Promise Acre: Our Journey

[promiseacres]

@Baymule
Yes lathe is being removed and all new wiring. I know the last 2 rooms I worked in had zero electrical outlets except on the porcelain light fixtures. Then we are going to add 2x4's to make a nice straight walls for drywall and insulate. We'll lose a bit of space but that's ok.

 

[Baymule]

That sounds like a darn nice 19th anniversary present to me!

 

[Bruce]

Most old houses were not wired for today's electrical gadgets.

Yep. Not wired for anywhere near what we all use today. Probably not grounded though likely not knob and tube. One outlet per wall, maybe. Service panel MAYBE 100A but likely much less unless the panel was replaced more recently . After all what did they have for appliances 80 years or so ago? Lights, maybe a radio. A vacuum if they had some money.

Near as I can tell our house didn't have electricity until the 40's or 50's. Didn't even have a drilled well until 1979.

I know in the end it is easier but I hate to see the lath and plaster go. There was a lot of work involved putting that up.

 

[promiseacres]

I know in the end it is easier but I hate to see the lath and plaster go. There was a lot of work involved putting that up.

Well if it didn't have layers of lead paint we would probably repair it. And as we are pulling it down we are finding areas with mold under the layers too. Of course in 20 years I am sure drywall will have issues too. You know I don't even know anyone who would even have the skills to replaster a wall, one of those lost arts I am guessing. Taking it down I wonder about who put it up...and why it's triple thick in places or what happened to need repaired.

 

[Bruce]

Yeah I was thinking about that, probably very few people can plaster a wall anymore. Anyone can sling the plaster on the lath, takes a skilled hand to trowel it smooth. You can put the drywall directly on the lath, save a lot of time and mess.

 

[Mini Horses]

You can put the drywall directly on the lath, save a lot of time and mess.

It's probably more for the insulation and wiring, etc. -- plus the lead -- than anything else. Hey, I've torn out old walls where newspaper and pine straw was the insulation! At least there was some in there. Many old houses had none.

 

[promiseacres]

It's probably more for the insulation and wiring, etc. -- plus the lead -- than anything else. Hey, I've torn out old walls where newspaper and pine straw was the insulation! At least there was some in there. Many old houses had none.

so far there's plenty in the attic, not so much in the walls. so yes many advantages to upgrading the walls.
We got another bedroom's walls down, and one room the ceiling is done. What a job this is but it's getting done.

 

[Baymule]

We got another bedroom's walls down, and one room the ceiling is done. What a job this is but it's getting done.

 

[thistlebloom]

It will be so rewarding in the end when you're finished, but it certainly is labor intensive.

My sis has a 120 year old house, and they did the same as you. They found a lot of old things that had somehow fallen down between the walls. One was a tiny baby bootie. Interesting to think of the lives that were lived under that roof for so many years.

 

[promiseacres]

Making progress, got 57 bags of plaster down, 42 are now in the dumpster. Which almost filled it, there were other things in there. DH is asking (FINALLY) "What needs to be done before we move?" He's also looking into the cost of adding an elevator... He has a point... but REALLY? not sure what to think about an elevator.