Gutterly awesome

Our home inspector had alerted us to the fact that our gutters sloped the wrong direction, but we figured this was a simple enough fix that we could take care of ourselves- and yes, we can do that. But it was never a priority.

This week, we spontaneously fixed it. We took turns with the hacksaw, to cut through the screws that were used to mount the gutter (and were then sealed with caulk, which disallowed us from unscrewing them) and finally, broke through. After that, it was simply a matter of holding the level to the bottom and repositioning the gutter nails.

Cutting through that one screw:

That night, it rained, and continued to rain for 48 hours. First time I was ever so happy about 48 hours of rain in June. It gave us a chance to admire our properly sloped gutter. Now, to fix the others...

Still stripping paint

First, I apologize for the lack of photos. Photos account for about 95% of the fun in a house blog, I think. I hope to add an updated photo with this post, soon.

It's been longer than usual, between posts, but we HAVE been working! We're nearing the end of the dining room project and it's hard to believe it's taken so long. I bet if we dedicate 3 or 4 weekends on the next room, we could get just as much done in that time frame. (Famous last words, maybe?)

Slow progress is still progress! We have the paint stripped now, and are about 30% through the "light sand" and hoping to finish the sanding, and the last plaster touch ups this week/weekend.

It's going to be great to take down the plastic over the doorway, and finally see (and USE!) our dining room.

Wallpaper removal complete

The wallpaper is down! Steam, scapers, fabric softener, vinegar and a spray bottle allowed us to remove the wallpaper. A thorough washing with trisodium phosphate, and we are moving on. Next up, plaster repair and paint removal- both already in progress!

Paper is down!

Post-TSP wash

Preview: paint removal!

Dining room wallpaper progress

Progress on the dining room wallpaper came to nearly a complete stop. We spent about 6 hours- scraping, sanding, thumping, scratching and finally, washing. Just have to finish the wash job, tomorrow. Then it's plaster-repair-time. When the plaster is repaired, and the woodwork is stripped, it will be time to prime and paint. Cannot wait.

A sneak peek:

A little work in the yard

Attempted some yard improvement today. The giant lillies have been moved to the small strip of no-man's land, along the side of the house. When these babies reach their 7 foot max height, I'll enjoy seeing and smelling them from the kitchen window. Here's what we had today:

Before:

After:

Didn't even realize that the moss washed away, until I saw these pictures.

Artifacts, left from previous owners:

Why was burying garbage in the yard so popular? Some of this stuff is less than 10 years old.