The roof and attic
The attic smelled really good; fresh and woody. That's a sign that the ventilation has been working well, even if there is no vents. There are gaps in the siding that let in air, as the gable ends are not insulated.
You can't stand up in the attic, the highest point is about 150 cm.
The chimney doesn't have a sandbox around it to prevent fires. I'm not sure how hot the chimney gets with my kind of fireplace, but it might be a good idea to add one just in case. (Edit: the chimney has a wider point instead of a sandbox.)
I was checking the rafters and battens for signs of old or current leaks or rot but couldn't find any. The timber seemed all solid and good. Currently the roof is covered with corrugated steel, but it used to be covered with wood shingles. The shingles have been left under the steel to serve as a subroofing.
I tried to check what the construction looked like under the insulation layer, as I wasn't sure if it was safe to walk on it. There was a few centimeters of fine sawdust, no more that 5 cm, before I hit a newspaper from 1945. Maybe that's when they added the sawdust layer.
Under the newspaper was an older layer of mixed materials. There was sand, a paper bag, some fibers, wood pieces and a leaf from an old psalm book. I decided not to continue digging at this point as I couldn't easily get to the bottom of it. Seeing the old insulation tells me that there is some sort of original ceiling panelling under the new panelling in the house, because if they had just replaced the old, all this insulation would have fallen down. So that's also some exciting news! Let's hope it's old and pretty ☺️
Some old panelling offcuts were laid as a makeshift floor. The boxes seemed to contain only old clothes and linens, nothing too interesting. It was a bit tricky to get out of the attic, the hatch is so small.
Hand forged hinges on the hatch. It's not really typical for a house from 1920 to have forged hinges. Since industralisation started in 1860, hinges and other iron details were mass produced and also became cheaper to buy. It's possible that they were reused from an old house, or the builder was a smith. I think it's more likely that the house is from the late 1800s. The other door hinges in the house are also hand forged.
I went on to check the condition of the roofing. It was a nice view, and I realised there are apples on the old apple tree! They are just too high up to pick.
The roofing is hand painted, not factory painted. This is great news, as it means it's easier to repaint for upkeep. I noticed a lot of the nails were loose. I decided to nail them down on the veranda roof. I didn't go up on the main roof, as there is no ladder and I didn't have a safety harness. I'll have to check the main roof later.
I noticed that there was debris sticking out from under the fascia. I decided to try to pry it out and sweep it off before fixing the nails. But then I stuck my fingers behind the board and realised it was filled to the brim with twigs. This explains where the twigs on the veranda came from! I also realised the fascia was rotten in this part. I put this on my fix list, will replace the fascia later and address the birds' nests at the same time. I did manage to fix the nails, although a few would not adhere anymore. Will need to get some roofing screws to fix in place. Because of the loose nails, some of the roofing edges were kind of flying away. I hope this explains the small leak on the veranda and that it's now fixed. (Edit: It did.) The paint was also worn on the veranda roof, another to do -item on my list.
Initially, I was not too thrilled about the idea of going up on the roof. But I got more comfortable with it and it was pretty chill, actually! It was a warm autumn day and the sun was out. It felt good to troubleshoot and repair things on my own. My safety shoes had good grip and I also wore a helmet. Safety first.
To finish things off, I wanted to remove this broken, rusted and leaky gutter. It wasn't doing the facade any favours.
Much better without it! Also, the old cigarette-commercial thermometer had to go. There was a downpour of rain later that day, and I immediately saw the value in having gutters above a door! 😄 I will replace the gutter and paint the fascia, I'll try to get it done before winter. The rain has been eroding the front door and the beam under it so it's definitely a priority. I'm not going to install downspouts, but make the gutter a bit longer and put a rain water barrel underneath to catch the water. This spot is usually where I wash my hands so I'll update my handwashing station 😊
Look at the size of these gutters! You'd think this was an apartment building. What a big day, I feel like I got so much done! I've been feeling like I have an endless to do -list so it feels good to take a good chunk out of it. I also took photos of the foundations, but that has to be its own post.
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