Well, this project has its share of issues. Structural deterioration, water damage and fire damage can be found in a number of places. However, what is amazing is that we have not been surprised with any bad news. We knew about these three issues prior to purchase thanks to our home inspector. We expected to find additional issues along the way.
Instead, we discovered that though our house has gone through a number of iterations and permutations in its 170 year history, it is built like a tank. We could not be more happy.
Apparently, one of our contractors informed us that the house is built with bridge construction. The support beams in many cases are notched to fit together and then held in place with dowels and pegs. This explains why after 170 years, the doors in the house still close and demonstrate no uneven settlement. It is quite impressive.
Here are a few examples of the workmanship in the home:
1.) The outside walls of the house are largely made up of giant planks, in some cases over 24" in width. These planks would have been sawn from trees, possibly trees that stood on the property where the house was built. It is almost a shame to cover this beautiful planking with spray insulation and sheetrock.
2.) The joinery in the home is, as mentioned above, extremely impressive. Tongue and groove construction and wood pegs abound throughout the home. The cost of materials and the demands of efficiency prevent construction of this kind today. Additionally, the support structure of the home is all built out of cedar. Today, in all likelihood, this wood be built with pine.
It would be great if we could always know how homes were constructed before purchase. Unfortunately, to discover this in older homes where plans no longer exist, you have to virtually destroy the place just to find out what it is made of.
Holy updates! Good bones? That place looks like a fortress!
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