The Mills Lodge

Here are some pics of the 1885 church Michelle just purchased. Very nice rural area (Tymochtee Township, Ohio, near Sycamore, Ohio)
of one lane roads, covered bridges, rivers and awesome scenery. We are renovating this into a awesome
home for Michelle and family retreats etc... Great biking! Also an awesome practice facility!

We are doing all the renovating ourselves and the photos are in order from the beginning of the project to where we are now at the moment.

The Lodge
Welcome to an ongoing project by the Mills family in our free time!

Above left when we first purchased the building (July 24, 2007). Center and right fall 2007, we have added trees, an iron fence, and started painting the trim.

Above - Michelle holding a water color of the "Lodge" from her Grandpa Mills that she received for Christmas 2007

This is a 40 mile bike ride and can be 31 going on a straight county road line. I like the scenic route as it is just awesome. I found the property while going to a town north of this called Tiffin, Ohio. Tiffin is 12 miles north and is a big Italian community and a very nice area.

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July 7th, 2007

We just come home from cleaning the down spouts. One was completely clogged with corn debris from the field when they harvested the crops. I used a power washer and pulled piles out of the down spout.

We also went exploring above the drop ceiling and beyond up over the dome (original ceiling) and then up into the bell tower. It really felt like we were exploring a medieval castle or some kind of a mine shaft. It was so cool. Tony and I failed to get into the actual bell tower as we had no hammers to free the nailed down door for access into the tower top. I am amazed at the construction of this time period and the use of wooden pins instead of nails.

I also took a few shots of the hardware that is way cool. The vestibule doors hinge so that they open in or out.

Here are the pics:

We accomplished getting the drain gutters flowing well away from the structure. I was covered with mud.

New as of 8-22-07

Above views from the bell tower. The tower floor is 42.5 feet high. We dropped a long tape measure from the tower to measure it, Michelle untangled it as it is a 300 foot tape and it unraveled on the spool.

Bell dates 1886 and is a Buckeye Bell Foundry / Vanduzel and Tift, Cincinnati Ohio bell. The diameter is 38 inches and the height is 30 inches and that is just the bell.
The Bronze is 3 1/2 to 4 inches thick. It sounds amazing and hums forever after it is struck.

We are removing the dropped ceiling and replacing it with Pine tongue and groove flooring. The arched ceiling is in my opinion one of the
outstanding pieces of the architecture on the building. The original plans were to restore the plaster/lathe but it was to far
crumbled out to save. The picture of me is at home after a days work, Tony had some time for photo art with the ceiling squares, and of course lots of breaks!

9-3-07: Below is the picking up of the bucket truck. I worked hard on line to get a good deal, we found the right one on Ebay,
I scheduled the flight one way with the faith that this would run and make it 800 miles to Ohio! 15 miles into the trip there was a large
sound and big cloud of debris behind the truck and it turned out to be a tire had blown. I called the tire
repair company and wanted all 4 tires replaced but they would not do it as they said I was wasting money
and the tires were good, they replaced the one and I made it to Ohio with no problems! It is great to meet so many honest people!

Once home I learn how to use it and what it can do. It has a winch mounted on the jib next to the bucket and can lift 2,000 lbs. We are finding many uses for it and cannot imagine doing this project without it.

10-11-07: Below, the latest in the project. Painting has started, one window is ready for glazing, the door and above the door bell tower vent are primed and progress is being made. Motion activated lights and security cameras are installed to protect the property. Tony landscaped around the church dedication and closing plate. We also removed the large old cedar bushes that were growing out of control.

10-15-07 We are back to work after a string of gigs and are now making progress. The decision of how to deal with the roof is being made
and we are weighing the options. Meanwhile we bought a semi trailer for storage and a workshop for some of the upcoming projects,
installed the chandeliers in the main room as the dropped ceiling is removed, now we have to repair the plaster lathe ceiling.
Lots of painting and window glazing along with me (Steve) showing my missing 40 pounds! A few photos of us just milling around and the worksite.
Coming soon - the iron fence goes in this weekend.

10-21-07: Below is the fence installation, we completed this in one day and had to use a one man auger that was handheld as the tractor mounted
one was broken by the previous renter. This made it more work but we pressed on into the dark. On the way home we hit a deer and broke a
couple lights, the front grill, bumper and air-condition bracket. On the plus side we loaded the deer and went home to find someone that could
help us learn how to get the meat off. Our neighbor, Jake had a visitor, Adam, and he was well experienced. Adam started it and Jake coached
me on to cleaning off quite a bit of meat and freezing it. I was glad for the experience even though the van is in sad shape but runs well.

10-27-07 Below are photos of the 21st birthday party for Michelle! Tony and I cleaned the construction mess up and cleaned the building thoroughly, brought in the
furniture and did some quick landscaping. This was the first non working day at the church and the day was perfect! Both sets of
grandparents were there and Michelle's best friend, Missy and Grant, Jan, Michelle, Ian and Diana. We had a great day, Plenty
of food including the deer that was hit. The meat was so tender from the deer and was the hit of the party food wise, OK except for Grandma
Haines pumpkin pie. Ian stole the show with a piano sing along, we took a tour of the cemetery, and just enjoyed the day.

11-3-07 The basement entrance roof was in terrible shape and a new roof is badly needed. 4 layers of shingles were on that roof! The boards were rotted and have been replaced. The shingles are on order and will be in in a couple days.

11-4-07 Lots of hard work deserves a day of fun, eating and getting together and playing on the bucket truck and eating marshmallows while cleaning up building
debris. Carol's parents were there as well as our neighbor, Gary Beasley. Good times! Awesome fall day!

11-5-07 We finished replacing the basement entrance roof today. The weather was cold and very windy but the work went on and we had
a great time doing a very rewarding project. Tony got into a creative photo mode and I included some of the pics. Below is today's project.

11-7-07: Today was exciting, we planted 2 ornamental trees and 10 of the twelve spruce trees (Colorado, black hills, and Norwegian)
for the beginning of the landscape. Below are the photos, we also had several visitors and pictured is a Hufford with her grandfathers
grave in the background. Also pictured is the loading in of 100 bundles of blow in insulation for the ceiling in the next few days along with
a heater to be installed in the big open room.

11-12-07 We continue to get the building ready for the winter, trees are planted for a wind break, well in a few years they will make a difference,
the attic is insulated and the windows are covered in plastic unit the spring when they will be rehabbed and glazed with plexi glass inside and out side.

11-29-07- OK! below is the past few days changes to the "Lodge" now that the interior is changing and we have heat and are spending time indoors
working the feel of the place is that of a lodge. below is the ceiling restore (replace) project. Like most of the restoration we tried several routes and
came to the conclusion that the plaster is beyond practical repair we and going over it with a yellow pine floor grade tongue and groove
4 inch wide plank ceiling. It is going to take 1800 square feet of the T&G there are two piles and this is not all of it we still need 300 square feet
delivered! The wood is a joy to work with as it is a very good grade and has no splinters and does not crack when screwing into the joists.
We are using a 3 inch non corrosive decking screw at each joist and this will hold the plaster in place. I came up with a good idea for pushing
the joints together. Lowe's has a clamp that is reversible and can push as well as clamp. I drilled a hole into the stationary part of the clamp
and I screw this to the ceiling into a joist and use it to push the tongue and groove tightly together. It is going up well but takes time.
Tomorrow we are picking up 30 feet of scaffold to add to what we have and it will span the entire room. Things should go faster at that point.

Tony and Michelle are staying busy helping me with the ceiling as well as scraping the walls and stripping the wood. Below are some before and
after shots of the trim. Just getting started and the grain is awesome underneath the old colored varnish. We cannot wait to strip the doors and see what they will look like.

12-1-07 - Now we are getting things done right! The scaffold is set up from wall to wall the full length and progress will be much safer and faster. 6 board
widths are in and that is almost 100 sq. foot. Only 17 times this to go!

12-4-07 below we spent the first night at the lodge and had a great time stripping the front door and continuing with the ceiling.

12-4-07 Movie night in the basement While outside we are having our first snowfall at the lodge.

12-5-07 4 inches of snow make things look awesome!

12-9-07: We found a kitchen on Craigslist and picked it up for the Lodge. It was a great juggling act getting everything on one trip in a van and a 5x8 trailer.

The wood stripping by Tony and Michelle is getting close to time to stain and polyurethane.

12-12-07: The ceiling is coming together and is now about 1/3 done! We have been spending the nights up at the Lodge getting more done and traveling less.

January 30, 2008.... It feels good to be back to the project! Since Christmas we have been busy with fair conventions, shows and family.
The past two days I have put 8 more rows of pine on the ceiling and I am estimating 4 more working days to complete the one side down to the wall!
I included a shot of the dilapidated plaster lathe that we are covering with the pine. It is a lot of work but very rewarding.

2-2-08 -- Getting close to finishing the one side! I figure two more days maybe 3. Also a new angle from the recently cultivated cornfield.

2-5-08 Below just a few rows short of being done on this side!

We have a couple days touring with the shows and then Friday this side will be finished, and then off to the other side.

2-7-08 Getting there! One side is finished and now off to the other side. About 6 work days left, and the ceiling project is done!
I am looking so forward to going on to another part of the project. The scaffold is now on the other side and ready for the finish.

2-12-08 Close to the finish! three days at the most to complete. The material (pine boards) is looking by my estimates to be about exactly enough
to finish the project. It will be interesting to see just how close it is. When we ordered it, I wanted much more but this was all the
company had ( www.spruceitup.com ) so it may be another incredible (coincidence???) thing with this project.

2-13-08 Taaa Daaa! Voila! The ceiling is done! I have one more row of finish to cut and screw up but that is a quick task for tomorrow. The scaffold
comes apart tomorrow as well, and we will start of making plans for the kitchen! Also the stripping of the trim will begin and painting the plaster
walls when the temperature gets a bit better. I finished today (13 rows! my previous record was 9) as we were snowed out from our shows again! No time goes wasted

2-16-08 Busy day today. Below are the shots starting with removing the basement kitchen ceiling to get a look at the floor joists and prepare for the main
floor kitchen and make any structural changes to accommodate a future loft area. We found that there was an original oak floor under a pine floor that was
installed to enlarge the altar area, we removed the added floor and this made the floor level with the main living area and also opened the possibilities for laying
out the kitchen. We have placed the kitchen cabinets in an arrangement that looks like it will work well.
The walls will be built soon to enclose the pluming and electrical and make hanging and fastening the cabinets into a brick and plaster wall a bit easier. We will
also gain extra insulation. A new way of stripping the paint was started today, it is called the silent stripper and it works with infrared heat. This is so far the best
method to strip paint that we have tried. The last photo is Tony and Steve (me) looking through a small hole in the altar floor from down in the basement.

2-18-08 Big day of changes and things are looking better than we anticipated!

Below we have made changes in our plans as we uncovered the altar area and found ways to restore the original 1885 look! This also not only opens up the kitchen
space but makes a roomier dining room area as well and an awesome piano riser! We found the railing and spindles to be made of oak and disassembled them to strip and refinish them.

2-27-08 We picked up the framing and multi use lumber today in Columbus Ohio. This was another incredible blessing as this wood was much less than half priced
from a furniture company that uses it for finished bedroom furniture, and they were not the right specs for their use. We will frame the walls, run them for floor joists
at 6 foot spans, and then make the loft railings out of the more unique boards. Basically the interior addition will be built with these and
a few extra large beams that we still need to purchase. Pictured is the wood 200 2x6 10 feet long. Also a photo of the Lodge that had to be shoveled to
carry the wood in, our biggest snow up there yet.

3-1-08 First day of march and the first walls went up on the interior, the kitchen area was expanded to 19 feet by 14 feet. This really made a big difference in
opening up the whole floor plan and giving more space to traffic flow. Pictured below the lumber pile, the first wall, and the kitchen frame is completed.
Next is framing the master bedroom and bathrooms.

3-6-08 A fun day! We picked up a spiral staircase that I found on Craigslist last night and this changed the plan again! The bedroom gets a little more space
as well as the bathroom due to the space being saved by the staircase. The walls are just about finished and there are a few more things to do before we go
and get the oak logs and hoist them up on the framing for the loft. I also included a photo of the ice storm that we woke up to here in Marion at our house
this morning. also Michelle smiling for Kalhoun in New Zealand!

3-9-08 We spent two nights at the project as 19 inches of snow shut down the Ohio roads! Below are a few shots of the current state of things,
We are ready to install the kitchen cabinets and the loft. The wood is on order for the loft so the kitchen goes in tomorrow. The handsome woodsman
is our neighbor - Gary. The last photo is a shot from above on top of the spiral staircase.

3-11-08 Great day of work! We wired the kitchen, insulated the outer walls and hung half of the kitchen cabinets. And cooler than that - Carol was there and was able to
help with the layout, and we all had a good time. The cabinets are hung directly to the studs because we are using the pine from the raised altar that we removed.
Hopefully this will give us enough material to cover the walls.

3-12-08 The kitchen cabinets are hung, the lumber for the loft was delivered and loaded in and the big 20 foot 5.25 inch by 10 inch white oak beam is in place.
Loading the white oak floor joists and the big loft support beam was enough for a day! Wow that stuff is heavy. We also had the flooring 2 by 6 inch ponderosa
pine tongue and groove delivered. It will not be long until the loft is complete. below are photos of the day, Tony had fun with the camera while we were working
(Tony worked hard as well) some cool pics though, all ending with an awesome sunset!

3-13-08 Another productive day. The big beam is fully installed and the floor joists are half way done! The area over the kitchen even has a few of the pine flooring boards
laying on top, they are not nailed in yet but a few days from now the loft should be done! It was a beautiful warm spring day today in central Ohio.

3-18-08 A busy few days and I have not added to the blog. Below are some photos on the progress of the loft. Michelle is shown assisting in the ripping of the pine floor
joists to match the dimensions of the oak. We changed the two bathroom plan to one big bathroom for now. Tomorrow we start the flooring, some is laying up there to
figure where and how to start.

3-21-08 Second day of spring and there was snow on the ground! We have been working at the loft for a week now and it is decked with the pine and next will be painting
if the weather cooperates. otherwise it may be electrical and plumbing. Below are photos of the loft, we will not trim the joists or flooring until the railings go in.

Below are a couple of the altar floor boards we removed when restoring the original altar shape. I planed down a couple pieces to the clean wood. This will be used for a
wrap around wall behind the spiral staircase and in the kitchen on the walls. We know this is not original flooring, as the altar was modified most likely in 1926.
It is two different styles of flooring as one is rough hewn on the back and the other is sanded.

3-27-08 We are taking advantage of the weather change and starting the painting! It went real well today and we started a new section of the project
so to see the rest you need to go to the above link to view the archives of the entire project. The lighter white is primer and the richer cream white is t
he first coat of paint. it is so awesome to get to this point and see the place cleaning up!

3-29-08 More painting! just a little bit to go and then the first coat is on. The place is really cleaning up. Tomorrow we finish the first coat of paint and then trim the balcolny, and start cleaning up for the April 4th juggling party!

3-30-08 More painting and lots of cleaning. Tomorrow the first coat will definitely be finished. We ran out of our 5 gallon pail of paint.

3-31-08 Below the place is cleaned and organized for the Juggling party on Friday, we have some outside cleaning to do but for the most part things are ready to go!
We go to Michigan for a performance at a DARE graduation and then a local school on Wednesday and Michelle is going to the airport to pick up her boyfriend who
will be staying at our place for a week. We are all excited about the next week, lots of fun stuff and a break with the project! We will be excited to get back to it next week
though. see photos below.

4-11-08 Today I built the framing and planed the wood taken from the the altar that we salvaged, from when they expanded the alter in 1926
(we are pretty sure that is when it was done) and the old pine looks incredible! I finished the curved wall and put up a sheet of sheetrock and positioned
the bedroom door to see how that is going to work out. below are the photos of the days work.

4-11-08 below are brass railings that I found on craigslist in Columbus, Ohio. They came out of a Bistro.

4-12-08 We worked on the kitchen, fastened the bottom cabinets, and made good progress on the wood walls. There was more wood than we expected to have
left after doing the staircase wall so the whole wall on the sink side will get wood up to the top of the cabinets and then sheet rock above. Below are photos:

4-14-08 what a blast! The kitchen is almost done. Two more lights to hang, a couple pieces of sheetrock, and hook up the plumbing and cook dinner! It has been a long
road but the finishing touches are creeping up and progress is fast at this point. Below are the photos of today. Michelle did all the electric, I gave her a crash course in
wiring and how to do it and she needed no help with it at all. I inspected all the work and it is first rate!

4-19-08 just about done! The kitchen is all in and now needs to be plumbed. All the lights and appliances are in and working, the sheetrock needs to be finished and painted
and this end of the home is complete. Soon we will start the bedroom! see photos below:

4-22-08 below, The kitchen plumbing is done! The water is running and the dishwasher is working as well! We are having awesome weather and everything is blooming.
Look at that photo with me holding a piece of drain pipe, am I a plumber or a model? I rode my Bicycle home today 30 miles. It was an awesome ride but a
stiff headwind... Made it a challenge.

4-27-08 We commuted from the Lodge to St. Marys Ohio to a barn to remove slate to replace the slate on the Lodge Below are the photos and the trial and error of learning
something new. we are now experts in our own minds at slate removal from barns!

4-27-08 And we were able to get some work done back at the lodge with hanging doors, arranging the bathroom and some wiring and sheetrock:

5-5-08 We have moved to another barn 2 miles south of the first one. This is a cattle barn and is a bit larger and the slate is 12 inches wide like the other barn but
a bit shorter at 18 inches instead of 24 inches. so with the larger barn and smaller slate length the amount of slate is much larger. There ia about 7,000 slates to be removed.
This barn will not be restored as it is being torn down and another one built in its place to serve the needs of the farmer better. The weather has been a bit of a problem along with me
(Steve) getting food poisoning from a local eatery. We had to leave early and I was in bad shape going home. This meant double duty today,
Tony and I went together and brought back 1700 slates in one day! This has to be a record removal of some kind for a two man team! We have 4 days left to
get the other side. Our hope is to do it in 3 days and have it over! This is hard work but the roof we will have is the reward of the effort!

5-25-08 The Kitchen counters and walls are polyurethaned and have three more coats to go and we will tape and finish the sheetrock and the kitchen is done except for the floors.

5-25-08 Below we have sheet rocked in the bedroom and have just a few more sheets to go and then we start the bathroom!

4-27-08 below are some shots of all the spring wonderment:

6-5-08 The photos have been longer in between as we are getting to the finishing stages. the first coat of mud and taping of the sheetrock has begun and the bathroom is
shown being finished with the last piece of sheetrock put on by Michelle and Kris.

6-16-08 We are making progress in all directions. Michelle Kris and I are all doing different projects at the same time and it is speeding up. The kitchen and main room
are almost complete and we are getting ready to do a good cleaning in the largest part of the home. Meanwhile I am sheet rocking the bathroom and bedroom. the
bedroom is almost ready to paint and the bathroom is not far behind. Kris got a good start on the slate roof and is doing a fantastic job. see photos below:

6-18-08 The Kitchen is cleaned up and the refrigerator is in! The roof is coming along and the metal trim is beginning to be painted green. We are also reglazing and painting
the windows as we go along with the scaffold.

6-22-08 We are covering a wide range of stuff all at once. The rain has caused us to go inside when we need to, and get things done as time permits. In between the slate
continues, as well as painting the white trim green, one more window is re-glazed and ready for paint. Tony and Carol also built a really nice picnic table for the house in Marion.

6-23-08 The bedroom is painted (the red room) and needs a forth coat tomorrow and then we will trim it and it is done! The oak trim is being stripped and getting
ready to complete the original alter area (now a piano stage) and the progress is starting to show on the slate roof. almost half of one side is done, see the difference
between the left side and the un-restored right side. See photos below:

6-24-08 25 per cent of the roof is restored! Meanwhile we are getting the interior painted and trimmed and things are going smooth.

5-25-08 below: Kris Groth (Michelle's boyfriend from Coeur d'Alene Idaho) Is with us for the summer.... Kris is performing in the shows and working on the lodge
and making Michelle very happy! Below is a photo of Kris when we visited the Groth family in 1990 Also one from this week next to it. Wow what a wild thing...
We wish them many blessings as they are a wonderful couple and we love Kris!

Below is the current progress.

6-25-08 Kris painted some of the trim on the eves and also built a bell support to lift the bell and make repairs on the roof deck in the tower. Michelle is stripping
away at the wood work and getting things on the inside finished up. I did some more slate repair and finished the sheetrock in the bathroom during a rain break.

6-27-08 A nice shot from the bell tower of the slate repair in progress, and a view of the mess below, followed by Tony's fire pit he is arranging from the slate debris.
The stacks of wood are being made into shutters by Kris and it is the wood from the barn that the slate was salvaged from (note that it is being made in the kitchen).
Michelle gave the bedroom a very good cleaning and it looks great! Tony being Tony with his wood mustache.

Come back soon as there will be lots of pics as the project progresses.

To comment on the project email michelle@dazzlingmills.com

To book this act, call 1-800-547-8956 right now!