Someday (if we become clinically insane) we think it would be nice to restore the exterior of the house. The previous owners had vinyl installed because they were getting up in years and couldn’t handle the painting of the asbestos anymore. I suppose vinyl is better than asbestos shingles any day, and most people outside the restoration community don’t even realize its vinyl until they touch it. But to me there are areas that scream cheesy vinyl detailing.

Unfortunately from the photos, all the original (and probably beautiful) trim was removed from the doors and windows probably when the asbestos was installed.

From the photos left by the previous owners, we get a glimpse into how much repair and restoration work there would be to restore the old shingles. It would look so pretty. I can’t imagine the cost, though, as I’m sure its tons of lead based paint and we’d have to pay an arm and a leg for safe removal to begin repair work and repaint. One can dream, though.

Update: We’ve had a couple of bids done just for kicks, and it would be anywhere from $15,000-$20,000 to restore the exterior. Uh, yeah, not unless we win the lottery.