h wrote in message ...

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 8 Jul 2008 22:50:07 -0400, "JonquilJan"
wrote:

There was one home about half a mile from me - where it was tried to
insulate. Once they took off the outer shell, there was a frame of very
large hand hewn (could see the ax marks) beans - filled in with bricks
and
mortar between.

Everything in my house was hand hewn. The home inspector who did the
report
before I bought the place thought the joists weren't real wood because
they
were "misshapen and just way too big" (his words). When I pointed out that
the house was nearly 200 years old, he then assumed that the wood would be
rotten. He was extremely surprised that everything in the house was just
fine. He commented that the house was "better built than anything they're
making now". Well, yeah, since my house was built to last, not to current
"code". 24" on center. Are they crazy? Everything in my house is 12-15" on
center, and 4x4, not 2x4. Hardwood floors over diagonally laid tongue and
groove subfloor over wide plank pine. An elephant could jump up and down
on
my floors and you'd never feel it. I would never live in a "new" house.



The bigest bean in the 'garage' addition is 24 " square - and the ax marks
are on it - and it is wooden pegged as well. But the house itself was
apparently one for farm hands originally. Have seen a picture from 1903 -
hause basically the same - except 'garage' doors were on the north side
instead of the east side. Looking in the area later - could see where they
were originally framed.

JonquilJan

Learn something new every day
As long as you are learning, you are living
When you stop learning, you start dying