How to work on a scary house.

[strider]

Drywall,sheet rock, gypsum board,whichever you wish to call it, by the way, is basically plaster in pre-made sheet form.  Today about all of it has some kind of mold or mildew resistance and therefore some amount of moisture resistance.  It would be wonderful if everyone could go back with plaster on an old wall but it is at least three times the cost (if not more) than drywall.  Assuming you can find someone who is really doing plaster work and is really good at it. While most think that plaster work is by far superior than drywall, it is at best most often simply equal.  Most walls are far from flat and often are much thicker around the baseboards (a ledger is there to use as a guide), thinner in the middle and thick at the upper corners. Corners are seldom 90 degree except often at that wood ledger.  That is how the carpenters got the base boards to fit so well.    Many times the walls and ceiling were textured ( sand texture very often used) to help hide that wavy look.  While older houses have picture rails about 16 or so inches from the ceiling, a few decades later that same picture rail was moved up close to the ceiling.  While it did indeed serve as a picture rail, it's other purpose was to move the eye from the ceiling corner so you wouldn't notice how wavy it was. Of course, like today, quality of the work is varied.

The original scratch coat is actually closer to the mortar used to lay brick than what most think of as plaster.  Sometime in the late 20's or 30"s a switch was made from wood lathe to metal mesh.  This is by far the worst thing to remove from a wall.  Along about the late 40's, 50's, they were still doing plaster on the walls but were using Drywall based strips and sheets as the lathe. And of course, still using mesh and chicken wire as "tape" and under tile.  Obviously at some point, plaster fell out of favor due to costs and today I'd say 98% of all new walls are drywalled.

I do believe plaster, or rather the entire wall system, stands up to humidity better than drywall. (With wood lathe, it has an R value of about 9, by the way.) It is still subject to damage and failure from water, meaning roof and water line leaks cause the same amount of damage. And plaster fails pretty quickly when a house is left un-lived in. The more varied temperature variances do in the keys and it holds moisture longer causing paint failure.

Basically, yes, plaster is better, but there is no reason to break your budget to do it.

[sheclown]

A friend shared this blog. "Myths about insulating old houses"

http://bobyapp.com/blog/2009/06/myths-about-insulating-old-house-walls

[buckethead]

It does not mention whether closed cell insulation such as isonene or a corn based foam (don't know the name of that one) would be more effective and/or less harmful to the structure. It occurs to me that if applied to the plaster side of the wall, it would serve as an interior vapor barrier, while allowing for vapor transfer to the exterior of the structure.

[Dog Walker]

Don't insulate the walls!!  Just stop air infiltration.  We don't have severe enough winters for wall insulation and the problems it can cause.

I'm going to experiment with attaching tyvek housewrap to the bottom of the joists to completely seal my old house from the drafts that come through the pocket doors and the around the plug boxes.  That should stop the drafts without stopping the movement of moisture vapor. 

Anybody have thoughts on that plan?

[Ralph W]

Here is a site that may address your concerns regarding insulation, air barriers and vapor barriers. Follow the links in the left column, sit back and enjoy the read. In the past, the studies have been the topic of many discussions on a contractors site I frequent but the science is sound and I the author(s) differentiate based on climate, ie. North vs South.

http://www.buildingscience.com/index_html

[carpnter]

I don't see why anyone would blow insulation into the walls, it will settle over time and will lose its effectiveness.  That is why you have the paper or foil backed insulation that is stapled to the studs.  Of course to install this you would need to strip the plaster off the walls. 

[Debbie Thompson]

Cost vs. effect.  We spent money spraying foam in the attic.  Little or no difference in the electric bill.   Start with the cheapest thing first...weatherstripping, foam inserts on the back of exterior wall plugs, etc.  Drapes or blinds on the windows.  Do those first and see how it helps.

[Dog Walker]

Here is a site that may address your concerns regarding insulation, air barriers and vapor barriers. Follow the links in the left column, sit back and enjoy the read. In the past, the studies have been the topic of many discussions on a contractors site I frequent but the science is sound and I the author(s) differentiate based on climate, ie. North vs South.

http://www.buildingscience.com/index_html

Thanks, Ralph!  That is a terrific site that is going to take a while to explore.  Great resource.

[sheclown]

We were all but promised another code enforcement sweep through Springfield in the not-too distant future.  It may be a good time to take some pre-blight-inspection preventative measures.

An easy target for blight fines is peeling paint.  Oh, don't we remember the pain of Mr. Foster! 

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,21571.0.html

If you have some areas of peeling paint, but don't have the 10 grand or so to repaint, consider taking a piece of that peeling paint to Brintons on Park Street and have them color match the chip with some primer.  You can scrape what needs it and prime the area with the color-match.  Oddly enough primer lasts a good long time as a top coat and, unlike the top coat, has special bonding qualities to make it adhere to the tough spots.  I recommend the new product from Britons "Holdz" which runs about $100 a five gallon bucket. 

If you are concerned about lead on your house, you can purchase lead swab test kits.  Each swab is about $5 and will let you know what sort of hazard you are dealing with.  Don't worry about EPA if you are doing the work yourself -- the government will let you take the risk without punishing you.  However, you might want to take precautionary measures if your swab turns bright red (ie, wash hands, wear N95 respirator, don't grind, clean up chips).

If you tackle the peeling paint job a little bit at a time, you will be more than prepared for the next "inspection" -- and protect that 100 year old siding in the process. Focus on the front and the sides most visible from the street.

While you are at it, nail in a few of those dangling pieces of siding and prime your repairs.

Another area of easy fund-raising for the city last April was citing for trash.  Why not split the cost of a dumpster with a neighbor or two and throw all of those accumulated treasures you thought you'd use -- but haven't -- away?  If the termites have started feasting on them, they are toast anyway.  This also goes for those paint buckets from five years ago and the hard brushes from the last maintenance job.  It is much easier to get a dumpster than to bag it and call the city.  A dumpster can run about $300 -- if you can get some cooperation with your friends, you can make clean up much easier and economical.

And while you are at it, cleaning up the vacant house next door would be a nice gesture.

Probably the most cited was for over-grown lawns and weeds in gardens.  There is no protection from this sort of craziness, the only point it that you really don't want anyone who is clad in khakis and a polio shirt paying much attention to your yard.  Overgrown grass draws hungry eyes to other items.

In case you are new to the neighborhood, here is what happened last year. 

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,21163.0.html

Good luck and get going.

[strider]

A friend shared this blog. "Myths about insulating old houses"

http://bobyapp.com/blog/2009/06/myths-about-insulating-old-house-walls

Since it is cold and there has been an increase in interest in places like Springfield, this article seems worth revisiting as well.

[Joed]

I am planning to start work rehabbing a 1905 house in Springfield. Thanks to all for all the very useful advice and info.

I am new to the area and I'm looking for a reliable GC to work with which knows Springfield and specifically historical homes since as many have mentioned, a Southside GC would take one look and run the other way. I'm looking to restore the home as best as possible to its original state.

If anyone can share someone whom they've had a good experience with, that would be awesome.

TIA

[sheclown]

Joed. 

Steve, from a Palace Company, is very familiar with working on scary houses (he owns one himself!)  His contact info is:

904-307-5518.  He's a GC and a roofer.

[camarocane]

I recently purchased a home in Avondale and am having issues with window condensation forming on the inside and causing mold growth on the mullions. from what I understand these old windows had weep hopes at one point, but many have since been painted over. Anyone have a permanent fix for this? Or should I just give the windows a good cleaning every month?

[sheclown]

I recently purchased a home in Avondale and am having issues with window condensation forming on the inside and causing mold growth on the mullions. from what I understand these old windows had weep hopes at one point, but many have since been painted over. Anyone have a permanent fix for this? Or should I just give the windows a good cleaning every month?

Do all of the windows on the same side of the house have this problem?  Or is it only this one.

If it is only one, then perhaps there is a leak above the crown where flashing should be and water is getting in there.

Is this happening in the summer?  With the AC on?

Any HVAC guys out there -- with experience in older homes -- care to jump in on this?

[Joed]

Joed. 

Steve, from a Palace Company, is very familiar with working on scary houses (he owns one himself!)  His contact info is:

904-307-5518.  He's a GC and a roofer.

Thank you for the recommendation. I will definitely reach out to him.