Pros/Cons of a rock house? Pics pg 3 dial up friendly

[Wifezilla]

Surely I can carefully take it down, insulate (even with board insulation) and reapply? I don't know.

Yes, you can.

Those old stone houses are not just houses. They are works of art. I bet the original builder was a German or Italian immigrant.

 

[pioneergirl]

I'll post pics soon.....and yes I think you're right. My FIL's ancestors are German, and have lived within a 5 mile radius of this house since they immigrated. I'm not saying they built or lived in this house, but using it as a reference. This particular house is one of 2 buildings still standing from a small town that was built here. With a whopping 70 residents in its prime, it once held the tallest structure in the county (grain cylo). I found some info on where the cemetery used to be, but its currently in the middle of a corn field. Stones have long since been discarded, which is truly sad.

But I was like you...I looked at it as a structural gold mine. Just perfect for withstanding anything that came our way.

 

[xpc]

Surely I can carefully take it down, insulate (even with board insulation) and reapply?

You, Bob Villa , and his troop of $100,000 bonobos.

If it does have a wide enough inside/outside wall then yes to all your plans, the vintage moldings should only take you a year to remove without breaking but is a nice long term project iff'n the walls are capable of being insulated.
I lived in a 1870 hotel for 7 years and did it when retrofitting a new furnace.

 

[pioneergirl]

Ok I see....this is all great info...keep it coming folks! I'm workin on those pictures!

 

[Wifezilla]

And do spring for an engineer's report. Make sure it doesn't just LOOK structurally sound.

We just redid our 1950's generic house and took down the molding and put it back up. Not because it was wonderful woodwork, but because we had a budget for the floors we replaced, but no extra for new trim.

I used to rent a house that was stone. It was cheap, but the house had been terribly neglected. I ended up using tapestries (aka pretty quilts I got at the thrift store) to keep the cold winter wind out.

My roomie and I actually stripped and refinished some of the old carved wood molding in the dinning room and living room. No bonobos required

 

[pioneergirl]

The tapestry idea is good....I'm also curious whats under the orange shag carpet I might be able to find some good and heavy material on sale and make some curtains.....

Listen to me, I talk like we've got it bought, LOL My luck it will be sold before I set a foot inside!

 

[Wifezilla]

Orange shag? The HORROR!

LOL

Under our PINK shag was a wood floor. It needs to be totally redone, but until the budget improves, we are putting laminate over the top. It can easily be reoved and the maple floor returned to its former glory later.

 

[pioneergirl]

Pink? PINK???? eeeewwwww!!! I didn't know they made it in PINK!!

 

[xpc]

Hot pink, blaze orange , florescent green - some freak from the art deco period thought it was cool before Timothy Leary said it was. Get your hands on any of those colors in a catalin table top radio and you can buy yourself a new car. Unfortunately shag carpet need not apply.

 

[pioneergirl]

Ok, here are a few pictures.... I need to get one of the front, and yes, the overhang needs work. The roof is 5 years old.

South side:

Southwest corner, rear:

Rear view, the smaller building is a garage of sorts. Part rock, with a wood addition in the front: