Misadventures in a Hobbit Hole

[Mountain trapper]

Dang. And I have a hard time dealing with something that's a 1/16th out of square.

 

[Neb]

Dang. And I have a hard time dealing with something that's a 1/16th out of square.

This was an old mining home built by the coal miners. Previously the miners lived in tents. There are NO footers under the walls. Dug down to the shale and started stacking bricks.

Some of the work was done during the depression. Looks like they picked up scrap 2x4s and nailed them end to end to make studs for walls.

Story time!

I dug out the basement because it had low ceilings. Lowered the floor 18". I had to rerun the waste lines. While doing that my curious great uncle stuck his nose in. The original waste lines were terracotta and were surrounded by dark black dirt. The pipes were installed with NO packing in the joints. My uncle said he now understood how my grandfather and grandmother had finished the work so fast.

All of that dirt was removed of course.

I can't fault those that made due with what little they had.

Note:
That big beam left of the door has to be 8" by 5". Maybe a railroad tie?

Ben

 

[Peanut]

I had previously mentioned that funky section of wall. Here are a few images of just how funky.

Far from square with the outside wall. Yup that is plant trying to grow there.

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But it was even worse at the top!

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I never realized how twisted that wall was.

With the drywall removed I have this.

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I failed to share a good image of the fireplace insert mock-up.

View attachment 171692

Ben

That's beyond bad carpentry. It had to be done that way on purpose. Have you discovered a logical reason for the angle? a lighting issue from the window? Something had to be moved along the wall or through the window? Just guessing...

 

[Neb]

That's beyond bad carpentry. It had to be done that way on purpose. Have you discovered a logical reason for the angle? a lighting issue from the window? Something had to be moved along the wall or through the window? Just guessing...

Ghetto remodeling.

I found walls that were wall paper over cardboard.

Ben

 

[Weedygarden]

There is a community in the Denver area that had many homes that were built like chicken coops. It is in the southwest metro area, and it is Sheridan, Colorado. I've seen some of the homes there. Some theorize that during the Depression and during and after WW II, when people had little to nothing, but a plot of land, they would buy or work for a few cinder blocks, or whatever building materials they could get their hands on. Many of the houses had or have cinder block footings and no basements. Some are built of cinder blocks. Sheridan had a large corner of land close to the Platte River, on the corner of two highways. It was redeveloped more than a decade ago and it has changed the city financially due to the taxes. There is a Costco, Target, Conn's, nice restaurants, and other stores.

The city of Sheridan city decided that it was time to improve some of those homes. City inspectors went out and knocked on doors to do on the spot inspections. No one was notified in advance. Evidently, they condemned more than 100 homes at that time.

I haven't been in that area in a while, so I haven't seen if homes have been razed and rebuilt, or upgraded or what.

 

[LadyLocust]

Hard to answer that question. It is one if the flues in one if two chimneys from when the house was built 100 tears ago. The house had 8 fireplaces with four flues in each of the chimneys. Guessing an 6x6 ir 8x8 inch flues.

Many years ago a coal fired convection furnace was installed in the Hobbit Hole area. That was replaced by a gas fired forced air furnace in the 1950's. In the 1980 I had a high efficiency furnace installed so the flue was then used for gas fired water heater. So that is what I know.

Ben

8 fireplaces

 

[EastenerWesterner]

@Neb good luck. I had my share with an 1872 house and fixing a hundred years of remodels. Have my handful with a mid 1970 and their mistakes.
It does look really cool and above my drywall ability. Probably why those features are in a lathe and plaster house.

 

[Neb]

8 fireplaces

Yup

Only one can be easily noticed. The others are covered up. Still there but behind new walls.

The most obvious is in my bedroom. Behind a chest of drawers and shelf. The ... lentil (?) is still in place for most of them.

If pressed I could open the fireplace in my bed room with a hammer and chisel.

The house was built for miners that had easy access to coal.

I like the character and the old charm of depression era enhancements. Think. Someone said "That is better. That is good enough."

Ben

 

[Neb]

@Neb good luck. I had my share with an 1872 house and fixing a hundred years of remodels. Have my handful with a mid 1970 and their mistakes.
It does look really cool and above my drywall ability. Probably why those features are in a lathe and plaster house.

Less than 1/4 of my place is still plaster and lathe. The rest have been changed.

The Hobbit Hole drywall is mostly 1/4 inch drywall that is soaked before installing. For the more convoluted areas I am thinking expanded steel mesh.

The Princess has stated she will handle some of the drywall joint compound. In the end it will get a sand texture that will masks flaws. The carpentry work will distract from the drywall.

Ben

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Just trying to point you in a direction, but i think you have it with the mesh.
Still above my skill level

Where I live where everything is stippled, bumped, stuccoed whatever. I can match flat better if I am the origional coat.