Monday, January 28, 2013

Home Renovation 411

I give full credit to anyone who takes on a home renovation, big or small.  There are few things more shattering to the nerves than having the house become a shambles while the renovation is going on.  If the renovation involves removing storage space I do not judge the individuals who may resort to valium or oxycondon by way of balancing their nerves.  There are those, who shall not be named, who consider removing storage space a good time to downsize one’s collection of stuff which, in me at least, only produces a snarl of no mean order.
       Every time I go through another phase of renovations I wonder why I was compelled to do it.  Oh yes, that’s right, the wind was whistling through the logs.  It always boils down to the fact that I live in a log cabin and there are definite maintenance costs involved in an aging cabin.  Some advice to cabin lovers, unless you have a lot of humidity in your area, don’t build one on the prairies. 
       The other day we were considering putting in a new floor in the family room and after nearly 30 years of believing that my ugly linoleum had been glued directly on cement we have discovered that there may not even be a cement foundation!  Once again I am faced with another lie from the woman who sold the house to me.  I am terrified to find out what exactly is beneath the room but looking down the heat ducts has definitely frightened me.  Meanwhile, as John, Erik and I are on our knees, head down and rumps up my mother sits in the corner and laughs her head off.  We look ridiculous as we anxiously compare notes on what we are “seeing” down there.  John says insulation, Erik says insulation, I say dirt and light.  John says not a problem, Erik says a problem, I say a nightmare.
       Why did I want to put down a floor again?

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