@Laura Hoefer seems like your situation is not as bad as ours in terms of exposure. We didn't know about the windows and my kid's bed was right by them. He got exposed a lot with all the opening and closing. Plus the age doesn't help - he still puts everything in his mouth. If you decide to strip them yourself, I would advise to take a class on lead safety. That being said seems like it's a very complicated process and it might make the situation worse. There are some sealing paints for lead, but you'll still have to scrape the peeling paint off, which is dangerous. I'm going to strip only the 1st floor windows as it gets warmer (they are 8 ft tall so super expensive to replace), but we decided to replace the rest. Restoring is even more expensive if a professional is hired. Have you tried using professional lead cleaning products for lead to mop the floors? Maybe this will help reduce the exposure for your kids. It's all so scary. I'm scared that my kid will be permanently brain-damaged due to all of this :(

Well all I know is I am still installingiron balusters here in Richmond Va in Aug 2018 and I did my first installation back in 2007. I just installed some plain square balusters for an interior designer who swore against them (she wanted a real thin baluster for this particular job so I suggested giving iron balusters a go) she now loves the look. Many of the model homes have the twist and basket series installed or go with the standard wood option because of material cost and labor. Also please note there are many different options and finishes to choose from. Also remember the pattern of balusters matters.

Hey there jessep! New Berlin - small world! I I think you are definitely right about keeping the soffit light because it is over two feet wide. I'm still stuck on the idea of chestnut bronze for the fascia, gutters & windows. Leaving the soffit white (alabaster) would also allow me to leave the garage door white because I definitely don't want to paint or replace that since it's in good shape. The roof is brown and what's worse that it's got kind of a mahogany/violet undertone. I would much prefer one the color of the example picture. I will also take your advice regarding large color samples to help us make any decisions easier. Thanks for that! I was talking with another friend this weekend who said that he thought I should stay away from a black facia because it may fade and get ashy looking. To replace the barn red maybe we'll try matching the color of our brick to help make the house look all-brick? I don't know...

Have you considered a larger more sheltered entryway? Do seriously consider putting a roof between the left (garage) wing of the house and the right wing of the house for a larger covered portico, and adding porch/portico lighting in the ceiling of the new portico/porch. As you extend the roof, put your support posts literally against the inner sides of the two wings of the house (rather than crowding the entryway with posts closer together). ... One option would be to extend the roof on the right wing of the house: https://willophx.com/home-tour/ ... Another option would be to create a hip roof portico (preferably without the double bulky posts) : https://www.georgiafrontporch.com/portfolio_category/hip-roof/#prettyPhoto[gallery2935]/0/ ... Another option would be to create a rounded front for a flat roof of the portico, https://in.pinterest.com/pin/490610953134023345/ ... with the rounded part front of the flat (or nearly flat) portico roof extending in front of the front exterior wall of the house so it shelters the rounded front steps. By making the roof top of the portico deeper between its upper part (roof/balcony) and its lower part (ceiling), (with or without a railing), you could bridge the distance between the height of the two roof lines.