Behind Closed Doors

The best way to get a good view of what is behind closed doors is to take the doors off! With the hope of restoring the cupboards we removed the doors to make it easier to repair and paint the interior. I am going to paint them whether they need it or not, it has only been about 50 years since their last paint job. We had a crew helping us. Thanks Stephen & Zachary! It was amazing how long it took to remove the doors and all the old hardware.

What surprises lurked behind those doors? There was 3 cedar shingles nailed to the back wall of one of the cupboards. When we removed the singles to reveal this.

It is not quite what I had in mind for the best way to fix a hole. But then again if you don't fix a leak you get this.......

If you think that is bad you should see the bedroom walls that are above the kitchen!





My favourite story in How Come They Just Didn't Fix It genre?

The Hole

This past spring I had walked into the kitchen and all over the sink was what looked like the makings of a birds nest I looked up under the valance that covered the top of the kitchen cupboards to discover that indeed a bird had built a nest in a hole that was there. Thinking that this was a new hole I questioned Ethel about its origins, to my suprise she said that hole had been there for a long time. The hole that had been cut into the wall to help vent the heat from the woodstove because at one time all their cooking was done there. A vent pipe went from the stove across the ceiling and out the wall. When the vent was no longer needed they removed the pipe but did not fix the hole. I asked is this the first time for a bird to nest in the hole? No I guess the birds have been coming for years. How did you stop the mess inside the house? Masking tape and wallpaper! I just couldn't believe it! Clarke's sister Charlene can remember the hole being there as long as 30 years ago. Nobody had bothered to fix the hole! What was I to do this year? You could already hear the cheep! cheep! cheep! of little birds, so a board was nailed to the wall to stop the baby birds from falling into the kitchen. In the fall we filled the hole with expanding foam. We will have to make a birdhouse and attach it to the outside of the house over the hole because I don't want those poor birds to be homeless after 30 years.

Nancy