Protecting belongings during renovation
kercove
7 years ago
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Raining inside the house during renovation - what next?
Comments (1)It would be best to let everything dry out until you close up the space. Let everything dry out thoroughly before closing it up. Dehumidifiers can help speed up the process. If you see any signs of mold then it would be a could idea to have a remediation company come it to do an inspection and cleaning. When that is done then the roof should be made water tight so no water may enter in the future....See MoreDo I belong here?
Comments (9)Appreciate your asking and respecting that we might have diff attitudes. The forum was established partly bc we do in fact generally have more of a renovation esthetic and ethic, as opposed to what is derisively called "remuddling" and we wanted to have a place to be without having to constantly engage in debate or conflict about that. Now of course the reality is most people's renovations are somewhere between the two extremes, so yes do feel free to post and participate here. But please, please, do not be offended if someone gives you the third degree about exactly what condition your windows in if you threaten to yank them out. And what may look like a plain jane house to you, to the old house fan we may look at your wood trim and see the beauty and simple esthetic value of it (particularly if its rare or old growth wood) and question you about why you want to remove it. I think bottom line is I respect your private property, but in a public forum if you ask my opinion - hey, I'm gonna give it! Passionately - but with acknowledgement that its your choice to make. I just love old houses and love what they're made out of (old growth forests from 100 yrs ago). Occasionally, getting this kind of info/feedback has served people well - I do remember at least one person who was thrilled to know that she didn't have to sink 20 K into new windows as her old ones turned out to be quite serviceable! One other piece of wisdom or food for thought - don't know about your area, but the old houses here that retain the most value are the ones that are well cared for but have most of the original features intact and in good condition - wood, cabinetry, ropes/pulley windows (vs. cheap vinyl). If you are approaching this particularly with the intent of selling do consider this aspect before proceeding with your gut job. This type of value is something that may not appear in the average real estate agents comps but a specialist in old houses may be able to provide some guidance. Even a simple workers cottage can have a historic value that is reflected in dollars and cents. On the other hand - it is also true that some were never built all that great in the first place or have been so altered for the worse that they can never be worth much of anything to anybody unless you do something drastic.. Anyway welcome to the wonderful world of old houses - you'll laugh, you'll cry! This post was edited by kashka_kat on Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 11:10...See MoreRaining inside the house during renovation - what next?
Comments (1)Main damages would be anticipated to finishes, plaster and floors. If it's essentially gutted and no finish floors, no problem, everything will dry without harm. If finish floors are to be kept, you will have problems with moisture trapped between hardwoods and subfloor, chance of mold, but guarantee of cupping. Old plaster on its own, is mold resistant, and will take a lot of short-term abuse and bounce back. Long term water damage is serious, a single wetting usually fine except to the paint, wallpaper, etc. Casey...See MoreWhere Do Camels Belong?
Comments (56)camps, girdling would work and trust me, I've been more than just a little bit tempted to do a lot of girdling but the tell-tale signs can be easily seen, if you get my drift. I have dreams of happily girdling every single hackberry along the property line along with dreams of strategic lightning strikes zapping mature trees into oblivion. Just call me "Mad Dog Tex the Tree Hater". We have tar treated utility poles out back and of all things the woodpeckers visit them every year regularly. I love woodpeckers. Dead Hackberry trees wouldn't hurt my feelings, I wouldn't care if corpses were left for the peckers. I'd gladly go for that. Another asset these trees have is they get aphids each year and produce black sooty mold that covers our white stucco walls and the stucco wall up front. Forget painting, it lasts less than a season. Its great on the car too, nice dirty look and its sticky. Advice is to spray the trees (yea right, on top of everything else) and to be sure not to "overlook the hackberry bushes as they can come up everywhere near a hackberry tree". Really????? Everywhere??? I have to agree 'everywhere' is no exaggeration. The thing is, we came into a bit of tiny inheritance, in other words, a bit of extra money outside of the fumes we usually get by on. Typically we are too broke to even think of seriously cutting back the neighbors trees and must be content with nips here and there and keep it under $700 or so. So now, part of this money is being laid aside to cut HIS trees & hopefully three will come out if its not too expensive. It galls me when I think of the inheritance aspect but on the other hand, after years of eyesore its a decision we made. Speaking of galls, the trees get those all over the leaves. Its part of the aphid deal. Yes Tom, they are native trees but hey, this is an urban situation and there are native plants that are pests by any definition in urban settings. A forest is a different matter or somewhere out in the country. I can name quite a number of native plants I wouldn't think of having in an urban landscape and would consider on the list of Bad Choices For Urban Landscapes. For instance, Smooth Sumac would probably take over an average sized lawn pretty quick and be an unwise idea. Some of the larger Goldenrods might make regrettable choices. When it comes to native plants, some really are better off for everyone growing "out there" somewhere outside of city limits rather than in the city under urban conditions with buildings all around. Hackberry trees hopefully would be in the natural wooded areas and not prairies, we have both situations and each needs protecting and of course as you probably gathered, I am partial to the prairies over the wooded areas but I've never denied the value or importance of the wooded areas either....See Morekercove
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