Like Watching Wood Dry

Holidays are over, it's colder than a well-digger's ass (thanks again, Grandpa Culling) and with that combination in play, the cottage itch is starting to be felt.

I was last out there with my dad on December 1st. I didn't write anything about it here at the time because I'd hoped we'd get an opportunity a couple of weekends later to finish a job we started that day, but that didn't happen. We didn't get a lot of snow but it got bitter cold fast, so...no. It'll have to hold until spring which I'm sure will be here in NO time!

*sob*

Back in late summer, shortly after the deck was painted, the folks dropped by and dad installed proper flashing for the Sun Room. The caulking around that room was basically useless. 

Before (see bottom of white wall):

After:

Much better looking and far more protection against rain getting in and messing up our floors. Which is exactly what it was doing.

We first noticed it while trying to add weather stripping to the Sun Room door. Because parts of the base of the wall were wet inside, it seemed worthwhile to pull up a portion of the floor to make sure there was no actual damage.

And we were doing SO well there for a while, but sure enough...

See that dark spot under the middle window? Once the layer of plywood was removed...

Ah, crap!!

Yeah, there's rotting going on.  Could have been worse, I suppose...

Those boards are part of the deck. They basically just built the Sun Room on top of it. So what we can do now (I'm told) is remove and replace just those few inches. Not too bad.

But it's looking like we won't get the chance for a while now that winter has firmly set in. So if anyone is looking for me in the meantime, I'll be busy staring at pictures of burning wood in my fireplace for the next four months.