Theodore Baird house

[juankbedoya]

Hi folks, it seems that does not exist a topic of this small and beautiful house. Fortunately we have its floor plan, an elevation and an emotive letter from Baird to Wright. On the internet there are very few exterior pictures but no more, no interior shots, no videos, no information. Could you share us what you have or what you know of this house? Greetings

[SDR]

It seems like we were looking at these recently. Here's what I have at the moment; larger images will be available when I can get onto my web host once more.

[Rood]

Variations on a theme: Sturges 1939; Baird 1940; Sander 1952

[SDR]

?

[juankbedoya]

Fortunately I found some pictures from the fb group Wright attitude..!! all credits to Robert Gregson

[Tom]

Great shots

[Matt2]

The wood on this house seems to be in great shape. What's the secret? Compare it to the wood on Wingspread or Sturges...

[DavidC]

There is a bunch on Baird in this thread - starting about halfway down on page 8.


David

[juankbedoya]

The wood on this house seems to be in great shape. What's the secret? Compare it to the wood on Wingspread or Sturges...

good question. Wingspread is a Johnson family estate, they have money I suppose, I don't understand why they dont give it maintenance... There is nothing like the beauty of the wood (in good shape of course).

[SDR]

Taking care of a clear-finished wooden building exterior is comparable to caring for a boat: lots of scraping and sanding followed by coats of whatever product the owner thinks will last longest.

"Brightwork" is the nautical term for clear-finished (as opposed to painted) woodwork. How often does a boat owner re-do the varnish or other coating ?

https://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/ ... Boats.html

When photos of a house show the wood looking like it was just (re)finished---it probably was. It won't look as clear and bright for long. Just for yuks, add up the square footage of the visible exterior woodwork of a typical Usonian. Don't forget those broad roof overhangs; try scraping and painting an overhead surface some time. Then there's all those recessed battens, and the edges of Wright's beloved lapped boards. Remember, Mr Wright first counseled leaving the wood unfinished, and later advised the application of a some oil. He left it to others to decide if and when those water-stained, warped and splitting boards should be replaced---while today's dedicated restorers counsel saving every scrap of "original fabric" if humanly possible.

Pretty ? Certainly. Easy to maintain ? Not so much. Love 'em while you can . . . and a "Hatlo tip of the hat" to those owners who have taken on the task of caring for a Wright-designed home. There are an increasing number of saved and restored Usonians and other houses; each season seems to bring another one (or more) to the party. Bless them all . . .

S

[Tom]

Interesting
I checked out the Epifanes website mentioned in that link.
Educational info there:
http://www.epifanes.com/introduction

[Matt2]

I can only imagine that there is some sort of wood sealer product that could now be sprayed onto wood siding. Just mask off the windows and spray away. Given that, there is new construction here in Seattle that often uses some token cosmetic wood for that "residential" vibe...and that material starts to peal and age within a year or two. Most of the mid-century houses here that were originally stained have by now been painted.

[Roderick Grant]

If the house is still in the hands of Baird's heir, he is in the building trades, so he probably has connections.

[SDR]

Paint is the almost inevitable "solution" to freshening wood---or masonry, for that matter. That very few Usonians have fallen victim to this unfortunate remedy is a testament to an apparent understanding, by successions of owners, that the visible wood surfaces of these buildings is a vital part of their makeup. Goetsch-Winckler is presently painted; I believe this damage was inflicted before the present owners took possession.

S

[Roderick Grant]

G/W was painted decades ago, but not two-tone, as it is today.