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Chicken Coop (Week 4) | Gorsline House

I knew this was a bad sign when I arrived to check on KA’s progress. R was away to be with family for the weekend, so I decided to take the VIA train to Belleville and taxi down to the farm (only 25 bucks!). As we turned onto Fish Lake Road, the large flap of metal hanging off the chicken coop roof couldn’t avoid my attention – this is where we’ve been storing the architectural bits salvaged from the house, and the thought of water damage made my heart sink.

Thankfully the weather has been warm with no spring rain, so the interior and drywall (though already moldy from years of damp) appeared pretty dry. The most important pieces like doors and trim had been removed to KA’s workshop for painting, but there are a few pieces of wood remaining that will need to come out of the coop soon, at least if there is any delay in repairing the roof.

South Chimney Work (Week 4) | Gorsline House

All the trades were on site and KA was busy answering questions, so I tried to keep to the sidelines. KA mentioned he was starting work to the chimneys (the south one needed retrofitting for a damper; the west chimney needed a flue for ventilation), but he didn’t tell me any part of the job required additions to the structure.

South Chimney (Week 4) | Gorsline House

When I saw the concrete cap and modern clay liners I could feel my face start to burn – I was pissed off this was a detail KA failed to discuss with us. R and I had lengthy discussions about rebuilding the chimneys if we ever had the chance (or the money) but didn’t anticipate having to do them in this round of work.

There is a peculiar chimney style that persists in Prince Edward County that includes a single raised band of brick two courses below the stacked masonry cap. The earliest photograph of the Gorsline house that we have shows a wider chimney on the east elevation, but no indication that any included the PEC detail.

KA and I agreed that the concrete caps would be removed and that I would get back to him within a day with options for the mason to price out. It’s at this point that I fear we’re pushing too hard on the timeline and important design details might get lost in the rush.

The smooth ride back to Toronto on the VIA train helped me relax and recollect.