The projects—from repairing rotten floor joists and leaking radiators to
stemming the tide of a full-blown flood—just kept coming for a couple of first-timers tackling a deteriorating home
Elva Van Devender, homeownerThis Old House magazine
In our second year we replaced some of the outdated systems. The blown-in attic insulation had been crushed when previous owners replaced the roof, making it pretty useless. To put in new fiberglass, Tye and I had to scoop out the old stuff with a dustpan and vacuum, filling over 40 large trash bags. Sadly, there were no cool treasures hidden up in the attic, but there were a few surprises in the walls when we replaced the knob-and-tube electrical: bare live wires. Poor Tye had to deal with those.
Pictured: The old enclosed porch had an asbestos ceiling covering over the original beadboard.
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