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.

View attachment 171689

But it was even worse at the top!

View attachment 171690

I never realized how twisted that wall was.

With the drywall removed I have this.

View attachment 171691

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.

 

[Neb]

I had to completely disassemble and rebuild the switch box to get it off the beam.

The Princess is keen to reusing the beam as a mantle. 4x6"

Hopefully paint remover will remove the paint. The rough sawn finish may be nice.

So I have light to the back basement again.

Removing the beam is the next task.

Ben

 

[Peanut]

Switch boxes can be a pain. Recently I had to destroy a couple to get them out of the walls. The new plastic boxes are fairly cheap and easier to work with. I'm just replacing the old boxes as I come across them.

 

[Caribou]

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

This probably doesn’t matter to this job but I’ll toss out the info. You can’t mix fuels in the same flue, so oil, gas, and wood each require their own separate flue.

I have relined a few old flues by putting a flexible stainless steel pipe in the old flue. I then pack insulation around the bottom of the new pipe and seal the old flue. Next I pour Vermiculite in the void between the flues. the Vermiculite acts as an insulation assuring a better draft and fire protection.

 

[Neb]

This probably doesn’t matter to this job but I’ll toss out the info. You can’t mix fuels in the same flue, so oil, gas, and wood each require their own separate flue.

I have relined a few old flues by putting a flexible stainless steel pipe in the old flue. I then pack insulation around the bottom of the new pipe and seal the old flue. Next I pour Vermiculite in the void between the flues. the Vermiculite acts as an insulation assuring a better draft and fire protection.

The Princess still wants a coal fired stove but we have another basement for that. Will most likely run a new stainless steel out through the wall to the roof.

But first the Hobbit Hole.

Ben

 

[Neb]

Spent some time removing the big beam...

And cleaning it up to see how it would work as a mantle.

The Princess approved. It may be oak or old growth pine. Very dense.

It will most likely be lower than shown. I need to allocate enough room above it for flat screen with a picture frame around it.

Can't beat the price.

Ben

 

[Neb]

Spent some time removing the big beam...

View attachment 172441

View attachment 172442

And cleaning it up to see how it would work as a mantle.

View attachment 172443

The Princess approved. It may be oak or old growth pine. Very dense.

It will most likely be lower than shown. I need to allocate enough room above it for flat screen with a picture frame around it.

Can't beat the price.

Ben

In my previous report I had shown the removed wall section. Little did we know...

So The Princess yells up the stairs to me saying.

"There is broken glass at the bottom if the stairs. I am going to work."

She claims to have nothing to do with it I am chocking it up something shifted.

Circled in red I draw your attention to a stack of glass lids for corningware. One of the lids committed suicide taking the leap from the shelf to the concrete floor. Broken glass everywhere. As The Princess mentioned it must have been quite spectacular.

So I crawled around on the floor with a paint brush, dust pan and duct tape clearing 99% of it. I am sure we will find more if the granddaughters running barefoot don't beat us to it.

FYI
I wrap a length of duct tape around my hand sticky side out. It pick up shards of glass I would miss and minimizes blood shed.

So tomorrow I may get around to trying out the fancy citrus paint stripped on the beam for the mantle.

A little at a time

Ben

 

[elkhound]

suicidal corningwear needs therapy...cook or put food in it !!

 

[Neb]

suicidal corningwear needs therapy...cook or put food in it !!

The Princess ordered bungee cords. Sorta like straight jacket for Corningware.

Ben

 

[elkhound]

The Princess ordered bungee cords. Sorta like straight jacket for Corningware.

Ben

thats therapy too....i just soon fall to the floor myself...roflmao

 

[Amish Heart]

thats therapy too....i just soon fall to the floor myself...roflmao

Ha ha then you need bungies, too.

It's a corningware thing. I have a collection like that. Corning ware is so cool. I also have a box of wrapping paper in the basement that looks like that. Well, make that two boxes.

 

[Neb]

I coated a section of that beam with paint stripper.

While that was cooking I turned my attention to the remnants of the funky wall.

Gone now.

After letting the stripper work for 2 hours I scrapped off the first layer of white paint revealing the green paint.

The rough cut texture is what I want to preserve. Otherwise I would just take a belt sander to it. So I gave it another coat of stripper to see if I can scrub the green paint off.

Ben

 

[Mad Dog 1]

I coated a section of that beam with paint stripper.

View attachment 173555

While that was cooking I turned my attention to the remnants of the funky wall.

View attachment 173556

Gone now.

View attachment 173557

After letting the stripper work for 2 hours I scrapped off the first layer of white paint revealing the green paint.

View attachment 173558

The rough cut texture is what I want to preserve. Otherwise I would just take a belt sander to it. So I gave it another coat of stripper to see if I can scrub the green paint off.

Ben

Looking at the amount of items stored , will they realistically be used often [yes i hoard ] the space could be used for other important items , have a car boot sale if it is feasible, could raise a sum towards the reinvasions going on , understand the minute something is sold , you will run after the person saying I need that , just think of any items going to a deserving home , another plus you will have space to start a new hoarding spree keep up the good work, from South Africa

 

[Neb]

Looking at the amount of items stored , will they realistically be used often [yes i hoard ] the space could be used for other important items , have a car boot sale if it is feasible, could raise a sum towards the reinvasions going on , understand the minute something is sold , you will run after the person saying I need that , just think of any items going to a deserving home , another plus you will have space to start a new hoarding spree keep up the good work, from South Africa

The Princess has a large collection Corningware that quite collectable. Some pieces worth big money on Ebay. She rotates sets seasonably. She collects cookware and I collect tools.

Ben