Chimney Repair

It has been a while since I have mentioned evidence that I live a charmed life.

This is partly because I've been reading about how social media has a tendency to make people depressed because they see all their "friends" having amazing lives while their own lives are humdrum. 

But this week's adventure is too remarkable not to share.

On Thursday, we had heavy rain. While I was working at my desk, I heard a steady drip, drip noise behind me. I moved around and determined that there was dripping behind the wall that covers the chimney from our fireplace.

We had some water damage repaired there last winter, and I'd meant to get the chimney looked at, but with the whole Covid business and my own laziness, I never did.

Manon noticed that where we'd had the water damage repaired, there was starting to be new staining.

So, Friday, I woke up knowing I would have to deal with it. Go on social media, ask for roofer recommendations, do online searches, read Google reviews, check the Better Business Bureau. But I just didn't get around to starting.

Friday afternoon, I stepped outside to drive to the library and pickup a DVD (Season 8 of Vera - we're really enjoying her.)

A guy on the sidewalk greeted me. "Hi, we're doing some work on your neighbour's roof and our ladder might be going onto your property. Is that okay?" I noticed a roofing company truck parked on the street in front of the neigbour's house.

"Of course," I said. "We're not doing anything there and the neigbour owns most of that driveway, we only have about a two-foot strip."

He thanked me and turned to go back to work.

"Say," I said, "I've got this issue maybe you could have a look at." I pointed out the fireplace chimney and described the drip. He figured it probably just needed some caulking. We discussed which kind to go with, and I went with the longer-lasting choice over the high heat choice because we've stopped using the fireplace anyway.

"No problem," he said. "I've got some of that in the truck. We can go up and do it today or tomorrow."

It turned out they didn't have time on Friday. And I thought that they'd run out of time on Saturday because it had gotten dark, but then as we were having supper we heard a ladder going up in the driveway.

Shortly after there was a knock on the door and the guy showed me pictures on his phone of new caulking. "Should be all set."

It was the easiest home repair project I've had since I bought this place in 1993.  

While I hope you are feeling happy for me, I hope this story has not depressed you about your own life. It is true that something very lucky happened to me. I had to do no work to find the roofer, and I'm pretty sure the price I paid was a lot less than if I'd had him especially drive over here. But I did have water dripping inside the walls of my house. Hopefully, you do not have water dripping inside your house.

If my post is still leading you to feel like your life could be better, may I suggest you try watching Vera. If you have an Ottawa Public Library card, you can watch seasons 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 on Hoopla. Don't despair that Hoopla does not have seasons 3, 8, 9 and 10. You can borrow seasons 3, 8 and 9 on DVD from the library. As for season 10, it recently aired on VisionTV or PBS, perhaps it will again. Or the library will get the DVDs. Don't waste your money on Britbox or Acorn. They haven't got season 10 yet.