The previous owners of our building had done something odd to the floor in the back room of our building.
It wasn’t odd in itself—they just added a layer of subfloor, some vinyl tile, and then a carpet remnant over that. What was odd was that with that buildup of material, the back door simply could not open.
Not a safe situation. I couldn’t believe it when I discovered it.
So today I pulled up the carpet, removed the vinyl tile, and ripped out enough of that plywood subfloor. And now the door opens!
The back porch also has been a bit of a mess. A fairly well-established maple tree that clearly was cut back more than once over the years had roared back to engulf the porch. I haven’t taken the necessary steps to kill that tree just yet, but I did cut it back again.
Now the back door opens, and the stoop (which will need to be replaced, possibly this fall) is useable once again!
I’ll be looking for volunteers to help with these and other projects, like landscaping, in the not-so-distant future.
A more complete renovation will happen next summer after we get this first year of programs under our belts.