Demolition of a Nineteenth Century Room: A Case Study
Posted on 27. Mar, 2008 by Laura-Jane - Whimfield in House, Projects
First, the room (in this case, the dining room) as it was a few days ago. Note the cracked/patched plaster on the white wall.
DAY ONE
We start removing 100-years of layers, including (but not limited to) plaster, drywall, strange cork board, paint, wallpaper, and wood paneling.
Before sheets of drywall/gyproc existed, plaster was mixed with horsehair and spread onto the wooden slats (”laths”), and the plaster dried and became one’s walls.
Removing the plaster from the walls is by far the messiest and most time consuming part of the demolition. Once disturbed, the plaster turns into a powder and horse-hair mass that weighs a TON and creates a giant dusty mess.
Here I am coaxing the plaster from the wooden slats (”laths”).
Next, we remove some of the laths in order to be able to squeeze the insulation inside the wall cavities. Here I am using our neighbour’s reciprocating saw (one of the many handy tools that have been offered on loan by our favourite PEIers) to remove a few stray laths.
The latter half of demolition day is a massive clean up!!
DAY TWO
In an old house such as this, every wall cavity is a slightly different width because the beams are all different dimensions. What this means for us is that every piece of pink insulation has to be measured and cut before it is placed in each cavity.
DAY THREE
Once all the insulation is in, a plastic sheet (the vapour barrier) is installed over top of the insulation.
After countless discussions on this topic that invariably ended with a confused expression on my face, I think I finally get it:
Air in your house is hot! Hot air is strong, it can carry lots of moisture in it! Air outside is cold; cold air is weak and it can’t carry much moisture! When the hot air (sadly) leaves your house, it turns cool, of course. As this hot air cools, it feels exhausted and it just can’t carry the moisture anymore…so, the cold air gives up and abandons the moisture. As a result, we get moisture/water/condensation where the warm air becomes cold. (So, if you want vapour barrier to protect something, the vapour barrier should always be installed on the warm side of your precious item.)
Apparently, I neglected to take a picture of the dining room’s vapour barrier, so here’s a shot of the kitchen wall. I shouldn’t be too surprised that I forgot to take a picture, because I detest putting up vapour barrier for a variety of reasons, namely, it’s awkward, takes forever, and at the end of the day you look around and think, “This is all we’ve done today? Put up this sheet of plastic??”
DAY FOUR
Next, the easy part–up goes the drywall! So satisfying because it’s the icing on the cake!
At this point, our goal is to do the above steps (demo, insulate, vapour barrier, and drywall screwed to the wall [as well as lay plywood on the floors, not mentioned above]) to all of the downstairs rooms: kitchen, dining room, living room, pantry, utility closet, front hall, and staircase.
Once we have accomplished the above, we will putty, paint, and lay flooring in all these downstairs rooms.
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? It’s at times like these that we’re glad that we relied on our foresight and bought a house that it only 1000 square feet!
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Laura-Jane: “I just wrote a step-by-step entry on how to renovate a room!”
Cameron: “Very nice.”
Pause
Cameron: “How about a section entitled ‘Fix Structural Problems?’ What about an ‘Assess Bug Damage’ section?”
Anonymous
Apr 4th, 2008
You know what’s so funny about this post is that as I’m reading “Here I am….”, “Here I am…”, I’m carefully looking at the pictures trying to find Laura-Jane, and can barely see you in all that plaster dust! Good camouflage! It looks like you guys are doing a lot of hard work, and coming a long way!
Naomi
Apr 4th, 2008
Sorry, that last comment was from Naomi. I forgot to add that part.
Mike (WV Houseblogger)
Apr 5th, 2008
I noticed you put the drywall up vertical and had to add some small pieces at the top. I have found with our really old house that putting the drywall up horizontal is a little easier.
Since, as you mentioned, the studs never seems to be spaced equally you will have more flexibility as to where the sheet ends so it ends on a stud on longer walls. Start with the first sheet up at the ceiling and move down. Then when there is a small piece left it is at the bottom and will most likely be covered by your base board.
I have lots of pictures on my website of drywall going up. We are to lazy to describe the process most of the time. Hopefully looking at some pictures will help.
http://users.westco.net/blackburn/Jan08.html
Oh yeah, when you drywall upstairs take out a window and have it lifted in with a truck. So much easier!
Mike
Vicki
Apr 6th, 2008
Hey, I missed this one somehow. I love how you head them: Day One. It really shows how you are progressing. I am so glad that it appears that the weather is warming up. Just think you have come through the worst of the weather now. It has to be easier from here on in. You guys are amazing. I miss you guys. I really will look forward to visiting. (when it is warm of course!!!) Probably next summer. (2009). If I can wait that long.
Carol
Jul 5th, 2009
Hi! I’ve been reading your blog and finding it very interesting. I’ve never commented on someone’s blog before, so I hope that it’s okay to do so!
Your new home on the Whim Road is the house that my mother and 4 of her sibllings were born in. (The youngest boy was born in the hospital). My mom was born in 1936. Some of the old wallpaper you discovered in the dining room was likely put there by my grandma, Janette. My great-grandfather used to sleep in the “parlour” so the kitchen was the living area. I guess it would be since the rest of the house would be so cold!!
I can’t wait to show the pictures to mom and watch as she remembers helping to hang that wallpaper! Mom especially remembers Grandma hanging wallpaper in the staircase to the upstairs.
I’m so happy you love the house. I wish that my family had been able to buy the farm and do the same years ago. Good luck to you!
p.s. My mom has published some of her stories and one in particular is about the home she grew up in. Maybe you would like to read it one day and visualize the house as it was in the 1930’s and 40’s!
Sal
Oct 10th, 2009
I never did quite understand about the vapour barrier – thanks for explaining so well.
And Thanks Mike about the sideways drywalling.
I am learning lots!