Just like many houses of the same period, our house has a “hidden gutter system.”  Or should I say, had?  First, let me explain a little more about this kind of gutter.

“Since they are not readily visible, they typically don’t alter the historic character of buildings and don’t detract from or conceal decorative cornice details. Unfortunately, being unseen often results in neglect. The simplest form of maintenance is keeping them clear of debris. This is necessary for any gutter system to perform its duty, but with built-ins, trapped, standing water can lead to a shorter life and very costly repairs.” (source)  Because the gutters were not cleaned and maintained in the many years before we purchased the house, most of the gutters and soffits were rotten.  It’s amazing to think what an easy fix it would have been had the previous owner simply had the gutters cleaned annually.  But, that’s just not our luck I guess.  So the “investigation” to see how much of the woodwork was salvageable began this week.  As of yesterday, here’s what the eaves look like.

As you can see, we basically learned that very little of the wood was usable.  So it all came down and was sorted into different piles.  Next, we will begin to replace and repair what’s now missing.

On the bright side, the interior is starting to get cleaned out (slowly but surely) so that we can start with the primer.  You can even see floor in a few rooms now!  (Oh Floor, how I’ve missed you!!)

Well, I’m off to the mountains to celebrate my mom’s birthday with the family.  Looking forward to relaxing and “tubing” down the river all day tomorrow!  Happy birthday to the best mom there is!! I love you!!