What’s my motivation?

Motivation to get going on the exterior rehabilitation work has been hard to come by lately. I’ve found it entirely too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind and be tossed about.

In case you are new to the Our History experience, my house has undergone a rebirth in recent years, being removed from the “plastic baggie” so to speak:

The plan this spring and summer (and I don’t do much without a plan) is to start small. Windows will get much needed attention. I’ve had a tendency to move along the house leaving them for later and later is now. Nice weather last weekend and about 6 hours of work resulted in this:

The dreaded box gutters are being relined by a professional. That alone, when done, will help me sleep at nights. Then there’s a ton of detail work to do as I return to areas of the house to apply the final coat of paint. And yes, the devil really is in the details. And then there’s the rear of the house. It’s untouched and pristine but will get hit hard with the goal being to complete before cold weather hits.

It’s an ambitious work plan. I’ll keep you posted on progress.

And speaking of windows, you really need to check out this website. The Kansas State Historical Society has posted several videos giving great detail about window rehab. From the site:

For decades, consumers have been led to believe that replacing their old wood windows with new vinyl, metal or clad windows will improve their home. Replacement windows have been marketed as energy efficient, and therefore environmentally friendly, and economical, by saving the homeowner money over the lifespan of the window. In reality, properly repaired wood windows can be equally energy efficient, are more environmentally friendly, are a better financial investment, and preserve one of the most important character-defining features of a historic home.