These past couple of weeks here have brought quite a bit of rain. Not all day rain but every other day rain, for an hour or so, or three, etc… As such, yes we have the contractor contacted who will come out and work to repair the leak but in the meantime, the rains keep coming and now with the snow sitting and melting, the leak continues…drip, drip, drip…can be heard from that room.

Therefore we keep looking at the pink room ceiling leak in hopes of finding its source. Where is it coming from? At the least we want to find the source, so that when the contractor does show up, he can go straight to that area and work. When the day is sunny or there is a break in the clouds, we go up and assess…again. Surely this time we’ll find it, right?

This time even I joined Paul and got outside on the roof. The weather was so nice and we were determined. The pink room roof is a first floor roof with quick access to an upstairs kitchen window and only a small slope, so I felt pretty safe. I never got pictures of Paul up there but he was up there long hours, working away.

We knew some of those boards were rotten. We should at least replace those and put up new flashing for them in case they were the source. With a 2 or 3 hour break in the weather and a warm day, we decided to go for it and began ripping the old rotten boards from the wall (the first of many we will need to replace around the house). Actually, ripping isn’t the best word for it; more like gently tugging as the rotten, soft boards almost folded and sponged away from the house. I think it was time for those boards to go. LOL.

The trick for all of these boards with replacing them is that these board widths cannot be purchased readily in stores anymore. We would have to have them milled or ripped. However, the house gave us a perfect solution! (I’m telling you, the ole’ girl is working with us! 🙂

Do you remember this project below? We began this awhile back and continue to do it, a few boards here or there. We are working to remove these boards from the hallway.

Board by board, we are pulling these down. In looking at them, we that at one time this hallway was actually the EXTERIOR to the house because it these boards are for outside lap siding, yet they are INSIDE the hallway walls. And underneath these boards are exterior wall framing (see below).

Because our goal is to restore and reuse where we can, every board we pulled down, we did so gingerly to avoid splitting the wood. We removed the nails afterwards and they go into our “warehouse” of lumber, parts and general inventory. Our “warehouse” is getting a pretty nice selection! We have old glass door knobs, door knob face plates, old keys, lighting fixtures, sinks, faucets, hinges, doors, lumber, etc… All items from the house. So when we need something, we start here before we buy new. Always. This is not so much a cost saving (although it is! 🙂 but more about the home’s integrity).

The pulled boards from the inside “outside” wall were the solutions! They were from the time period and because they were outside boards, they were the same ones. Off with the old boards, on with the new ones. The other discolored boards you see merely have paint missing but the boards themselves are in tact. Once the weather warms a bit more, we’ll give it all a fresh coat of paint and you won’t be able to tell the difference. 🙂 Once again, thank you House!

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Alas, we still have the leak, but at least the boards are in tact! Partial Roof Repairs.