A
Really Open House! 
A working project/forum/classroom for old home
voyeurs and “green” build enthusiasts alike
The Earth
Advantage 1909 House has progressed since our first installment in
the October/November 2004 issue. Recall that Richard and Anne DeWolf,
co-owners of Arciform LLC a design-build company located in North
Portland, found a modest bungalow in the Hollywood district to restore
to its original Craftsman-style using environmentally sound materials
and practices. The house is to be completed in time for the annual
Tour of Remodeled Homes in March. Richard and Anne added a twist by
asking local businesses and subcontractors to get involved by showcasing
their goods and services, plus opened the whole six-month process
to the public to view, and offer Saturday morning seminars. “Most
people only see the final product of a remodeling project,” Richard
says. “We knew if we could get people to come through the house
during the remodeling process, the house could be a teaching tool
for the community.”
Below
is a sampling from the 1909 House website (www.1909house.com) diary
that summarizes the remodel as it transpires written by Richard, Anne,
and Melissa Fryback, public relations manager. Logon to their website
to track the progress of this project over the next four months.
 |
“Stung”
by the Siding
Week One — October 4
After exploring what was under the vinyl siding they found that
all the original siding was GONE! For Arciform this is unusual
to see. Typically siding was kept on and the vinyl put over it.
To add to the moment, a very unhappy wasp that had made the vinyl
eaves his home stung Richard DeWolf on his ear. OUCH! It
was first planned to use the original siding — always the
best route when possible. Fortunately there exists an alternative
siding, which is manufactured by James Hardie. This siding
is not only a sustainable substitute for wood; it will work well
given the period appropriateness factor. This will now allow them
to wrap the house with Tyvek house wrap to increase air
and water resistance, help lower heating and cooling costs, and
provide better protection against water and moisture intrusion. |
 |
Demolition
Is Done!
Week Two — October 11
There were no “real” hidden treasures in the house,
no time capsules, only a lot of bad remodeling materials. A
house should stand for hundreds of years without needing to
update everything. Most of the original design elements were
fine behind all of those crazy updates. Respectful and environmentally
friendly remodeling usually is cheaper and easier than unnecessary
vinyl siding, paneling, and layers of vinyl flooring. It’s
okay if the wood siding might need paint in a few years, or
the wood floor has a scratch.
At
the end we had one 20-yd container of miscellaneous construction
debris that was non-recyclable, mostly vinyl and one complete
20-yd container of wood scrap that will be turned into fuel.
A local
resident has recycled all of the metal, and a large truckload
of usable items will be taken to the ReBuilding Center for re-use in someone else’s project. |
 |
On
the Level
Week Three — October 18
The house is now officially level. “Wow, it needed a lot
of help,” claims Richard DeWolf. The house is upgraded and
straight. They needed to replace some structural members in the
basement and properly frame the structure for the dormers. The
slightly altered plan designed by Anne DeWolf helped immensely
by adding new structural members hidden within built-ins and closets.
Two 20-ton and two 15-ton jacks lifted the structure. Placing
them in key areas, they were able to straighten the structure
in systematic order. Using a laser transit (level) assisted in
making sure one end of the house is consistent with the other.
The house is now ready for another 100 years. They found a hidden
stash of everclear (grain alcohol) between the floorboards. It
seems that somebody in the past liked to take a nip while working
in the basement. |
 |
A
Few Tricks and Treats
Week Four — October 25
Trick. Seven layers of previous flooring had to be ripped
up off the kitchen floor.
Treat. The oak floors downstairs in the main living room
and dining room are particularly unusual given the narrowness
of their strips.
Trick. The back part of the kitchen was actually an exterior
porch that was enclosed.
Treat. The fir floors upstairs are in relatively good shape
since they were covered by carpet all these years.
Downright Spooky. There is a coffin-sized hole under the
porch and a hidden storage area under the back of the house that
has a whole lot of unused ‘70s paneling still fresh in the
box and ready to cover up more walls. (No implications with the
word use of coffin... trying to keep the theme of Halloween going!)
“The coffin-sized hole under the front porch was built by
my son and a neighbor boy in the ‘70s as a hideout when they
were 10 to 12 years old. They didn’t play there much as there
were too many spiders. OOPS I forgot the cedar strip paneling
under the back deck. Hope you put it to good use,” states
Sam (the previous homeowner). |
 |
“Enter”
a New Reborn Home
Week Five — November 1
The most noticeable item is that the front door was moved over.
Now that the front door has been moved to the center of the house
there is better circulation flow at the entry and living room.
This also provides space for a grouping of three windows that
will echo the grouping of windows located in the den north of
the entry. Now that the door is moved there will be a more comfortable
space to place the living room furniture. This space and the entry
as well as the new buffet in the dining room will be finished
with stain grade wood to give a more formal Arts and Crafts feel.
We wanted to keep the brick mantel but when the paneling was removed,
the brick mantel fell off. Very strange! The den needs some straightening.
The windows have been installed out of plumb and to hide this
the woodwork was cut at a slant or installed out of level. Arciform
LLC will fix this as much as possible. We have not determined
what we will do with the floor below the carpet, but we hope to
be able to refinish the wood. |
 |
On
the Move
Week Six — November 8
Arciform’s project manager, Eddy Peterson, has taken care
of the structural problems. He jacked up the eaves of the house
and installed new and stronger brackets. There was a bit of “activity”
at the house as the old brackets were being taken off, over wrought
with the extreme weight they’ve been holding (three layers
of composite and the original shake) — a real structural
mystery to be sure! They creaked and cracked and the eaves suddenly
sagged down with a groan about 2”. A second of breath holding
by all there, but they stayed on. The ridge at the top shows the
extreme forces that were at work, as a 3” division in the
ridge exists from where the two sides slipped down. The new brackets
couldn’t have come at a better time! |
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Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Week Seven — November 15
The new roof is on. First the 1/2” CDX plywood went on,
then the Grace Ice and Water Shield self-adhered membrane
roofing underlayment for added protection and then the recycled
tire rubber slate-style roofing by Hi-Tek Rubber all
installed by Four Star Roofing. It looks amazing and
the house will certainly “sigh” again as it is saved
from the stress it has been under due to the multiple layers
of shingles and composite materials.
Work
started on the upstairs bathroom roof and it was decided that
we needed to integrate a support beam since the roof sagged
2” from each wall to the center of the space. So that meant
back to the drawing board. I came up with an archway that separates
the tub/sink space from a sitting area at the window. I think
it almost improved the design. The exterior wall of the bathroom
had to be reframed in its entirety since it was rotted out.
There was a 2” sag in the ceiling. This house structurally,
as we are discovering, was built poorly back in 1909... You
can almost hear it whispering “thank you” as we replace
rotted and sagging parts. |
Free
Saturday Seminars
Below are a couple samples of Saturday seminars that are offered throughout
the project timeline. These seminars are a great way to learn about
the whole remodeling process. For a schedule of upcoming Saturaday Seminars
logon to: www.1909house.com.
History
Jack Bookwalter, a volunteer with the Bosco-Milligan Foundation, gave
an extensive overview of the history
of the 1909 House. He also shared architectural elements/ details
of the bungalow. Did you know that the word bungalow comes from India?
Or that components of bungalow design come from Japan, Switzerland,
and other parts of the globe?
We learned
about the informality of the structure and the beauty it holds in
its simplicity and the many types of bungalows there are... ours as
it turns out might be considered a Craftsman bungalow as it is a larger
story and a half interpretation of the “original” one-story
design. It does however have details like the deep overhangs, pillars,
broad at the base, slightly tapered at the top, and a three-part window
design with the central window being the largest of the three panels.
The 1909
House was one of the very first homes in this area. And in the span
of over 90 years, it had many inhabitants. Originally it was a part
of the Beaumont neighborhood — and actually based on Jack’s
research, it preceded the official neighborhood. Today the 1909 House
a part of the Grant Park neighborhood.
Permits
and More
Jeff Eldridge, a representative from the Portland Bureau of Development
Services, answered all kinds of questions with regard to when you
should pull permits, who should pull which permits, and why working
with professionals like electricians and plumbers is so important.
It was great to be able to ask questions when the project was right
there.
Jerry
with Master Tech Electric, Inc. answered all kinds of questions with
regard to knob and tube wiring and grounding and how and why to add
new circuits and so on. Milo with Power Plumbing was there to offer
answers to plumbing questions.
1909
House Peoject Team as of Week Seven
Here’s a list of the vendors who have been involved up to this
point in the project. You’re invited to view products and services
provided by; Arciform LLC, DeConstruction Services, First Call Heating
& Cooling, Four Star Roofing, Gary's Vacuflo, Grace Construction
Products, Hi-Tek Rubber, Inc., Home Comfort Zones, James Hardie Siding,
Jeld-Wen Pozzi Custom Wood Windows, Master Tech Electric, Inc., Power
Plumbing, Tyvek Home Wrap.
Logon
to www.1909house.com
for a full list of vendors and agencies envolved with this project.
Check the website for updates to the free seminars and progress on
the Earth Advantage 1909 House. |
