A Little Update on the New Old House
We’ve had our first overnight company. When they came we had no hot water, a leak in the shower, only one bathroom operational, and the upstairs AC shut down. None of it was fatal, our preservation crew was quick to respond, and it makes a great story. When our next guests came, the upstairs toilet wasn’t working, our master bathroom was under construction, and the toilet in the half bath, the only operational one at the time, wouldn’t stop running. The upstairs toilet stained the brand-new ceiling in the downstairs half bath and was discovered to not have a seal. (For how many years isn’t known.) If you watch Fixer-Upper, you know about those phone calls Chip and Joanna have to make to their clients. “Hi, how are you. Listen, we ran into a little problem today…” We got that call. It meant a new water line from the house to the street. But, while they were digging, they found an artifact! It’s a horseshoe. Perhaps it’s a lucky one. Found about 18” underground, it’s so corroded it looks like it fits a Clydesdale! I’m soaking it in vinegar and scrubbing with a wire brush to get some of the rust off. It will be fun to learn how old it is. The running half bath toilet is fixed, the upstairs toilet is sealed, the ceiling will be redone, the hot water heater is repaired, the new water line in place, and the new bathroom is close to finished. The vanity is expected this week.
When the crew finishes the bathroom, our bedroom closets will be gutted and redesigned, our bedroom will be painted, and we’ll refinish the downstairs floors. Upstairs the bedroom ceilings and woodwork as well as the wood floors will complete the interior preservation and restoration. (Bedroom walls and hall have already been painted.)
The garden plans are finished. We await approval to remove a 50-year-old pine tree that grows in the center of the driveway and bends over the house. I’ve unearthed bricks and stockpiled them for borders and dug liriope by the wagon loads. Next week the big fence, with all the ivy and vines removed, will be taken 17 feet back to the end of our lot. That 17 feet was a jungle of ivy, leaves, saplings, limbs and branches from previous storms covered over with weeds. I’ve worked all summer to prepare it, and now it’s ready for its new boundaries and to become part of the yard and gardens. I, and an army of mosquitos, are excited to get started on that phase.
So, fixer-upper fan club, you’re up-to-date. There isn’t really anything dramatic or pretty to share photos about unless you like to look at waterlines and toilets. But, soon. Very soon.