16 days to the house tour!
Update: The sewer line repair is done, and the mason is scheduled to re-install my driveway’s Belgian block tomorrow. Just in time, as the window cleaners are arriving on Friday and Team Terrain is scheduled just after that. So the last thing I needed was ANOTHER unscheduled repair to my home, Rosebrook Gardens. And guess what?
My painter noticed a small, moist area on my living room ceiling, right in the bay window. He and I quickly traced it up to the window’s flat roof, located below my office window. Not one to procrastinate, I quickly had the roof assessed, and discovered that this 17-year-old tar roof was failing, thus creating a small leak. The recommendation was that the roof should be completely removed and replaced. OMG! With the Westport Historical Society’s Christmas house tour fast approaching I could not fathom it. It would mean removing the custom railings and existing copper detail to do the necessary repairs, and it would have to be done fast.
I was promised that the job could be completed within days, so I moved forward. The one big decision I had to make quickly was to choose between replacing the existing tar roof or to take this opportunity to do a completely copper roof. What do you think I choose? Yup, copper, to match the many other copper details I already established over the years, and to further strengthen the integrity of the house’s design.
Rosebrook Gardens serves as my home, but protecting her is equally important to me because it’s my way of helping guarantee that future generations will enjoy her beauty. As her first owner, I am not only installing all these wonderful details to enjoy myself, but I really like the idea that I am doing it for the many others who will come to enjoy them long after I am gone. Truth be told, the roofer told me I could have postponed the work until next Spring, but with another snowy winter already forecasted I felt that doing it now was the right thing to do for the house, regardless of the bad timing for me. So, my MARtians, stay tuned as I will post before-and-after photos on all my social media accounts next week. The result should be worth the stress of it all.
So, with the sewer repairs now almost complete, the driveway soon to be repaired, and the new copper roof being installed, I still have my hands full with yet more to do. I promise you, even with Thanksgiving next week I’ll be on it, and still on schedule. In this post, I’m on the literal edge, and it may seem as if I want to jump off; I assure you I would never consider it – I’m wearing the wrong shoes for that.
