The sad story about Wendy

We have a Wendy house (wooden toolshed) tucked behind the garage. She has been there for a while, gaining age and dilapidation. Because of the space available, it was not possible to get in and maintain the poor Wendy. We reached a point where we acknowledged the dire need to have a look at her.

So begins the sad story about Wendy. All the plans were in place; I had been reconnoitering the hardware stores for months. Now we just needed her moved to a space where we could work. Wendy was a wooden frame, with a corrugated roof and knotty pine ceiling board covering the frame. They assembled Wendy with nails. My husband started off removing the nails to allow us to remove Wendy from her home piece by piece.

Quick Tip: to remove nails, you will need a flat screwdriver you do not love too much, a hammer and a flat pry bar (search for a short one). Use the screwdriver to lift the nail head from the substrate. Now insert the flat pry bar. It has two convenient slots for nails to fit. Once in place, you can pull the nail out.

Wendy's future looked bright. On the list; a new door to fit her frame. A good solid lock was also in her future. The knotty pine walls cleaned, primed and then painted a brilliant white. Her corrugated roof was on the way out, making space for IBR. Inside would be her real facelift: all her wood sealed, a PVC ceiling to keep all the dust and bugs at bay, a carpeted floor. We were planning on giving her a whole new function. Instead of being a dumping ground for everything and anything, she would become a storage space of note. A tidy and well sealed location to store camping gear, old curtains and loved items that did not have a home in the house.

Alas, it was not to be! As we started taking her apart, the extent of the neglect became apparent. Frame upon frame, we found rotted wood. The floor had severe water damage. We were standing disheartened, looking at her spread over the lawn, wondering where to start. Instead of one or two pieces needing replacement, we were looking at rebuilding Wendy anew.

And so, the sad story about Wendy. Rebuilding was not an option for her. We accepted the damage and, heartbroken, discarded her. Now we find ourselves in this awkward position; Wendy’s future incumbents still have no home.