I must be one of the most tolerant homeowners on earth, or perhaps the stupidest, lol. You know how you get so used to something that you tend to not notice it after a while?
I went into the kitchen this afternoon, to fill the tea kettle with water for tea. I noticed a new leak spurting out of our 1970s faucet. sigh. It made me look at the sink area with new perspective. This backsplash behind the faucet is absolutely terrible. Disgusting.
Other areas of the countertop are peeling or warped. I don’t know how I can tolerate it. It’s been this way for about a decade, slowly rotting and getting worse every year. I guess I’ve blocked it out of my consciousness — probably for the retaining of my sanity– because the decay just struck me again as very repulsive. And for a fleeting moment, I wondered why I haven’t fixed it yet. What, am I crazy, letting this go on and on for years??
Then I remembered. Oh yeah.
We do want the countertop replaced, but I won’t do it. Know why? Because this crappy slab of 1972 orange laminate sits on top of crappy 1972 plywood cabinets. Almost all of the cabinets have either fallen apart or are warped. Now, why don’t I just get new cabinets, then? Well, the cabinets sit on top of a severely cracked and broken up 1972 tile floor. OK so replace the flooring, the cabinets, and the backsplash. Nope, because behind the cabinets are 1855 plaster walls, with most of their plaster behind the cabinets missing. In winter, when we open a cabinet door or drawer, the wintery outside air blasts into the room. Wild, huh? I won’t even mention the mouse problem we have here, lol…
OK that’s pretty bad, but maybe I could just replace the walls, the flooring, the cabinets, and then get the new countertops!
Um, nope. Because within the walls is 1920s knob and tube wiring, 1940s plumbing that is not properly vented, and there’s no insulation between the studs. Not to mention that the only kitchen window is broken. I’d have to entirely GUT the room before I could get new countertops. Otherwise, I’d be spending $800 on new countertops for nothing– a shaky foundation. I refuse to set a brand-new countertop on top of disgustingly broken, unlevel cabinets that rest on disgustingly broken, unlevel flooring and against disgustingly holey and broken up walls with disgusting and inadequate plumbing and electric.
So that’s why I tolerate it. Most people would have their moving boxes out already; but I do like the house and I’ve put my heart into my gardens. I just need to gut this ol’ house! Ugh!
So, how are my gardens doing this fine, sunny day!
25. August 2008 at 8:33 pm
At least you realize all that would have to go into it before you replaced one thing to find you needed to do 100 things.
I think anyone with a house over 50 years old understands your pain right now.
~Kelly
http://www.30somethingandsearching.today.com/
25. August 2008 at 11:45 pm
I can feel your pain having lived through the renovation (now 3 houses ago) of a turn of the century house aka money pit. Living in it during the renovations was not all that great and after 11 years we finally sold it because we got tired of the constant money flow outwards. The next two houses were rather tame. This one is challenging because of the location. We are just finishing up the kitchen – been without a functional kitchen for almost a month now. Renovations are fun and they always cost a heck of a lot more than you think and if you DIY they take a heck of a lot longer as well
26. August 2008 at 8:31 am
Yowie. It almost sounds like the poor house needs to be razed and rebuilt.
Might be less stressful than trying to fix that litany of things. I’ll be shaking my head in wonder over that all day today. (all the while being suddenly grateful for my house in suburbia)
26. August 2008 at 10:43 am
Thanks for your comments. I know we are not alone in our renovation agonies. Things are not going as quickly as I’d hoped. That’s probably common, too.
Susan, I don’t disagree that sometimes things need to be razed and rebuilt, but many times, that is unnecessary and wasteful. This house still has terrific structure. The foundation, while leaky from missing mortar, is sound. The walls are– believe it or not– still relatively straight for being 150+ years old. And the place has history. And the yard is lovely.
The main problem with the house is that is needs updating into the 21st century. Sheesh, it needs to be updated into the 19th century, yet!
I admire the homes built in suburbia, but I know I could never live there. The houses are all so similar, the yards so antiseptic…. I guess your land reflects who you are, in a way. I’m just tired of waiting for this land to reflect me, lol. A decade is long enough! But I must be patient.
Thanks for your comments! I appreciate them very much.
26. August 2008 at 11:46 am
I can sooo relate we live in a house of about the same age, although we have already done a lot of work…. but oh, I can relate
blessings, Penny Raine
http://www.pennyraine.com/blog
27. August 2008 at 1:07 pm
We just redid our kitchen and our countertops were SO awful, from a terrible reno job in the 80s (cheap fake brick everywhere, etc). Our house was built in 1929 and I too know just what you mean.
And the more you fix the more you see that needs fixing…
28. August 2008 at 10:45 am
That sounds like a huge job to fix all right, but I think it’s time. Your yard looks great! Better start focusing on the house. Sounds like it will be very expensive though too. You sure you don’t want to at least look for another house?
31. August 2008 at 10:23 am
Well my Hubby works for a company that makes those countertops. Let me know when you start shopping, I will give you some tips!