Maintaining the Charm of an Old Home
If you own an older home like I do then you know that constant maintenance and improvement is a must. Love it or hate it, this is merely the price we pay for the charm, quality materials and workmanship not seen in many of today’s contemporary construction practices and materials.
Nearly every facet of your home is in a constant state of flux – this year might present the need for new windows, next year a new roof. In fact, depending on the construction year of your home you know that constant upgrades and repairs are essential to keeping ahead of the curve.
Immediately after purchasing our 1928 home we replaced the roof. A few months later we began the arduous task of replacing nearly every window. This was costly and time consuming, but we agreed it needed to be done. Next we added insulation to the attic floor which, unfortunately, is not accessible for storage purposes (but this made the project that much easier).
Over the next few years we repaired a leak in the roof, solved a major leak stemming from our biggest window AC unit that caused extensive water damage both to the window frame, the ceiling underneath and even led to some issues with the exterior brickwork.
The ensuing years saw us forced to dig out the sewer drain which was located underneath a four inch thick concrete slab … no small feat. A twelve foot hole, nearly eight feet wide was dug directly outside the back door in the middle of January. The inconvenience lasted well into the late spring and we had a perfect mud pit between the driveway and the back door with no alternative route. In desperation we built a makeshift plywood “dock”. Far from perfect, but it did its job and sufficiently eliminated most of the mud.
One of the best rewards you can give yourself is to cultivate a strong relationship with a home maintenance company with whom you trust, both for their workmanship and integrity. Finding such is not always easy – there are far too many to choose from in most communities. But if you are careful and know what your needs are the process can be significantly simplified. Best of luck with your next project!
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