A big can of worms (or termites)

As I sit here and write I can hear the squish of the snow-slush on the road as cars drive by. Although in Vancouver that sound is not uncommon throughout the winter, here in the Kootenay Rockies it can only signify one thing: Springtime is just about here.

And with springtime comes working on the house. Being first-time homeowners, this will be our very first springtime and we are getting geared up to do some major work.

When we bought our house we knew that there was some rot damage on one corner thanks to an ill-conceived backyard deck that trapped water next to the siding. The rot made a nice place for a Carpenter Ant colony and thus we are looking at jacking up that side of the house to replace a few tired support beams. For houses 50 years and older in the Kootenays, this is nothing new. For us, it's scary.

I'll keep you posted.