Remuddling

[hausdok]

Hi All,

I'm writing the report on this one right now. It probably would have made Bill Kibbel go on a killing rampage over crimes against architecture.

It's a 1900 foursquare with a sort of Queen Anne turret appended onto the front built on a stone foundation.

They took this one down to the studs. The only thing original is the foundation, frame, sheathing and the chimney. Basically, new everything on a 106 year old skeleton. Outwardly, it looks 106 years old. That is, until you get within six feet and notice that the siding is too perfect.

The exterior has been completely re-done in HardiPlank and cedar shingles. New front porch and balcony. New, double-hung wood-sash windows. New doors. New asphalt roof over an OSB deck on top of the original skip. Insulation in every wall and in the attic. New forced air gas heating, new copper plumbing from the meter throughout. Completely re-wired - not a shred of the old stuff left. Interior completely drywalled and new hardwood, tile or carpeted floors throughout. The first floor opened up with a contemporary living room/dining room/kitchen feel. The original attic finished to create a 3rd floor office. The basement deepened, slab floor poured, the interior walls parged and drywalled on the cripple walls. Big deck appended onto the back.

The quality of work was above average, but I wouldn't put it in the Lexus or Mercedes class - more like a Chevy Caprice.

All that work and they didn't bother to fix quake damage to the chimney stack - it's settled and the portion below the eaves is about 3/4 inch east of the portion from the soffit up. It needs extensive tuckpointing and looking up into the throat of the firebox from the hearth there's a 3/4 inch wide separation between the surround and the stack that obviously wasn't there in the original stack.

Lots of other little stuff and nothing major until Yung's scans detected high moisture next to a basement window. She pin-tested it and then dragged me down there. The drywall pegged the meter in a small spot about 6 inches in diameter.

It's above grade and on the sunny side of the house with no downspouts nearby and it hasn't rained in a couple of weeks at least. There shouldn't have been any moisture there - except they'd installed a new powder room directly above off the foyer and the supply pipe to the toilet makes a turn in that stud bay and goes up to the toilet above. Hmmmm.

I didn't get to cut this one open, but once again she'd done me proud.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike