Thanks all for the input, much appreciated! I'm about the only one in the family who sees value in preserving the house, as I think it's a pretty nice piece of history. And the interior woodwork is stunning (everyone agrees on that point). It is located in central Alberta, and because it's 5+ hours away from where I live, it's a little hard to get out and enjoy; by getting there only once a year, most of the time is spent cleaning/opening up and then closing down again. Luckily my dad always boarded up the windows, which has probably helped preserve it a bit (though some of the window panes are cracked).
For budget, sadly I can't really justify doing what I'd LIKE to do: new roof, new siding, shore up the floor. I haven't really come up with a hard figure of how much I'm willing to commit, but I'm contemplating a new roof at least -- I know that if the roof fails, the rest will be gone. But then, if the siding goes, ... or the floor caves in, ... Also, because of its location and even though there are neighbours reasonably close, vandalism is a worry and we'd hate to spend a ton of money on restoration only to have it trashed.
So far there is no sign of the roof line sagging. I've been told that we're fortunate the house was built on a concrete foundation, as those were quite new at the time, and that likely has helped keep the house solid. The kitchen floor has been falling in for as long as I can remember. The cellar is more of a crawlspace, not as large as the house footprint but it does go under the kitchen. My dad was always saying it was inadequate ventilation causing the floor to rot. I haven't looked down there, but maybe it's time to have a look and then I can ask questions about how to deal with that. It's usually pretty dry country, so ground water is not usually a problem.
The interior is lathe & plaster, but I'm hoping (the plan is) we'll be able to deal with the bees from the exterior. I have no idea if there's insulation, or whatever else is within the wall.
As for DIY, I don't mind getting my hands dirty, I just find I don't have the finer skills in home repair, ha! Like caulking or finish sanding. But I've painted houses before (both interior and exterior), including cleaning, sanding, patching, priming, top-coating -- though it may not be craftsman quality, I try to pay attention to detail. So the work isn't daunting, it's just the amount to be done and the limited time (and the lack of hands-on experience).
Location is in the midst of farmland, with the nearest (and small) town 15 min. away (they at least have a general hardware store). The bigger centre is more like 45 min. away, so not bad (no worse than having to go across the city). Clean-up is somewhat of an issue, though, as there is no running water, and no holding tank or septic system or such to handle wastewater (like from painting or cleaning).
1918ColonialRevival wrote:This house looks like it may have always been a cabin for hunting or vacationing.
It was built as a family house on a working farm, and I think it raised quite a large family. Our family bought the land in the late 60s, and the house sat unused for about 20 years, then it was used as a summer recreational cottage.
@Lily, Thanks for mentioning bloop, I was going to ask as I had been reading through some threads that mentioned it, including Manalto's thread on windows. I had been wondering if it'd be worthwhile slapping some on the siding, or if the wood was past all such hope and just needed to be replaced.
Lily left the valley wrote:help the wood heal, and start sealing it back up
Really? ... is it possible for the wood to "heal" and not have to be entirely replaced?
@GibsonGM, according to the bee folk, the earlier the hive is moved, the better luck they'll have reestablishing themselves before winter (I found someone who will relocate the hive, not just exterminate it).
@Greenwood, I'm not sure what the wood is, and it really hadn't been maintained at all inside! I don't know if or when the finish was redone, but it's lasted very well.
Greenwood wrote:put up plywood over the windows and a padlock on the door. Inspect the house once a year yourself and have someone out occasionally to cut grass in the summer.
Hah! Actually, that's exactly what we've been doing all these years!
Questions:
- where does one buy replacement clapboard? Is it just standard issue stuff from the lumber yard? I have watched a few videos on replacing clapboards, and I think I could manage that although I'm worried the existing boards are so brittle they'll break easily when handled.
- I'm pretty sure the siding was stained last, not painted. I like stain because it doesn't peel, but I know it doesn't last as long. Does using blop rule out using stain later, or is paint the way to go anyway?
Thanks again, everyone. I feel much better about the idea of working towards preservation as you've made it sound doable.