HOME SWEET RECYCLED HOME
(Page 3 of 6)
September/October 1972
By Mark Gregory
Check the attic (if you can't find an access opening, make one) by taking a good strong flashlight and examining the upper ceiling joists, the rafters and roofing. The rule of thumb here is that if only the roofing needs repairs, you're in good shape . . . but if any of the ceiling joists or rafters show signs of weakness, breakage or rot, you should steer clear of buying the house.
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The roof will probably be covered with wood shingles (which may have rotted) or asphalt (that the wind could well have lifted off to expose the planking and metal valley flashings underneath). You may even find that varmints have chewed their way in, leaving gaping holes through which rainwater can follow. Wood shingles are the hardest to patch but will probably need the least work since they seem to last the longest.
Examine the chimney flue while you're up in the attic . . . is it solid and sound, or is it going to require retucking with mortar?
Chances are the building will need at least some new electrical wiring although, if the leads you trace out are not seriously chewed or deteriorated, you may be able to get by—at least for normal use—with the system already in the house. Then again, if you're addicted to today's truckload of modern "juice" gobblers, you might want to completely rewire the structure to prevent any possible overloads.
In many unzoned areas you can legally rewire a house yourself. If you decide to tackle such a project, get a copy of the wiring codes from your county library and use the old leads in the building for a guide as you instill new cables in a good 3-wire, 240-volt system. Then hire a licensed electrician to come in, make a final inspection and hook the new wiring to the power line that runs into the house.
Check the walls of any old home you're thinking of buying, especially the outside ones and the interior load-bearing partitions (which run at right angles to and support the floor joists of the story above). Studding should be fairly solid and show no signs of weakness.
The walls of most old homes you'll look at will be finished in plaster over lath and there's a good chance that the (probably) heavily papered plaster will be falling apart. The situation is not as bad as it may seem, however, as the holes can be patched with more plaster or—if you want to splurge—covered with wallboard or paneling.
Most frame homes built before WW II were not insulated, although a good percentage of such houses have had insulation of one kind or another blown in or otherwise added over the years. The addition, obviously, is an added plus on any house you might buy . . . so look for it. There's no place to put insulation in a brick or stone building, of course, except for under the roof or in the attic . . . where it's still a definite plus.
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