Old Houses, Lead and Young Kids - What should we do?
lcdc99
13 years ago
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theresse
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agokarinl
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
New EPA lead paint rules--options for old house exteriors?
Comments (37)While it is true that the EPA RRP Rule does not apply to homeowners working on their own home, there are still the health problems associated with lead poisoning for you and your family. There is also the problem when you go to sell your home, one of the documents you have to fill out as a seller is a lead disclosure form. I'm not a Realtor but I've been told by many Realtors that it's very difficult to sell a home that has been renovated, repaired, or painted without following the EPA RRP Rule. Another option on the covering is to lathe and stucco the house. My own house had lead paint on two sides. It also had very little insulation so we opted to place 2" foam board on the house, lathe and stucco. The lead paint is behind all of that so will only present a problem if someone decides to add a window or door!...See MoreWhat to do with old addition on old house?
Comments (15)Now, my question is...how have others incorporated existing additions into an older home remodel? Did you just tear everything out (or down) that was newer? Or did you try to incorporate the different elements into the remodel? I'd like to try to recognize the different stages that make up the 'story' of the farmhouse, but still keep with an overall theme. You start by getting a structural analysis of the current house. Can the older elements be saved? Because if it turns out that the addition done in the past is not structurally sound, why incorporate that element? And even if they can be saved, does it make fiscal sense to do so? Just because something was build in the past, does not mean the workmanship is better than what you would have today. My brother has a house that was build in the 1920's. There were some tough times in the 1920's. When he opens up his walls he finds all kinds of things - any type of lumber was used because they used what they could find. And insulation is nothing like what is available today. Unless you know that the finest workmanship of the time was used, you have to be prepared for anything. Then, you consider the other systems that go in the house and how those will impact the structure you are trying to save. How will new electric, plumbing, HVAC, etc. be tied into the old systems. What about insulation? Can these updates be incorporated without damaging the structural elements that you are trying to save? If you need all new plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, does that mean you are demoing down to the studs? If that is the case, and you need a new roof and siding, then what is the value in staying with the footprint of the old house? Financially, does it make more sense to completely demo the building and start from scratch? I am not saying that this is the case for your house, but without having a complete structural analysis plus an analysis the of electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc. you cannot determine whether it even makes sense to save the house. Once those questions are answered, then you move on to design. At this point you ask if house layouts from the past work with the life you are living today. Some people don't have a problem living in layouts from the past, while others prefer open floor plans, wide doors, walk-in closets, larger laundry rooms, larger kitchens, heck larger rooms in general. And then there are the materials that go into building a house that looks like it is from an earlier timeframe. Are they still available today, at what cost, and are newer designs better? Changes in building systems/materials have usually been made for a reason. You have posted pictures of the 1920's sunroom windows that you like. When I look at them, I see single glazed multi paned windows that are very energy inefficient and a pain to keep clean. Different strokes for different folks, you probably wouldn't care for my house. You also have to figure out how much the current footprint of the house is limiting your ability to design the house of your dreams. If you are completely renovating a house, you are going to end up with a custom home. To me, a custom home means it is customized for the people who are living there. Being unnecessarily constrained by what was, is, imo, not the way to get to a custom dream home. If you don't feel constrained by the current house, than you don't have a problem. But since you have been at this for quite some time and haven't been able to finalize your design, it doesn't sound like the process is making a lot of progress. I suggest getting a complete analysis of the current house, then taking that information along with all your inspiration photos and ideas to an architect that specializes in old house renovations and getting a professional's opinion on how best to get to the goal of a dream home....See MoreShould we be worried about lead paint while repairing wall in '30s apt
Comments (13)Yes, by crumbling I just mean little pieces crumble out in the holes where nails were removed, or where the niches were. There are also some larger cracks running along the sides and base of the wall, where the wood furring was nailed in. The niches were boarded up with drywall and then plastered over, so we knocked out the plaster and ripped out the drywall pieces, so there is some plaster crumbling around the edges of the niches (how to fix those up will be a separate post because I can only deal with one thing at a time!). We are definitely keeping the niches -- we didn't know they were there when we saw the place, until we realized all the other apartments in the building had them. Once we removed the mirrors and saw the outlines in the wall I became determined to restore them at all costs, and I'm so glad we did. I'm all about trying to incorporate the original style/design of the place and honor the pre-war glory that this place once had. The rest of the apartment has archways so niches match nicely and really tie things together. We were definitely planning on using plaster patching compound rather than regular joint compound after reading that the latter is not good for plaster walls. I had not heard of using TSP before but that sounds like a good idea. So far we have been using a wallpaper stripping spray (Chomp), which works pretty well. We've used up one bottle already though and are about to buy another -- you think the TSP will work better?...See MoreWhat should my 14 year old learn to do?
Comments (43)Thank you ALL for the great suggestions--so many good ones and I hear a lot of voices of experience in your recommendations. I saw a few things that his older sibs were annoyed or perplexed at having to do for themselves as teens (make appointments, address envelopes, buy stamps--you'd have thought I was asking them to carve the Rosetta Stone). I am making a list to bring to the table when we pow-wow. (I asked him to come up with his own list of what he feels he needs to learn/improve, so we can collaborate.) Neetsie--funny that you mention cursive. When I saw the beginning of his list yesterday, cursive was on it! bpat home, don't kick yourself too hard about the OT. My boy had 4.5 years of it and still can't tie shoes well, write very neatly or enjoy activities like making things out of Legos. That was a lot of weekly appointments and $ that accomplished very little. For those who expressed concerns about how he spends his time, fear not. He isn't laying on the sofa eating bonbons all day. Between school and sports we are lucky to have two hours a day for dinner and homework, plus the daily chores he has always had. He does his laundry (sloppy folding, no ironing), takes turns cleaning the bathroom (not well---so that's on my list), empties or loads the dishes, rakes leaves and cuts grass (badly, but regularly). Whereas older siblings often had to "be mom for a day" for the younger kids while I was at work, now there is nobody younger left. Nobody is counting on him for dinner when I'm not home, so if he'd rather just eat cereal, he does. I'm excited about this project, for him and for me. I'm thinking we will focus on time and money management, cooking, and making appointments at first. Mrs. Pete, I was thinking about the monthly allowance already, I think that is a great idea and one I should have implemented a few kids ago. Two of my older kids needed more practice at planned spending before they left home, and I feel that I did them a disservice. Lesson learned!...See Moretheresse
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