Our End is Exposed: And We Are So Ready

After a few weeks off, Greg started work at 9am on Saturday morning with the plan to rip off the stucco on the end of the house.  It differed from the other board siding applications and we were concerned about how easily it could be removed.  Stucco, a form of Portland cement, is trawled onto a wire mesh and painted.  We were racing the weather and the clock all afternoon.  We hoped to get the debris loaded and the end closed up before the landfill closed at 3pm. 

We got our front space for the truck, a feat in itself as parking on our street has become crowded.  We closed the sidewalk to foot traffic with orange cones to keep pedestrians from being struck by falling cement debris.  Greg started at the top gable.  As the wood fell, I gathered and stacked the bed of the truck.  Before lunch, the end of the house was open to the framing.  Our friend, Jeffery who lived in our Freedman as a child, stopped on his bike.  As a veteran of these streets and well into his 60’s, he’s always sharing bits of what he knows about the neighborhood. 

“Mrs. Ashley is getting older.” 

“Good to know, we haven’t seen her.  Someone came and cleaned out her backyard recently.”

As we chatted a group of pedestrians came down Senate Street and turned on Congress to walk toward King Street.  Gregory and I both looked at each other and smiled. 

“The neighborhood has sure changed, just a few years ago if I had ridden my bike down Senate, they would have beat me up for being on the street.”

“That is a good thing, then."  We both chuckled.  "We moved in the last few years of some of the crime here.  Now, you can ride where you want.”

“You closing up the end before tonight?”  Jeffery looked worried we could get it done.

“That's the plan.”  Greg called out as he worked.

“Good, because someone would need to sit inside the room to keep your valuables from disappearing.”

“If I don’t get that done, Jeffery, you up for the job?”  Greg smiled knowing the answer.

“No, sir, I believe I will pass on that…”  Jeffery laughed, gave a wave and was off. 

This was not the first time Greg has had the end off of a house, and had it closed in by the end of the day.  It’s the difference between a novice and a professional.  In these type deadlines, none of Greg's movements are wasted.  What we didn’t anticipate was the down pour that came just after Jeffery rode off.  Greg hung 6 sheets of OSB board in the rain.  He lifted the sheets into place and held them while I shot the first nails to hold the sheet.  He put just enough nails to secure the sheeting, planning to further secure the next day.  Our ox was in the ditch as it were and in the cold rain we were determined to make the landfill before 3pm.  Greg is not a young man, and as we pulled to the landfill scales at 2:45pm with 1600 lbs. of debris, we smile and both sigh.  

"Looks like we made it with 15 minutes to spare, and we can go home to rest after this."  I can see Greg is spent.  And I am, too. 

This is how it was looked on Saturday at 3pm prior to the Landfill.

The next weekends, Greg hung our final two windows, and covered the OSB with a white moisture barrier.  Our son, Ethan joined us the following weekend to trim out the exterior in preparation for siding.  We are installing "eye lashes" at the gable and Greg is finishing the drip edge along the roof line.  These are small details that take time, but the beauty is in the details.  

Pictures below is how it looks over the course of the month.  Thanks for stopping in to her about our Charleston Freedman's.  Some finishing changes are ahead for us.    

In the backyard, Greg prepared for our deck with a yard drain and weed paper below.  Our backyard area is 9ft wide and 27 feet long.  This back wall will be finished with a closet.  This will make a nice outside sitting area.  All that is to come. 

Not only are the we excited, but our neighbors and pedestrians on the street stop and call out to Greg, both those we know and those we don’t and complement the changes.  We are turning the corner and we are thankful these harder tasks are behind us.  Wishing you a blessed fall season.