By Caron Schwartz
The Further Adventures of This Old House
I knew better, of course. A house built in 1932 with a flat roof and enormous yard. Fuse box circa the Reagan administration. It’s gonna need work. But I fell in love, and it was in Gulfport. The seller agreed to update the fuse box before we sealed the deal. Next came the obvious. Screening in the concrete slab out back for a lanai. Hurricane windows and doors. New roof. Then Lenny joined me and the cat, and at last I had a comrade in householding and someone who actually enjoys mowing “the back 40.”
I could go on and on. Rewiring (shout-out to Red Royal Electric). Repiping. Tile roof trim repaired or replaced. Although we were spared flooding during last year’s hurricanes, Milton found a chink in the roof’s modified bitumen armor. Like many, we suffered through roving roofing “professionals” showing up unannounced post-storm before finding our contractor. State-of-the-art TPO now protects our house (courtesy of Protek Roofing & Solar).
However, none of this eliminated the mystery leaks that had plagued me since day one. Who knew the stucco exterior was at fault? After much caulking, waterproofing, and painting (by Allstate Waterproofing), the floors are dry.
Lenny has been a trooper and partner in the “it’s always something” nature of our home. He says maintaining a vintage home is like watching Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.
Recently, we took Duke Energy up on its offer to partially subsidize HVAC duct repair. Duke’s preferred provider said our house leaked like a sieve because the ducts were shot, but due to limited attic space, didn’t want the job. A few HVAC contractors said they’d need to remove a wall and/or ceiling to gain access. A couple of young, skinny techs (thank you Total Air) took on the challenge. The sheet metal ducts they dragged out were obviously original equipment. And, like the concrete slab in the garage, they were inscribed with the name of the first homeowner: Mr. Poor. Yes, this is the Poor House!