A Good Time for Misc. Home Repairs

[manofthecoldland]

We put off some of the non-critical,  late Dec. typhoon Ursula damage repairs at our house until repair material prices normalized in March. Had new bamboo fencing and access bridge repairs done 2 or 3 weeks ago but had to wait for the household budget to provide funding for the painting and now is the time.

Not spending much money right now, and the locals are mostly out of work, so we decided to go ahead with some of the long postponed improvements as well. Since Ate's carpenter nephews need survival money and my government is giving us an emergency relief disbursement to keep the economy moving, we will be good global citizens...... and like the uber-wealthy, let it trickle down to the needy in times of economic hardship... (  I am being sarcastic, so don't pillory me ).  But rather than upgrade my yacht or estate mansion like they do, I will fix the terrace roof leaks, paint things that need it, replace some weathered house cladding, etc.

Our repairmen and materials depots are within the barangay and are permitted travel and survival functioning at this time, so it is still legal as far as I am aware. They work alone, separated. Just 2 adult nephews with families to support along with Cuya, their uncle,  who with his trike and household pass, is allowed family trike use. I wanted to help anyway with some rice assistance, so I will make it a point to give them a substantial bonus.

They painted yesterday and today, and the new fence (8' bamboo splits atop 3' cinder wall) is eye-blinding white now. The lads wanted to work, so we had them paint the other 2 lot sides that had 10' unpainted concrete walls for the last 4 years, with the appropriate white paint type, and now its like living in a poor man's Taj Mahal in terms of blinding white spiritual  up-liftment.  I should have done this years ago.

I wish I had more work for them, since I have a little 'extra money'..... or will have if my government delivers that $1200  peasant bribe they promised to keep us from getting our the torches and pitchforks and marching on the castle of those who created and released Frankenstein. Ha-Ha. 

The Panay News, on March 28th, listed Region 6 (Western Visayas) as having 13 cases of Covid 19, but its 16 today.  Region 6 has an approximate pop. of 8 million souls. It includes all of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental with Iloilo City and Bacolod as its dominant centers.  Right now they are taking Covid patients all to Iloilo medical centers..... the newspaper said that not everyone is happy with this. NIMBY exists globally.

[stevewool]

It’s good to keep busy and by doing all those little jobs we all have put off , and if you can get some one to help while giving them a helping hand too then everyone’s happy.

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, stevewool said:

It’s good to keep busy and by doing all those little jobs we all have put off , and if you can get some one to help while giving them a helping hand too then everyone’s happy.

I have to disagree about the hired help, unless it is done right.  The purpose of the lockdowns is keep people away from each other as much as possible.  If you have hired help they should stay on the property and not go back and forth, mingling with many others along the way.

Here in the freeport, employers of all kinds have to provide lodging for employees so they do not go back and forth.  Of course, that is not possible for many but they do try.

All the residential and commercial construction is stopped here.  The only residential help around are live-ins, maids and gardeners.

I have been staying busier than normal doing small household repairs and now yard work.  Arcoxia works for the pain in my hip, knee and leg.  I power washed most of the concrete surfaces.  Maybe one more day to finish.  I think I mastered the weed wacker.  It is just not built for a tall person!  No rain so we are watering a lot.  My wife stays busy with the household stuff and her gardens.  Our 15 year old, in addition to normal households, is assigned to clean up after the 2 little monsters, which is quite a chore!  We let them play in the yard every evening when it is cooler, but they are not allowed (by the quarantine rules) to go out on the street to ride bikes or go anywhere.  I signed up for some online reading and math lessons for the kids, and they like those.  A lot better than games and You Tube!  We are going to do a big puzzle later.

 

[graham59]

I knocked a big hole in the wall from the kitchen through to my new 'man cave', to accommodate a connecting doorway.   

Busy making it look less like a hole in the wall at the moment.  No extra help needed . I just sit down every so often, cos I'm getting old now.   

[Marvin Boggs]

We are in a weird situation, with 3 family workers living with us in the new place.  They came before the lockdown, with plans to stay for a month doing all the fixes and improvements.  Only now they are stuck here, so we are making the most of it.  Paint, landscaping, various repairs, etc.  Finding open hardware stores has been a trick the last week or so.  Those boys are hard workers, I've been impressed as hell.