I wish I could tell you I cut out a new doll dress and had it half way finished, but sorry, my day was super busy again helping my hubby get the hole in the roof patched before it rains. When we took out the chimney it left a hole in the roof about 28″ x 22″ and that had to be reinforced and covered with 1-1/4″ thick plywood.
This was from the inside looking out…(obviously!) showing some of my hubby’s framing work…
We had to get it just right so when the roofers come (in 3-6 weeks) and they tear off the old shingles, the patch that we put up there will be even with the rest of the wood decking.
It was warmer today and next to that black shingled roof, it was REALLY hot! Why the original 1892 owners put a chimney right in the roof pitch and in one of the creases of the roof, I’ll never understand…
Plus being up in the attic made it even hotter… we did have a fan on, but it was blowing things around and we were balancing on a long fat board over the stairway.
I know it looks like a disaster up there and it looks like an even crummier house… it’s an 1892… not some new thing from a few years ago… we’ll get it put back together…
This was what it looked like when we got the hole all sealed…
My hubby had it the worst though… he had nailed a few short pieces of wood on the roof outside so he could have something to stand on while he worked on the outside… it was a bit precarious looking and he said VERY uncomfortable. He used silicone caulk all around the edges and then decided to coat it with Flex Seal to waterproof the board in case of rain…
I told him it kind of looks like a black skylight (if you use your imagination!)
A few of you asked about the bricks from the chimney… well, here they are…
We don’t have any plans for them, except to add them to our neighbors fill hole… I don’t think I could talk my hubby into something with them if I batted my eyelashes and made him homemade brownies… it’s something he wants to forget… we’ll see… ;o)
The new hot water heater and the pipes have to be run up from the basement and then he will cut a hole in this piece we just did today and the pipes will extend a bit outside the roofline. The best part? A nice hot shower! :o)
The shingles we picked are called Pewter Gray by GAF and they are the architectural style… It really should improve the looks of our house… the roof was pretty awful looking up close…AND far away!
Well, I am tired and I know tomorrow will be busy so I better get to bed…
I WILL get back to sewing asap!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow, what a job!! I’m so glad George got that hole patched, though–and coating the board with flex-seal was an excellent idea! Clever of him to nail those pieces of board onto the roof so he could “stand” and work on it, too!!
As to those old bricks, if you decided not to use them, you might (before tossing them in the neighbor’s hole) put a “free bricks–you haul!” sign on them and see if someone else wants them! Just be sure you take the wheelbarrow and other tools away first, so it’s Only the bricks in the “free” pile!
HI Charlotte,
Yes, it was (and still is) a big job! I bet I know what’s happening tomorrow… the pipe is going to get fed down the chimney!
I looked the bricks and they are pretty crummy… imagine 1892 bricks from a coal furnace… they are pretty nasty and brittle and I’m pretty sure they are too crumbly to make into a decent project… but they are sitting out there on the concrete and will stay there for a while… too many other things more important to think about right now…
Thanks Charlotte,
blessings, Jeanne
What an undertaking there, Jeanne! As usual, George “gets it done”! I know I would be on pins and needles to see Michael up there working on the roof, and yes, what WERE they thinking to put a chimney right there back in 1892?
Architectual shingles are the way to go now, and they are really long lasting, plus look so good! We have them too, and they really do hold up. It will be interesting to see how your gray looks. Ours are gray too, but with little differences in the shading. It will be a vast improvement on the outside of the house, for sure!
I was also going to mention having a sign with “free bricks” and give them away first. We used bricks for a lot of things outside here, and got them from some place in Alton where they tore down a building, and it was a free bricks give-away. Of course, though, they were “clean bricks”, meaning no mortar on them, and those would probably go faster. If you get no takers, then they can go in that hole!
First things first: About bathing, when I had surgery last summer I was recommended Scrubezz Rinse Free Bath Sponges. No rinsing required and just towel dry. I ordered them on the Internet but they may be available at the drugstore. They work great and may be cut into smaller pieces depending on the use. Also good for shampooing.
The latest creation is wonderful no matter what color it is. Glad the light box worked and eliminated the shadows on the face by diffusing the light from its source. Backdrops can be used but you wouldn’t want to block the light coming in from the sides. Natural light is very tricky and can’t be duplicated from shot to shot and time of day but makes for interesting pictures with pretty landscape backgrounds. Best of luck with the auction.
The bird couple that use the hanging basket on the patio have the baby birds almost ready to fly, only two this year. Last year there were three. The orchids are in full bloom and last about six weeks to two months. I’ll send along a couple of pictures soon.
When I first saw the attic hole and the clear blue sky, I immediately thought, oh a skylight for the attic. Would be fun. But, know you do need a vent pipe for your water heater. Our water heater has only one vent pipe that runs from the water heater up through the attic and roof and is covered with a special cap/vent cover on the outside. It is a double sided type pipe I believe. However, ours only goes from the main level and up, not the basement. Basements are uncommon here, but our split level has a garage below as well as a huge storage area, not unlike your basement. We’ve often thought of dropping the water heater down to that area of the garage. Kind of an reverse of your project. I really like how George braced the patch. Will be so sturdy and perfect on which to nail the new roof shingles. Very brave to be up in that stifling attic too. Our attic is also a hot box. We do have vents, but it still gets very warm up there. 🙁
When I saw the brick pile, it brought back so many memories. Back about 1965, we were still living in the house that my father built in 1949. My parents bought a lot and were having a new home built. My mother wanted a brick fireplace and brick accents on the house so my father talked to a childhood friend and arranged to buy bricks from him at a very reasonable price. Believe it or not, the bricks had been dumped on property the friend owned on the outskirts of town after the 1906 earthquake. Most of the town fell down at that time. The old brick buildings fell mostly because the mortar used at that time had too much sand and not enough cement. That said, the used bricks were beautiful, but in need of work like your pile. My parents would drive out to the property the friend owned and pick up a load of bricks, bring them home, and unload them into the garage. Then in the evening, my mother and father would be in the garage with hammers and special chipping tools cleaning bricks. I guess I was doing homework because I only watched and didn’t chip. But I must have learned something because much later, I laid a brick patio here at our house. 🙂 Anyway, the now clean bricks were stacked and taken up to our new house where they were then make into a beautiful fireplace and front door entryway. Those old 1906 bricks are really beautiful. Nothing like old brick. Can’t compare to the new stuff. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your project. Will you be having new gutters installed as well? We did a few years ago and also had gutter guards put on top to keep leaves out. Not sure how that works in your neck of the woods with the snow, but we love them. Makes it so nice not to have to climb up on the roof to clean them anymore. 🙂
I am very familiar with old old houses and “What were they thinking?” moments. Been there. Done that. 😁
Oh Julia,
Sometimes you just want to throw up your hands and say, “Seriously???” It’s happened way too many times for us…
Blessings, Jeanne
Trust Mr. Caulk Guy to get things done.. I’m also familiar with old houses and helping to rip things out and having things changed. The two houses I lived in as a teen had some work down on them that way.
Oh, architectural style shingles are so much nicer. that is exactly what we chose when the roof was redone. What I difference in look it made.
Nice to hear about your bird couple, Susette. We have a bird couple as well. The nest is up in the crook of the downspout and well protected under the eaves. The babies can take there first flight to the roof under the bedroom windows and then down to the lower bushes.
Hi Laura
I never really noticed the shingles on hoyses until recently…and how when I see those archectitural ones. They really stand out… I’m nervous to see them on my house though… it’s hard to pick a color from a 3″ square…they did give us one sample shingle but even that is hard to tell…
Thanks Laura,
Blessings, Jeanne
Fun seeing how the roof / chimney project is coming along. Remember we had a 100 year old farmhouse too and had to remove one of the chimneys as well. It came from ground up through our family room and up through a second floor bedroom and out. A few years before we had to remove it there was something blocking it and we were getting smoke in the house. Hubby got up on the roof to look down and he could see what looked like a bird nest in it. So my job was to hold a garbage bag over the hole in the chimney where the big pipe came in from the heater to the chimney while he dropped a brick to force the nest down to where I was covering the hole. Well…..he dropped it and it fell fast and hard and a huge WHOOSH of nest, soot and other stuff but mostly soot gushed out mostly past the garbage bag and all over me, head to toe ….it was quite amusing to him and the kids. Wish there was a picture of that mess🥴
Oh Kathie
What a story!!! You had me laughing at that one!!! I bet your family never let you live that one down. Did they?
Sorry. But that was too funny not to laugh…im afraid I’ve got to tell my hubby that one!!!
Blessings, Jeanne
Lovely of George to wear a shirt to match the sky for your pictures. That’s a huge job — I hope you are calling out for pizza tonight. None of you will be up for cooking tonight.
Hi Marilyn,
I made chicken and green beans last night, but tonight we did have that pizza!! :o)
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, it looks like things are moving along.
I hope you will have a visit from your sisters soon. That will surely make you smile.
Hi Dorothy,
Now a visit from Cindy and Deb would certainly make me smile!!
Blessings. Jeanne