As any homeowner knows, caring for a house is more than paint choices and flowers. Unclogging the drain, de-linting the dryer vent, fixing leaks and…. repairing rotten siding.

Last week I saw a white streak coming down the side of the house, which isn’t very normal. I went over the source of the problem… one of the windows on the porch…. poked the wood with my finger and it bounced right back. Wood is not supposed to be bouncy. Turns out it was not wood, but caulk. There was some siding that had completely rotted out and the previous owners caulked it (with non-silicone caulk) and painted over it. Mind you, it was a condition of the sale of our house that they replace all of the rotten wood on the porch. #Fail on so many levels.

So after a minor freakout and a few days of planning, we removed all of the disintegrating caulk and rotten wood to get a better look at the damage.

Old boards removed and no rain in the forecast, Steve came in with his saw blazing and made two new tongue and groove cedar planks to fit the opening.

We are just about finished with the project, so I will post the final product soon! As far as what caused the rotten wood, we are thinking that it is the lack of a gutter on the porch. We have seen the water coming off the roof and pelting that window. I bet you can guess what the next project is!!!

Oh the joys of owning a home. One surprise after another.

Any unexpected project come your way lately?

~C+S