Friday, October 30, 2015

Attack of the Carpenter Ants - Before & After

It started with a leaky roof. 
The ceiling seam connecting the original back porch to a 1970s addition 
leaked every time it rained. And the windows all had a permanent foggy look.

The house was built in 1907 and the front looks pretty.
But wait til you see the back!


Like most renovations, the leaky roof turned into a major project.
When Rob, our contractor, tore into the ceiling, he found a huge mess. 
Carpenter ants, who apparently prefer wet wood to make their nests in, 
had attacked the ceiling, the wall, and the framing around the windows.
It was more than an ant farm. It was an ant estate!


The more Rob removed, the worse it looked.
 The insulation was sopping wet and the wood crumbled to the touch. 
Who knew tiny little ants could do this much damage. 


 He finally recommended we just replace the entire wall and put on a new roof. 


Of course, that lead to a discussion about the old plate-glass windows. 
They did let in a lot of light as well as cold air and moisture. 
We couldn't open them in the summer and couldn't use this room in the winter.


I decided I'd prefer windows that matched the rest of the windows in the house 
instead of the 70s look. Might as well get good energy-efficient ones while we're at it. 


The insulation then got new lap siding, the kind carpenter ants don't like! 


Inside, we got fresh new wood and a smooth dry ceiling. 


A little paint made it look like it had always been part of the house.


Indoors I painted the trim around the windows a crisp white
and stained the new raw wood to match the old walls.
Now, the room is warm, dry and cozy year-round.




19 comments:

  1. Those pesky pests, it is amazing how much damage they can do!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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    1. Thanks Cindy. They are definitely pesky. If you see a little pile of sawdust around your window frames, watch out! By the way, do you know why comments like yours show up twice? Seems to happen quite a bit. Thanks.

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  2. Those pesky pests, it is amazing how much damage they can do!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  3. Oh wow. So sorry for your reno woes! That is always the way it goes doesn't it? Things just keep spiraling into more and more costs.

    Your new room looks great and I am happy that you now have a great space to spend year round!

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    1. Thanks Christine. I tried to pin your link party but am not sure if I did it right. How the heck does that whole pin thing work? I pinned some of my photos to my board but never see them on my home feed. How can someone else pin them if they never see them. Why don't you write a post of how to pin cause I'm lost. Thanks.

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  4. Oh my gosh!! What a job! It looks beautiful and you have a wonderful contractor...
    The house looks even better than it did....and you will be cozy all winter long....
    Nancy
    wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com

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  5. What a huge difference - love it! Thanks for sharing it at the Vintage Inspiration Party. I pinned it to my "Spotted at the VIP board here - https://www.pinterest.com/knickoftime/spotted-at-the-vip-vintage-decor-repurposed-projec/

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  6. Pat, so happy for you to be rid of those ants and have your room back! We had a similar situation with our sunroom a few years ago and had to have the exterior walls rebuilt. It's such a disheartening thing to have to keep digging yourself deeper to dig yourself out a hole in home ownership maintenance. Visiting from Brooke's blog, but have seen your post on other parties this week and read the story from another. Just wanted to let you know how good I think your end results looks. Enjoy!
    Rita C at Panoply

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    1. Hi Rita, thanks for visiting again. While it is disheartening sometimes, it's also rewarding to have a cozy home to care for.

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  7. Those darn ants! It is amazing how something so small can do so much money. Guess it proves that the power is in the numbers. It sure looks gorgeous and looks like it has always looked like that! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. Hi Jann, So glad you think it looks original. Thanks for visiting.

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  8. I love the way your new addition looks, but I know exactly what you're talking about with those carpenter ants. Our previous house was built in the woods and we had major problems with them, especially in the spring and fall. We had an addition added to the entire back of our house and they discovered a huge nest of them, too. All I can say, knock on wood, but where we now live we no longer have to deal with them.

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    1. Thanks for visiting Carol. At least we know what to watch out for now!

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  9. You must be so pleased, Pat--such a wonderful space that you can now use year-round. Congrats, and thanks for linking up with Vintage Charm!

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    1. Hi Diana, thanks for visiting. Denver is getting a big snowstorm tonight so the room will be nice and warm.

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    2. Hi Diana, thanks for visiting. Denver is getting a big snowstorm tonight so the room will be nice and warm.

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  10. Hello, I'm a new follower! Love your warm and cozy sunroom and your puppy is adorable!

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