The Second Installment of a Three-Part Series Earth Advantage 1909
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.
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“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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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). |
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“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. |
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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.
