I’m not sure what counts as an update in Christopher lexicon – but this is the fourth numbered update on what’s been happening at what will become the new Lost Art Press headquarters, so we’ll go with No. 4! (You can read an FAQ about plans for the new space in this June 28 post.)
We received the stamp of approval from the county last week to proceed with the plans as drawn by our Cincinnati-based architect and friend, Trenton Bradford (whom we first met as a student in an ATC class, and we’re awfully glad we did!). Our general contractor, Bill Kreidler (BK Remodeling), has been working at warp speed on framing the walls to replace the old and falling-down ones (and salvaging the old beadboard for re-use) and get all the subcontractors in for the drywall, plumbing, electric, painting….
The Floor
Chris and I sprayed the floor with two heavy coats of shellac to encapsulate some residual machine oil odor after multiple floor scrubbings, and to offer a modicum of protection for the original floorboards (and the new patches that were installed where necessary).
The Bathroom
We got the OK on the bathroom framing two weeks ago – so that’s the most visible and functional change to report: We have a functioning bathroom, complete with tile (that you cannot see much of it in the picture below because it’s currently protected with cardboard). The bathroom is ADA compliant, or will be, as soon as we get the grab bars on the walls. Oh – and we need to get the door installed.
The bathroom exterior is clad in beadboard that has been painted and glazed to look like the 100-year-old beadboard that was salvaged from the “front of house” (we’ll be using that salvaged stuff on the interior of what will some day become the storefront). The interior is white painted-and-glazed beadboard. I’m fairly certain the end of the rafter tails will be left unpainted (this is, after all, a warehouse!). Atop the bathroom, we’ll be storing boxes and other packing materials.
The Slop Sink
I love our Watermark Fixtures slop sink. In a fit of moving too quickly, we initially got it for the bathroom – but of course it would be impossible to get a wheelchair up to it, so we chose a different one to use in that space. Instead, we have an awfully fancy utility sink hanging on the outside back of the bathroom. In hindsight, that’s a better place for it anyway – it’s more visible. Most important though, we now have easy access to running water!
The Framing
BK and his tireless employee, Eric, are done with the first-floor framing and are getting started in the basement on Monday. I just have to find some not-ugly fire doors to install in the two openings that will lead to the stairwell before we get the drywallers in to add two layers of type X drywall to the walls and type C to the ceilings up front. For the basement, an ugly door will do. (If anyone can point me toward a not-butt-ugly Shaker, Craftsman, or otherwise plain-but-not-flat-slab pre-hung 90-minute fire rated door, 32″ or 36″ wide, I’d greatly appreciate it. Finding doors that meet requirements at which we can also bear to look has proven to be a difficult challenge!)
In order the apply for temporary occupancy, we have to have the safety requirements in place in at least the basement and first floor, so we’re trying to move as quickly as possible on these fronts.
The Shelving
We are allowed to use the space for storage for now; all the shipping work we’ve been doing in Covington has been out of the editorial offices and machine room at Willard. And it’s been getting awfully crowded with the necessary packing materials and tools, so our new employees, Gabe and Mark, erected some shelving (out of the way of BK’s work) to provide some much-needed storage. And when they need more boxes, the Anthe building is less than a mile away.
And that’s about it for now – but stay tuned: If we can get the fire doors in place and the drywallers in quickly, we should be able to move all shipping operations to Anthe soon!
– Fitz
p.s. If you’d like to learn more about the Anthe Building, and perhaps help with renovations, please check out this page on our main site.
p.p.s. We’ll be giving tours of the new space at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. during our open house on July 29, leaving from 837 Willard St. More info here.
Nice bathroom…. lovely walls..
Hey Funk! Lighten up the humans are doing well. Gabe and Mark are doing just fine and will be out of your fur soon. These things take time. You appear to be well fed so count your blessings the humans can still keep your meals coming on a regular basis. Stay cool and stay out of the packing boxes. Those are not for you they are for me. Now get out of that box and send my book!
Hi Megan,
A friend of mine was in a similar situation and couldn’t find a door he liked for his building so he bought a slab door and glued trim to the front and painted it to created the look he was after. Once done you’d never know he didn’t buy it that way.
For your purposes it might be a way to get the look you’re after. His was an old industrial building too.
Being very small financial contributor in the remodeling of the Anthe building. I love getting updates, as do all the other contributors. Can’t wait to see it all done and setup. Thanks Fitz.
Thanks for the update. It’s great fun, for us at least.
The only acceptable door I could find was Craftsman-ish. They don’t make it easy, and really want you to just use a flat slab.
I hate to offer advice, but never use a narrower door when a wider one will fit. Sooner or later you’ll be cussing the narrower choice.
Sure, it’s always the door and never the diet…
😉
Try doing a search for the door style you want but make sure to include the words “steel door” I did and came up with this https://www.waudena.com/exterior-doors/shaker-style-cambridge-smooth-steel-exterior-doors/ don’t know these people but they are one of many that are advertising the 90 min rating you need.
The 2-panel shaker style doors with the LAP brand logo applied to the top panel of one door and the Crucible logo applied to the other door.
Thanks for update #4; & keep ’em coming; love seeing the progress made and the attention to details by LAP and the contractors.
https://www.trustile.com/products/fire-rated-doors
Will there be a resident feline supervisor at the Anthe building?
Maybe someday? There’s a local shelter that has a barn cat program…but it would have to be a litter-box-trained barn cat.
The cat: “What? I’m relegated to being a paper weight now? I’m growing impatient for the installation of a proper climbing wall and an appropriate throne shelf, so I can look down on my subservient humans.”
Progress on a project like this is always slower than one would like, but this is looking good.Count me in the legion of fans who appreciate the updates.
Shellac on the old floor – gotta love the properties of shellac. Cut? 1#? Heavier?
Will the loo have a crescent moon cutout on the door? Asking for a friend
You might have to fake wood grain paint the doors. You can do that with rattle cans and plastic grocery bags
What’s up with the photo of the slop sink? It looks as if its 2D cardboard printout. Particularly the trap and the bottom left corner of the bathroom wall. Is it just an optical illusion or the lens?
Um…maybe I’m just a crap photographer? It is not a 2D printout, and the space is still in progress.
I see what you mean re the trap. It looks like distortion from a wide-angle (i.e. phone) lens. Maybe this is a crop from the left side of a larger photo. That would make the distortion asymmetric and probably more noticeable. If you look at the photos at the end of chair classes, (e.g. https://www.instagram.com/p/CuIe6sjt4W_/) the person on the left usually has that same effect.
Hi Megan. Just an editing note: In the p.p.s. about the open house, the link goes to a search on Anthe, which (at least today) has the effect of taking readers back to the top of this post. It might be more helpful to have the link point directly to the post on the open house. (https://blog.lostartpress.com/2023/07/14/lap-open-day-july-29-plus-tours-of-our-new-hq/)
Thanks – I fixed it.
Outhouse door faces the woods. I always left it open in good weather.
I’ve been very pleased with doors I’ve gotten from these guys. https://www.door.cc/ Nicely made for less than I would have paid for materials. Mine are not fire doors, but they do have those too.
You could always get a plain fire door and clad it with smaller pieces of metal. It would look like an old fire door that way. Btw my earlier comment about the sink photo wasn’t a critique, was just weirded out by it is all.
No worries! I hadn’t meant to take those pics for publication…but then I published them anyway! On the doors, yes – that’s probably what we’ll do for the two that aren’t public facing – but we want glass in the one up front (which may have to come later in the interest of time…custom takes a while!).
Ninety minute rated doors are staples for institutional types like hospitals (my area of expertise) so the prevalence of flush (flat slab) doors is understandable. A couple of the links above look to have reasonable choices for you. If MDF (I know, wood-adjacent) is in the running, Simpson could be a source https://www.simpsondoor.com/door-series/interior/fire-rated-doors/ only don’t be fooled by the photo which is of a 20 minute door. Depending on how your building inspector is reading things, everything in the package (frame, lock/latch, hinges, closer) may need to bear UL labels along with the door itself. Been great to follow the progress of the project!