The Days and Nights Before Christmas

Twas the days and nights before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring. Except for 6 guys doing a new roof, 3 guys doing house wrap and new siding, and 2 more installing new windows on three sides of the house. I think there was also something about "a clatter", which would be appropriate. Clatter. Clatter. Clatter all day. Clatter every day. Clatter during every daylight hour. And beyond.

A new roof

This is hopefully the last major project (and by far the largest and most expensive) to remove the Pulte stain from our Pulte house. Piece by piece over the years we have fixed, removed and replaced the multitude of shoddy materials, shortcuts and incompetent workmanship that has been a thorn in the side of our otherwise wonderful family home.

18 new windows

It's been almost twenty years, and we were due for a new roof. Compared to many others in our neighborhood, we have been lucky with ours, but we knew there was at least one bad spot causing issues with leaking into a back bedroom window, and it was time to deal with replacing the roof.

House wrap and siding

Which turned into a larger discussion on the desire to replace windows which were junk from day one. We've grown used to the fact that the windows are all drafty, poorly installed and hard to open, but it shouldn't be that way. And the proper way to replace windows is to do a full flanged replacement which requires the siding to be off the house. And we needed new siding anyway, and we also knew that the house hadn't been house wrapped. Which explains why it is as drafty as it is.

More windows, wrap and siding

So, as is often the case, a few small stones rolling down hill turns into an avalanche, and "we should do something about a new roof" turns into "oh what the hell, let's just replace the entire outside of the house".

Timing has been inconvenient in a way, with things all occurring around the holidays, but in some ways that is better because I am home more to be able to watch what they are doing. It's been an interesting process, and I am very happy with what I am seeing so far. The uncovering of hidden issues and damage has been minimal to this point (there were a few places where I was expecting worse), and things have been going pretty much according to plan.

As is generally the case when we have any kind of contractor in to do work, they are amused (but not surprised) by the things they uncover, and it's been no different this time around. Big gaps between panels. No flashing in spots. An apparent lack of caulking anywhere. Pretty much what I would expect from Pulte.

It will be nice when this is done. I will not dread a heavy rain. The kids will be able to open and close windows without a hydraulic jack. On a windy winter day there shouldn't be a cold breeze coming through every window and out of every electrical switch and socket. It'll be strange... Nice, but strange.