The Historic District

Speaking of tool cribs, when we looked at this house for the first time Mike was thrilled to find a tool crib just off of the woodshop. After all, it was a small room lined with narrow shelving. I explained to him that that was the room for canned goods just off of the laundry room. Crib is now line...

It really is a real tool. Mike found it on Amazon. $60 and worth its weight in gold. Some of these boards are almost 20 feet long and we did not want to have to cut anything we did not have to. When we started, we were pulling them straight with pipe clamps against the board around the wall, but soo...

We also found some interesting books in the water tank that fed the fire hoses. One of them was an Illinois Bankers Association yearly that had a picture of the original owner of the house when he was pres. of the association. That was really cool. I found an old suitcase with White Star Line sticke...

This thing is not connected to the attic ceiling or rafters. It just lays out across the floor. I will try to get pics as soon as I can move boxes from around it. We are having to take up the hardwood floor in attic to rewire and insulate. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, we finally found a...

So, I think we finally have an answer for the weird thing in our attic. It is this big framework complete with tension bolts. At first we thought it had to do with an old dumbwaiter, but then we realized there was original ceiling below it and the kitchen was on the opposite end of house. When we me...

Wishing you were closer. I too have missing window seat radiators and will probably have to go with new ones for some of the windows. P. O. removed window seat in master bedroom to replace radiator with a 1930's style one that is too tall. The rad probably leaked and they did not want to mess with f...

Thanks for the advice. My guys have rebuilt/repaired more appliances than they care to remember. We usually buy parts from a local parts warehouse that is a regional shipping center, so they have a quick turnover. My son always checks manufacture dates on parts like belts, because as you say, they h...

just a quick reminder to anyone looking at old radiators. They can be resized and have damaged cells removed. There is a special tool that does this from the inside. Our steam guy does this all the time as he probably has the biggest collection of old radiators in midwest and rehabs them for old bui...

We learned about horsehair the hard way. Way before we had our old house, I fell in love with a Victorian couch and chair at an auction. Original everything and I stole them both for $40. Soon discovered one of my daughters was horribly allergic to the couch, so it had to go. In hind sight, I almost...

It is the noise more than anything else. When you put your hand on the real floor or on the wall, you hardly feel any vibrations at all. I will ask for a new belt for my birthday as I think that will quiet it some.