Squeezing It In

This year fall was more than a little crazy with the warm weather that extended well into October. In fact, I would say that it wasn't until a day or two ago that the temps dropped into what I would consider seasonal fall weather. For the past couple of months we've had incredibly warm weather, even hot days when we should be putting on sweaters. While I like cooler weather, it has been nice to have the warm sunny days to get stuff done around the house, though when it's warm and damp, things start to get moldy, including our firewood, but that's another story.

Either way, with the warm weather I was able to squeeze in a few more days of painting, which is kind of a weird thing to get excited about but makes perfect sense when you're training to be a real man. I had spent a fair amount of the summer painting the gable end of the house, and pretty much got it done and was prepared to hang up the paintbrushes. However, with the warm weather, I felt like I had to get more done, so I dusted off the brushes and painted the front of the house. Now this wasn't the location with the greatest need, but my reasoning was that it was the most accessible (i.e., easiest), not to mention most visible for anyone who is visiting. Coming from LA, I can appreciate being vain. Also, the front faces North and gets very little sunlight, so the clapboards tend to get a little moldy over time. Factor in the splashing from the rain coming off the roof, and it is in need of regular maintenance. Otherwise, you have a rot problem, as I've learned firsthand.

So I painted it. This section had been painted in the last 3-4 years because me and JH actually extended the entire front wall forward, which was a miracle if there ever was one. During that time, new clapboards and paint were applied, so it was in decent shape, albeit a little abused by the damp weather. No rot as far as I could see, but I think the goal is to avoid it in the first place, right? Once you see rot, it's too late.

Now that the western gable and front are done, I can focus on the one section that needs it the most, the eastern gable, which seems to take the least abuse weather-wise. From there, the backside comes next, though it's been done once, several years ago (again, by yours truly). Sometimes I think back and am floored that I've actually done some of these things. Who would've thought it possible? Now that it's thankfully cool, I think it's time to shelve the painting gear and get ready for some snow.

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Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to NYC Pintura Pintar for the pic.