So I started my hearth area demo

Here's some professional advice. Close the bitch up & get started on your cosmetic stuff. That house has been there for????? how long??? I'll guarantee it's not going anywhere. Like you said, looks like somebody already took care of the problem. Vigll, lots of times my butt. It's a given. Them thar critters have long ago moved on to more palatable houses. All my main joists/trees in the basement are inundated--1/2" in their all solid as a rock.

freetown fred wrote:Here's some professional advice. Close the bitch up & get started on your cosmetic stuff. That house has been there for????? how long??? I'll guarantee it's not going anywhere. Like you said, looks like somebody already took care of the problem. Vigll, lots of times my butt. It's a given. Them thar critters have long ago moved on to more palatable houses. All my main joists/trees in the basement are inundated--1/2" in their all solid as a rock.

Lol I did just that! I found the only two cans of wood hardner /penatrant in Richmond . Minwax wood hardner . That stuff is seriously good! It'll run you out with the smell but that just tells me it's good sh*t ! I then filled it in with great stuff (the spray foam ) and am ready to start building the cosmetics!





Btw I found this fire block spray foam that I thought I could use by the chimney and wood

Outstanding--Josh, don't forget the running pictoral on all this--when you're not busy.

good job

joeq wrote:If the ridge beam of your roof is running parallel to that wall, and your roof rafters are sitting on the sill of that wall, then it would be considered load bearing. If so, you may want to get a professional opinion just to be safe. Got any construction buddies?

It's perpendicular to the ridge . I can do just about anything as far as work goes. It's just how big of a project do I want to get myself into . I guess the way the house is now that at that specific point it would carry much load. But like Fred said this house has been here forever ! And all of the bug damage and dry rot looks to be 60-100 years old already!

Here is a basic sketch I did on my phone.


The yellow dash shows where the rot was.

I'm going under the house next weekend when it's dry and I've had a few to drink ... Because I really really don't like tight spaces.

I am glad I posted something about this to everyone here because y'all have helped out a lot . Thanks Gene for the tip on the penatrant ! And thanks Fred for keeping it real with these old houses. Sometimes I become to much of a perfectionist and need reality checks!

Now to the next portion-

Merry Christmass!


I shall take the day off from my hearth work and resume on Wednesday .
Next I need to buy the hardie backer , insulation , and that heat wrap stuff Keith was using. The decision needs to be made still whether or not I will cut part of the floor out to recess the hearth . The original one is like that. I am thinking I should because I need to brave up the floor underneath and I'm not going to be able to do much laying on my belly under the house. It wouldn't be much just a foot on 3 sides of the existing hearth. I will probably then find a ornate brick or Boilor bricks ( which look super cool btw) from the salvage yard and put them in .

I think I just made my decision as I was writing this!

The brick sounds real good, but don't get to focused on ONE idea--God knows what you'll see/find at that salvage yard.

freetown fred wrote:The brick sounds real good, but don't get to focused on ONE idea--God knows what you'll see/find at that salvage yard.

Good I'm not the only one on the coal forum at dawn

Ok so I've been to almost all architectural salvage yard in Richmond so I have a good idea what they have right now ... But... You're right I think my idea lights go on overload at the salvage yard. Last time I went to buy the second WM for parts and came back with it and a cook stove

I like your flag stone suggestion. So that and the boiler brick idea . I already have the mantle for above the stove . It's a huge section of beam out of the Richbrau brewery here in Richmond VA . It shut down do to te economy after over 100 yers of brewing . It was sad because I grew up going to that brewery . Many many good nights . The Good news is my company was contracted to put all te rails and stair cases in when they renovated the building for a cubical farm ... Yea what a great fate for a amazing historical building ...

So the owner of my company was given all the beam sections that they cut out for the staircase . I, The sweet talker that I am, bugged the owner into giving me a section . You're thinking , what's the big deal with a big chunk of old wood... It's Heart Pine! Beautiful heart pine!
This isn't my photo but I have one of these beams .


I have heart pine floors on the second floor of my house and it's just so beautiful and red ! Hard as crap to nail into though!

I did a drawing of what I wanted the area to look like last year. I'll see if I can dig that up.

I was also thinking of trying to get a richbrau logo or something to put on it. My idea with most of my house is to use salvaged material from Richmond historical buildings and sites.

Josh, about the wood & other era stuff--thems that ya have to explain it do, won't ever get it anyway chrome & glass dude--tubular--DUDE

freetown fred wrote:Josh, about the wood & other era stuff--thems that ya have to explain it do, won't ever get it anyway chrome & glass dude--tubular--DUDE

Haha you're right! Glass furniture is useless and chrome is meant for cars from the 50's and older not a house

Hi Josh, good job on the wood. I had a thought for the hearth. recess the flooring to the dimension you need leaving the subflooring. put a 2 - 2 1/2" form around it, lay some rebar in a tic tac toe pattern an inch off the subfloor with some rocks (coal if you like) and pour a cement pad. You can then stain it with some coloured grout powder, marblize, add smooth river rocks etc. thus going over the brick hearth. The thickness would be based on what YOU need to successfully cover the brick and result in a strong hearth

Smokeyja wrote:

freetown fred wrote:Josh, about the wood & other era stuff--thems that ya have to explain it do, won't ever get it anyway chrome & glass dude--tubular--DUDE

Haha you're right! Glass furniture is useless and chrome is meant for cars from the 50's and older not a house

Don't forget Chrome on a Black Harley looks pretty good too !

Where's the progress pictures, I know your up to something down there

michaelanthony wrote:Hi Josh, good job on the wood. I had a thought for the hearth. recess the flooring to the dimension you need leaving the subflooring. put a 2 - 2 1/2" form around it, lay some rebar in a tic tac toe pattern an inch off the subfloor with some rocks (coal if you like) and pour a cement pad. You can then stain it with some coloured grout powder, marblize, add smooth river rocks etc. thus going over the brick hearth. The thickness would be based on what YOU need to successfully cover the brick and result in a strong hearth

That's a really good idea . Maybe if I were to use a sort of stone . I will have to think about it. As long as it does not come out like torrazo ... But I really like the look of bricks so it will be a hard decision. Thank you for the suggstion though I hadn't thought of that as an option.

echos67 wrote:

Smokeyja wrote:

freetown fred wrote:Josh, about the wood & other era stuff--thems that ya have to explain it do, won't ever get it anyway chrome & glass dude--tubular--DUDE

Haha you're right! Glass furniture is useless and chrome is meant for cars from the 50's and older not a house

Don't forget Chrome on a Black Harley looks pretty good too !

Where's the progress pictures, I know your up to something down there

Well I had to go back to work the past 3 days so I have just been thinking. For some reason I really love the look of the old studs . I actually don't like dry wall. I hate working with it and it's so plain! As far as inside walls go I don't see a need for insulation. I am extending the hearth a foot to the left and right and a foot out front. I am pretty sure I will be cutting the floor out and supporting the beams and then building the floor up to the level of the original. I still haven't chose the material I will use for the hearth . Ideas are welcome. I also hate to cover the original brick work for the chimney so that is another decision I need to make . Then do I paint the brick to make it look uniform or not. Although I'm leaning towards not.

It's pretty hard making decisions Somtimes lol.

Only when you overthink it. You're rustic Josh, do what you do best. PAINT brick????? I've got a few exposed beams here & I just took sheet rock up to them & it came out pretty nice--it was a good test for my taping skills. Work??? where the hell are your priorities?

It's pretty hard making decisions Somtimes lol.

freetown fred wrote:Only when you overthink it. You're rustic Josh, do what you do best. PAINT brick????? I've got a few exposed beams here & I just took sheet rock up to them & it came out pretty nice--it was a good test for my taping skills. Work??? where the hell are your priorities?

It's pretty hard making decisions Somtimes lol.

Well I must say I did take some time at work to make a steamer... I dabbled with a design I had and did some experimentation this evening and that resulted in a steam cannon that shoots water a couple feet into the air haha! I know the problem with the design and I'm going to fix it next week. My head isn't really at work when I'm at work I must say haha !

I have an idea of what I'm going to do with the wall. I might hit the salvage yard tomorrow for some ideas . I put drywall in between the ceiling beams and it looks good.

I'm going to dig up some drawing ideas I did last year.

Ya need to get it back in gear, you're running behind on your pix progress.