NOLA 15
Saturday, November 8
It was raining this morning. One of the few mornings in all the years we have been coming down here that we began with rain. The day started slowly, with a departure time for the job site of 9 am.
The house we are working on is in Metarie, out near the airport. A new roof has secured the home and stopped additional damage, allowing us to come in to make repairs. We are here to repair damage caused by a leaky roof that was further damaged by an improper repair. The home hasn’t been lived in for three years, but has stood full of furnishings, house-wares, toys, clothes, and all the detritus of a family home.
Our job today was to clear all of these things out and sort through them. We had to determine what needed to be thrown out, saved, or given away. Imagine a whole house full of belongings, carrying it outside, and laying it out on tarps ready for sorting. Terry Combs, our project manager, had let us know his expectation that we would have the house cleaned out and sorted by the end of the day. Walking into the home for the first time, it seemed like an impossible task.
Given the extensive roof damage, water had been leaking into the home for years. With a hot and humid climate, the mold had mold. We salvaged what we could for the family to save, made a pile of items to donate and filled a dumpster with items damaged beyond repair.
With the house now empty, tomorrow we can begin removing damaged and moldy dry wall, pulling out wet and moldy insulation, fixing rotted ceiling joists, and starting to turn this house back into a home.
