It's All In The Details

It’s always the little things that escape notice.

Why should this porch project be any different?

I mentioned a slight wrinkle in the Nirvana post a few days ago. Well that slight wrinkle turned out to be the roof and the gutters. We---and I mean that in the collective sense---completely spaced the additional cost to re-seal the roof and to re-attach or purchase brand new gutters.

The recent spat of inclement weather has reminded us of this little oversight.

There’s nothing quite like seeing a sheet of water go past your window and collect in the entryway to the basement to remind you of what slipped your mind. There was so much water down there I saw animals lining up two by two.

That is never a good sign.

The water threatened to overrun the threshold to the basement and start ever so slowly seeping inside. Mmmm…let’s make a dank basement even danker.

I don’t even know if that’s proper English but I’m sure you good folks get the point.

The improper use of water is every homeowner’s enemy. It doesn’t matter if you live in a single family home, condo or a town home. Water can not only cause serious damage on it’s own but it can also lead to mold and mildew problems. Trust me when I tell you that the only thing you want to happen with water in your home is that you want it to be clean when it comes out of the tap, hose or into the washing machine and go away down a drain.

Anything else will lead to drama.

To protect our porch investment as well as the roof and the bricks on the back of our building, a decision on what to do will have to be reached before the end of the month.

Do we go out and find other contractors or do we accept The Porch People’s estimate?

Whoopee more decisions.

Of course now the finger pointing has started.

I readily admit that I personally dropped the ball on this one. But I wasn’t the only chef in the kitchen. The other former board members as well as any one else who had a copy of the proposal missed it as well.

Naturally people are concerned---we don’t exactly have coffers overflowing with cash---but one person’s objections and strident opinions stand out head and shoulders among the rest.

No one every said having 17 other neighbors was easy. Then of course I don’t remember who died and gave me the title “Easiest To Get Along With.”

I can give as good as I get but for the most part we all build a bridge and get over ourselves as all of our fates (and fortunes) are tied together by a little thing called our condo association.

Nonetheless a major personality conflict was bound to happen. It was only a matter of time.