old country house blog

AN UPDATE ON THE "HOLE" – and 2 more days!!!

A few weeks ago, we had a BIG rain and per our routine
we began
pulling out the buckets.
We have gotten used to it, and were excited because the following week the new roof was being put on.
Unfortunately…it was a little too
late and the ceiling fell in!
The hole and my buddy Jess…
He is the handy husband I don’t have…
Though my husband has different gifts.

It was a mess.
Huge chunks of OLD OLD heavy sodden horse hair plaster
smelly, and they just kept coming down
On more than one occasion a piece literally grazed my head!

This is a teensy bit funny. 
That weekend I had sold a painting,  and so Sunday Morning, the morning the ceiling came falling down, 
the buyer had come by to pick it up. 
She was here for a total of 10 minutes max, the kids were sitting here eating their breakfast, we chatted for a bit and then and I walked her with her new painting….out to her car.
When I came back in, my husband said, 
“You left JUST in time!”
He pointed to the upstairs and he said 
literally the second we walked out the door
a HUGE chunk of ceiling came falling down…
Can you imagine! What a MESS!

So, we called Jess, Mister Fix it and he came over and he and my husband and our neighbor John (also Handy)
decided it was best to cover the whole area with plywood, until the roof is repaired. 
to prevent and further damage.
My husband then borrowed John’s shop vac and went up inoto the attic and cleaned up all the buckets of water up there.
I told you he had other “gifts”. 

We went away for Spring Break (Thank God!)
and while we were at the Beach, the roof was repaired and replaced.
Now we just have to wait for a big rain to be certain that all is well
and then we can get the ceiling repaired. The good news is that we are going to replace the entire length of hall ceiling, so it will look nicer than it ever has.
The downstairs ceilings are all in remarkably great shape 
(they don’t build them like the used to!)
But the upstairs, where the roof has leaked over the 135 years the house has stood
shows more wear and tear..sagging, cracks. I would love to have the kids room
redone too if it is not too cost prohibitive.
I would love any feedback from people with old homes how much they think it should cost to sheet rock a 30′ x 10′ ceiling?

…I am off to run finishing touches errands for the ART Opening 
in two more days!!!

Okay, if you must know….I am going to buy some “Spanx”!!!
I must look good for my party! 
I have never ever had an opening like this and 
I am over the moon with excitement
…this has been years in the making.







7 thoughts on “AN UPDATE ON THE "HOLE" – and 2 more days!!!

  1. Girl,
    I sure do hope that the ceiling is fixed for good!
    I think we paid between $20- $25 a per large sheet of drywall… that was to hang, mud and finish. However if you are having it replastered I’m not sure what that runs.
    You will have to make sure to take and post lots of photos of your opening (you in spanks and all!)
    Dee Dee

  2. We sheet rocked our entire (old house), but knocked down the lathe and plaster first. If you can do the work yourself, it will save a lot of money, but now that we’ve done it ourselves, we would hire it out if we had to do it again, it’s such a messy, time consuming job!
    New to your blog, and loving your house and art!

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