Back in the last century, I used to fix up the worst of “Crack Houses” in the bad part of East Austin before we chased the gangsters and drug dealers, the whores on the streetcorners, even in the doors of the “We No Tell 1 hr Hotel” on the corner opposite my offices as I opened my real estate office on Manor Road, 1989, before the revitalization, later called gentrification happened through our joint efforts in the neighborhood. While that took years, it was worth it to see the place become a great neighborhood to raise a kid… but I moved away to Gonzales in those times when I also had created the Discovery Incubator, Austin’s first Cybercafe when the internet had just been introduced.
ABOR Revitalization awards and Entrepreneur of the Year Award for my work to save old houses and neighborhoods while providing first-time home buyers houses where boarded-up condemned houses have sat for half a decade with crime, drug dealing, and the fencing of stolen goods for drugs was an industry. The Austin downtown Police station was six blocks away, and they had a 45-minute response time to 911 calls, or more, with 210 calls from that location at 20th and Poquito, where the Pitbull and Cockfights went on Fridays and Saturdays for years before I bought the houses and evicted the sponsors.
What I learned along the way to save the Sears and Montgomery Wards houses that still stand in parts of Austin, once a stable for housing East of IH35 location. Once in our past just a century ago when people of color had no where else to go and get utilities in Austin. So much has changed in society, that city, and how people do things, but the way you oil a floor has not changed except that you can use more chemicals than ever. How many of them are unhealthy? As yet, we do not know.
As I created new houses from the parts of those that had to come down, salvaged with the intention of reusing, gave me all I needed to start a salvage business, and finally left Austin when my son had just turned ten. I got to spend some time with him and play a bit before he grew up and went to see the world, then be not be seen evermore. He passed away and left me with this massive gift to share as I now attempt to host as many Outposts as possible. Please enjoy these ways to save the woodcut in the past from incredible trees, a thousand years of growth. Watch to see what you can do to make yours look like this if they started by looking like the guests still leave for me. If you must repair the looks, the stains and other things will often disappear when adding these oils like I do. This is pine, not oak, my friends, and there is a difference that shows up in the end.
Please leave a heart and share if you learned anything.
Once upon a time, when the models were in front and the Grand Opening was only days away: a tornado came to visit and knocked over 7 houses that I once thought would be very hard to do. Sadly it was broken but we were able to right and fix it, thus you see it 16 years later, still looing good, but a different window in the front where the roof from the porch went through.
Brad w. Kittel
3rd of series: How to hand rub, oil, & rejuvenate your wood floors fast yourself.