Cliff May Restovation

High Stakes

Like a $0.99 necktie, a crummy and ill-matched front light can ruin a first impression. Right now my garage and driveway aren't that accessible, so I park in front of my house. In fact, you've probably seen the blue Subaru in some of my pics. Because of this, I look at the front of my house several times per day. So my focus on curb appeal items thus far has not been surely for hte approval of the numbers (though, it's been nice!) but mainly because I have to look at it too.

So, I get back from spending Thanksgiving in Arizona and see a package on my door -- my new front lamp!

BEFORE:


Okay, I couldn't wait to get this thing off the house. It was ugly and the previous owners decided to use this black gum rubber to see its base to the wood of the house. Not fun. Luckily, my mineral spirits and about twenty (20) painters' rags removed the gunk. Also, and this is a bit of suggestion for those who are compromise-challeneged like myself, I highly recommend that you clean the area underneath, fill-in any holes with wood filler, do a light sanding (remove any ridges or marks left by the previous light, and prime + paint underneath. You want to start with a virgin, fresh place to mount that new light. No one else may be able to see the results from your extra work, but I PROMISE you'll sleep better at night knowing you did it the right way.

AFTER:



Yup, I think it looks pretty good :) Amazingly enough, it wasn't even that expensive -- $30.82 from Progress Lighting Outlet. Also, one of the great things about that place is that they stock EVERYTHING. No 8 week lead times.