builders & remodelers

[dmarc117]

looking to pick up a investment property. it was built circa early 1900s and interior was rehabbed in the 80s. how long can i expect this thing to remain standing? are these older buildings built well? it is a wood framed victorian. tia

[Footballjoe]

looking to pick up a investment property. it was built circa early 1900s and interior was rehabbed in the 80s. how long can i expect this thing to remain standing? are these older buildings built well? it is a wood framed victorian. tia

 

 

I work in and around homes built in the 1900's all the time. My current job is to demolish the ones that have not been taken care of. However, there are many that are still in very good condition. It really depends on the previous owners. I have actually had to take some down that were built in the late 1800's. I really hated it but the homes were not able to be saved. It is very important to have the home inspected. Besides the obivious things to look for i.e. the plumbing, heating, electrical, roof etc you need to be aware that these older homes probably contain lead paint. Also there is a chance that there could be asbestos in the building. Most likely it will be on the heat pipes, water lines and flooring. IMO this should be removed since it will pose a hazard in time. I have also seen it in the plaster walls. It is not a problem unless you start remodeling and knocking down walls. I spend about $1000 per house to have an asbestos inspection done. This cannot be done by a housing inspector. The inpection is costly but is well worth it for obvious health reasons and liability concerns. Buying and renting older homes is fine if you know what you are getting into.

 

BTW, what City are you looking to buy?

[Perchoutofwater]

Just have it inspected by a reputable inspector. Check for termites. Look at the walls above windows and door, and also look at any crown molding, if it has significant cracking it is an indication that the house is settling. Most houses will settle in the first couple of years, and will need to be touched up. If this house was renovated in the 80's there really shouldn't be anymore cracks like this if they did a good job. Older buildings generally are built better than newer ones, as the craftsmen were much better 100 years ago than they are now. That being said, technology has changed a lot, and older buildings tend to not have the insulation that newer ones have, so they are less energy efficient. Obviously check the wiring, it is doubtful the original wiring is still in place if it is more than likely you will want to replace it. Old houses are beautiful, but they usually tend to be money pits.

[dmarc117]

Just have it inspected by a reputable inspector. Check for termites. Look at the walls above windows and door, and also look at any crown molding, if it has significant cracking it is an indication that the house is settling. Most houses will settle in the first couple of years, and will need to be touched up. If this house was renovated in the 80's there really shouldn't be anymore cracks like this if they did a good job. Older buildings generally are built better than newer ones, as the craftsmen were much better 100 years ago than they are now. That being said, technology has changed a lot, and older buildings tend to not have the insulation that newer ones have, so they are less energy efficient. Obviously check the wiring, it is doubtful the original wiring is still in place if it is more than likely you will want to replace it. Old houses are beautiful, but they usually tend to be money pits.

 

 

can you rewire a whole house with minimal cosmetic damage? i was looking into that cavity insulation method, any good?

 

joe, im in chicago.

Edited June 30, 2008 by dmarc117

[Perchoutofwater]

I respectfully disagree with Footballjoe regarding asbestos. Asbestos is perfectly safe as long as it remains in place. Where you have problems is when you go to renovate, when you demo items containing asbestos the fibers become airborne, and then do become a problem. Unless it is a McMansion, you could demo everything yourself wearing a dust mask and you would be perfectly fine. Prolonged, unprotected exposure to asbestos is bad, there is no doubt about that, but if you take precautions removing it, then you will be fine no more than you would have to remove. Asbestos abatement is very expensive.

 

Another thing you will probably run into with an old house like that, particularly if you live in a humid environment is mold. Don't abate it if you find it. Mix up a solution of 1/2 bleach, and 1/2 water and spray it on the mold. Once it dries, spray shalaque on it.

 

People tend to take both of these items to extremes. Neither are dangerous until they become airborne, and they don't become airborne unless you disturb them. While construction workers won't touch the stuff because they run into them a lot and would have much more exposure to them, you can if you just use some common sense.

[Perchoutofwater]

can you rewire a whole house with minimal cosmetic damage? i was looking into that cavity insulation method, any good?

 

joe, im in chicago.

 

You are asking the wrong person. I'm a freak. I'm a commercial contractor. We only build our own houses, and when we do, we use conduit. You will not find any romex in any house I build.

[Bring Back Pat!!!]

I respectfully disagree with Footballjoe regarding asbestos. Asbestos is perfectly safe as long as it remains in place. Where you have problems is when you go to renovate, when you demo items containing asbestos the fibers become airborne, and then do become a problem. Unless it is a McMansion, you could demo everything yourself wearing a dust mask and you would be perfectly fine. Prolonged, unprotected exposure to asbestos is bad, there is no doubt about that, but if you take precautions removing it, then you will be fine no more than you would have to remove. Asbestos abatement is very expensive.

 

Another thing you will probably run into with an old house like that, particularly if you live in a humid environment is mold. Don't abate it if you find it. Mix up a solution of 1/2 bleach, and 1/2 water and spray it on the mold. Once it dries, spray shalaque on it.

 

People tend to take both of these items to extremes. Neither are dangerous until they become airborne, and they don't become airborne unless you disturb them. While construction workers won't touch the stuff because they run into them a lot and would have much more exposure to them, you can if you just use some common sense.

 

You're almost gauranteed to run into some asbestos in the flooring in particular. Any vinyl floors that are pre-1982 contain asbestos, as well as the old true linoleums. We come across this all the time here in New England. And it's about 50% of the time that we just leave it and go right over it. The rest of the time, the homeowners pay to have it abated. It's only harmful in dust form.

[Perchoutofwater]

You're almost gauranteed to run into some asbestos in the flooring in particular. Any vinyl floors that are pre-1982 contain asbestos, as well as the old true linoleums. We come across this all the time here in New England. And it's about 50% of the time that we just leave it and go right over it. The rest of the time, the homeowners pay to have it abated. It's only harmful in dust form.

 

We once did a renovation in a hospital where they had 7 layers of VCT because they didn't want to have to abate the asbestos. We use an abatement crew on everything we do. We won't let our guys near the stuff. That being said, if it was my house I would abate it myself.

[Bring Back Pat!!!]

We once did a renovation in a hospital where they had 7 layers of VCT because they didn't want to have to abate the asbestos. We use an abatement crew on everything we do. We won't let our guys near the stuff. That being said, if it was my house I would abate it myself.

 

 

I probably would too. But that's more because I'd remove any flooring before I put the new down. I'm not a fan of installing layer upon layer. Especially VCT. That stuff can pop up so easily. You installation is only as good as what it's installed on.

[dmarc117]

the floors are all original hard wood and being rehabbed in the 80s i think the asbestos threat is minimal. my worries are the wiring and needs windows.

[Footballjoe]

I respectfully disagree with Footballjoe regarding asbestos. Asbestos is perfectly safe as long as it remains in place. Where you have problems is when you go to renovate, when you demo items containing asbestos the fibers become airborne, and then do become a problem. Unless it is a McMansion, you could demo everything yourself wearing a dust mask and you would be perfectly fine. Prolonged, unprotected exposure to asbestos is bad, there is no doubt about that, but if you take precautions removing it, then you will be fine no more than you would have to remove. Asbestos abatement is very expensive.

 

Another thing you will probably run into with an old house like that, particularly if you live in a humid environment is mold. Don't abate it if you find it. Mix up a solution of 1/2 bleach, and 1/2 water and spray it on the mold. Once it dries, spray shalaque on it.

 

People tend to take both of these items to extremes. Neither are dangerous until they become airborne, and they don't become airborne unless you disturb them. While construction workers won't touch the stuff because they run into them a lot and would have much more exposure to them, you can if you just use some common sense.

 

In my comments I made it clear that asbetos in the plaster is fine unless you remodel i.e knocking out walls. Some who became aware that they have asbestos in the plaster encapsulate it by installing paneling over it. But what about pipe insulation? In these older homs it is very common. It is old and starts falling off. It can usually be found in the basements and in the crawl space. It should be removed by a liscensed asbestos contractor. It is a health hazard to anyone who comes in contact with it. Think about the plumbers and electricians that have to go into he crawl spaces then bring it into your home. Or maybe it enters through the heat ducts. You as the owner of the property become liable.

 

Now as far as floor covering goes it is easily encapsulated by covering over it. However, if you need to remove it, it should be throughly wetted and then bagged. You really should have an asbestos contractor do it but floor tile and siding is not regulated and home owners can legally remove and dispose of it. Not so with pipe covering and wall plaster.

 

JUST TO MAKE THIS CLEAR: A DUST MASK DOES ABSOLUTLELY NOTHING TO STOP ASBESTOS FIBERS. YOU MUST HAVE A RESPIRATOR FITTED WITH A HEPA FILTER not to mention the other requirements. I AM CERTIFIED TO DO ASBESTOS REMOVAL ALTHOUGH I DO NOT DO SO. I NEED TO BE CERTIFIED FOR MY JOB.

 

The main reason I even brought this up is so you are aware that asbestos can be a potential problem in older homes. If I was buying a house with a very good possibilty that asbestos exist I would want to know about it. IMO it would be worth the $ to resolve the issue BEFORE I purchased the house. You could require the current owner to provide you with an inspection report clearing the house. Just my 2 cents.

Edited June 30, 2008 by Footballjoe