Osoyoos

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Dry!!!

The loft is now bone dry! WOOHOO!

*ahem*

Until I finish doing that exterior corner in Eternabond, I’m not finalizing anything inside. Instead, I’m slowly starting to acquire materials and cutting them to fit so that once I’m sure the corner is watertight, I’ll only have some gluing, stapling, screwing, and caulking to do.

The dehumidifier and heater are so efficient that I think that if I can get a coat of primer on before noon, I’d be able to put on a coat of paint before bed, saving me a day. Suddenly, there’s an end in sight. I’m thinking that this night next week I could very well be sleeping in my bed again.

In case anyone is wondering, I got ALL the black, rotted wood out. Everything else has dried to normal wood colour and is mildew-free and solid, so I have a good foundation for the repairs. I’m so excited to move forward with this!

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Better Than Two Years Ago

We hit plus seven today!!!!! It was sunny earlier, but the fog is rolling back in. No matter, I feel revitalized!

We’re heading into a subzero week, but nothing worrisome so far, with nothing lower than minus five overnight, which is what we’ve been hitting most nights. To put that into perspective, the only heat I’ve had on for several days now is the one electric heater. I set the furnace thermostat to 15 at night and 20 during the day and it doesn’t kick on. Feels nice!

Two years ago at this time, we were just starting the bitter stretch that contributed to my decision to flee Oliver, not just the RV park I was working at. So far, this winter has been fine, even with that horrible stretch in November. We’ve had some snow, but it always melts. I’m not happy with the fog and bleakness, but I can deal.

Add together the reasonably satisfactory weather, an RV park I really enjoy, and a post office staffed by cheery clerks and I’m so far not regretting my return to the Okanagan. I feel so far away from the bleak nastiness of Oliver that I could be three hours away instead of just thirty minutes away.

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Productive Forgetfulness

Last night, I didn’t feel like climbing up into the loft to turn off the dehumidifier, which keeps me up at night. So, I left it running and shut the dressing room and study doors most of the way, which did a pretty good job of blocking the noise.

Woke up this morning to realise that I’d not only left the dehumidifier running, but also left the windows up there wide open!

Well, it paid off. Last night, I was still seeing wetness along the edges of the corner and now the surface of it is dry! We finally have a beautiful sunny day, so I have the windows open and am hoping that another 24 hours of fresh air, dehumidifying, and heat will make the area workable.

Sort of related, the clear conditions give me a view to the lake from the front loft window and Neelix is sitting by it, enthralled by the ducks on the beach. Too cute!

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Slowly Drying

Progress in the loft continues to be very slow, but I can see that it is drying out. I’m pulling out about half a bucket of water a day from the dehumidifier. I went up there and blasted a section with the hair dryer on high and was startled to see an immediate improvement. I know that’s just surface drying and I expect to see moisture seeping back up, but at least I know that having the hair dryer on a section while I work on another is worth the power being used.

Tonight, I pulled up most of the top layers of paneling and insulation to see how far the wetness extends on the bottom layer of paneling, which is about two thirds of the way across. Thankfully, the wet section is not rotten or mildewy, just wet, and definitely not spongy. Now that it is exposed, I’m sure it will dry well. I’m going to look for a wood hardening product to apply to the wood that got wet but which isn’t being replaced.  The wood hardener product would also prevent new damage from wetness. Probably overkill, but I’m not taking any chances.

At this rate, I don’t anticipate being able to do any real work up there for at least another week. Moreover, I’m waiting on an order for a 50′ roll of Eternabond from Allan at A.J.B. Distributing in northern Ontario, upon the recommendation of several Canadian RVers. Once that roll arrives I’ll do the bottom seam at the front to guarantee that I’ve got the leak sealed. So, I really need to be patient about this.

I might be pulling out of this park at the end of January, which means I have six weeks left to get the renos all done. I really want to leave here with my tools stowed away for good, so as soon as I can get going again, renos are going to be my top priority. I’ve decided to use credit if I have to in order to get things done right, and completely. I’ve made an incredibly detailed list of what needs to be done and in what order so that I can start blasting through things as soon as the loft is secure without wasting time looking for a strategy. I’ll be finishing with the kitchen even though I’m SO tempted to get it done right now.

In the meantime, I’m focusing on my work projects. Between the furnace and the leak, my budget took a serious hit and I’m not pulling in anywhere close to what just bled out. So I think it’s good to have a week to step back and work at bringing in some money. Thankfully, I reeled in a couple of new translation contracts this morning, so I have plenty to keep me busy!

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Water Matters

Water Matter 1:

Last night, I checked the water levels before I took my shower. The sensors swore I had a full third of a tank left. Ha ha ha ha ha. No sooner was I covered with body wash than my shower started to do alternating boiling out and freezer cold sputters! I could also hear the pump running through the din of the water spurts, the dehumidifier, and the fan. Why do I trust those evil sensors?!

So, it seems that with my shower habits, I need to top up the water every three days. Duly noted. 😀

One thing I’ve noticed since I started living off the fresh water tank is that the water no longer smells musty! This is a first in two years, even after shocking the system with chlorine two or three times a year. I must have finally gotten rid of the bugs I needed to get rid of.

Water Matter 2:

We had some snow yesterday, which is now melting and pouring down my gutter right where my leak is. I checked the Eternabonded seam and I am not certain that it is watertight. I just have a feeling… I’ll keep monitoring it during the day from both inside and outside.