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There's diversity and then there's the broken record..... and there's actual input and then there's stirring the pot.
yeah...ok. You're in favor of fixing up dumps.....but yet these need bulldozing?
There's diversity and then there's the broken record..... and there's actual input and then there's stirring the pot.
yeah...ok. You're in favor of fixing up dumps.....but yet these need bulldozing?
That old theater is amazing! So many of them are gone. Its' sad because once it's gone it's gone. There is no bringing it back. All of these places have a story. You may not care, but there are people out there that DO care!
There's nothing like living in an old house! The floors creak and if you're lucky you'll have steam heat. Great sounds to fall asleep to. And the old houses I've lived in weren't any colder than the house I currently live in which 15 years old.
I will say we both have a LOT more allergy problems here. If you don't clean all of the bathrooms like a bleach fanatic every few days, mildew grows quickly. So much for that air tight house! It's great unless you need to breath!
Our next house we're going back in time. i want real wood....not this floating floor crap. Wooden stairs and not plywood covered with stinky carpet. And all carpet stinks! I gladly welcome built-ins, wonderful moldings, and floor boards that you can't buy today.
There's diversity and then there's the broken record..... and there's actual input and then there's stirring the pot.
yeah...ok. You're in favor of fixing up dumps.....but yet these need bulldozing?
First - Just about everything on the forum is a broken record..........coming from both sides of an issue. Schools, towns, satellite/cable, restaurants, etc.
Second - Yes, there are some buildings that are not worth renovating and are best bulldozed. Where that line is, is different for different people.
That old theater is amazing! So many of them are gone. Its' sad because once it's gone it's gone. There is no bringing it back. All of these places have a story. You may not care, but there are people out there that DO care!
There's nothing like living in an old house! The floors creak and if you're lucky you'll have steam heat. Great sounds to fall asleep to. And the old houses I've lived in weren't any colder than the house I currently live in which 15 years old.
I will say we both have a LOT more allergy problems here. If you don't clean all of the bathrooms like a bleach fanatic every few days, mildew grows quickly. So much for that air tight house! It's great unless you need to breath!
Our next house we're going back in time. i want real wood....not this floating floor crap. Wooden stairs and not plywood covered with stinky carpet. And all carpet stinks! I gladly welcome built-ins, wonderful moldings, and floor boards that you can't buy today.
I am glad that old homes work for you. We can't all buy new and have no one buy the old ones. For me, I have to have new. I have suffered from asthma and allergies all my life, although I am doing much better in NC than I did back up north. More times than not, when I walk into an old home, I have breathing problems. I need a new home that has proper, updated ventilation systems. I cannot risk the old homes that did not have proper house wrap, had water infiltration causing mold, air infiltration bringing in contaminants and so on. I much prefer the new homes that are built using better engineering, better products and are much more energy/earth friendly.
There's nothing like living in an old house! The floors creak and if you're lucky you'll have steam heat. Great sounds to fall asleep to. And the old houses I've lived in weren't any colder than the house I currently live in which 15 years old.
I will say we both have a LOT more allergy problems here. If you don't clean all of the bathrooms like a bleach fanatic every few days, mildew grows quickly. So much for that air tight house! It's great unless you need to breath!
Our next house we're going back in time. i want real wood....not this floating floor crap. Wooden stairs and not plywood covered with stinky carpet. And all carpet stinks! I gladly welcome built-ins, wonderful moldings, and floor boards that you can't buy today.
I agree w/ this on so many levels. "Hardwood" floors in new homes get dented up if you sneeze too hard. My old fir floors in Portland took many, many years of beating by many families and looked great. I'll own another old house one day. I'm hoping the next one will be a country house w/ a tin roof. I always wanted one w/ a tin roof.... nothing like sleeping in the rain w/ a tin roof.
I agree w/ this on so many levels. "Hardwood" floors in new homes get dented up if you sneeze too hard. My old fir floors in Portland took many, many years of beating by many families and looked great. I'll own another old house one day. I'm hoping the next one will be a country house w/ a tin roof. I always wanted one w/ a tin roof.... nothing like sleeping in the rain w/ a tin roof.
That does sound awesome! I also hope to old an older historic home someday!
I find that most people who romaticise about living in an old historic home have never lived in one.
Trust me, it's not that great. I speak from experience. Regardless of what people say, things were not built better a long time ago. Hard wood floors are better in older homes? Why? Did trees grow in a differen't way 100 years ago? If you live in one of these homes, you better be handy or have a lot of money to fix things.
We have lived in one for the past 15 years and and would never live in anything but an older home. Many pre WW2 homes were in fact built much better than most all but today's truly custom homes. We have totally renovated our home and will not leave it until we retire to the coast. If I ever had to move again, it would be to a charming older home(at least 75 years old). New homes are great for some folks, just not us.
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Location: Cary, NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by giffman
I find that most people who romaticise about living in an old historic home have never lived in one.
Trust me, it's not that great. I speak from experience. Regardless of what people say, things were not built better a long time ago. Hard wood floors are better in older homes? Why? Did trees grow in a differen't way 100 years ago? If you live in one of these homes, you better be handy or have a lot of money to fix things.
Generally I agree that we have always had bums in building. Not all builders, ever, but lower forms of quality have always been well-represented.
As far as trees growing...
Yes, 10 years ago, trees grew differently.
Old growth timber grew to 300 years old and offered tighter grain in longer sections than the scrub wood we cut today.
We use stuff today that would have made pallets and firewood 50 years ago.
It is easy to find cheap 40 and 50 year old homes with positively gorgeous oak flooring that is longer, straighter, harder, and tighter-grained than the oak we use today.
Biltmore Hills is a good place to start. If the home hasn't been abused, the wood strip flooring averages about 4 feet in length per piece, and is clear of defect.
It would be costly beyond belief to duplicate that quality today.
It is one reason we have to denude tropical forests of old growth to find decent flooring, or we have to make "hand-scraped," i.e., "semi-destroyed" flooring a hot trend.
Decent wood is not affordable.
We have lived in one for the past 15 years and and would never live in anything but an older home. Many pre WW2 homes were in fact built much better than most all but today's truly custom homes. We have totally renovated our home and will not leave it until we retire to the coast. If I ever had to move again, it would be to a charming older home(at least 75 years old). New homes are great for some folks, just not us.
I'm not trying to pick on you but you make the blanket statement that pre WW2 homes were built better. What are you basing this on. My last rehab of a home of this era had cast iron water pipes buried in the crawl space that had completely rusted out. The whole house had to be re-plumbed. There was untreated lumber in direct contact with the ground that was eaten up by termites. The whole time I was working on the house I kept thinking, thank god for todays building codes.
If you want to tell me that older homes have a lot more character and are more asthetically pleasing, I'll agree 100%. Just don't tell me they were built better. It is simply not true.
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