With getting ready for winter (cutting wood etc - no insulation!) and moving in, I didn't get a chance to really dig in and start the "rollback of time" process til about a month ago.
The home had asbestos siding from the 50s; before buying, I took a sneak peek behind some of it...the old spruce siding was still there in a few places, like a time capsule. So, I took a chance, being a house painter and all. Disclaimer - if you attempt removing asbestos siding yourself, check your states' regulations and follow appropriate safety precautions!! Dispose of properly:
1895 GAR folks, and a pic in same direction when we were looking to buy the house:
What you really get when people put siding over an old home. This was expected, I see it all the time at work - the volume of bugs under there was not tho, ha ha! Sadly we had to fell the big old maple to the left, as it was rotting and may have landed on the roof.
Where I am now after a few weeks of clap repair, sanding, and painting (staining, actually). Looks like there was only ever ONE coat of paint on here - NO peeling, NO spalls or "3D" areas! The front is ready for a 2nd coat (you can see the caulking etc.).
One day I'll have that power service moved.
The house is facing a million dollar view of the mountains out by Rangeley, you can see the setting sun on the gable end! We were very fortunate to find such a nice place that only needs what I know how to do (LOL), without water issues, roof problems or insects and so on. I've had the 1st floor walls dense-packed, and am framing in the 2nd floor now (never finished off). It's all beautifully timber-framed, even the birch bark flashings behind the corner boards are in great shape!It was totally worth the wait, and is worth all the hours we're putting in to hopefully give it another 155 years!
)