Let’s Talk About the Elephant

Or at least the hole in the side of the house big enough to fit an elephant

This past week was a FULL one over at BlackHouse on Bigelow. LOTS of moving parts, all of which need to be done… yesterday. The harsh midwest winter is fast approaching, and to meet our spring deadline work has to continue through the winter months which means 1.) Electricity needs to be on and 2.) We need to be weather tight.

I’m so happy to report that electricity is on its way. Our beloved electrician Manny took down the FIVE existing meter boxes the last evidence of this home’s past as many units and replaced it with one, very beautiful, “Ameren Approved” it really does have a tag stating that lol meter box. Now we’re just waiting for the city inspector to award us our green tag! Once we get our tag Ameren will connect to the new meter and voila! We’re keeping our fingers crossed that by the end of next week we’ll be sitting pretty with at least one light and outlet.

Now, before we get too excited, let it be known that this accomplishment only satisfies the main panel. Because I’m paying for much of this project with cash and with help from some of you amazing humans! it sometimes means phasing certain high ticket items. I planned to tackle the rough in for the first floor at the same time as the main service leaving rough in for the second floor for phase two next spring but the very important number number two task that needs to be done before the cold weather had it’s budget ballon last week and I am currently working to figure out just how to balance both as swiftly as I can.

With the main service inspected and on, we will have temp power for construction which is a HUGE improvement and technically the rough in of the first floor can be pushed back… a bit. The time sensitive work of the new service being done before winter is technically “accomplished”.

While Manny was plugging away on the electrical service my carpenter Bryan has been carefully inspecting the exterior repairs. First and foremost I will testify that the original wood siding and cedar shake is overall in really good shape, especially for being almost 120 years old. However, there is one area that had a fire and was never properly repaired. I was aware of the damage but initially thought most of the repairs could be addressed from the inside, over the winter. Come to find out that no, not only does it need to be fixed as soon as possible, because everything is interconnected some of the exterior cedar shake siding needs to come with it. All this needs to be done and done now, before we will be weather tight and before winter which is on its way!

To add the icing on this very urgent cake, the cost of this much needed exterior repair is exactly the cost of the electrical rough in for the first floor. Funny how that works. While I don’t have the ability to do both I will reallocate the funds for electrical rough and spend a few more weeks in the dark.

With all that being said, and at the end of the day, I am so very grateful for this opportunity of saving this old house from demolition. It is really mind blowing that it was going to end up in a land fill. It is my hope that sharing these very real life challenges with you encourages you to do what you can with what you have. The path is more often than not slow. Hiccups are inevitable but if you stick to it, and keep taking one foot in front of the other in whatever you are doing, it will come to pass.