Come learn the art of woodwork refinishing

While the Brummer Building has been undergoing an extensive remodel, an important phase of the project is the repair and refinishing of the windows and woodwork. Terry K. Philips of Mills Seed, LLC of Washington, Iowa, is the contractor in charge of the renovations. Every window on the second and third floors will need some kind of work done to them.

Recently, Philips began on the front second-story windows. He started with a window on the north side of the building to find that work on the frame will include cleaning off old caulking, stripping away old varnish, and repairing wood on the frame itself.

Since the windows are double-hung, Philips also removed parts of the interior framing to find that the rope that holds the weight was badly deteriorated. The weight, a good-sized 11 pound piece of metal, will be reused once the refinishing is complete.

Philips said that window work is something of a lost art and is seeking volunteers who are interested in learning how to do the work on the windows and other woodwork refinishing projects in the building. If you are interested in learning a useful skill and helping to restore a Main Street icon in downtown Cherokee, contact the Brummer Legacy Foundation on their Facebook page for more information.