Finding your Place in the Country:
Giving New Life to Old Structures, Part I
In my articles to date I have been
primarily talking about the process of developing unserviced rural land
and building a home or cottage from scratch. A big province like
British Columbia has many as-yet undeveloped corners, and this is still
a real possibility, even though many areas are reaching the saturation
point for new development.
But what if, on the other hand, your
search for the perfect property yields a fully developed parcel with an
existing dwelling already in place? Whether it's a small 60s-era
cottage at the lake, or a grand old country farmhouse, or a 1900s-era
log
cabin, buying an established property may seem like a great opportunity
to
start enjoying life in the country without the wait and hassle of
developing from scratch.
If you are lucky and have chosen
carefully and
wisely, the home will fit you nicely, be in good condition, and require
nothing in the way of immediate maintenance or repair. Most of the
time, however, this is not the case. Either there will be some
functional item like wiring, plumbing, or the foundation that is
substandard and needs upgrading, or the layout or aesthetics of the
home doesn't fit with your lifestyle, or perhaps the home is just too
small for your needs. Sooner or later, maybe sooner than you think, you
may be thrust into the world of renovating and/or adding on.
In this article, I want to impart some
of the things I've learned in the dozen years I've been re-designing
and renovating older homes. The work is often dirty,
unglamorous, and physically demanding, but it is essential if these
dwellings are going to continue serving us well and last for their full
lifespan. It is also an opportunity to transform decrepit old eyesores
into homes of outstanding beauty, charm, and fully modern functionality.
The process of home improvement has
many aspects, but a good way to look at it is through the lens of an
ancient maxim of the profession of Architecture which says:
"Well-building hath three conditions:
commodity, firmness, and delight."
This maxim refers to the three dimensions that architects and
designers try to
bring into balance and harmony in the design of a new building, namely:
comfort and functionality, structural solidity, and aesthetic
appearance. These same dimensions are quite relevant to renovations,
which we undertake to:
- COMMODITY — Make the spaces better
accommodate
our lifestyle needs. Kitchen and bathroom upgrades are a
common example of work of this sort, as are new additions and the
opening up of walls between rooms.
- FIRMNESS — Remedy structural faults
or
deficiencies and bring mechanical services up to acceptable standards
for comfort and safety.
- DELIGHT — Make the home cozier, more
personal,
and a better reflection of our personal aesthetic. This can
mean anything from a fresh coat of paint to a full-bore gutting and
reconstruction with all new finishes, windows, appliances, and so
forth.
In most cases, because they involve
matters of safety and the long-term
stability of the structure, issues of firmness are at the top of the
list when prioritizing work to be done. Sometimes this is all that is
required to make the home livable. More usually though, the upgrading
of structure, wiring, or plumbing will be done at the same time as a
larger renovation or addition. Given the potential for renovations to
create a mess and disrupt your life, it makes a lot of sense to do them
all at once.
Nevertheless, in this and the
subsequent article, I want to look principally at this issue of
firmness. For our purposes, it comes down to two questions: How do you
find out what you need to do? What parts of an older home or cabin
most commonly need attention to bring them up to basic standards for
safety and functionality?
The Home Inspection
All houses, even very well-built and well-maintained houses, will
eventually require upgrading. Sometimes the work required is obvious
and minor — perhaps a perimeter drain to dry a wet basement, a new
electrical panel, and a coat of paint and it's again good for another
fifty
years. Sometimes, though, the problems are less easy to see and more
grave in their implications for the safety and longevity of the home.
It is ideal, therefore, to begin any thought of renovations with a
thorough and in-depth home inspection or structural assessment. The
results of this should inform all decisions you will make.
Of course, it would be preferable if
this
had taken place before you purchased the property and you are already
well
aware of any major deficiencies. These days, it is very common to make
an offer to purchase a home conditional upon a satisfactory inspection
report, and you can find professional home inspection services in most
communities. Owing to their familiarity with all aspects of the
building system as well as the fact that most carry liability
insurance, home inspectors are my first choice for this initial
assessment, although architects, engineers, building designers,
contractors, or even knowlegable homeowners each have their areas of
expertise and can also provide this service to some level.
Before beginning the inspection, first
of all identify your overall objectives. Is it your intention only to
make the home safer and do basic maintenance, or is the work going to
go further? This step is important because your objectives can
determine what information you collect during the inspection. If you
plan to tear down part of the building, for example, you need not worry
about any deficiencies in that part — unless, that is, they point to
instabilities in the underlying soil. If, on the other hand, you plan
to build a second storey on an existing structure, the condition of the
foundation and main floor walls is going to be of great concern and
should receive close attention. When long term goals are as yet
unknown, it's good to be on the safe side and collect as much
information as you can about everything.
A good, systematic way to approach a
home inspection or assessment is to basically follow the course of
construction, beginning with a thorough check of footings and
foundation, then working your way up through the framing of floors and
walls to the roof, followed by windows, doors and an examination of the
various systems — mechanical, electrical, and so on — that are crucial for
comfort and convenience, and ending with the condition of surfaces
and finishes.
Once the assessment has been
completed, the dwelling's deficiencies have been noted and prioritized,
and a plan of action has been laid out, it will be time to tackle the
actual repairs. Just as with the inspection, in most cases such work
will also retrace the usual contruction sequence. To illustrate the
inspection process, what follows is a basic overview of the procedure
and some of the common problems that might be encountered during a home
inspection. In the next issue we will look at some of the basic actions
you can take to remedy them.
Foundation
Firstly, to ensure
that the house is on a solid base, you will need to inspect the parts
of the dwelling that are in contact with the ground. The most common
kinds of problems one encounters with foundations in older homes are
related either to insufficient bearing capacity, structural failure,
too-shallow footings, or ground water infiltration, often in
combination.
Problems with inadequate bearing
capacity will most often manifest themselves in obvious cracking of the
walls themselves, or by uneven settlement of all or parts of the
foundation. These are usually caused by spread footings which are
inadequately-sized or even absent (quite common in older homes), by
soils with little compressive strength, or by active groundwater. A bit
of careful digging around at the base of the walls will show whether
there is indeed a footing, as well as how wide and how far below the
exterior grade it is.
Structural failure is usually the
result of the decomposition of the concrete if it's a concrete
foundation, or of the mortar, if it is built of stone. This failure
occurs when
the initial concrete mix was incorrect and where there is continuous
exposure of the wall to moisture and freezing. While it may be possible
to repair the wall in place, it's often better to remove and replace
the stone or concrete with a new, properly designed foundation wall.
Groundwater infiltration is by far the
most common problem with older homes and leads to damp, unusable
basements and the growth of harmful moulds. Watch for moisture on the
surface of the foundation wall or floor, or a powdery efflourescence or
stain where past leakage has evaporated. Fortunately, this problem can
usually be alleviated quite simply by installing a proper drain tile
and gravel around the ouside perimeter of the foundation to intercept
groundwater and direct it away.
Framing
Once you've identified
how to make the foundation solid and level again, next look at the
floors. Are they level? Do they tend to sag in the middle of a room? If
so, look for joists that have been cut for plumbing and heating pipes,
a commonly seen practice which greatly weakens the floor. Otherwise, it
may be the case that they are just too small for the span,
neccessitating either additional joists or else intermediate posts and
beams below.
Fortunately, main floor members are
usually quite easy to
access and can often be installed without disturbing the floor above.
Second floor problems though, are harder to deal with, since inspecting
and then repairing the floor structure usually requires removing the
main floor ceiling. This sort of investigation should probably be
undertaken as part of a more major renovation.
Your next focus should be on the
walls. Check for them for straightness and plumb, and look for any
deflection in headers over windows and large openings. Be on the
lookout for mold along baseboard areas, which may indicate that either
condensation is occuring or else moisture is getting into the wall
cavity from a broken flashing, window sill, or even from a hole in the
roof.
Roof
Roof problems can be
categorized as belonging to one of three types: worn-out roofing that
no longer provides effective protection for the home; failure of the
flashing at penetrations through the roof membrane; or inadequacy in
the roof structure itself.
The simplest to remedy is roofing
materials that have outlived their lifespan. Asphalt shingles — by far
the most common material — will last anywhere from 15 to 40 years
depending on the thickness and quality of the shingle, the quality of
the installation, the amount of direct sunlight the roof receives, and
whether moss or other organic materials have been allowed to build up
on the roof. As they age, the lower shingle edges will curl to the
extent where
they break off, or they will become brittle and succeptible to wind and
will ultimately fail. Wood shingles and shakes fail in less obvious
ways, usually through rot or by splitting and falling out. Metal
roofing generally becomes loose at the lower edges over time, or the
fasteners pop up, leading to lifting, bending, or even tearing.
A failure of the roof flashing is a
potentially more serious issue, as considerably more water may be
involved. If leaks have been occurring for some time, it is quite
common
to find rot in the sheathing, particularly around the openings, and, in
bad cases, an infestation of carpenter ants. Both of these conditions
have serious structural implications, and will likely require the
replacement of sections of the roof sheathing, or even some of the
rafters.
Structural problems can often be seen
by just looking at the building from the outside. The most common
giveaways are a sagging ridge or concavity in the flat roof surface.
A sagging ridge usually indicates that either the top of the supporting
walls are spreading apart or else there is a failure in the connection
between the rafters and collar ties. Either will require significant
work to
remedy. Concavity, on the other hand, indicates that the rafters are
too light to support the roof loads and have become permanently bowed
over time. It may be possible to force these deflections back out using
cross-ties but the best solution would be to replace the rafters with
appropriate-sized members.
Finally, you should also examine any
eavestroughs or roof leaders to ensure that they are still watertight,
well-connected to the fascia and wall, sloped to drain, and that the
leaders carry the runoff well away from the foundation.
Masonry
Most older homes will
have a masonry chimney that likely once served a wood cookstove or
heater and may now be used to vent a heating appliance or gas water
heater. The number one concern here is with safety. Cracks in the flue
liner and around old thimbles, as well as obstructions in the flue
itself, all have the potential to cause poisonous carbon monoxide (CO)
gases to infiltrate into the living areas of the home — a potentially
lethal situation.
Another hazard is chimney fire, quite
common where
there is creosote buildup combined with structural weakness in the
chimney and liner. A qualified chimney sweep is a good person to call
on for an assessment of the state of the inner workings. Also noted
should be the condition of flashings and the chimney cap and any need
for repointing of the masonry.
Chimneys, because they are usually
constructed on separate footings from the rest of the house, are also a
frequent source of problems when there has been differential settling.
This can lead to heaving of the adjacent floor surface as joists or
flooring are caught and lifted by the masonry. Add this one to your
list of structural repairs.
Insulation
Unless they have been retrofitted, most homes built before the 1950's
are likely to be
inadequately insulated. This is especially true of vacation-type cabins
and cottages, many of which were intended to be used only in the summer
months. Attics are usually the easiest places to see into; by removing
the gable vents or an access hatch, it is usually possible to see the
depth and condition of the insulation and to determine whether the roof
assembly is properly vented.
Walls are more difficult but you can
look
for gaps around door and window jambs, remove switch plates, even drill
small holes into the wall cavity behind the baseboards in order to get
a sense of what, if anything, is insulating the walls. Take note of
places where you can easily increase the amount such as attics, and in
floors over unheated spaces. Walls, unless you are planning to do a
full scale gutting of the building, are much harder to insulate and
require specialized equipment to blow in the new insulation. While you
are at it, check
doors and windows for leaks and the need for weatherstripping.
Windows and Doors
The
condition of the windows is very important to the looks and liveability
of a home. It is crucial for energy performance as well. On newer
homes,
check that the seals on all thermopane units are intact and that
weatherstripping is in place and in good condition. Older, single-pane
windows should be inspected for cracks and for the condition of the
glazing putty which seals them to the sash. Try all windows through
their full range of motion to ensure hinges and latches are in working
order. Finally, you should inspect the outer sills for leaks as these
can lead to rot and carpenter ants inside the wall. Doors, too, should
be
checked for weathertightness and the lock mechanisms checked for
security.
Heating appliances
As with the
chimney, there is a very real danger of carbon monoxide from a damaged
or improperly functioning gas or oil furnace. The condition of the
fanbelts, ductwork, filters, and most importantly, the heat exchanger,
should all be checked carefully by a qualified person. Consider also
whether the ducts require cleaning.
Plumbing System
Begin your
investigation of the plumbing system at the point where the supply
enters your house. Is the supply line large enough to deliver the water
you need? Then, move on to the hot and cold water lines. Many older
homes use iron or galvanized water pipes, and these should be
identified
for early replacement. Check the condition of the hot water tank and
all visible drain and sewer lines, looking for leaks, proper slopes for
drainage, and adequate venting. Finally, inspect the fixtures, looking
for cracks in the porcelain and dripping taps.
Electrical System
A thorough
home inspection will cover the whole electrical system, from the heavy
duty service connecting it to the hydro pole outside, to the condition
of every individual circuit, outlet, and fixture inside. You should
note
the age and condition of the wiring, the condition and number of
circuits in the main breaker panel, and whether all switches, plugs,
and
lights are properly grounded. Ground fault receptacles should be
tested. Observe too, which outlets and fixtures are controlled together
on each cicuit; note which rooms are inadequately serviced with
outlets and record these. If you are planning an extensive renovation,
it may be possible to address all of the deficiencies of the electrical
system at one time.
Renovation is quite a likely scenario
if you are purchasing property with a dwelling already in place. We
have seen a partial list of the work that might required to bring a
home up to basic standards. In the next issue I will discuss some of
the implications of making such repairs, as well as the more subtle
process of renovating or adding on for reasons of commodity or delight.
Go
on to next article — Giving New Life to Old Structures, Part II
Go
to previous
article — Finding the Plan That's Right for You
Click
here to return to our home page
Copyright 2004
John Gower and BC Mountain Homes
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Toll-free:1-877-366-2502
First Published: Real
Living Magazine
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