So...I can see clearly now the Roof..er..Rain is gone.

The concept of "little things becoming Big things" is a well known fact in renovations. When i posted my list of things to do in the spring, Kim commented on how one thing will lead to another....and she is right.

The leak in the kitchen ceiling, became a bigger issue the other night, after someone pulled down some of the sopping wet plaster and paint....we were worried that it was going to fall on Papa or one of the kids, so  just "pulling" down the hanging pieces sounded like a good idea.

Really...for a brief moment it DID sound like a good idea.

Now....not so much.

While i was at work yesterday, the ceiling came down.
Keith thought he could just pull off the plaster and then fix the problem.

40 garbage bags later, not to mention all of the lathe that will serve as fire pit fodder for the fall...i have vaulted ceilings in my kitchen.
Or i could say i have air conditioning in the kitchen...or sky-lights.
OR I could say it like it is.

I have one hell of a mess in the kitchen, where there USED to be a ceiling.

One of the joys of having a house built in the early 1900's, is that you never know what you are going to find when you have to"fix" something. I also think that although you SAY out loud that you know that buying an old house it going to mean fixing things, and updating things and "oh-i-can't-wait-to-restore-it" type of things..In your head, you REALLY SECRETLY think that it WON'T BE THAT BAD..and how bad could it be?

Yep....What part do you think keith was listening to when he decided to pull down "just this little piece of plaster"? BEFORE he tarped off the doorways that lead to the rest of the house.  OR took ANYTHING out of the kitchen...like glassware, or dishes.

IT IS A MESS.
A BIG MESS.
A MESS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE CLEANING UNTIL THE CHILDREN HAVE GROWN.

The 50+ year old paper insulation....like a fine mist gets into EVERYTHING.

At one point, when Munch was standing in the kitchen, shoveling the powder into garbage bags, it was over the top of his knee-high rubber boots. And i can't count the number of times i heard...Look at THIS one, as another hole was found. There wasn't just one little leak from the chimney. I do believe at last count there were FIVE separate spots where water was an issue.

BUT
We do have great friends who gave up their Saturday afternoon, and most of the evening to help us try and solve the problem.
And we are in negotiations on the type of tin ceilings that will be going up once the roof is fixed.

AND
there was coffee this morning.

SO i guess its not that bad.

YET.

Comments

[Brent]

Throughout our fix-ups this last year we have learned to be patient. VERY patient. I'm putting down our wood floor this week. I hope it turns out OK.