Time waits for no one. It was time to open the wound. To do this right, I brought in my “surgical” team:
- Bosch GSA 12-30 Reciprocating Saw: My scalpel for today. Compact and precise for cutting through damaged timber.
- Bosch GBH 2-26 DRE Rotary Hammer (The 2007 Legend): I bought this tool nearly 20 years ago, and it’s still going strong. Its job is to handle the delicate demolition where finesse is required.
- The Jackhammer: Kept close for the heavy lifting.
The goal? To find where the Furniture Beetle finally stopped. Is it just the foundation beam, or has the rot climbed higher into the structure?
The Verdict. Six Meters of History and a New Beginning
The Mathematics of Decay Opening the wall revealed the true scale of my uninvited guest’s appetite. To ensure the facade stayed in place, I began shoring it up with 50×50 timber, carefully choosing the optimal support points.
The numbers were sobering. The total span of destruction along the foundation reached 6 meters:
- 1.3 meters in one direction from the corner (along the porch);
- 4.7 meters in the other.
The bottom beam and the sheathing boards on this section have practically ceased to exist—the beetle turned them into fine dust. The good news? When tapping the vertical studs, the sound remains solid and clean. It seems the parasite didn’t climb higher, limiting itself to the “tastiest” and dampest section at the base. A more detailed stripping of the boards will reveal the exact picture, but there is hope.
White on Grey: Challenge Accepted To restore the masonry, I stopped by Ehituse ABC. The exact silicate bricks (25x12x6.5 cm) are still available there. But there’s a catch: the new bricks are snow-white, while my facade has noticeably “tired” and turned grey over half a century.
Does this contrast bother me? Not at all. In fact, as a happy man, it delights me. Let this new, bright masonry stand out. It will be a symbol of my house’s rebirth. Besides, I have never laid bricks before—and that is another challenge life has presented. As for the color… time will take its toll, and over the years, the new bricks will weather and grey, merging with the history of the house.
A Temporary Pause The work is done for today. I carefully wrapped the exposed wall in plastic to protect the “wound” from the Estonian rain. The lumber is ordered, and the plan is set.
It’s time for me to return to my main IT job, and the beautiful house remains, waiting for my return. It knows: I will be back with jacks, new timber, and the determination to finish the job.
See you in Episode 3!