Homebuilding is a lot of work whether you build new or rebuild an old house. Many people don't realize how much work it is to build a house. It can be even more work to rebuild a house. My husband and I have been building and restoring homes for the past twenty one years. When people ask what we prefer, old or new, I have to say new construction is generally easier, however, there is still something that seems to draw us to the older homes. The potential seems to be hiding behind years of neglect. Perhaps a poorly done addition has altered the original lines of the home, and needs to be removed. Whatever it is, once we start a project, we are compelled to follow through. A person considering a house project should thoroughly research the costs and time involved before they make a decision.
Whether new or old, your house will need a foundation. This is the first step. When you build a house, you'll need to have the building site prepared. A back hoe excavates and does what is called a punch out. On the other hand, if there is already an existing house that needs foundation work, obviously a backhoe can't get in to do it. This means the dirt must be excavated out from under the house by hand. This is not exactly a pleasant task. My husband call it moling (like a mole). It entails being under the house, often crawling, until you dig enough dirt out to get the proper clearances and depths needed to make the repairs. The house must also be supported during this process by large steel beams and cribbing.
The next step in building is pouring footers and then stem walls. A footer is the concrete and steel reinforced base of the house. Footers are put in below the frost line. The forms are usually constructed of 2 x 6, 2 x 8, or 2 x 10 lumber. How many stories the house has determines the depth of the footer you will need. Stem walls are the concrete walls that are poured on the footer base. Temporary plywood forms are erected on top of the footer. These are filled with reinforced steel bars known as rebar, and then concrete. When the concrete has hardened the plywood forms are stripped away, leaving the new stem walls. When the house is finished you will see a portion of this concrete above ground level, or grade. Most of the stem wall however, from the exterior of the house, is below grade and can't be seen. When building a new house, it is not that difficult to set up your plywood forms for footings and stem walls. You have plenty of room on all sides and above to work. On an existing house, again it is more difficult as the house is in the way. We have found it easier to use a foundation system which stays in place, such as the Quad Lock or ECO Block. This is an ICF (insulated concrete form) system consisting of hollow styrofoam blocks which are filled with rebar and concrete and actually become the foundation wall. No forms need to be stripped, which would be nearly impossible under an existing house.
When building a new house, the next step after the foundation, is the framing. This includes the floor, wall and roof systems. It usually goes fairly quickly and is highly rewarding as you see the house begin to take shape. When working on an old house there may be additional work in repairing the existing framing. If the house has been left to deteriorate for quite some time, there may be necessary demolition work, garbage clean-up and debris removal. This can include removing Lath and plaster, which was commonly used before drywall was invented. Lath consists of narrow boards which are nailed over the entire interior framework of the house. These are then coated with plaster and smoothed out. You may also need to remove old siding, old windows, miscellaneous junk, rocks, rotten wood, and you may be surprised at what else you might find. We usually rent a large dumpster, which fills up quickly. We also take many additional trips to the transfer station. All this demo and cleanup can take a while before you can get to the actual framing and see what you need to do. Most old houses need additional fireblocking. This is installed by nailing pieces of wood, which are cut to fit, in the open spaces where fire would be likely to travel. If a fire were to break out, this blocking would prevent fire from traveling between different floors of the home. The old house may also be deficient in ceiling and roof supports. This is the lumber that is under the roof, and between the floors.
Once your house is framed up, and weathertight, meaning the roof is on, and the windows and doors are installed, you are ready to wire, plumb, and put in the heating system. When you get to this point on the old house, these jobs are about the same as they are on the new one. However, you will have had more work again in having to remove the old before you can install the new. This includes the windows, roof, possibly old wiring and plumbing fixtures you are replacing. This also means more trips to the dump.
Your house is now ready for insulating. This can generally be completed in a day or two. Some parts may be a little more difficult to insulate in the old house. Often in older homes the framing was built with wider spans and smaller wood. It can require some custom fitting to get all areas insulated properly.
Drywall can be hung and should be relatively the same amount of work, whether new constuction or renovation. This can be a rewarding job. You can quickly see your progress as rooms begin to become defined spaces. After the drywall is taped, textured, and painted, some floor coverings can be installed. If you are laying hardwood or tile floors, this is when you should install them. Carpeting is installed last.
In an old house, the wood floors probably need to be refinished. This can be a lot of work, as it can often involve hand scraping off old linoleum and paint first. Then you can sand the floors with a drum sander and an edger. This is a very dirty and dusty job. It can also be time-consuming. Once this is done, other doors, trim, base and cabinets can be installed.
As far as exteriors go, installing siding on the new house is clean and can proceed fairly fast. Some types of siding take longer than others. We often use cedar shingle siding. We have always hand nailed this type of siding, making it very labor intensive. One benefit is that you are working with new, clean materials. The old house, depending on the type and condition of the siding, probably will take longer to fix. You may find that you have wood siding underneath layers of something else, such as aluminum. In this case you will probably want to go back to the original siding and that will take extra work. You will need to remove and dispose of what you're taking off. Next you will need to prepare the old siding by scraping well, sanding, filling and patching in where necessary. It will probably take a lot of caulk. It can then be primed and painted.
Since 1986 we have built seven new custom houses. We have also completed one minor remodel and one major remodel of two 1910 Bungalows, total restorations of a 1905 Victorian, and 1925 and 1954 cottages. It is a lot of work to build a new house. But, in my opinion, depending on the extent of work required, rebuilding a house can actually be more difficult and take longer to complete.
Amy McAllister Realty LLC 541-490-1436
Hood River, Oregon amym@gorge.net
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Disclaimer: I assume no responsibilty for accuracy of information provided within this post and blog. Many entries on this blog are based on the opinions and ideas of the author and are provided without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied.
Hamilton Island which Lewis & Clark originally named "Strawberry Island", became the site of the first portage railroad and settlement of the Cascades. A severe flood in 1894 swept away the settlement. In 1933 the community of North Bonneville developed as a construction town next to the massive Bonneville Lock, Dam, and powerhouse project. The town of North Bonneville was incorporated in 1935.
with the U.S.
