Winter Preparation Triumphs!

Telltale sign of serious roofing issues last winter

We are happy to report our roofing issues are now complete. When we moved in, the builder failed to empty the gutters of bird nests, and the design of the roof had allowed for much ice buildup, which in turn wreaked havoc with dangerous and precarious icicles ready to bolt down onto, or (gulp), into anyone below.

Our shingles were damaged from the ice, and water poured into our garage, over and over again as it began to thaw.

On top of our own winter preparation list, some of our home's outdoor deficiencies remained on the hotspot chart for us.

No longer made roof shingles were located

Since July we've waited for the promised repair from not only the damaged shingles, the builder's helper used an ice pick last winter when things were getting real bad, and subsequently damaged the roof in more ways than you can imagine. Plus, the design of the roof lines required new flashing and much more.

And then the news came - the shingles were no longer made! ugh. The waiting game lingered on. Two weeks ago, all was finally, finally complete. We were beginning to sweat with snow around the corner and frozen ground already here. A roof not prepared for winter? What a helpless feeling for us! But it's done! Yeah!

Final protective coating on the new front steps is complete

The final protective coating was brushed onto our repaired front steps and though we were concerned about new changes since we have original stamped concrete stairways, when the builder sent a masoner to raise the levels properly for passing our final inspection using stones on top of the stamped concrete, we were hardly thrilled at first, thinking maybe it would become a patch job eyesore. Not so!

The masoner worked his skills so well, matching the stone to the pattern on the stamped concrete so well, one might never know of the initial issues the municipal inspector had a problem with... so our final inspection can now proceed...that is whenever our builder decides to get moving on it. That though is the least of our worries about now, settling in for winter trumps it.

Autumn Days of the past...

In this new home, we're still in the honeymooner stage if you will, we've had to take heed not to revisit our moving day last mid-December where snow was knee deep and throwing all things into our home was a game of survival of the fittest and the basic game of staying ultra warm with doors wide open and the chill of frozen temperatures seemed to make anyone's teeth chatter wildly. brrrr.....

Remembering what it looked like here during our move

I for one hope to have a cup of warm brew in my hand when this scene above visits us once again, when winter blows in and the quiet hush resulting from it dancing gently to the ground reminds us to S-L-O-W down.

Winter seems to be a time for a tremendously exquisite beauty outdoors here, when this new season's weather surrounds and envelopes us with its gorgeous splendor, all the while feeling a soothing balm with the thought that, for this moment alone - all is right with the world.