To cut costs, he does all the renovations himself. He rewires everything. He puts in a new heater, new floors, crown molding, light fixtures that my mother picks out. He builds an entirely new deck. She wallpapers each room, lining up the end of one scroll with the beginning of another. They work late into the night. She hands him tools and helps him lift the ladder. She puts down the tarp on which the ladder will go.
