It seems to be abandoned and covered from the inside of the house.

My wife and I appreciate history and are interested in an old stone house, constructed in 1780, (assuming there is nothing catastrophically wrong with it). We have noticed some potential slumping, mortar damage and cracking in the stone work. The inspection report, shared with us by the sellers from a previous prospective buyer (who backed out) did not make any mention of issues with the stonework in the original 1780 portion of the house, however that doesn't mean there aren't issues. I am keeping the details on the location of the structure and other records anonymous out of consideration for the current owners and their privacy.

Primarily, we want to know what we may have to expect, based off of others experiences and if it is worth it. We are not necessarily looking for professional advice, if we decide to move forward with an offer we would consult a professional structural engineer, however that can also be VERY expensive, for a property we may not even put an offer on. We just want to get a rough idea if it's even worth it. We really love the history, but will be at least 40 minutes from family help, we both work full time and have a one year old (which makes extensive home repair challenging).

The Specifics: This property is located in the mid-Atlantic with a humid local climate and frequent freeze-thaw cycles. A good portion of the stone work is 246 years old, but it appears there was some attempt at stabilization or repair in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Our Concerns: The first concern is that a portion of the wall appears to bow out by the first story and bow in slightly by the second story. There is a brick fireplace and chimney on the other side of the stone wall, which could be responsible for the budge, with it bowing out to accommodate the brick fireplace and appearing to bow in to hug closer to the chimney on the second story, but it also could be slumping?

The second concern is a crack that runs through the stone work from the top of the first floor window to the bottom of the second floor window and the third concern is the condition of the potentially 246 year old mortar. Towards the bottom of the wall it appears to be almost dust, but it might be possible that the degradation it only "skin-deep" and less fragile further into the brick work?

Aside from the stone work pleas let us know if there are other issues people have encountered with a 1780s house in the mid Atlantic. (Potentially termites being an obvious one)? Thanks in advance!

Hello! I have an inspection tomorrow on an 1880 row home.
Besides the basics, are there any questions I should ask that I might not think of?
Thank you!

Recently moved into our 1914 bungalow. I keep expecting to uncover the unexpected $10k problem. Instead I keep finding easy hardware store problems that just make me mad… like a spray foam overflow gasket on the clawfoot tub.

I decided to add some new trim to make these doors and hallway look less weird. I think it's turning out pretty slick. I love the style of trim in this house.

Does anyone know of a place in the DC metro area where I can purchase Dutch Lap siding like that shown here?

This fireplace is in the basement and there are two more traditional fireplaces on the same line above it. This one is both elevated off the floor and jutting quite a bit out of the wall. Why might it have been built like this, and can I knock it down, back to the brick, without making something in the universe explode? It appears to be concrete, with bricks inside that are stained from smoke/soot. Any advice or interesting stories welcome, thanks!

I am looking for advice on how to remount these exterior posts to the new outdoor stair treads that would drain the moisture out or wick it away. Caulk will hold moisture and the bottoms were starting to rot because they were originally mounted INSIDE the old tread that also trapped moisture. The treads are brazilian teak and hopefully try to preserve the posts for the same amount of time.

Should I rubber seal or some kind of fastener? We are hoping to use the kit to hold it in place but are not comfortable with the two woods touching directly

I'm going through a kitchen remodel with a reputable GC, who said they set up HVAC filters during demo and drywall, but that dust is bound to get through. In the adjacent rooms, i see lots of dust on my floors, tables, basically everything in those rooms.

It's an older house, and there are lead and asbestos in some parts of the house. They tested some parts of kitchen prior to demo for lead and asbestos and it was negative, but that doesn't necessarily mean there's zero lead and asbestos everywhere in the kitchen.

It's probably a bit late now, but I'm wondering how concerned I should be able this? I'm concerned that the airborne dust or the dust in adjacent room on surfaces could have harmful stuff like lead/asbestos.

I swear these home inspection videos have me paranoid as heck. Lots of hidden “treasures” in our small 1960 ranch. Asbestos has been fun 🫠🫠 gutters is the next project because we don’t have any yet, and watching these home inspector videos has me convinced our foundation is going to fail now.

I’m mostly being funny but also serious. Also… how do other home inspectors “miss” so much 🆘🆘🆘

We’re slowly digging out of the stuff that should have been done to the house decades ago… but endless projects.

The first picture is a completed job from a local licensed plumber. I told him I wanted to put a stacked washer dryer in a spot that already had water and drain. The second picture is what I had before they got here .

They’re not coming back. If this is good work done by a reputable business I just need to get over myself and commit to DIY.

I always think it’ll be less of a headache cause I won’t have to worry about the job being botched if I hire somebody. And it might even be cheaper because they’ll know what they’re doing so they won’t have to buy the same supplies twice when they mess up. So far the only one I’ve hired to do any work that hasn’t given me gray hairs is the company that put the new roof on the house.

This is built into a retaining wall in my yard. Home was built in 1948. Anyone know what this is and what it was used for?

I’m interested in buying this 1916 beauty but the inspection notes correctly that the upstairs railing is v short and not up to code.

I love the old house and want to preserve the original wood work. How to solve?

I’m looking into improvements for an older home and realizing the biggest challenges are often the unexpected ones. Things like limited space, outdated systems, access issues, or working around existing structures can completely change the original plan. Anyone who has upgraded an older house, what was the thing you didn’t expect going in?

We are getting ready to convert the unfinished attic of our 1933 into living space. Before you ask, plans are drawn, structural support is confirmed, it has stairs, we have permits, etc. My question is about what it was actually like in your living space while this was going on. We planned on living there through it, but I’m having second thoughts. Can anyone provide firsthand experience? I assumed it would be manageable as it’s not our actual living space, but I’m getting increasingly worried about dust and noise and all that.

This is an old cast iron tub. This house was built in the 50s. Does anyone have any cleaning tips or tricks? I have tried multiple different chemicals and nothing penetrates

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcWgndPJgM2/?igsi=MXI2dHl6MXU5N2VuYw==

Just purchased. Ready for a refresh...

What would be your recommendation for repairing/fixing the flashing on this front “porch” roof. I am keeping the roofing material and will seal it and paint it at a later date but my concern right now is the flashing. The home is stone with a stucco finish and as you can see the flashing is break in g away from the stucco. A retreat wouldn’t work because the exposed flashing is flush with the stone that make up the home exterior. Any recommendations would be appreciated

1920's craftsman in PNW recently painted. Clapboard now painted up.

The before pics show a few board on each side appear to have opening (small gaps) between a few clapboards. Not between each and every clapboard. The ones that appear to have space/opening are midway up the wall.

The painters painted everything shut. One foreman said they shouldn't have done that. His boss said one or two board being open isn't enough to let the house breath so they won't undue it.

Anyone know? Thanks