A simple kitchen floor refresh uncovered hidden water damage in my 1927 Portland home. Here’s what went wrong, how I fixed it, and why summer is the perfect time for home maintenance.

I know, rain probably isn’t on your mind right now. Portland in the summer is all about farmers markets, berry picking, long bike rides, river dips, and backyard hangs. It’s golden hour season—and I’m here talking about water damage?

Because I’ve got a story to tell. And like most good Portland stories, this one involves rain, old houses, and a bit of unexpected demolition.

Almost five years ago, I bought my first home—a sweet little 1927 place that I absolutely love. I get a real sense of joy from being the steward of this house and the land it sits on. I’ll tell you all about my garden one day, but today we’re talking about the threshold to my back door.

When I bought the house, I don’t remember anyone pointing out anything odd about the threshold. Maybe it came up, maybe it didn’t. There were rooms of yellow paint to look at, light fixtures to change, and a whole lot of “someday” projects on my mind. That little piece of wood under the door? Not one of them.

A couple of winters ago, I finally noticed it: the threshold sloped toward the house, not away. Not great. Also, it was wood. Strike two. And just to make things extra fun, there’s no overhang above the back door—so that poor threshold just sat out in the rain for half the year.

It extended past the exterior wall, soaked and weathered. I found myself wondering: how long has it been like this? Who knows. But onto the ever-evolving house list it went.

This spring, I decided to give my kitchen a little refresh with new floors. I knew it meant pulling up materials near the back door—and finally getting a look at what was happening under that threshold.

So I dug the pry bar out of the laundry room drawer and got to work.

The threshold was soft and broke into six soggy pieces. Thankfully, just inside the door, the sub floor looked okay—beyond the first six inches or so. There was a little dry rot at the base of the door frame, but nothing catastrophic.

Then I asked the question I had  to ask:
What’s under the sub floor? How do the joists look?

Well… not great, but it could be worse. 

Some of the rim joist and a of the siding were pretty much toast—right where the concrete steps had been in direct contact with the house for who knows how long. It was one of those “how many worms are in this can?” moments.

I cleared away more debris and was very relieved to find that the floor joists ran parallel to the rot—meaning no deeper structural damage. Phew!

Next decision:

After a little deliberation (and a chat with some handy friends), I chose option two. Which meant it was time to hunt down a sledgehammer.

Half a day of banging later, plus a few wheelbarrow loads of concrete rubble, and—voilà!—there was a hole in the side of my house.

Don’t worry, though. It was the good kind of bad news. The damage was localized and totally fixable. I just needed to cut away the rotted wood, sister the rim joist, and seal everything up tight to keep moisture out for good.

Right now, the hole is covered and there’s a temporary ramp where the stairs were. My old dog is not a fan—but I keep telling him we’ll have new, better stairs next week.

Here’s what’s next:

Plenty of time to finish before the clouds come back. I love a deadline with sunshine on my side.

I’m incredibly lucky to have people in my life who build and remodel homes for a living—and who are patient enough to answer all my questions. They not only help when things go sideways, but they also encourage me to learn and get my hands dirty when I can.

If there’s a takeaway here, it’s this:

If you live here, you already know: rain is a given. What matters is how well your house handles it.

Here are a few low-effort, high-impact things that make a difference:

With sunny days and dry ground, this is the perfect time to tackle anything you noticed during those darker, wetter months. Whether you’re a homeowner with a few nagging issues—or dreaming about owning your first place and want to know what to look for—I’d love to talk.

People, houses, repairs, and weird little projects are totally my jam.

Not sure where to start with home maintenance? Thinking about buying a place and want someone to nerd out about house stuff with you? Call me. Seriously. I’d be thrilled.

The post What Rain Taught Me About Home Ownership, And Why It Matters When You Buy a House appeared first on Living Room Realty.