A few bricks shy

At 117 years old, this house has seen a lot of modifications and upgrades, some of them welcome, some dubious. I really should see what permits were pulled over the years. I'd like to know when the aluminum siding was added, for example.

The previous owners removed that siding and painted the bricks, but left some remnants, such as around the downstairs bathroom window. Problem is, they also left some pretty large gaps where the wind can get into the walls. That would explain the frozen pipe issues I've had.

The neighbors hired a mason to do some tuckpointing, so I commandeered him to patch up the most glaring gap – this missing lintel brick –and a couple of other spots. We'll just paint over it and no one will be the wiser. He also pointed out several places where foaming insulation would go a long way toward reducing the wind in the walls.

Winter's just around the corner, after all.