For those who are following our journey, I know it’s been awhile since I posted. There have been several times I’ve thought, “I really need to make an update!” But in an appreciation for your time, I didn’t want to post a bunch of gibberish just to say, “Look! There’s an update!”
The changes are coming along, but they have been slow. We ran into a few more issues, which is never what a homeowner wants to hear when they’re renovating. As mentioned in the last post, the workers discovered that the front sill plate of the house was pretty rotted out, so we had to come to terms with spending money to have it replaced. The contractor thinks it was probably caused by inadequate drainage in the front yard in years past, but it looks like that isn’t going to be an issue now. We opted for trying to fix the problem from inside the house and crawl space so we wouldn’t have to remove any siding, since replacing the siding has not been part of our project or budget.
While the plate was being replaced, we received an inspection notice from Allstate that they will require us to address some problems with the aluminum siding in order to renew our policy next year. Ugh. Well, we could probably just fix those problem areas, but, let’s just go for broke, right?! So, we decided to get bids on replacing the siding now. We were well aware that it would need to be replaced in the future, but hoped we could wait a few years. Apparently that was a fool’s dream! So now that’s another project on the list.
The contractor is pretty pleased that the siding is going to be done. And not just because it will make him a little more money but because it will make some of his work easier. Like replacing the windows. And it also meant he was good to rip off some siding from the front of the house to finish up the sill plate problem. Guess what?!?! We found more rot!!! While a part of me is frustrated, more of me is grateful for finding it now so we can take care of it. The thought of investing in this house and fixing it up just to deal with major issues later because we were unaware of them is much more troubling to me.
Aside from these issues, the foundation repair company is still waiting on their permit approval, but it should be in next week. They have said they will be out within a few days of getting the permit and so much really rides on them. We can do plumbing (starts next Tuesday!), electrical, insulation, and possibly the windows before the foundation is complete. Everything else has to wait on them – not putting in flooring and drywall if we’re going to be shifting the house around! But while it may seem like things have been on hold, we are still making progress considering the handful of unforeseen repairs we’re making. I have to finalize the kitchen layout and cabinets next week for install in mid-October, which is on schedule. Cabinets and countertops are the last to go in!
While all this was happening, we’ve been enjoying the outdoors a bit. The wildlife in our own backyard continues to impress me all the time. Whether it’s a doe and fawn, an elk and her calf, or a flock of 20 Evening Grosbeaks at my bird feeders, I love it. We took a drive up to Glacier View this past week, part of the Mt. Tahoma Trails, and it was jaw-dropping. We drove ever-so-slowly on the forest service road, looking for a place to hike, and suddenly crested to this absolutely amazing view!
The weather is definitely starting to change: cooler and grayer some days than others, driving me and Charlotte back indoors during the daytime. But Pat installed the lighting in my studio this weekend, so I hope to be able to keep working there. I took roughly 15lb of raw fiber (Alpaca, Babydoll, and Blue Faced Leicester fleeces) to a local mill for processing, so sometime in October I should have my hands full of roving for spinning. Now if we can just make enough room in the studio around all the random stuff we have stored in there for now and put my loom back to use, I can start to feel productive again! We are also getting to know more people in the community and it’s making this place really feel like home. The downside of small communities is also the upside, everybody knows everybody. I love the stories people are able to share with us about the house and its history, so I invite anyone who wants to share their memories and history of the Iverson house to post it here. I want to know and respect the memories that the walls hold and the land gives; I want to build on them, not replace them.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.
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