RFI Updated 1920's Farm House

[BN]

My last house was circa 1918. Based on my experience, and input from a couple of local electricians, with a house that age, if they didn't tear out walls and ceilings, you're basically guaranteed to have the old cloth-covered wiring in the walls and ceilings. Well, it was cloth-covered when the house was built anyway. If there's an attic, you can look up there and see what the wire runs look like above the ceilings, but even that won't tell you what's in the walls. If there's still plaster and lathe on the walls and ceilings, it's probably the original wiring.

We bought an old house for the kids to live in for a while. When we were ready to sell we had to have a lot of work done to get it up to code.

What Eric said is what we ran into. The cloth covered wiring on porcelain knobs all had to be replaced. Your house probably has balloon framing that makes it difficult to replace wiring in the first floor ceiling. We ended up tearing out the old lath and plaster. Lots of nasty stuff hidden behind old repairs.

You'll want to hire an independent house inspector. They can usually tell you what is what. Get references because all inspectors are not equal.

[Xrslug]

Also a lot depends on where it’s located in the country and what sort of weather conditions it has seen. Farm house in Minnesota vs farm house in California? I grew up in a house built in 1908 that my parents still live in. Wood construction, cloth insulated electrical wiring, etc. The house is solid — no structural issues at all. But it’s in a dry, temperate climate.

[NEPAKevin]

Just understand that with a house like this whats seems to be a small problem has a habit of blooming into a larger one. My biggest issue has been uncovering how previous owners overcame things they ran into. In other words clugy MacGyver workarounds hidden behind the walls. With that being said when i open a cieling for example and the floor joists are notched in true 4x10's connecting to a backbone 12x16 beam, it makes overlooking the annoyances easier

This. We have a farm house that was built just prior to 1900 and they really don't build them like they used to. I concur that the issues we ran into are not from the original structure, which has held up over a hundred years, but rather from previous owners who either cut corners or didn't know what the f*ck they were doing and trusted the good ideas fairy.

[Jim Watson]

I had a house circa 1918 with a 1960 kitchen and about the third generation of AC. It served me well for a while but deteriorated to need work. I had replaced roof, windows, and overlaid the siding; and was thinking about an interior rework when The Incident occurred with fire totaling the house and wiping out all that work.

I am now in a modern house on the same lot with good insulation and about half the utility bill.

[rob_s]

I'll dogpile on...

I'd want, at a minimum, entirely new electrical and plumbing systems from he street to the bulb/tap/switch/outlet/etc.

Pipe, wire, manifold (you said Pex), water heater, panel, outlets, switches, wire nuts, etc.

[UNK]

The electric panel as well as all fixtures are new and the plumbing is pvc/pex. It is a well and septic so not sure of the main line from well pump or the age of pump and septic.

The finish work looks good but I have seen a lot of nice finish work hiding a shit shit show behind. I am going to see if I can get some additional info, some work was homeowner and some contracted. Supposedly permits for everything so maybe I can follow up with the county on permits and contractor info.

The problem is some contractors do better work than homeowner and vice versa and things behind walls may never be seen. I am trying to get ideas of things to look for. I am getting a better look this weekend.

Please keep ideas and concerns coming and thanks for the ones so far.

You would think they would have documented with photos and receipts. Whats their local reputation ie Im assuming contractors did a lot of the work. If the homeowners did it all id be very leery unless they have solid contracting background. Plumbing and electrical permits should have been pulled and inspected.

[BN]

when The Incident occurred with fire totaling the house and wiping out all that work.

Jim, I'm curious if old wiring caused the fire?

[JAD]

I'll dogpile on...

I'd want, at a minimum, entirely new electrical and plumbing systems from he street to the bulb/tap/switch/outlet/etc.

Pipe, wire, manifold (you said Pex), water heater, panel, outlets, switches, wire nuts, etc.

Based on my lived experience exactly the opposite — I want nothing done, because once it’s done you can’t see it, and EVERYBODY does bullshit work and then lies about it.

I also do not believe there’s such a thing as an independent inspector.

[baddean]

BJ,
You don't mention where this house is geographically. Someone else mentioned warm and humid or cool and dry.
Does it have a basement or crawl space that has a dirt floor?
Warm and humid will/can cause mold to form over time. Also if it is dirt you should consider having it tested for Radon.
I ah... have experience with these things.
Just a thought.

[rob_s]

Based on my lived experience exactly the opposite — I want nothing done, because once it’s done you can’t see it, and EVERYBODY does bullshit work and then lies about it.

I also do not believe there’s such a thing as an independent inspector.

Here’s the problem in this particular case...

The finishes have all been re-done. So in order for him to rehab the electrical and plumbing now, he’s going to have to tear through all that pretty stuff that I’m sure he and the wife are smitten with.

So IN THIS CASE I’d want documentation that all of that was done. If they did it, they took pictures. Because if they did it, they know the value in doing it, and they’d know how important it would be to have those pictures now whe they Lee selling it.

Otherwise, I’d want to start from scratch myself so I’d know that it’s all been done and done right.