Tennyson Construction

Page four: Attic kneewalls, Stucco, and Paint

Note: Images can be clicked for a larger view.

The kit included parts to make a planter/roof support to be placed under the valley between the two gables. I didn't like the looks of the support, so I didn't use it.

After the roof sections were glued to the house, I applied stucco to the attic ceilings. I painted the walls, ceilings, and floor white.

I then built some kneewalls out of basswood, and covered them with wallpaper. (See photograph.) After installing the outlets, I glued the kneewalls in the attic. These kneewalls seem to stabilize the roof, so the support post I left out is certainly not needed.

I put baseboards around the perimeter of the room, and topped the edge of the wallpaper with a chair rail. (These were not present when the photographs were taken.)

I next prepared to apply stucco and paint to the exterior of the house. After all the lights and outlets were in place, I secured the wires in all the grooves. I used glue, then covered the wires with wood putty.

I used masking tape on the porch and balcony where the walls meet the floors. I also masked the areas of the house where trim would be. Since the coach lights were not glued to the walls yet, I taped the coach lights so that they would not touch the walls.

I then used a foam brush to dab dollhouse stucco over the surfaces of the exterior walls.

After the stucco was dry, I painted the exterior of the house.

I used green paint on the walls of the house, used white paint on the eaves and under the porch, and used brown paint on the floors of the porch and balcony. I had also painted the treads of the front steps with brown paint, and had used white paint for the risers. I had constructed the steps earlier out of basswood.

The base of the house will be covered with stones, and the base of the porch will be covered with vertical boards, so these areas were not painted.

Previously, I had cut and painted all the exterior trim. I did not use the trim pieces that came with the kit, because all the pieces that were supposed to go around the bay window were too short to meet at the corners.

I had also previously prepared the house trim. I had painted the trim pieces light green, and the window trims white, except for the window sills, which are light green.

I glued all the house trim in place. I used spring clothes pins to clamp the window trim in place until the glue dried. I used weights and various other items to clamp the other trims to the house while the glue dried. The house was laid on its side and on its back during this time.

At this time, I also attached the coach lights to the walls. This picture shows the house before the window 'glass' was installed and the gingerbread trim was attached.

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