The Historic District

International Residential Code: m This is the most common code but isn't necessarily the code for your jurisdiction. Also local governments can made amendments. R311.7.8.1 Height. Handrail height, measured vertically from the sloped plane adjoining the tread nosing, or finish surface of ramp slope, ...

It looks great! Beautiful cabinet repainting, too, I really like that color. Don't feel bad about moving it - I don't think caring for an old house means you need to keep it in amber, the previous owners certainly didn't. Needs change over time and houses adapt, the important part is doing that resp...

JRC, that's it exactly. My 3-story section is probably about 32', the 2-story 20', and the kitchen maybe 10', and the new thing next door is about 45'. I think their engineer just assumes everything on earth is framed with 2x10s, and seems to have missed that only the front of the house is 3 stories...

A developer is building next to my rowhouse, which is it's own giant nightmare I may describe someday, but as part of his permit application he had to submit calculations to determine if the additional snow load would affect my structure. I managed to get them, and of course they are wrong. His engi...

https://flic.kr/p/oxGgik This is one of the cabinets on the side of my "parlor" fireplace (ground floor front room). And below is the third floor mantle. Second floor one is almost exactly the same. https://flic.kr/p/dG58jM For some reason I don't have a photo of the parlor mantle but it'...

I still don't know exactly how old my house is, or if most of it was built at once, but I am confident it didn't start life with a bathroom. Or running water or sewer, let alone gas or electric. It has all that now, of course, but I'm pretty sure the one and only bathroom was once just a stair landi...

WildGeese, I didn't go to Bryn Mawr but a couple friends have, and I think if I were doing it again that's what I would do and then actually go to grad school. I ride, though, so we've got that in common instead. For your plaster question, you might want to call or email the people at Limeworks. The...

Hi! I'm in Philadelphia, and minored in architectural history with mostly vernacular architecture classes. Off the top of my head, look for books by Bernie Herman, I know he has one on local rural vernacular buildings. Found it - Everyday Architecture of the Mid-Atlantic, coauthor Gabrielle Lanier. ...

My house has horrible vinyl replacement windows. It came that way, I wish they hadn't but they did, and here we are. They might be more tolerable for a while were they installed square, but they weren't and you can see daylight around the edges of most of the sashes. They are fantastically drafty in...

I recently saw a new piece of furniture that worked exactly like this. It was at a store called Cella Luxuria in Philadelphia, wad very modern, and made by an Italian company. I don't see it on their site but if you called they will remember the piece. It was in the basement. If you found the compan...