Apr 1, 2015

Reflections on Post-Storm Renovations

We're having an interesting couple of months at Chez Archer and I've realised:
  • Problems don't just come in groups of three.  They'll arrive in any darned number they like and probably at the least convenient time!
  • and there really is a silver lining to some of them!  Not all, but some!
So a few weeks ago we had a big storm - nope, make that a BIG BIG storm!  It was centred right over our area and lightning and thunder were happening almost simultaneously. Frighteningly loud!

The gathering clouds
The temperature plummeted and we had a huge hail dump...

Almost looked like snow!

... and then the rain started.  Hail stones had clogged the gutters so the water had nowhere to go...

Overflowing gutters
So I'm running around taking photos (as you do!) when I found the water was coming into the house.  Back flowing from the gutters.

I put the camera down and started running around with buckets and towels.

The carpet was sodden.  And it's very very old so it got unpleasantly stinky as it was drying out.  We decided it needs replacing... actually it needed replacing 20 years ago when we moved here but we'd put it off and somehow time just trickled on.

It seemed silly to get new carpets without painting... and it seemed silly to paint without:
  1. replacing the ghastly laminated ply on two walls.  And when that came off we saw the walls needed insulation and there were all sorts of interesting cracks that needed filling!
  2. and stripping the equally ghastly wallpaper off the other walls.




The carpet's so old it has wrinkles!


This is Bob lounging about in the paddock while we worked

Now the new carpet has been ordered - it's a pale nutmeg colour called "burnt oak".  I hope we like a whole room of it as much as we liked the 1' by 1' sample square!

We're now mid renovation and I'm looking forward to seeing the end result. 

So that's our silver lining from the big storm.  
  • The old carpet, which has always been pretty gross, is finally going to be replaced.
  • The tired old walls are going to be gleaming under a lovely fresh coat of paint.

What "silver linings" have you found lately?  Do you enjoy renovations? And if you do enjoy them, please share your philosophy because I confess I am not a fan so any renovation "zen" would be most welcome!





15 comments:

  1. Ack, Sharon! That's one helluva storm!

    Silver linings.....can't think of any recently. And not a fan of rennovations although am a fan of the end result :-)

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    1. Ues, Amy! I'm hanging out for the end result and trying to "enjoy" the wall washing and plastering and sanding and sawing and hammering and... let's face it, I'm so NOT convincing, am I! LOL. But the end result is going to be awesome!

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    2. Ummmm, that should have been "Yes"!

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  2. Sharon

    WOW what a storm although getting the renovations done is so good but I am glad it was you and not me I really don't like having them done but yes I do like the end result and I don't think I have had any silver linings for a while although I am sure there have been some :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. Silver linings can feel pretty elusive sometimes, can't they, Helen. But this definitely counts as one for us. All those years that we've put off doing anything about the carpet and one good storm and we've got not choice. We've had a plumber come and put a whole lot more outlets into that section of guttering so it doesn't happen on our nice new carpet!

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  3. Sounds like one BIG BAD storm!!!

    I think renovating is a wonderful silver lining!!! Lovely clean, sparkly new walls and carpet sounds fantastic. Would love to see photos of the end result!


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    1. LOL! Yes, Jen it is a wonderful silver lining! It is! Really! I have to keep telling myself this and how much I'm going to love the end result! Not the process but the end result!

      There will be photos!

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  4. Yikes! What a crazy storm. I've never been through a renovation before, but I feel like it would be rewarding in the albeit very stressful while it was going on!

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    1. Stefanie, you've never done the renovation thing?! Now there is a treat waiting for you! ;)

      Yep, I'm thinking only of that rewarding end result. Breathing deeply and visualising the end result! :)

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  5. That was a wowser of a storm, Sharon! We had something similar happen about 5 years ago (hmmm...could be 7 now, who knows?), the hail in the gutters led water flooding to where it shouldn't and to us needing to put a screwdriver through the ceiling before it collapsed on us. Sigh. Thankfully we don't have carpet in that room. Which, of course, means we still have a hole in our ceiling. We will get that room replastered one day. It's just...renovations don't fill us with a whole lot of enthusiasm. It's like exercise -- I like having done it (past tense).

    Speaking of which, that's my silver lining for the week. I'm still sore from my Monday night yoga class. Silver lining -- man, am I getting stronger. :-)

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  6. Michelle! You have my sympathies for that big storm... but I love that you still have the hole in the ceiling from that screw driver! I can sooo relate to this - we had a masonite "patch" in our kitchen ceiling from where we had a large skylight removed. That "patch" was there for years and years before we had to replace a plaster wall two years ago. We got the plasterer to replace the "patch" then... it still hasn't been painted though. Don't want to rush into anything! ;)

    Oh, you're still doing your yoga. Fantastic! You must be getting strong and your flexibility must be improving hugely!

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  7. Can't think of any silver linings that I recently discovered.
    I'm not a fan of renovations - although I do often love the results. I put the not being a fan of renovations down to my mother being a DIYer and my grandfather being a builder, so growing up something always seemed to being renovated.

    Assuming that you put insulation in the walls that needed it - here's another silver lining for you... the power bill will be a little lower this winter as heat won't escape as easily.

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    1. Yes, the results are the thing to focus on here, Lyn!

      Oh, feeling the sympathy for you with your DIY mum and builder grandad. I can imagine renovations were a happening thing in your childhood.

      YES to the lower power bill! And less heat in summer! I'm almost feeling some renovation love! Almost... LOL

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  8. Wow, I'd hate to be in a storm like that, Sharon.
    Silver lining? This week we've taken in four wee pigs to rear - they're actually our neighbours but we've got the space for them. They are so cute and already getting very friendly. I didn't think I'd get to like them but there you go.

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    1. LOL, Sue! I wonder if your Three Little Pigs Plus One will make an appearance in one of your books sometime in the future!

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