The Historic District

Trevor, my impression is that you'd be willing to sell it if the new owner would fix what's wrong and use it without major changes. There are a lot of young DIYers looking for places to live off-grid and this might be someone's dream home. I think you could give that a try. The only thing I would look for in an off-grid home is a potable well.

I don't know real estate law in Canada but, in some areas of the U.S. (and with me), it's customary for a prospective buyer to write a letter explaining why their offer should be accepted. With one of the homes I sold, I had a questionnaire that had to be submitted with the offer to buy because it wasn't customary for bids to include a letter of persuasion.

Technical stuff:
- I doubt there's any settling if all that's happening is the kitchen floor is "sinking" (and has been for 30+ yrs). Most likely a beam or support column is rotting. Settling makes itself known in numerous ways and numerous places.

- A "preserve and protect" roof solution would be to remove the asphalt shingles, check what's under and fix, and lay plywood with a membrane covering. This temporary solution can be undone, in the future, when the home is to be lived in. This method is commonly used by preservationists to forestall deterioration of historic but abandoned properties because it's low cost but works better than doing nothing.

- The woodpecker activity could be a sign they've found a food source. You'll want to have that looked into. Removing the course of siding, at the bottom of a stud bay, would be my first target (unpleasant things in a wall always drop signs of their existence).

- Honeybees. I've been communicating with our local Beekeepers' Assoc. for a couple years now as we have a low honeybee count and may rent a hive or start one of our own. I've been learning a lot and there's a lot to learn. I found this site for you to see why extermination isn't much of a solution by itself: http://www.honeybeeremoval.com/faq.htm

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Thanks, all. A lot of good information there to process.

Hah, by "heal" I knew it wouldn't magically grow new wood -- I just meant that I had assumed that once wood gets old and brittle, it should be replaced entirely. But, it sounds like blop under plus stain would be a good treatment. I would like to preserve the look of the house, as the wood has coloured so nicely (although maybe that's deterioration?).

And I didn't mean to say that family is uninterested in the house, it's just they have other priorities and commitments. So, I've kind of taken this on myself. It's reassuring to know that things can be done in increments, and you're entirely right -- it's sat for this long, another few likely won't push it over the edge.

Thanks for the link, Olson185. I've sent the website owner an email for some advice in cleaning up after the bees. And excellent suggestion on the roof; I may consider having that done to prevent further deterioration.

I think my next moves are to start with the bee removal and to take a lot of pictures to assess the rest of the work. I'm hoping to make a trip up there soon, then I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions (with pictures!).

Question: after the bee removal, what would be the best way to close up the wall (hopefully from the outside only)? Looks like after removal, the cavity has to be washed thoroughly and of course dry. I'd hate to seal it up wet, but I need to close it up somehow to prevent anyone from returning or moving in. I may be able to return a second time later this summer and I could do a more permanent closure then. Any recommendations?

Thanks again, all the input is much appreciated.
Trevor

Sure, Trevor...slow and steady is the way to win this game.

Bees relocated is definitely a great 1st move. Clean out the cavity, get some form of sheathing on whatever opening is made...you can cover it with Tyvek-type moisture barrier (tape/staple the edges - do something so it doesn't flop back up over winter in the wind). Maybe run a couple pieces of strapping up the sides to hold it in place.

I would leave a 'slot' in the sheathing near the top, under the overhang hopefully, to allow the cavity to dry thoroughly. Just a couple inches wide x the opening you made's width. You can tyvek over it for now...moisture goes 1 way if you lay it on the proper way. When you come back, pull Tyvek back and pop in a small piece of sheathing to close it before you fix siding.

Yeah, blop is actually old-time paint minus the white lead, LOL. So you KNOW it's good for wood! I would be tempted to forego trying to apply a 'clear' type product to 'keep the old look' when you do stain it...I'd go to at least a semi-transparent. Most cases like this, we go with a solid, just to provide a consistent color and look. Someone on here more versed in some of the 'old ways' may have a better suggestion than that for you, tho. Just that as a painter, I find that neglected wood has a way of not cooperating, and solids protect better by blocking everything under the sun...so, once it's pre-treated and then topcoated, it will hopefully remain that way longer. That's what I'd tell a customer who wants bang for buck...one thing you could do ahead of time is try to find (via your local paint dealer, a reputable one) oil stain....see what is offered up there. There are hefty VOC regs now....talk to them about best product for a situation like this.

She'll wait a year or 2 more, of course...but your very best use of time while you are there will be bees, securing that cavity, and finding ANY way you can to prevent water from getting in the walls in your absence. Plus what the others said. Water going in the wall will run to the sill, and may rot it - if it's already getting a little gnarly, more will not help that. Your eyes are going to be the best judge! That may mean bringing a roll of 3M Flashing Tape with you, just in case - it will stick to things a LONG time to keep water out (such as a big gap in siding boards, etc.).

I havent yet read thru everything but it looks like youve gotten some good technical advice. Having given some thought to possibly finding/buying an old abandoned farmhouse in not too far gone condition - I would snap that up in a new york minute, if it was near me. If its not too terribly far from a population center or if located anywhere near a travel destination or lake or place of natural beauty - you might think about renting it as vacation rental. You would need a reliable local person to take a cut of the proceeds and look after it and handle the rental tasks. Or, find a group of family / friends who may be interested in joint ownership - there are a number of ways to set this up legally. The sale of shares may fund the repairs.

Really love that weathered look and agree that some way of preserving that would be ideal. One of my fav places is St. Elmo, a CO ghost town which is still pretty much intact - one old general store still has scribbled note from the 1950s "back in 15 minutes". The school outhouses still have the kids' scribbles on the walls. The bldgs are privately owned (and some are occupied), but its a historic district and preserved in its all its abandoned ghost town glory. In other words "preservation" can mean many different things, not necessarily involving a lot of money or taking it up to 2017 bldg code. I hope your fam can think long and hard about whether they really want to sell it off - once its gone its gone.

PS is there a kitchen, is it original? I have an old farmhouse kitchen obsession.

Olson185 wrote:I found this site for you to see why extermination isn't much of a solution by itself: http://www.honeybeeremoval.com/faq.htm

I contacted Robert at that Honeybee Removal and, with his permission, here is what he said about cleaning the cavity:

after the complete nest is removed, you can use any house hold pre-mixed cleaner such as bleach, citric degreaser, etc. to clean with. Your main focus is not to let the bees back in! Because, even if you kill the scent of the bees, without sealing up the holes they are going back in. After you remove, clean, and repair the area, you have to seal up all of the access holes to the complete area. I will also seal up the holes anywhere near that spot up to 15' in all directions. Remember, no holes, no bees! Use a water based caulk. Try to use a color that blends.

Given the house is likely full of holes, that may be a tall order!

@Kashka-Kat, cool story on St. Elmo. I've been to Dawson City, Yukon, centre of much of the Klondike Gold Rush; not a ghost town but they still have a lot of preserved original structures. [edited] I believe the kitchen itself is original (the walls and ceiling, and floor except for the paint), and perhaps the stove but not the woodbox shown in the picture; the best image I have is attached and the rest of the kitchen isn't much bigger. I'll get more pics when I'm up there next.

@GibsonGM, thanks for the ideas. With the 3M Flashing Tape, if I stick that on bare wood, will it pull up the wood later if I remove it? Or should I avoid using it in high-visibility areas?

Another question: which would be better from a repair point-of-view? To remove the bees from the exterior or from the interior? My first thought is from the exterior, because the siding is already coming off and the plaster on the inside is in very good condition. Which is likely to be easier (and better) to repair afterwards? Some pictures attached of both the inside and outside where the bees are (entry point is where the siding is missing). I don't yet know if the bees are in the upper, or the lower half of the wall, or whether they're in the ceiling.

I want that house!

Haha, thanks! Where do I mail it?

Honey bees are attracted to the coolest little old houses, aren't they?

Looks great, I love what I am seeing and I hope the bees have brought you the good luck.

Trevor wrote:Haha, thanks! Where do I mail it?

Leave it right there....... I will come to it!