Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

Dwight trying to impress the Grands with all of the cool things he CAN do!!!

My husband can do anything! And most of it... by himself. Not me! I can’t do everything. I don’t WANT to do everything! Now I don’t mean he can always wash his clothes, pick up his clothes, cook our supper, throw his trash in the trash can or put his things where they belong!!! But he does KNOW how to... and where there’s a WILL...there’s a way!

The First Project

He truly is gifted! And what he WILLS to do, he finds a WAY to do! You’d think he was in construction. Nope, he’s a software consultant, but building things is ONE of his hobbies! Our first home, a 1904 farmhouse which sits on 2 acres in a small town close by, was his learning project! It was in sad shape when we purchased it many years ago. The walls were plaster with horsehair and wooden slats that had been partially demolished. Dwight had to rewire, replumb, remove old unusable crumbling fireplaces to create bathrooms and closets, as well as sheetrock the walls and ceilings, add insulation, redo floors, add HVAC, and of course modernize the kitchen and baths. (The brick mason never showed up, so he even had to learn how to lay brick for the porch foundation and steps! He's really slow and sure couldn't earn a living doing it, but it sure looked good when he finished!! He was so good, I convinced him to lay a brick walkway to the front porch.) Not the mention the repainting every 8 years!!! We've been working on it for 40 years! However, it hasn’t gotten much attention since purchasing Little Mount Vernon.

The Hunting Cabin

And he single handedly built his hunting cabin in the woods! Built the foundation and floors. Then built the walls and stood them up. Did the wiring—there is NO plumbing! Fabricated all the doors, which was a new experience for him! Cut the cypress trees from the property and crafted the porch columns. Put on the roof and siding, with only one minor hiccup— a visit to the emergency room with a dislocated ankle from a board falling on the ladder and knocking him to the ground—which is why for our current job, he has a mechanical lift!

Moving His Parents

Then came moving his parents to a house 2 doors down from us. It was a 1940's house that they had looked at many times through the years when it went up for sale. However, at the time they needed this house it was being auctioned off and we happened to win the bid. The house had been empty for quite a while, so every wall, ceiling, window, and door had to be washed down to remove mildew and dust. The plaster was peeling and Dwight had to scrape and repair that in all the rooms. He sanded the beautiful oak floors and refinished them. We refurbished both bathrooms and modernized the old kitchen with a slightly different floor plan along with new cabinets and appliances. And his mother LOVES it!

The Granny Pod

Next, my mother wanted a Granny Pod. So Dwight converted a 2 car garage with concrete block walls and concrete floors to the most adorable apartment for her. He broke out concrete walls to move small windows. Rebuilt headers and installed egress windows in the 2 bedrooms, and a huge picture window in the open den/kitchen. Used a jack hammer to cut away parts of the concrete floor to run drain and water lines. And built the cozy 2 bedroom, full bath, open concept den/kitchen walls. We chose to hire electrical, plumbing, sheetrock, cabinets, and HVAC install because she wanted it done in a few months. But he did everything else—of course with my assistance!!! Ha!Ha!!

Then came Little Mount Vernon. So I guess you could say he’s had lots of experience with building and rebuilding things! This old house would not have stood a chance without him!

Dentil Installation

His project for the last several months has been recreating the dentil block assembly for the South Front. Sounds pretty simple. Just several boards. How hard could it be? Well, first he had to analyze the assembly that he took down. It’s not just a couple of plain boards! Every one is either routed or coped or mitered or planed or ripped. And most of the dentil blocks had to be handmade because the majority of the old ones were rotten in one place or another. Each dentil sits on a 3x4 pad. And the edges of each pad are routed. Then there is molding to be coped to fit between each dentil block. And copper screen to be cut and installed between the ripped boards for attic ventilation! And the base board had to be routed to fit with the cypress siding. He made all the pieces for the South Front and primed them for installation.

So, now he has installed them. Single handedly! He put each one on the lift and took them up the wall one at a time. He screwed a bracket to the wall to sit it on until he got it screwed in place. Then moved the bracket to the next section! He decided to add white aluminum flashing above the dentil assembly to protect the wood when the guttering gets reinstalled. He is something!! And that lift is the ticket!

Of course, I was very necessary for this project. I dusted the dentil assemblies before he hung them. AND I had to find the stapler and staples so he could put up the tar paper. AND bring him the hammer, he forgot. AND the square he needed! AND at one point he allowed me to push the buttons and drive him around in the lift!! But mostly, I sat in a chair under the oak tree and got to watch and be amazed by his ingenuity!