Improvements

But are they? Some decisions I can take immediately knowing they are right. Others take a long time and even them I’m not sure. Our house was built in 1939 by local men using local materials and built to last. Our cast iron gutters and hardwood soffits have stood the test of time. But they need ongoing and costly maintenance to stop the gutters leaking and the paint from peeling. I don’t do heights and I’m useless at DIY so I have to get men in to do it for me. And that’s the problem. Finding people who will do it. Painting is relatively fine and I had a quote from a local man, but repairs to the cast iron is difficult in situ and a person who has worked on them for me has knees that won’t stand for a long time up a ladder. So I’m replacing the gutters and covering the wood with plastic. It really does cut against the grain. It will pay for itself quickly and I’ve got a very good company doing the work. But still I’m uncomfortable with it. I know many people would t give it a second thought. I’m keeping some of the rainwatergoods and turning it into a planter for the Head Gardener. I wondered whether they would even make a start in the rain. “If we didn’t work in the rain we’d never get anything done.”