After the roof was installed it rained and we found two leaks in the attic. The roofer came out to inspect the areas on Monday but he did not find anything unusual – we just have to wait and see if they continue to leak.
Monday was a very busy day at the house. The roofer was here, the windows were replaced, the contractors installed a light tube, and the Skocik’s helped with many tasks (cutting trees, planting bushes, removing blinds, and cleaning up the condo).
The window installation was one of the things we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. The installers were Polish and the three of them were able to complete all the window removal, installation and trim work for 30 windows in about seven hours. It was amazing to see how fast they completed the job. We think they make the house look so much better – even our neighbors stopped by to comment on them.
Tuesday we finally had our gutters installed. It has been about two months since we’ve had gutters but even the old gutters did not do the job they were supposed to do. Having functional gutters and downspouts plays a big part in solving the basement excess moisture problem. The house also looks much more complete with them installed.
The rest of the week was filled with last minute condo work. There was a lot of caulking, painting, cleaning, and hanging fixtures. Tom and Celia, our tenants, signed the lease and moved in on Saturday. It will be very nice to have one of the mortgages paid for by someone else!
We have been spending so much time inside that on Saturday we needed a change of pace. We spent a lot of the day working on the landscaping. We had received some bushes, grasses, and lilies from a guy on Freecycle the week before and we needed to plant them all before they died. They don’t exactly fit in the places that we planted them but it is a very good (and free!) temporary solution.
Now that spring has sprung, we are surprised to find some of the plants the previous owners had growing. There are some pretty (but neglected) azaleas, hostas, and rhododendron plants. We’ll have to wait until the fall to try to prune them into shape.
Even though I hadn’t run at all for six months, I had signed up for the Clyde’s 10K race. On Sunday morning, it was 34 degrees when we woke up and I was extremely tempted to stay in bed. However, I knew that if I didn’t race that I would find it very difficult to motivate myself to start training. I lined up in the very back of the pack and was just hoping to finish the race (running or walking – I didn’t care!). Shortly after the start, a girl named Michelle started running with me. We ran together for five miles – it was great to have someone to talk to during the race – she definitely motivated me to run the entire distance. I think Chris and I were both surprised that I didn’t walk at all on such a hilly course! And of course, the after race brunch was delicious!
We decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing. We did get some work accomplished including installing downspout extensions and emptying the garbage cans the last owner left for us (incredibly smelly – dirty diapers, old food, etc.). Chris also cut down some branches in the back yard. While he was doing this, he stumbled across a 3 ½ foot long slumbering black snake. To prevent Tucker from finding it, Chris hopped over the fence and gave it a new home in the open space behind the house.
Congrats! It looks like a lot of the big stuff is now complete!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you've had a busy week with a lot of repairs and chores to do. It's a good thing you got the roof replaced instead, since having a new roof can save you more in the long run than doing costly repairs for an old one. I hope the contractors found the source of the leaks and they were able to remedy it.
ReplyDeleteAJC Roofing