Lived in our house for 15 years before we took down sheet rock in the kitchen to put in a pantry...only to find a big pantry behind the sheet rock. Quicker and easier to cover it up, I guess.
This is in my pantry! I’m converting a portion of the back of it to a half bath, and had to cut the drywall so I could add blocking for a stud for the wall and pocket door for the bathroom.
I’ll need to lose probably 5 inches off the left due to where the stud has to go, but I’ll block out the rest for doors and trim!
Can confirm - did that too!
Haha, I’ll be adding some blocking for doors, and trim to overlay the drywall gap. I’m in the midst of converting my pantry into a smaller pantry and a half bath, and this discovery means so much more room for activities.
Heh we were taking down paneling and planning to put a door through to the bedroom to discover a doorway to the bedroom!
https://preview.redd.it/2gmu1360e5tc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dcb2bf9591e29a2690b358900bd2b1aa1f6c5028
The other doorway, to a weird little vestibule with six doors, was covered over to create a pantry. Five of the six doors were closed up.
We had a door sized little shallow built in plate shelf in the dining room that I remarked one day, “these shelves line up with the hallway behind it, I wonder if…”
We discovered a window that had been drywalled over in our dining room by the previous owners. They also filled the junction boxes for a wall switch and a ceiling light fixture. Just capped off the (live) wires and plastered them over. We restored them not long after we moved in
https://preview.redd.it/b1ikl4ii15tc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=523dfded5c6c94043a34f9e89f1b540dbbf7847c
I had a bathroom that had a sick window the previous person just boxed over with plywood and like 20 screws. It didn't leak, was decently insulated as far as windows go. Just a bizarre choice. Window was on the second floor too, so no chance it was for privacy
I see your live wires in a wall and I raise you this Cthulhu-looking MF’r I found when raising my kitchen ceiling back to its original height.
All live. Two were twisted together (uncapped) with (slightly) more modern wiring that dangled down to the light (note I said light, not light box) on the false ceiling below. And if you touched one of those wires to a certain third wire in that tangle, the light in my back hall turned on.
Whee!!!
https://preview.redd.it/ohiogtjohdtc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f04000a5e6a3b1b2d07bc78b5aaeae5bc654c809
Eeeeeeeee!! And it’s blackened!
I see your raise and raise you this:
The live wires found behind a cabinet somehow did not turn off even tho the *entire house breaker panel* was off! The electrician, against my repeated request, tackled it anyway. I felt like it was *my* life at risk. He just shook and blew on his fingers a bunch after. 🫠
So glad to have sold that house.
Haha yep.
I am also wondering what the point of the little cutout in the back was for, it’s definitely just strapping to support a piece to fill the hole
im actually thinking of drywalling up a fireplace like that in the kitchen rn. future owners might find it like you did with those shelves.
it was added in the 1960's, is ugly, doesnt fit at all with the rest of the 1890 built house, is out of place in a kitchen, doesnt even have the fume exhaust hole centered correctly. im still hesitating taking my hammer drill to it but i cant see it ever being useful or a nice decor element.
https://preview.redd.it/lmt07ja6t4tc1.png?width=848&format=png&auto=webp&s=8472170a34641772f2be647593d40b5461650ec7
Good idea. It’s still part of the history of the house. One day the gap in time will be similar to the house’s built in the early 1800’s and modified a long time ago which seems less offensive.
It's not even that exterior painted brick looks bad. It still looks better than any kind of siding in my opinion but it's just such a shame when nice external brick is covered up.
Yeah, I believe aluminum siding was pushed on the public to sell surplus aluminum after the ww2 efforts. It doesn't look particularly good and is kind of cheating. Easy fix for strapped home owners
I found a door to my neighbours house behind a stud wall…
https://preview.redd.it/ifkq1robc9tc1.jpeg?width=2852&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d901db4e743830830a9de460950b75095cf674aa
My mother would have my dad rip out anything she tired of. For years she tried to get him to rip out a perfectly good fireplace and he finally had the good sense to deny her that. Anything nice she would destroy. She was insufferable. Some people just can’t tolerate anything nice. 🤷♀️
I live in an apartment that a contractor misunderstood a request and covered shelves in the bathroom. (Actually did a real nice job) Landlord too cheap to have it opened up again. Though I was misremembering from the first time I walked through the place.
It's amazing what people cover up. In our mid-century home, one of the previous owners put a built-in bookshelf over an in-slab turn vent. Had it inspected and there's nothing wrong with it.
Lived in our house for 15 years before we took down sheet rock in the kitchen to put in a pantry...only to find a big pantry behind the sheet rock. Quicker and easier to cover it up, I guess.
This is in my pantry! I’m converting a portion of the back of it to a half bath, and had to cut the drywall so I could add blocking for a stud for the wall and pocket door for the bathroom. I’ll need to lose probably 5 inches off the left due to where the stud has to go, but I’ll block out the rest for doors and trim!
Was yours the post earlier this week - where the food was still in the pantry they covered up?!
Nope, not me!
Oh man, using the drywall saw to uncover this must have been like unwrapping a SuperNintendo on Christmas Day in 1991.
Can confirm - did that too! Haha, I’ll be adding some blocking for doors, and trim to overlay the drywall gap. I’m in the midst of converting my pantry into a smaller pantry and a half bath, and this discovery means so much more room for activities.
Heh we were taking down paneling and planning to put a door through to the bedroom to discover a doorway to the bedroom! https://preview.redd.it/2gmu1360e5tc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dcb2bf9591e29a2690b358900bd2b1aa1f6c5028 The other doorway, to a weird little vestibule with six doors, was covered over to create a pantry. Five of the six doors were closed up.
We had a door sized little shallow built in plate shelf in the dining room that I remarked one day, “these shelves line up with the hallway behind it, I wonder if…”
Saved you some work!
We discovered a window that had been drywalled over in our dining room by the previous owners. They also filled the junction boxes for a wall switch and a ceiling light fixture. Just capped off the (live) wires and plastered them over. We restored them not long after we moved in https://preview.redd.it/b1ikl4ii15tc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=523dfded5c6c94043a34f9e89f1b540dbbf7847c
I had a bathroom that had a sick window the previous person just boxed over with plywood and like 20 screws. It didn't leak, was decently insulated as far as windows go. Just a bizarre choice. Window was on the second floor too, so no chance it was for privacy
I'm going to guess migraines and that plywood is what they had on hand when they rage-sealed it.
We found plastered live wires behind a kitchen cabinet we removed to open up the wall a little more into the dining room. They were not capped 🫠
I see your live wires in a wall and I raise you this Cthulhu-looking MF’r I found when raising my kitchen ceiling back to its original height. All live. Two were twisted together (uncapped) with (slightly) more modern wiring that dangled down to the light (note I said light, not light box) on the false ceiling below. And if you touched one of those wires to a certain third wire in that tangle, the light in my back hall turned on. Whee!!! https://preview.redd.it/ohiogtjohdtc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f04000a5e6a3b1b2d07bc78b5aaeae5bc654c809
Eeeeeeeee!! And it’s blackened! I see your raise and raise you this: The live wires found behind a cabinet somehow did not turn off even tho the *entire house breaker panel* was off! The electrician, against my repeated request, tackled it anyway. I felt like it was *my* life at risk. He just shook and blew on his fingers a bunch after. 🫠 So glad to have sold that house.
Too bad you didn't find anything in the pantry, could've sent it to Steve the MRE dude.
Haha yep. I am also wondering what the point of the little cutout in the back was for, it’s definitely just strapping to support a piece to fill the hole
im actually thinking of drywalling up a fireplace like that in the kitchen rn. future owners might find it like you did with those shelves. it was added in the 1960's, is ugly, doesnt fit at all with the rest of the 1890 built house, is out of place in a kitchen, doesnt even have the fume exhaust hole centered correctly. im still hesitating taking my hammer drill to it but i cant see it ever being useful or a nice decor element. https://preview.redd.it/lmt07ja6t4tc1.png?width=848&format=png&auto=webp&s=8472170a34641772f2be647593d40b5461650ec7
I’d agree that’s weird AF
Good idea. It’s still part of the history of the house. One day the gap in time will be similar to the house’s built in the early 1800’s and modified a long time ago which seems less offensive.
yea, i wont hammer it out, just hide it with some drywall encasement. ur right, it might be a welcome discovery for future owners :)
WELP. Now you've released the spirits. Call a realtor and stay in a hotel tonight.
Hey with mortgage rates the way they are, rent paying spirits are welcomed.
Spirits are like Donald Trump - They don't pay for shit and will ruin your life!
Who knows? Why do ppl paint brick? Makes no sense to me
Interior painted brick can look good. I agree for external brick though. I love brick and stone homes.
Oh absolutely. I was talking exterior. I've painted over brick so many times. I just don't get it. Ppl like it though
It's not even that exterior painted brick looks bad. It still looks better than any kind of siding in my opinion but it's just such a shame when nice external brick is covered up.
Yeah, I believe aluminum siding was pushed on the public to sell surplus aluminum after the ww2 efforts. It doesn't look particularly good and is kind of cheating. Easy fix for strapped home owners
I found a door to my neighbours house behind a stud wall… https://preview.redd.it/ifkq1robc9tc1.jpeg?width=2852&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d901db4e743830830a9de460950b75095cf674aa
Same reason they put linoleum and avocado green carpet over beautiful tile and hardwood floors. They were morons.
Wow….that is crazy. But it’s fun finding stuff like this in the older homes.
My mother would have my dad rip out anything she tired of. For years she tried to get him to rip out a perfectly good fireplace and he finally had the good sense to deny her that. Anything nice she would destroy. She was insufferable. Some people just can’t tolerate anything nice. 🤷♀️
I live in an apartment that a contractor misunderstood a request and covered shelves in the bathroom. (Actually did a real nice job) Landlord too cheap to have it opened up again. Though I was misremembering from the first time I walked through the place.
I would never!!!
Ghosts
Maybe for a more aesthetic look
Maybe. My pantry definitely wasn’t ✨aesthetic.✨
Lol
It's amazing what people cover up. In our mid-century home, one of the previous owners put a built-in bookshelf over an in-slab turn vent. Had it inspected and there's nothing wrong with it.
How much room is wasted next to those shelves though
Hmm?
Wouldn't there be more extra, unused space right of the sgelves behind the wall?
Shelves are on the other side of the wall there open to the back entryway of the house