It is slow going but we have begun the permanent fix to the brick wall that had fallen apart. This corner supports the bottom of the huge valley rafter that we replaced. It is tough because we have to put the brick back without being able to get to the top very well and without seeing the back side. Pretty sure they didn’t have the roof on when they put these bricks down the first time. =)

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We got to revisit one of the first projects we did at the Mooreland House. We were trying to figure out how to move the post so we could pour a concrete pad under it when… viola! it already had one. We were very excited to find it and quickly moved it onto the pad and made it a lot more secure.

Even though it was almost 50 degrees today it was still cold in the attic of the Mooreland House. Kerry was a trooper though and cleaned brick like a professional. With the heater and her layers she said she kept warm enough. With the heater we got the temperature up to about 47 degrees in the attic near the heater.

The small part of the roof that was flat on the storm porch is no longer a hazard. It didn’t take much effort to knock it down to the ground. We made sure we had Bertha positioned to catch the porch just in case. The majority of the storm porch is in decent shape and it is salvageable. Now that this part of the roof is gone we can move on to other things. It can’t fall on anyone anymore.

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Before it rains again we decided we should clean up and get the small flat roof (we know… another flat roof) knocked down on the storm porch. It was full of needles and small pine cones from the hemlock trees that overhang it. The roof used to be attached to the wall just under the bottom of the window sill stone. There is nothing holding it up any more. This needs to come down before it falls on someone.

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We think we have removed enough of the loose bricks. We now need to start the process of building this area back up. One disadvantage of the lime mortar is how long it takes to set up. With the cold weather it will take a few days before we can put weight on the newly placed bricks. We will find out how long it takes together. =)

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We mixed up some hot lime mortar and it worked just like advertised! It is kind of fun to pour water on the quicklime (the white gravel looking stuff in the middle) and watch it pop and sizzle as it boils the water from the chemical reaction. It will make more sense when we do the video. We are just making small batches to get a feel for how it works. It feels like we are starting forward again after this winter slow down.

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We have removed the loose bricks from this area and decided on a plan of action. We will be able to jack up the valley rafter again and then rebuild the wall in this area. It will be fun trying out our new hot lime mortar! It was actually 45 degrees in the attic today. Warmer weather is on the way.

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