This week is not going to be a pretty week
A productive week for sure, but certainly not pretty.
When I first purchased the Widows Walk, I knew there were going to be a lot of challenges.
Through all of her tattered curtains, crumbling plaster, peeling paint and weathered architectural details, I could see her for what she could be, what she once was!
But the truth of the matter is that if you decide to deal with the obvious issues at hand
You must also be prepared for the multitude of catastrophic little surprises that are most probably lurking, just waiting to accost you.
The Queen was certainly NO Excpetion!
I tried desperately to save her crumbling plaster.
It just wasn’t possible, unless I wanted to be repairing cracks every 5 years for the rest of my life.
Once the plaster came off, it was very evident that a lot more was going on in the old girls insides than met the eye.
First of all there was no real insulation in any of the walls.
Someone had made a valiant attempt of insulating the roof areas
but not the exterior walls.
You could actually see outside in may areas of the exterior walls.
There were water stains on the wood
The peeling, bubbling plaster around the windows now had a valid excuse
We had discussed possibly taking off ALL of the exterior siding, wraping the house in Tyvek and then putting all of the siding back on to weatherproof the home
Quite honestly, this option left me feeling like I would rather go and get a shot than take this route.
I couldn’t imagine the siding ever getting back on the house in the proper order
And after having some of my baseboards ripped out and ruined by people who didn’t know how to carefully remove them for restoration, I was imaging quite a horror show if the siding came off
So, what were my options?
I needed to know my insulation options for an old home
It came to my attention that many people on the West coast are now turning to having a closed-cell, spray foam installed in their walls.
It’s weatherproofing qualities are unsurpassed for wood framed houses.
The idea is that the foam gets sprayed into the walls and puffs up and squeezes itself into all the nooks and crannies and seals everything off
Sounds good to me!
But, let me tell you, this stuff is NOT cheap!
And getting someone to do the job in a timely manner is a bit of a challenge.
There are simply not enough Spray Foam Contractors to keep up with the demand.
I waited 2 months before the company could come and work their magic.
Finally, yesterday, the big day arrived!
Kevin and his crew from 951 Construction showed up early and got right to work.
I was fascinated with the whole process.
One guy sprayed, while the other acted as a mad scientist in the back of the truck. Checking gauges, making sure the pressure was good and the chemicals in the barrels kept flowing.
It looked a bit like a nuclear meltdown crisis
I am sure The Queen was quite aghast at the atrocity that she was being subjected to.
It’s hard to see in the photo, but there are so many gaps letting in water, air, etc., that the foam pushed through to the outside
sealing everything nicely.
Here are some photos of the finished product.
The Queen is coming along nicely.
It is still difficult to see her like this, but I am keeping the faith and vision that she will be a grand little lady when she is finished!
Thank you for hanging out for this not so pretty journey!
If you missed the last article about What To Expect When Opening Up An Old House,Check it out. Another not so pretty article but definitely interesting!
