I was wondering if anyone on here could help me find the origianly
floor plans to the house I am helping renovate. Any help is greatly
appreciated. House was built in 1900 and is in Fremont NE. Thanks for
any help . Here is a picture of the house


http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/e...f43 3a47a.jpg

Regards,
S. Scigo

wrote in message
ups.com...
I was wondering if anyone on here could help me find the origianly
floor plans to the house I am helping renovate. Any help is greatly
appreciated. House was built in 1900 and is in Fremont NE. Thanks for
any help . Here is a picture of the house


http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/e...f43 3a47a.jpg

Regards,
S. Scigo

Try local library or historical society, if your town has those. Sometimes,
in small towns that haven't expanded much, the tax office/permitting office
has ancient records in the basement or on microfilm. But for a 1900 house,
the odds ain't good. House doesn't look like a custom design- drive around
and look for houses that look like twins, or that maybe were twins before
being remodeled. (Remember to include 'mirror image' twins.) If you see one,
knock on the door and ask them. If you can track down the name of the
builder, historical society may be able to come up with an old brochure or
catalog. In that era, lots of houses were built from plan books that
builders would buy, to save on design costs. Local library, or library at
nearest school of architecture, may be able to help with that.

May be less work to just recreate the plans from field measurements. Unless
there is an addition on back not shown in photo, everything looks to be the
original footprint. Is there a basement (probably shallow, and originally
dirt floored), or is it on piers? Likely balloon-framed, with full-size
wood, and plaster and wood lathe on interior walls. If any original wiring
remains (if that was not added 10-20 years later), likely K&T. 1900 house
could easily have pipes for gas lights, if there was service in the
neighborhood then. Floors are likely softwood plank under whatever was put
down over the years, except for maybe the front sitting parlor, which could
have hardwood. Don't forget to look for buried sliding doors in archways,
walled-up connecting doors, and added more-modern walls, as people tried to
modernize layout.

The place looks like it has possibilities, if you are into old houses. At
least they didn't put alumium siding and vinyl windows on it. Roof is
obviously recent, so hopefully they kept a good roof on it over the years,
and the ridge looks pretty straight, which is a good sign. Definitely needs
scraping and painting before winter, even if it is just a half-ass temporary
job to stabilize things until you can do the outside trim and clapboard
repair.

aem sends....

On Sep 9, 1:11?pm, "aemeijers" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...I was wondering if anyone on here could help me find the origianly
floor plans to the house I am helping renovate. Any help is greatly
appreciated. House was built in 1900 and is in Fremont NE. Thanks for
any help . Here is a picture of the house

http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/e...o/?action=view t...

Regards,
S. Scigo

Try local library or historical society, if your town has those. Sometimes,
in small towns that haven't expanded much, the tax office/permitting office
has ancient records in the basement or on microfilm. But for a 1900 house,
the odds ain't good. House doesn't look like a custom design- drive around
and look for houses that look like twins, or that maybe were twins before
being remodeled. (Remember to include 'mirror image' twins.) If you see one,
knock on the door and ask them. If you can track down the name of the
builder, historical society may be able to come up with an old brochure or
catalog. In that era, lots of houses were built from plan books that
builders would buy, to save on design costs. Local library, or library at
nearest school of architecture, may be able to help with that.

May be less work to just recreate the plans from field measurements. Unless
there is an addition on back not shown in photo, everything looks to be the
original footprint. Is there a basement (probably shallow, and originally
dirt floored), or is it on piers? Likely balloon-framed, with full-size
wood, and plaster and wood lathe on interior walls. If any original wiring
remains (if that was not added 10-20 years later), likely K&T. 1900 house
could easily have pipes for gas lights, if there was service in the
neighborhood then. Floors are likely softwood plank under whatever was put
down over the years, except for maybe the front sitting parlor, which could
have hardwood. Don't forget to look for buried sliding doors in archways,
walled-up connecting doors, and added more-modern walls, as people tried to
modernize layout.

The place looks like it has possibilities, if you are into old houses. At
least they didn't put alumium siding and vinyl windows on it. Roof is
obviously recent, so hopefully they kept a good roof on it over the years,
and the ridge looks pretty straight, which is a good sign. Definitely needs
scraping and painting before winter, even if it is just a half-ass temporary
job to stabilize things until you can do the outside trim and clapboard
repair.

aem sends....

nice looking home.

I take a contrary view to alumimum siding etc. Once you get older
painting a home every 10 years or so will lose any attraction it ever
had.

so if your rebuilding a museum with public funds go for it.

but a personal home low maintence can be very attractive

On Sep 9, 12:14 pm, wrote:
I was wondering if anyone on here could help me find the origianly
floor plans to the house I am helping renovate. Any help is greatly
appreciated. House was built in 1900 and is in Fremont NE. Thanks for
any help . Here is a picture of the house

http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/e...n=view&current...

Regards,
S. Scigo

I think a house that old may have been changed.
I agree with the suggestion to record existing conditions.
That, of course, depends on finding a competent drafter or architect.
T

wrote in message
ps.com...
On Sep 9, 1:11?pm, "aemeijers" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...I was
wondering if anyone on here could help me find the origianly
(snip)
I take a contrary view to alumimum siding etc. Once you get older
painting a home every 10 years or so will lose any attraction it ever
had.

so if your rebuilding a museum with public funds go for it.

but a personal home low maintence can be very attractive

The aesthetics aside, a badly done aluminum or vinyl job can make the
place rot faster. On a roof with little or no overhang, if it isn't trimmed
and flashed correctly at the top and corners, the wood underneath gets and
stays wet for weeks at a time. Even on this 1960 cookie cutter, I need to
strip off the coil stock wrap on the fascia board, because the idiots
installed it in such a way that it gets wet in there and never drys.

With short walls like that, yeah, you can do a passable knockoff of claps
with 4" vinyl. And they do make plastic panels to mimic the shingled part in
the gables. But there is no good way to cover all that wood detail with coil
stock. Maybe you can match it all in faux wood trim. Siding company usually
just tears off all the fussy details, saws off the ears on the window sills,
etc.

If 'low maint' is a requirements item for you, vintage houses are NOT the
way to go. Even if you cover the entire outside with something that never
needs paint, there will ALWAYS be something inside or underneath that needs
attention.

aem sends...

On Sep 9, 5:40?pm, "aemeijers" wrote:
wrote in message

ps.com...

On Sep 9, 1:11?pm, "aemeijers" wrote:
wrote in message

roups.com...Iwas
wondering if anyone on here could help me find the origianly
(snip)
I take a contrary view to alumimum siding etc. Once you get older
painting a home every 10 years or so will lose any attraction it ever
had.

so if your rebuilding a museum with public funds go for it.

but a personal home low maintence can be very attractive

The aesthetics aside, a badly done aluminum or vinyl job can make the
place rot faster. On a roof with little or no overhang, if it isn't trimmed
and flashed correctly at the top and corners, the wood underneath gets and
stays wet for weeks at a time. Even on this 1960 cookie cutter, I need to
strip off the coil stock wrap on the fascia board, because the idiots
installed it in such a way that it gets wet in there and never drys.

With short walls like that, yeah, you can do a passable knockoff of claps
with 4" vinyl. And they do make plastic panels to mimic the shingled part in
the gables. But there is no good way to cover all that wood detail with coil
stock. Maybe you can match it all in faux wood trim. Siding company usually
just tears off all the fussy details, saws off the ears on the window sills,
etc.

If 'low maint' is a requirements item for you, vintage houses are NOT the
way to go. Even if you cover the entire outside with something that never
needs paint, there will ALWAYS be something inside or underneath that needs
attention.

aem sends...

certinally anyone can do a horrible job that leads to worse troubles
and early failure. any sort of job...... plumbing, wiring, windows
roofing anything...

but a quality good job is also possible that leads to long life with
no maintence.

currently a cheapskate friends home is rotting away from lack of
paint, its been over 20 years since it was last painted. he can afford
it but doesnt want to part with the bucks, his is a vintage home over
100 years old.

in his case a decent vinyl siding job would be a vast improvement.....