New Member! New-old 1870s stone vernacular farmhouse

[Gothichome]

Or vinyl window and siding. Welcome to Wavyglass.

[Mick_VT]

unless you mention Ugg shoes for sale or bedroom stickers.

Bedroom stickers?

What a wonderful idea, I wonder if they do them in an Eastlake print?

[WildGeeseLn]

Oh, but I had this story about this one time when I got the Ugg boots I was going to sell caught on my broken vinyl windowsill flashing while I was stepping onto it to fix my new vinyl siding. I still made enough on the Ugg boot sale to finally replace that old front door and purchase bedroom stickers though...

[Sara]

Welcome to the group! I loved looking at all of your photos. And I'll be here munching on some popcorn waiting for some other more knowledgable posters to comment on your questions.

I am truly envious of the land attached to your house though. How many acres do you have?

[matchbookhouse]

Hey gothic - some of us can't help that our stupid PO's ripped out the original windows and installed vinyl windows and put vinyl siding over the (asbestos) shingles underneath. I've spent HUGE bucks to stabilize the foundation and remove moisture from the crawlspace to preserve the house's underpinnings, so I can't afford to install custom wood replacement windows. Some of us are "stuck" with vinyl that we didn't want, but have to live with nonetheless. Not all of us have architectural gems, but rather workmans' homes that are, nevertheless, equally cherished.

WildGeeseLn, your house is absolutely gorgeous now and will be a real gem when you have completed your restoration. I have serious envy for your stream (a long-held dream of mine). It provides the perfect backdrop for your beautiful home. I'm sure we will all be looking forward to updates on your restoration progress. Good luck on your journey!

[kelt65]

Hello all!

1.) Does anyone know of a plasterer in the MD/PA/WV/VA area who has experience with old homes? I am planning on saving the plaster on the stone walls, which just needs a skim coat to clean it up, and replacing the interior walls with blue board (the plaster was beyond saving and knob and tube needed to be replaced). I know a good plasterer, but he will only do a lime/gypsum mix. He is afraid of the uncertainty of using historical methods. Given that I am trying to be as respectful of historic materials as possible, would you recommend I find someone willing to do a true lime plaster or will the gypsum mix be unnoticeable? Does it influence paint or other finishes? I am totally new to this world of plaster and stone, so any advice would be appreciated!

I'm pretty sure almost all plasterers will mix ("gauge") some gypsum into the lime putty these days, really just to make it set faster. I'm not sure what benefits "pure lime" will have, except that it will take much, much longer to completely dry (like a year?) and can take four weeks to set up so that another coat can be applied. Pure lime plaster is very slow! I think the main concern there is what you're going to use to color it with and what sort of pigments will work. I believe lime wash would be fine on gauged plaster and will let the beauty of the plaster remain unlike house paint. It also allows the lime to ventilate. If he's willing to pigment the plaster itself that is one step better. If you intend to use house paint I'd not worry about any of it as that will cover the plaster and look like any other painted wall. It will look far better if the pigment "dyes" the material or if the pigment is actually worked into the material. At that point a nice polishing will make it look like nothing else there is. It's important to note, though, that each has different coloring properties and certain pigments won't work or will fade terribly.

Here's an article that explains it pretty well:

"Having recognised the desirability of lime plasters, a further point for consideration is whether adding even small amounts of gypsum to them (a practice known as 'gauging') is acceptable. Many plasterers will add a proportion of gypsum to speed up the set of a lime plaster in order to keep to a tight programme. Lime and sand plasters are quite capable of setting on their own, even though it can take up to four weeks for each coat to carbonate before the next coat can be applied. If gauging is considered undesirable, then adequate time needs to be allowed in the programming of work. There may, however, be circumstances when gauging is considered acceptable or even desirable, for example, when repairing plaster which was gauged originally."

and ...

"Lime and gypsum are obviously different materials with different properties. Lime sets slowly by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, whereas gypsum plaster sets rapidly by crystallising (even fully hydrated gypsum plaster sets within about a day). Also, as a lime plaster dries it shrinks slightly, while a gypsum plaster expands slightly as it sets. Historically gypsum has generally tended to be used as an additive to lime. The speed at which a mix of lime and gypsum set (which is slightly slower than gypsum on its own) and the slight expansion that occurs, are particularly useful when running cornices and other mouldings in-situ."

[WildGeeseLn]

Welcome to the group! I loved looking at all of your photos. And I'll be here munching on some popcorn waiting for some other more knowledgable posters to comment on your questions.

I am truly envious of the land attached to your house though. How many acres do you have?

Thanks Sara! It's actually only 3.5 acres (small in this rural area), but the pond and stream pack it with the character of a larger property My parents are a few miles away with the horses, so it's room enough to rotate a horse or two in (when I can afford a fence) and maybe some goats...and my Great Dane. She needs as much space as a horse, haha.

MatchBookHouse- A stream has been a dream of mine too So has a pond, but careful what you wish for! My pond has silted up, and it needs to be dug out about 3' at least....terrified of how much this might cost and where to put all the silt! It's also very hard to find someone to do it! A big hidden cost. Oh, and my PO also put in vinyl windows. I'm removing the flashing to at least expose and paint the wooden trim, and I am going to get a paint for the vinyl part too for a change of color. I found a ridiculous number of windows in my shed, but there are too many and they aren't a perfect fit for the house. All I have for sure are the 4 attic windows. Maybe someday....

Kelletim- Thank you SO much for the information. I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed learning about the plaster situation--- it's so expensive for all my walls, and I am an over-researcher when it comes to spending money. I'm mostly just trying to keep the character and texture of the existing horsehair lime plaster, but freshen them up. If the gauge keeps that look, then I am open to it. The tip on the paint vs. pigment is great. I had no idea. I also left the lath on the other walls, so I'm still working out the cost etc. of blue board vs. plaster for those. From what I've read on here, I would put the blue board over the lath anyways.

[Gothichome]

Hey gothic - some of us can't help that our stupid PO's ripped out the original windows and installed vinyl windows and put vinyl siding over the (asbestos) shingles underneath. I've spent HUGE bucks to stabilize the foundation and remove moisture from the crawlspace to preserve the house's underpinnings, so I can't afford to install custom wood replacement windows. Some of us are "stuck" with vinyl that we didn't want, but have to live with nonetheless. Not all of us have architectural gems, but rather workmans' homes that are, nevertheless, equally cherished.

WildGeeseLn, your house is absolutely gorgeous now and will be a real gem when you have completed your restoration. I have serious envy for your stream (a long-held dream of mine). It provides the perfect backdrop for your beautiful home. I'm sure we will all be looking forward to updates on your restoration progress. Good luck on your journey!

Didn't mean to imply anything derogatory or belittling any ones home with vinyl with my comment. It was typed with tongue in cheek. I have mentioned on serveral occasions we do what we can with in our means with our old homes. Not every home has to be grand or big it just has to be liked enough that your are willing to put the effort in.

[kelt65]

Kelletim- Thank you SO much for the information. I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed learning about the plaster situation--- it's so expensive for all my walls, and I am an over-researcher when it comes to spending money. I'm mostly just trying to keep the character and texture of the existing horsehair lime plaster, but freshen them up. If the gauge keeps that look, then I am open to it. The tip on the paint vs. pigment is great. I had no idea. I also left the lath on the other walls, so I'm still working out the cost etc. of blue board vs. plaster for those. From what I've read on here, I would put the blue board over the lath anyways.

I found this little glossary immeasurably helpful

GLOSSARY: Definitions of Plastering Terms

[matchbookhouse]

WildGeeseLn, if you can get the silt dug out, I would recommend your putting it on a garden bed. it will be full of nutrients that will be really beneficial to plant life. BTW, I managed to satisfy, in part, my desire for waterfront by buying a small lakefront lot. I can at least see a major stream beyond the dam that my lot faces - but it's not the same as having my "own" stream. Your entire property is very beautiful and a perfect setting for your home. Congrats!