Let the demolition begin!
Back porch with the wall taken down.
Looking toward the half bath. The wood floor has been pulled up. We are saving the flooring to patch some areas that have water damage in the kitchen. The floor was 2 inches off level. The contractors are going to level floor. I think we are going to put in linoleum.
Looking the opposite way at the addition. The addition was poorly constructed and declared “Mickey Mouse” by our contractor. If we didn’t need the space for our washer and dryer we would tear the addition down.
Opps! The framing for our house was cut in order to fit in the built-in china hutch for the dining room. The hutch is original to our house so we figure it was ordered from a catalog and then didn’t fit. Three boards which should be supporting the back wall of our house were cut.
I have read about how much better houses were built in the early part of the last century but sometimes wonder if the person who built our house was one of the skilled craftsman or maybe someone who was just starting out and not so skilled?
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Your porch is going to look great! The last line really struck a chord with me – There are several ‘original’ construction details on our 1923 bungalow that were just downright stupid – particularly the front porch floor design. They made the porch floor level with the inside of the house – which means that water flowed right into the living room whenever the porch got wet. They also set the floor joists next to the porch directly in the concrete concrete holds moisture and so consequently the joists rotted. Because of this little gem of a design, I have to redo the porch floor/ and repair the floor joists. Of course, other houses of the same vintage in my neighborhood weren’t built like that…
Sean,
I hear ya! We have found some things that make absolutely no sense, too. David and I were talking about your post and one of us wondered how many houses built today would be left standing if they had virtually no maintenance for over 90 years? So, maybe with all the flaws or “quirks” our house is pretty solid after all? It is still standing.
heather
Incredible! That china buffet framing is a hoot! The cut beams look like they may be redundant anyway, but its still cool archaeology.
like yours, my old house is solid, but not an ode to craftsmanship like many old houses that are still standing. We have crookedness just about everywhere. I think as long as the framing stays dry, it takes ALOT to bring down one of these old houses. Most of these junky suburban houses they build now won’t last 50 years! Many do not even use plywood (or OSB) sheathing on the verticals sides, just the styro panels and then brick or siding. Not to mention all the lathe, which may have some structural properties of its own.
Feel free to vent about your neighbors from hell- you made me thankful for something today- parking!
Carol