RENOVATION PSYCHOLOGY®
Advice for the Home Team Toolbox

Dear Dr. Debi,
I was going cabin crazy but just love the little warm spells. I am raring to go on whatever projects I can do right now – especially outside. But what’s to do?
Signed, Gotta get Outside

Dear Outside,
Many folks who like to renovate are folks who just don’t sit still. It is a great strength in your projects – to always be at something and never be satisfied to rest. Thankfully, there are things to do outside that will keep you busy even in the short sunny days of winter.

Many people find that the January thaw is an excellent time to get on their roof and put things right that may have become un-done in the early winter gales. Loose shingles, guy wires, and chimney caps can be some of the little details that may need checking or fixing. Just be sure to be careful – of course for your safety, and also for the brittle materials. You just won’t do the same type of repair in January that you would in June; you will just do the necessities. Probably you will depend more on caulk and flexible patches than nailing new roofing in place. As for guy wires – just be careful! Plan ahead on doing this project in two steps – the reconnaissance and the fixing in at least two trips up on top. And in between, there is thinking: about the damage, the proper fix, and the best safest quick-fix in winter. You may even visit or call an informed person to confer on your options and to pick up the right supplies.

Traditionally, folks also like to clean their chimney on the little spring-like days that may show up here and there mid-winter. If you have been heating with wood over the past few months, there may be a large build up of creosote in your chimney that can be a fire hazard if it gets too thick. In the warm nights, the smoldering fires we tend to use during warmer spells can bring even larger build ups. So, checking your flue can be an important mid-winter chore. Look up information on creosote and what it looks like – basically it has the appearance of brown-black resin or solid maple syrup. Strangely, it is flammable, even though almost nothing else that looks like it does burn. The first time you do this should be with a real chimney sweep; they can tell you the ins and outs of your specific flue and even tell you which brushes you will need.

As we are designing our spaces and structures, it is a great idea to plan ahead for the types of maintenance that will be ordinary and repetitive for your building. A 15-pitch roof may repel water and snow build up, but is a bear to walk on in the summer and basically impossible in winter. In winter, we often spend time designing our dream house plans – It is time now to look at the practical side of maintenance for this house that you will live for many years to come. Study the way that snow accumulates on houses in your area and how ice dams form. Ask people about their experiences and learn from them before you make your design decisions. Plan for good snow hygiene.

Maintenance is an intriguing aspect of planning, for which few people allocate resources of planning and thinking ahead. Yet – all of us have seen and admired a cleverly designed house that has spot lights that are easy to reach, roofs that shed water, walkways that seem to never accumulate snow, car ports that allow easy unloading, and wood piles that seem to pour themselves into the wood stove. How does this happen? You can do it – use your imagination in these days of short days and long evenings.

Happy imagining!
Dr. Debi

Dr. Debi Warner is the Founder of Renovation Psychology® and author of Putting the Home Team to Work, available now online. Dr. Debi provides advice for greater domestic harmony to folks who are renovating their home – for True Home Improvement. This column is offered for enjoyment and enhancement and is not intended to replace your personal medical care.

Photo by Bob Jenks, St. Johnsbury, Vt.

Dr. Debi has a consultation practice, visiting home sites all over New England from her studio in Littleton, NH at the Tannery Marketplace.

© 2005 Renovation Psychology® Visit www.RenovationPsychology.com Questions are welcome.