The Trek

Home / Blog / Tearing Down To Build Up

October 2, 2021

Tearing Down To Build Up

By Barry Rudesill

We purchased our home about four years ago. When we moved in, it was a beautiful, bright sunny day; surprisingly warm for late November. Unfortunately, the day after we moved in, winter came!

With the first winter winds, we began to realize that our new house had some...issues… It was built in the 1970s and, back then, a lot of builders didn’t believe in things like “insulation”, “house wrap”, or even “sealant”. While the weather was nice – like it had been when we walked through it – we didn’t notice the problems. Now, with the first challenge of winter, the problems began to become obvious.

But it wasn’t just the breeze blowing through our walls that was the only problem with the house! When we went to fire up the furnace, it began making...noises… Now in all fairness, it DID heat the house; it just complained a lot as it did so!

For three years we limped the situation along. We would plastic the windows, drop the temperature on the thermostat, cover the doors with blankets, and make other changes to try to limp our house through the long sub-zero Northwoods winters. On the bright side, when Spring came and the weather warmed up, we could almost forget about the flaws… almost. But we knew in the back of our minds that even though things were going smoothly during the Spring, Summer, and Fall, Winter was coming!

This year, we decided that enough was enough and we needed to do something to fix the problems, not just bandage them! And so we went and found new siding, ordered new windows, bought a massive pile of insulating foam and house wrap, and prepped ourselves for a LOT of work!

It’s at this point that I need to confess something: I was NOT really motivated to begin this project! Why? Because I wasn’t sure what I was doing, I didn’t know what the first step really was, and I couldn’t really picture what the end of the project would look like. In my life, there are plenty of legitimate reasons why I could postpone something like this...and so I did!

Finally, in September I wrapped up all of the other big projects I had started, and now it was time for me to get serious about the work on the house.

The first thing we had to do was to rip off the exterior and see what was underneath. To do that...hurt! I was on a ladder; with a 20-foot-long pry bar (that may be a slight exaggeration); taking off 85 miles of siding (that probably isn’t much of an exaggeration, but I may be biased, too). It wasn’t easy work, and the worst part was that when I uncovered certain areas, I found that I had more work to do! The rottenness was hidden, unknown, destroying my house, and I only discovered it when I was willing to look deeper inside. A few more years and that damage could have taken my house down!

Now, we’re almost done with the tearing down and repairs, and I’m very excited! The work, while hard, has already made our house feel warmer. We’re in the process of installing new windows which look beautiful and which allow more light into the house. (Don’t tell Maria this, but I think she chose some pretty windows.) And finally, when we’re done, the house will have higher value, will be safer and more comfortable for my family and I, and will be more welcoming to the people we serve!

But, for me, this project all came down to the choice to start, even when I wasn’t sure where the work would lead.

Just my thoughts today. We hope you enjoy your journey!

P.S. It’s still not too late to sign up for The Trek Facilitator Training next weekend! Just message us if you would like more information or get details on how to sign up!

October 2, 2021

Tearing Down To Build Up

By Barry Rudesill

More Blog Articles

About The Trek

Recent Blog Posts

Testimonials

Get in Touch