sloppy job of paint removal, if I was removing the paint for myself
and not for a client like some fussy people are with their brick chimneys.
I should also admit, probably to kill the subject, that I like mirrors that
have been left outdoors and the silver backing flaked off, the paint on the
frames mostly gone and the wood gray and weathered. Imperfect reflections.
Goes to wandering around in abandoned farmhouses.

][<en

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Ruth Barton
[log in to unmask]
Westminster, VT

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