Inching Along…EEK!
Today, in finishing up the final details on the Great North Wall, I thought to attend to this weird section just under the big dining room window. A section of shaped tin which was crumpled, sagging, and with holes. Quite vexing!
It appears as though something was attached to the metal sill at some point. Something kinda heavy, which distorted the sill. But what? I have looked through the archival images and find no evidence of anything being attached to this location.
My plan was to bonk the bottom edge of the drooped sill back to level, and then have a computer-crimped metal L-piece installed over the crumpled section.
That was the plan.
But today, as I bonked and bonked and bonked, the sill did not budge. Not even slightly.
My vexation mounting, I decided to apply ruthless measures. Scary ruthless measures.
Scroll down…if you dare!
EEEEEEEEEK! I cut out the crumpled metal sill. EEK!
And found a horror under. A horror! EEEEEEEEEEK! Basically, there was no there there under the sill. Just powdery wood long ago eaten away by water. This is bad shit, dude!
After smelling salts revived me, I worked to cut away all the rot and at last discovered stable pieces of wood.The main sill (top, with tools on it) is actually in fine condition. Amazing. So, I need to recreate a section of the secondary sill under the tin, and some infill lumber under the main sill. Piece of cake!
After I repair all the damage to the underlying wood, I will then have a computer-crimped metal sill made and install it.
This revised plan…should work.
But pray.
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PRAYING
This reminds me of a nightmare I had where I moved into an old, dilapidated house, then it caught on fire, and as the boards burned off the walls, it revealed that the in-fill between the studs was all dismembered, decaying heads, used as insulation, tumbling out of the walls as their eye sockets caught on fire.
For this reason I will never have the courage to tear apart suspicious rotting trim on the side of my house.
After first reading your comment I thought you were describing a nightmare-like experience.
I had to read it again to realize you were describing only a nightmare!
Now you will give me nightmares!
I had to read it THREE times before I got it!! I think because I fear what is lurking beneath my hideous siding. Yes … vinyl siding on an 18th century house … my own nightmare from the previous owners. Waiting to win Publisher’s Clearing House!
Seems like the crumpled metal sill got crumpled for a reason! It had to draw your attention to the rotted wood underneath. At least you got some rot out of there, right?
I had a very poignant comment composed in reply to your plight, Ross, but A. H’s comment above shocked me into complete amnesia! WTF?!!!
Ditto to Tony’s comment.
It appears to me that someone tried to attach a support bracket for something like a thermometer (my guess), bird feeder or other decorative item. I suspect that they tried at one spot and found no wood for the screws to grip so moved to another spot. Still not finding wood they went straight to the first resort of the incompetent, which is really llllllllllllong screws. When they were unable to get a grip in one of the spots, they may have managed to get one in another, but, if the were using a powered driver and pressing hard, not expecting to find something for the screw to grip, they may have crimped the metal before they had the time to take their hand off of the trigger.
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In this scenario it would have been a relatively recent occurrence. There may have been such a bracket in place, which would likely have been removed by Bob Rodak when he painted, or it may have been attached to the house in another spot when the installer had bad luck at the first location. It may still be on the house or have been somewhere on a sill that Ross has already painted, where it would have caused little damage if the wood below was intact. If so, Ross could have removed it himself and disposed of it without giving it a thought.
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I like the idea of a thermometer, because I like to have one attached to my bedroom window sill and another on a first floor sill outside so I can see the current temperature. I have also hung a bracket outside a window for a bird feeder in the past.
No expert here but maybe an air conditioning unit that caused the rot in the first place???
Just finished scraping paint off of a 130 year old house. Similar damage from dripping water from an airconditioner placed above window.
That’s a large window that doesn’t open.