Between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, our house has undergone a slightly painful process as our roof and siding have been torn off and replaced. Oh yes, there were other parts and pieces to rip down and then hammer back up, too. I have been reminded what flashing, fascia, soffits, and J-trim are, am properly using the terms dormer and gable, and know a bit more about the torch down roof we had over our bay window.
Projects this extensive require many, many man hours and countless parts and pieces, from a new front door to white screws to freshen up the back door. Our contractor and crew worked meticulously according to our requests, checking with me before making any changes in color or material, honoring our desire to redesign the look of our home while we fixed the outside up for the future, a future without maintenance. And design it I did, in typical female fashion, enjoying choosing colors and laboring a bit as we considered materials, thinking much about which style of shutters to install and hardly at all about gutters.
My May 17 post was written during one of our “demo days,” when I saw the reflection of a falling gutter on my screen and heard a victorious YEAH! It was a bit unnerving to have so much removed, siding, gutters, window wrapping, but this was progress, out with the old and in with the new. The contractor’s plan was to replace the roof and paint the concrete foundation first, then wrap windows and install siding. Mother Nature’s plan was to deluge our area with rain during May and June. With no roofing crew in sight, our old shingles remained, begging to be replaced by the pretty American Harvest Saddlewood Ranch shingles, but still doing their job.
On the evening of May 22, the heavens opened and we picked up a quick half inch of rain. That’s the day I began caring about gutters. Heavy rain running straight off our roof and blowing against our unprotected, old window frames found its way inside. In seven places. On all three levels.
This photo greeted me as I woke up my computer today. How fitting.
Four days later, 1.57 inches of rain fell while our home was still vulnerable. On June 10, we had a whopping 2.24 inches! By then, the windows were all capped and most of the roof was done. Rain water will, however, find that one place where it can seep, drip, or (in our case) pour in. I am not here to complain, not about the company who is doing our work, not about the rain. We suffered more stress and inconvenience than damage, while many people are dealing with washed out roads and real flooding.
It was a good day when decorative shutters went up,
and a GREAT day when invaluable gutters and downspouts were installed!
In the spirit of giving thanks in all circumstances, I’m glad that while May and June have been unusually rainy, our workers showed up every day but one to make some progress on our house. Of their services listed on the sign, we only have a couple of windows and a small metal roof yet to be installed.
This experience has had me collecting thoughts about houses and homes, how they look on the outside and what life is like on the inside, how important it is to keep destructive forces from entering. These thoughts have led to questions that I must ask myself before I dare ask you.
- What seeps or pours into our homes that belongs in the gutter?
- In what ways do we become stressed or distracted by outside forces beyond our control?
- What will we do to protect our homes, our families, and our own minds from the deluge?
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Luke 12:15
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 6:13