We have a super-old house. 170+ years-old. Dirt basement, slate roof, plaster walls, leaks, drips, cracks, creaks, and lots of character about which my dad likes to say, “You pay for that character!” He’s so right, but nobody tell him I said so!
Yesterday, I noticed our big picture window dripping water all over the place. Again.
There was at least 1.5 inches of solid ice between the window panes and the storm window, and it was leaking water through the window trim onto the aforementioned plaster walls and hardwood floors. At the top of the window, water was coming through the frame and bouncing off the grills onto every surface around–the magazines on the table, the chairs, and, most alarmingly, my tea.
Chad took the morning off and went for the chisel-type tools, the ladder, and the shovel.
He did this:
The storm window was ice-glued to the frame, so he had to chisel away at the ice and pry the window off using screwdrivers and paint scrapers. Good times.
Some tips on having an old house:
1. Do not buy an old house, no matter how adorable it is. My house is super-adorable. It is also a big pain in the butt.
2. Do NOT buy a house that has a flat roof. ANYWHERE! Flat roofs are from the devil!
3. Get used to patchy ceilings and holes in the wall, because you will have them.
4. Duck your head while navigating the basement. Those cast-iron sewer pipes really hurt when you smack your face on them. I know this for sure.
5. Listen to your father when he tells you that when you buy a house for its character, you are really PAYING for that character!
I do love my house. I do. I love my house. I love my house. I love my house. . . . .
This made me laugh even though you must be extremely frustrated. We’ve been there. After our house in Copley we said NEVER again to an old house that was cute. 7 years and at least 1/2 the paycheck that we will never see again. HOWEVER, there were many memories made and character building moments that we wouldn’t have had, but for that Money Pit.