When we bought our house----long before I was a Seattle Home Inspector----and started making it livable, I was heavily influenced by a couple of fun movies playing at the time: Jumanji and Jurassic Park. The house had wall-to-wall shag, puce-green carpeting----if one could really call it carpeting. There probably was a microscopic Jurassic Park of critters living in the thing. The carpet was more reminiscent of one of those cat clawing poles that people have in their homes. In the dining room, there was a 2’ x 6’ runner on top of the carpeting. This runner covered over a humongous hole the sun had burned through the carpet. This runner had been nailed all around its perimeter with roofing nails----an inch apart----kind of like the nailing pattern you might see on the underside of an upholstered chair or like the rivets in a jet wing. The nail heads were all shiny from wear----quite attractive and “sparkly.” Most of the rooms had wood strip flooring under this carpeting that did re-finish quite nicely. The hallway however was another matter. It had been patched numerous times and covered over with linoleum. The adhesive was not about to be removed either. So I decided to do a “painted rug” to deal with the matter. Here is a picture of what it looks like. I think you can see the Jurassic Park influence. I took actual ferns from the garden and rolled them in paint and then pressed them onto the floor----bunches of different colors----bunches of different layers. I had another Jurassic moment on an inspection the other day---or perhaps it would be more correct to say the chimney was having a Jurassic moment. Hopefully a bunch of manic monkeys, two hundred pound mosquitoes and raging rhinos are not going to come flooding out of it----like in Jumanji. Charles Buell
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PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
My WORDLESS WEDNESDAY pictures and some selected POEMS & STORIES.
Yes, home owners do weird things. Will have to take some photos myself and post.
The poor fern, it most likely suffered during your painting process.... LOL.
Edward & Celia---not shortage of blog fodder
Mary----no shortage of ferns that need pruning around here:)
Love that "painted rug" what a cool idea. The chimney fern was probably not conducive to wood burning fires.
Charles, That was a very creative and artistic solution. Since you have lots of ferns, you could make a few very nice paintings, too. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Charles - What a great idea - painted rug! And you did a beautiful job on it too. I don't think I would ever have thought of it, but what a great solution!
Debi
Kathryn----the chimney had not been used in quite a while----except in the movie:)
Gary---ferns are pretty much weeds out here.
Debi, the painted rug floor idea goes way back---not sure how far----but way older than me:)
PUCE -- My FAVORITE COLOR!!
:-)
Carla---did you ever notice how easy it is to morf a "C" into a "K":)
I love the painted rug -- really nicely done! And a creative solution to the hallway issue... :)
Charles,
Beautiful painted rug, you've got talant! As far as the fern....it looks like it is flourishing there in the chimney.
Shoshana, thanks---it has been down now about 13 years and still looks great.
Jan, the fern did seem to be very happy---very lush. When I took the picture I could see a little bit of green sticking over the edge----didn't realize quite how full of vegetation the flue was until I saw the picture.
Very creative idea with the painted rug. I knew you were the most excellent Home Inspector, but I did not know you were so talented in Fern Art! Ugh...my 4 year old is addicted to Jumanji (I too enjoyed it the first 200 times, but after 500...)!!! :0)
Mr Charles,
Let us face it, you learned all that you learned about chimneys from a friendly neighborhood certifried chimney pro.
Nutsy
Charles- I have a hallway carpet that could greatly benefit from your technique. What kind of paint do you suggest?
Amy, it is funny how kids can attach to something like that----seems like all my kids did the same---not Jumanji---but something.
Nutsy---no
Suesan, I used artists acrylics over a really good primer---then varnished it with many layers of acrylic varnish.
Hopefully a bunch of manic squirrels dressed as Nutsy O'Hara will not come flooding out of it. One is enough hanging around AR.
That would have to be the Timothy Leary version of Jumanji
Ferns in a chimney???? And to think if you had just used binoculars to check the roof like some inspectors do you would have never seen that. BTW- love the painted rug. An artistic home inspector. How utterly divine.
Martha, you are right---none of this would have been visible from the ground---or even from the eaves
No c'mon! How much more convenient for those ferns than to be in a chimney? Lots of sun, water and plenty of space for roots to go. Even the cracks in the flue are helpful. Very progressive, if you ask me.
Is that what you all out there call a "green chimney?"
Jay, most chimneys around here "take a lot of green"
Mr Charles,
Who is Nutsy O'Hara and why is Mrs Kate bringing him up? There is only one Nutsy and that shall be I.
Nutsy
Nutsy, when you are playing "dress-up" as a chimney sweep it is best to keep your true identity a little more "tucked in"
And Nutsy----I think I speak for at least 50% of readers that most would rather look at your real identity:)
Charlie - love it, love it love it. I wouldn't have thunk you to be a man with a decorative flare!
Carol, thanks---hopefully you got my "secret" email:)
James, for sure---further evaluation a really good idea:)
Charles, I have a huge family room with plywood floors! I think it needs your painted fern treatment (while I wait to save up the $10000 bill it'll take to put down the floors I "think" I want!)
Gabrielle---sounds like a great idea----you may never want to change it though:)