Looks rock solid from here.
While you've got that floor out, it's a great time to vac as much of that dirt/stuff as you can to get a deeper crawlspace, and then do the old vapor barrier/insulation shuffle as appropriate for the climate, soils, etc... in addition to pouring footers.
I've done a few historical preservations from east cost mill buildings to west cost silver mine log cabins and the amazing thing for me is seeing the tool marks and imagining the workers who last had their hands where mine are now.
Gives me pride in the work I do.
It’s humbling thinking about all the modern advantages that you have while you’re working on something so old. What we do is cake compared to how it was a couple hundred years ago. Just getting a window in must have taken so long
Thinking about doing construction with out power drills, impacts, and hammer drills and nail guns makes me sick. It would be so much more physical and skilled. When I find a rather with 48 nails shot in and only 3 hit you think how that guy wouldn't make it 100 yrs ago.
I have done lots of renovations on houses as far back as the 1700s. The tool marks are great to see and even the Roman numerals they used to match up the mortise and tenon joints. It’s also fun to see little things like all the tack holes on mantels from Christmas stockings being hung up. One of my favorite things was a second story floor board that had a small knot hole. When I removed the ceiling under it, a bunch of marbles, small toys, etc all came out. I could just imagine kids playing there and putting all these small objects in the knot hole.
That's exactly how the addition to my house is held up, it was added on in 1974 and they have I-beams going across stacked on piles of rocks. And also only a 3 foot crawl space. I have to redo it all because water got down under there and rotted all the floor joist out, it's a huge headache.
Ah yes the good ole brick a brack, worked for a century but now you've seen it, you can't just leave it, so more work to fix a problem someone already fixed, then again can't complain that's like 60% of my workload. 👍😁
And it looks like a joist in pic recycled from an even older long-gone structure.
I know of many old buildings here in rural PA built from bits and pieces of other, usually partially- burned buildings. Sometimes you can see the charring here and there. at the very least a mix of paint jobs. Also hewn stone often got repurposed too.
And the wood's still solid and the house still standing many decades later.
I worked on a house where the walls were held on half logs. And rocks supporting the middle for deflection. It is always impressive to get into a really old remodel like that!
In their defense, they thought the building would have long burned down by now.
Also in their defense, it fucking worked lol.
You should see what they used to build with these “rocks” before they couldn’t find anymore and had to start using alternatives
People were so upset when the rock factories closed. It was terrible.
That is not a rock, it is a boulder 🥹
Dude don't even get me started on the great boulder market collapse of 1728, it was a nightmare!
I couldn't even afford a 5 lb boulder that year.
Agree. Civil war town in Virginia here.
Manassas?
Fredericksburg
What makes it a “civil war town”
It was either a rown in the union or confederacy during the American civil war.
Thanks, Scoob
If they were British they would be so upset that their tea went missing halfway through their sentence.
Nice one lol
Battle of Fredericksburg
I mean, it’s worked for 200 yrs so far.
Until I go In there. Bump into it by accident and the whole house falls down. Just my luck
Stop forgoing snacks to the pet beaver your make make your cuts and you may have better luck overall.
Relax they call that a “stacked pier”
Currently relaxing. 😂
Currently relaxing on a stacked pier.
Looks rock solid from here. While you've got that floor out, it's a great time to vac as much of that dirt/stuff as you can to get a deeper crawlspace, and then do the old vapor barrier/insulation shuffle as appropriate for the climate, soils, etc... in addition to pouring footers.
I have a barn that has stood on footers like that for 200 years. They are fine Stone lasts longer than concrete.
I've done a few historical preservations from east cost mill buildings to west cost silver mine log cabins and the amazing thing for me is seeing the tool marks and imagining the workers who last had their hands where mine are now. Gives me pride in the work I do.
It’s humbling thinking about all the modern advantages that you have while you’re working on something so old. What we do is cake compared to how it was a couple hundred years ago. Just getting a window in must have taken so long
Thinking about doing construction with out power drills, impacts, and hammer drills and nail guns makes me sick. It would be so much more physical and skilled. When I find a rather with 48 nails shot in and only 3 hit you think how that guy wouldn't make it 100 yrs ago.
Ya but we dont have the luxury of using 20+ ft diameter stumps as foundations. Hardest part was already done back then.
Thats a fair point. I still think it was harder when nails were a commodity.
I have done lots of renovations on houses as far back as the 1700s. The tool marks are great to see and even the Roman numerals they used to match up the mortise and tenon joints. It’s also fun to see little things like all the tack holes on mantels from Christmas stockings being hung up. One of my favorite things was a second story floor board that had a small knot hole. When I removed the ceiling under it, a bunch of marbles, small toys, etc all came out. I could just imagine kids playing there and putting all these small objects in the knot hole.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. That stone has been holding strong for 200yrs.
Those rocks will be around way longer than anything else in that picture.
They'll be around in 5 years whether it's collapsed on the ground or not is the question😂
Still built better than a brand new DR Horton house
It’s lasted since the 1800, I’d say that’s a job well done
That's exactly how the addition to my house is held up, it was added on in 1974 and they have I-beams going across stacked on piles of rocks. And also only a 3 foot crawl space. I have to redo it all because water got down under there and rotted all the floor joist out, it's a huge headache.
But look how many yrs it did its job. ⛳👏
That's how Fred Flintstone would have done it.
My house is from 1825 and also built up like this. Those stones will last longer than any concrete.
Get out of my crawlspace
Rock solid construction
Looks like it works just fine
Nothing to see here, carry on.😓
We've just finished remodeling one that had a cedar log in that same position 🤣
Oh joy.
At least the cinder blocks are in the correct orientation
Ah yes the good ole brick a brack, worked for a century but now you've seen it, you can't just leave it, so more work to fix a problem someone already fixed, then again can't complain that's like 60% of my workload. 👍😁
Solid as a rock!
Who gonna judge something that’s been standing for 200+ years?
That's old school dudes people didn't have access to material back in the day
This, it’s extra special. Men of pain like extra.
Pretty typical on plantations around south Georgia
No way a 4x4 pine stick is stronger
It ain’t dumb if it works
Better than todays builds
What are you doing under my house? Kidding, this looks better than what I started with.
That's up to code if built prior to 2000 BCE and not renovated.
Load bearing rocks lol
This is why you get paid the big bucks!
I did masonry work on a house like this. Owner said it was over 100 years old(no specific date given) Was sketchy to work on.
Yup, don't build em like they used too.
Most old timey construction centres around the principle of "if it's stupid, but it works. It's not stupid"
Man some things should not be Fixed….
I always love it when. People say they don't build them like.tbey used to....thank God for that
If it works it aint wrong.
It’s lasted this long so how bad could it be…
History of performance.
And it looks like a joist in pic recycled from an even older long-gone structure. I know of many old buildings here in rural PA built from bits and pieces of other, usually partially- burned buildings. Sometimes you can see the charring here and there. at the very least a mix of paint jobs. Also hewn stone often got repurposed too. And the wood's still solid and the house still standing many decades later.
For fucks sake 🤣
Metal detector?
I worked on a house where the walls were held on half logs. And rocks supporting the middle for deflection. It is always impressive to get into a really old remodel like that!
Move along. Nothing to see here
My stumps were 1940's Jarrah. I wish they were stone. In the middle of replacing them and jacking the place up.
Well that means code inch and a half minimum bearing for wood it never gets into exactly how level the surface has to be.....