I’m happy and so thankful to tell you it rained most of the early morning hours and on and off all day; sometimes quite hard, but nary a drop was found coming through the roof and into my sewing room. I made a little “rain catcher” to make sure it caught any drops if they happened to come through… It’s silly, but here it is…
We worked hard all day and you would have thought maybe we could have gotten it finished? NOT! It didn’t happen today, but Cindy kept flooding me with pictures of things she saw in magazines and online that gave me hope that this wasn’t going to be an epic failure and that it would have “character” and be “unique” and fun! The more she texted me, the more I believed her…
Then I walked out to the mailbox in the rain and saw this… my Rhododendron was blooming…
It had “tears” all over it and that made me smile…
Today was one of those days that just took time to do all the necessary things, but things that don’t really show or are pretty! Things like electrical boxes being moved over and then the old hole being patched and sanded down so it will blend in with the rest of the siding. But like I said, it’s necessary, and it will be under my sewing table… so it won’t show, but I still wanted it done right…I’m NOT kidding…we could have won an award for taking the longest time ever to put in an outlet and then repair the old spot… It was like an episode of the Three Stooges. We were like idiots trying to get things to work…
My hubby moved my outlet over because my new drawers are wider and the outlet would have been behind the drawers. He also put it in sideways.. . much easier than cutting through the 2 layers of that siding.
Here are a few pictures of how we got the block of wood to stay in place. I thought of this… I held onto the screw in my sewing room while he worked on the other side in the living room.
Then we had to cut some of the scrap pieces we took from the corner to use as pieces to fill the hole even more..
…and with a little wood filler… (still waiting to dry and be sanded) after we spent another hour altering 2 pieces of the siding to replicate the look.
You should see the mess around here… not just in my sewing room… but look at my dining room table… EEK!
The edges of the siding that join to the facings are cracked and pulling away. My hubby used a chisel and squared them up a bit and tomorrow he plans to put on his cape and “Caulk King” will make an appearance! YAY… there are LOTS of cracks on this wall that will look so much better when he does his work on them.
I filled all of the nail holes will wood filler and sanded a big part of the day… I also worked on this one area by the door that was the only place that was kind of splintered… Here are a few steps along the way of what I’ve remolded it into… it’s looking pretty good… it started out kind of like a puzzle to me… fitting the right little pieces in the right place…
I know you all probably think I’m absolutely crazy, and maybe I am, but this is just the way we work around here.. use what you have and save where you can…
Joy said she would probably just rip down that siding and put drywall up on what was underneath… Well, that would have been nice, but this is what is underneath the white siding… 2″ thick solid oak boards… that are about as crude as they come…It would have been a real mess dealing with that, and there is no guarantee that there wasn’t big gaps or worse under there.
The siding is solid as can be and not fragile…it’s not brittle and is very tough! It’s actually in pretty decent condition and with a little more help I think it’s going to be okay…
Joy also mentioned that the roof pitch didn’t look very high over my sewing room and that the water probably wasn’t running off fast enough. We realized that yesterday as we were trying to figure out where it was leaking to the inside. When my hubby poured water on the roof, it just kind of meandered down taking it’s time and going here and there and I’m sure that’s what is happening…it’s finding every little nook and cranny and going under the shingles and not just running straight off. I’m guessing we need some trusses added to that part of the roof that raise up the pitch so the water runs off faster and quicker instead of taking its sweet time and “getting into trouble!!!”
We didn’t bother with the corner until this evening and since it was dry, we used this expanding foam that will have to be trimmed tomorrow before we put our trim in place in the corner. We did buy PVC trim for the 2 corner pieces, just in case of moisture, but hopefully we’ll get our roof replaced soon.
If you aren’t a DIY person, you might not be able to see it like we can… but hopefully, I can get this to a point where you’ll think, “wow, they did it!” That’s my new goal!
Oh one more thing… Kristoffer came over this afternoon and made us dinner and dessert…It was SO good… some kind of steak called Milanese (I think) and noodles and roasted Yukon gold potatoes, and this dessert that he thought up last week, that was seriously to die for! I may or may not have had seconds… :o)
Well, hopefully, I’ll have more to show you on Monday… maybe even a “pretty” shot of something!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m so glad the patch on your roof was effective, and you have figured what part of the problem might be (the pitch). Always good to be prepared, though, just in case!!
Wow, you really got quite a lot done on that wall yesterday!! It will be so worth it when it is all done!! And all because you needed a sewing table with more storage!!
The rhodies are blooming all over here, too. I don’t have rhodies but I do have a beautiful azalea bush, with bright magenta-pink blossoms, which I just love! And…my lilac is in full bloom now!! Hooray!!
The meal Kristoffer made for you certainly looks delicious!! Please pass the dessert!! LOL (Do you think he’d be willing to share the recipe?!
We had summer-like weather today–mid 70s–and low 80s are expected tomorrow in time for Mother’s Day weekend (Seattle area). Wonderful!! However, reality strikes again Monday/Tuesday, when clouds move back in and we’ll be back in our normal temps of low 60s. Just a Taste of summer!
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are moms out there! If your mom is still alive, I hope you get to at least talk to her. If not, please know you are not alone. Jeanne, I know this Mother’s Day is going to be a little tough for you; you are in my prayers. (I took flowers to the cemetery today….)
Thank you Charlotte,
You aren’t the only one who was happy the roof didn’t leak… :o)
I never intended for this to be such a big project…I just wanted a bigger sewing area and one that hugged my wall…but this begat that, and that begat that and now it’s a full blown, figure it out as we go along, project.
I LOVE Azaleas too…especially the magenta ones like you have!!
Have a wonderful Mother’s Day yourself, Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m tired out from just reading about all your work, Jeanne! It will be worth it in the end. We had our roof replaced 3 summers ago. Huge mess! But the roofers really knew their stuff. They had tarps and farm wagons to catch all the stuff they ripped off. We never saw any nails or even ripped shingles while they were doing it or after they were gone. The only thing they left was a hammer! Accidentally.
We’re both going to have a hard Mother’s Day, Jeanne. We’ll get through it. My family still needs to have my mother’s inurnment. In the meantime her urn is in her china cupboard with her blue glass collection.
Hi Julia,
I got the walls primed twice today and think it looks wonderful…so does my hubby!
We want a good company to do our roof when we get ready for it to be done…ours is a complicated one…and we don’t think an average roofing company could handle it.
Today has been a weepy day for me… I was here by myself painting and I didn’t have any TV or radio on, just me and my thoughts. Once again, doing a project brought memories of my momma…she would have loved to have seen what was under that paneling!!
A very special Mothers Day to you, Julia,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh yay! on all of the progress made yesterday. That must feel so good to have gotten all of that accomplished. The rhododendron bloom was a blessing to be sure.
Hi Becky,
My “siding” looks wonderful now, with 2 coats of primer on it… I’m starting to get excited st the prospects of what it will look like…
Thanks so much for your kind words@
Blessings, Jeanne
Now, you’re going to dislike me intensely, but I probably would have left the exposed old oak wood boards. They look wonderful! 🙂 What a find. Hope you have stock in the caulking/foam/wood filler companies. So much work to do on that old siding wall. We still have our original redwood siding which is in need yet again of maintenance, but it is on the outside. I’m sure the siding wall on the inside will had interest to your sewing room. I know ship lap siding is very popular on the inside now. Can’t wait to see if you hang decorative wall items on it. You guys must be exhausted with all of that demo, thinking, and repair. Hope it comes together soon.
What a great dinner ala Kristoffer, and so appreciated after all of your hard work.
And your rhodie is gorgeous. Looks like more blooms to come. Our orchid cactus has bud so, hopefully we’ll see if bloom soon. Everything else blossom wise is a little scorched since it hit 90 yesterday. Fog has rolled in though, so today is much cooler.
Hope you can squeeze in some rest tomorrow. Good day for fond memories.
Just thinking, but how fun would it be to leave off a chunk of that siding and put in a Plexiglas panel/frame to show what’s inside the wall. I’ve seen that done before in old homes. 🙂
Hope you’re not working too hard to day.
Hi Joy,
If you could see and touch those old oak boards, up close, you’d know why we can’t use them…they are dirty and uneven and stuff falls off if them. I don’t think it would be a good combination for a sewing room where I’m trying to keep things neat and clean…
The shiplap found in my kitchen was different…I washed it down and put a sealer of linseed oil on it. There ‘s no way to do it to these boards.. it would be fun, though, to see a section of it, like you mentioned.
Cindy was kind of hinting for me to look under the ceiling tiles and see what was under them. It’s a flat roof (almost) so I’m sure it’s probably just plywood…or it could be boards like my living room… my hubby would never go for that though. I think the only reason this is getting done, is because it’s just one wall…
Aya’s little play set is just the sweetest thing, Joy!! Absolutely love your fabrics! You outdid yourself on ths one!
Blessings, Jeanne
I love your rain catcher. Glad it turned out you didn’t need it. That dining room table with all the tools looks all too familiar. Unfortunately around here things tend to remain a bit after completion of a job until I get a box, put everything left in it and present it to my DIYers to take to the shop. I’m really looking forward to seeing the completed project. I’m sure you are too.
What a beautiful flower on your rhododendron. My Oleanders and Knock Out Roses are blooming nicely. We’ve had some good rains lately. But I’m still lamenting my inability to have Lilacs here. You’d think I’d be over it. I’ve been in Texas since 1969.
I would love to have all of Kristoffer’s recipes. Everything looks so yummy. And how nice he could come cook for you when you are probably exhausted. I’ve never liked to cook. I always preferred sewing. My mother was an amazing cook. We kids always said she could go into an empty refrigerator and come out with a four course meal. Not me. If I’m going to cook I need to go buy what I need. But both my kids are wonderful cooks and share the experience with their spouses. Guess it skipped a generation.
Happy Mother’s Day to everyone! Jeanne and Julia know my prayers are with you for a pleasant day knowing you’ve experienced a great loss this year. My mother has been gone thirteen years now and I still find myself wanting to send her a Mother’s Day card. Can they receive e-cards in Heaven?
Hi Barbara,
After priming the walls today two times, and seeing all the wood filler sanded down and mildew stains vanish, I am really thinking this is going to be nice! I just looks so clean and sturdy…not brittle, like the paneling did…
I never was a very good cook till I got married…and even then, my hubby did the cooking for the first 6 months… I couldn’t cook, but I could sew!! Just like you!!
If e’cards could be sent to heaven, I’d be scrambling to find the perfect one for my mom!
Thank you Barbara,
Blessings, Jeanne
Barbara, I’ve lived in the Seattle area since 1960, and still bemoan the lack of “real” seasons, not enough snow (sometimes none) in the winter, and the lack of a real horizon (the mountains get in the way–and I do Not like mountains!). So I do understand your feelings!
My mom’s been gone 13 years, also. I took flowers to the cemetery yesterday.
Dear DIY EXPERTS,
You are really an inspiration to anyone with a really old house! Our farm house had outlets in every room but they were 4 feet above the floor. Tell George that one😆..it was because they dropped the wiring from the ceiling down and there was a brick inside the walls 4 ft up.
Someone told us it was to protect you against the Indians or bullets coming through the walls…yikes! Was so weird to have an end table with a lamp and the plug above the end table🙄
One day I wanted to put up a shelf and when I put a big nail in the wall to hold it all we could hear was pieces of plaster falling inside the wall. I went to my hubby’s work bench and found a huge long nail and by bff and I used it…and it did hold the shelf!. When my hubby looked at it he laughed…it was a gutter nail. Almost came through the room on the other side.
Keep at it…it will be a great sewing room.
You paint a vivid picture. Everyone huddled against the brick wall during an Indian attack. 🙂 And what a clever use of a gutter nail. I have one that I use to open old tubes of caulking. Love that thing. 🙂
Hi Kathie,
DIY EXPERTS??? You must be joking… we do lots of projects but that doesn’t make us experts…it just makes us experienced in lots of areas. Whether we get it perfect or not, we always try to do the very best job with what we have.
I LOVED your story about the bottom of the walls being in brick to protect from Indians!! Whether it’s true or not, what a great conversation starter!!
It’s already starting to look like a great sewing room! I’m sort of getting excited.
Thanks Kathie
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, little by little you are making progress. You have the confidence in knowing that when the job is done, it will be done correctly and all will be well.
The meal looks delicious. How wonderful of your son to treat you.
Happy Mothers Day to all in honor of your mothers.
Hi Dorothy,
I know one thing..the cold air I used to feel on my legs and feet, as I was sewing before, was because of that flimsy paneling and the huge crack in that corner. There was a 2″ gap at the corner, and it was just a piece of siding keeping the wind and cold temps out.
Thanks for our encouragement, Dorothy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Barbara, I’ve lived in the Seattle area since 1960, and still bemoan the lack of “real” seasons, not enough snow (sometimes none) in the winter, and the lack of a real horizon (the mountains get in the way–and I do Not like mountains!). So I do understand your feelings!
My mom’s been gone 13 years, also. I took flowers to the cemetery yesterday.
oops. I posted something twice. Sorry!