Dinosaurs
Interesting weather we're having, hot and humid, surprising because such a seemingly instant change from the cool spring when we slept with the upstairs screen porch door open weeks on end.
The hot weather stirs concern about sea temperatures in the 90s, empowering hurricanes, and now we're hearing this new word derecho, a powerful straight-line storm system. Was it ten years ago, about one o'clock in the morning waking to loud, continuing, unending lightning and deafening thunder. Thinking "tornado!" I grabbed Kristen, woke Linda, and hustled us all downstairs to our safe spot, which is the laundry room because it's in the center of the house, under the heavy outside fire-escape above it. Next morning we learned on TV that it was not tornadic but a straight-line storm and it cut a swath about a mile wide through town.
We won't be opening the bedroom door to the the upstairs screen porch again, for a couple of reasons. Heat, of course. But we have just had the wooden deck torn out, and the base under the columns replaced, and all new decking. Not wanting to deal with this again in our lifetime, we decided against another tongue in groove wood deck, and against composite; so did research online and found FSI Home Products, Inc. in Cullman, Alabama. They manufacture LockDry aluminum decking. Waterproof, wide choice of colors. We bought light gray and our contractor just finished installing it. Nice, heavy duty, and about half the weight of wood, which makes a difference. The company deals direct with the customer, response is excellent, price is right, delivery was fast. Went on in a couple of days, very easy. We are delighted. http://www.fsihp.com/
Painters are coming next week to prep and paint the new column bases, railings, bannisters and columns.
Another reason we won't be keeping the bedroom door open is that we again have the space under the railing. It was previously closed, which made washing the porch difficult and water retention an issue, but kept creatures out. Now the space under the railing is open again, as when the house was built in 1912, and already lizards are coming in.
Next it will be birds, with fleas. Spiders? We'll need to address that space issue.
Maybe by autumn so we can sleep with the door open again.
Tom
The hot weather stirs concern about sea temperatures in the 90s, empowering hurricanes, and now we're hearing this new word derecho, a powerful straight-line storm system. Was it ten years ago, about one o'clock in the morning waking to loud, continuing, unending lightning and deafening thunder. Thinking "tornado!" I grabbed Kristen, woke Linda, and hustled us all downstairs to our safe spot, which is the laundry room because it's in the center of the house, under the heavy outside fire-escape above it. Next morning we learned on TV that it was not tornadic but a straight-line storm and it cut a swath about a mile wide through town.
We won't be opening the bedroom door to the the upstairs screen porch again, for a couple of reasons. Heat, of course. But we have just had the wooden deck torn out, and the base under the columns replaced, and all new decking. Not wanting to deal with this again in our lifetime, we decided against another tongue in groove wood deck, and against composite; so did research online and found FSI Home Products, Inc. in Cullman, Alabama. They manufacture LockDry aluminum decking. Waterproof, wide choice of colors. We bought light gray and our contractor just finished installing it. Nice, heavy duty, and about half the weight of wood, which makes a difference. The company deals direct with the customer, response is excellent, price is right, delivery was fast. Went on in a couple of days, very easy. We are delighted. http://www.fsihp.com/
Painters are coming next week to prep and paint the new column bases, railings, bannisters and columns.
Another reason we won't be keeping the bedroom door open is that we again have the space under the railing. It was previously closed, which made washing the porch difficult and water retention an issue, but kept creatures out. Now the space under the railing is open again, as when the house was built in 1912, and already lizards are coming in.
Next it will be birds, with fleas. Spiders? We'll need to address that space issue.
Maybe by autumn so we can sleep with the door open again.
And the silence begins.
Tom