Without Power, This Old House Has Made Me a Weather Refugee Again

In 2019 I wrote a post on why I love my historic neighborhood. This week has made a lot of us realize what we don’t love about them.

When I bought my home in 1990, Hollywood Heights had just become a conservation district. I had no idea what that meant for a homeowner, and neither did my Realtor. I just knew I wanted a walkable community where the homes had character and people talked to each other. I found that in Hollywood Heights.

The 2011 Ice Storm

It was not until the 2011 ice storm and ensuing power outage that I realized my lovable neighborhood had some seriously unlovable issues.

I had to leave my cute little 1927 cottage for a week that winter because it was impossible to tolerate the cold when the power went out. It plummeted to about 40 degrees in a matter of hours. So, my son and I packed up the dogs, headed to a hotel for a few days, and then to pals in Lakewood whose power was restored.

I believe Hollywood Heights was the first to have a power outage and the last to have it back that year. I knew I had to take steps, but there were other fish to fry for the next 10 years, like sending my kid to college and paying off my mortgagee. Those important home improvement issues took a big backseat.

Roadblocks to Weatherization

Last year I got serious again (after living through a prior summer power outage, which was at least tolerable) and started investigating new windows to better weatherize my home.

Now, remember, I live in a conservation district. You cannot just install any old window. In fact, there’s a pretty high bar about what you can and cannot do to your home.

The cost of the approved windows and the ensuing paperwork and hoops you had to jump through was more than my budget, and my mental health could bear. I got frustrated, and the window project went on hold.

This year, after I put a plea for help on Neighborhood Nextdoor, one of my sweet neighbors invited me to look at his conservation district-approved windows. They were a lot less expensive than what I’d found. That went to the top of the home projects list.

Of course, living in a pandemic and trying to get a contractor lined up is another whole level of frustration. I went to Plan B. Two months ago, I called Generac to investigate having a generator installed. No sooner had I sorted out that plan than Atmos landed in our lap to install new gas lines. So, another holding pattern.

Stalled Starts

It’s like I had a sixth sense we were going to face a weather disaster, and I was plotting to wage war with it. I just didn’t get locked and loaded fast enough to beat winter storm Uri and the havoc snow and ice would wreak on the Texas power grid.

So, this year, we became weather refugees again.  We packed up the dogs and decamped to Richardson, where our dear friends have wined, dined, and cared for us in their fully heated home since we fled Monday morning. They live near Medical City.

Note to all of you looking for a home: Buy near a major medical center!

If you are thinking about buying in a conservation or historic district, there are some things you must know about how to prepare for power outages. After fleeing twice, I learned a bit and reached out to my neighbor’s that remained for more advice.

Michael Cheever lives in adorable 1200-square-foot 1926 Tudor across the street. He’s managed to stay in place during this heinous event. Michael and I have been comparing thermostat numbers when power has briefly been reinstated. His house is a good 10 degrees warmer than mine. Here are his words of wisdom.

These houses are not insulated like new construction. That’s why I installed attic insulation as soon as I moved in and added another layer about 19 years ago. It made an enormous difference. My biggest fear is bursting water pipes. I have a new water heater in the attic,  wrapped in an insulation blanket with a big drip pan and an emergency shutoff valve.

I also have a gas space heater. I would have had to abandon the house if it weren’t for that. Be sure you have a carbon monoxide detector with an alarm.  

An essential thing for homebuyers looking in these neighborhoods is that many of the fireplaces were not built to burn wood. They had gas space heaters and were never intended for any other use. They have a single layer of brick, and you need two layers for wood burning. Remember, the space heaters give off a lot more heat than gas logs.

If you purchase an older home, crawl around on your floor with a caulk gun after moving in and finding anything causing a draft. Sealing those leaks can make a huge difference.

My next-door neighbor Patricia Yakesch has also remained in her 1935 Tudor during this power outage. She had the foresight to purchase a portable generator, having been through this before.

It’s just enough power for a couple of electric heaters, a lamp, a computer, and a phone.  We moved into the guest room because it only has two windows. We are definitely in survival mode. I think the windows are probably the biggest problem now because mine are original. Replacing those is next on the list.

Patricia was also early to the insulation party and had hers blown in. But even with a generator and insulation, her inside house temperature fluctuated from 42 to 62.

Staying Put?

Has this third round of power outages made any of us want to leave? No.

We bought homes here because we love the neighborhood and the sense of community. A few days (or perhaps even weeks) as weather refugees is not going to make us pull up stakes for a new, fully insulated home. We’ll be better prepared for the next time.

“I love my home,” Patricia said. “I think you have to like the charm of your home. It’s not as energy-efficient, but it’s beautiful. The whole house is a living antique.”

I completely agree, so my first call was to the contractor to get on his list for attic insulation. The second was to the Generac dealer as new gas lines have now been laid in our area. Nothing beats a whole house generator. David Racin at Generac gave me the inside skinny, and I’m convinced this is the smart move.

As you know, in the wake of storms and rolling blackouts, home standby generators keep the house powered up. 

With demand for power security surging, backing up the house is becoming a planning event. An increasing number of homeowners are deciding to emergency-proof their homes with an automatic home standby generator. With recent weather events creating widespread power outages, residents are experiencing longer wait times.  

At the top of the list of essential considerations for any home is generator capacity. The size of the house and the number of devices and appliances that the homeowner wants to back up will require more power capacity. 

A 22kW rating is quite common for a larger home and can be expected to power the entire house. 

For older homes, upgrading the electrical panel may be necessary, as will be a consideration for placement. Local codes will help guide safe installation distances. Still, homeowners should be aware that a generator’s operational noise level is about 66 to 70 dB, similar to a typical HVAC system. 

So, now that you have some insight into the challenges of older homes during a power outage, don’t be put off buying in a conservation or historic district. They are totally worth it.

I’m now armed with solutions and am determined the next weather event won’t force me into weather refugee status, again.