Blog - Page 71 of 123 - Handmade Houses with Noah Bradley

Increasing the height of a basement ceiling

Here are two photos of the restored stone home’s interior.

The first photo was taken of the main floor. As you can see, the danger phase is now over, and sanity once again rules the home. This new floor system should be good for another century or two.

The second photo was taken of the restored fireplace in the basement kitchen, with the new/old joists that we installed clearly seen overhead. Nice aren’t they?

The second “issue” with this home… the other reason we were brought in… was the low ceiling height found down in the basement. I believe it was something like 6’6″, from finished basement floor to it’s plastered ceiling.

It was “possible” for someone like me, who is 6’2″, to be down there without bending over, but it was mighty uncomfortable. All I would need to do would be to drink a little too much coffee, gain a little bounce in my step, and I would be destined to acquire a headache very quickly.

Now anywhere else in world, other than the Shenandoah Valley, this would have been an easy fix… just dig out more dirt below. But the builders in the Valley, when they build a home, dig down until they hit bedrock and then build their homes… hmmm… they build their houses on rock… that sounds almost… well…Biblical… a house doesn’t get any stronger than one setting on a miles-deep ledge of stone.

So with that being the case, I could not give my clients their desired extra two feet of ceiling height, at least not for any reasonable cost. But, we were in a situation where every inch I could gain would make a difference.

The first idea for more height was easy, we would not replace the plastered ceiling. That would not only give us an extra inch, but more importantly it would give the illusion of having much more headroom due to the higher space between each ceiling joist.

Next, we thought we could eliminate the stone flooring and perhaps even pull out the old concrete slab below it. We could then put back in a thinner slab and use it for a finished floor.

And that, is what we did… in the process we gained a full six inches in basement height… which surprisingly made a huge difference in the enjoyment of the basement kitchen.

Originally posted 2015-03-08 16:42:54.

Increasing the height of a basement ceilingNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:26+00:00

Replacing a floor system in a stone home

You better watch that last step when you come down in the morning!
It’s a doozy.

Don’t stand below the suspended woodstove!
It’s a headache waiting to happen.

And finally, here is a great way to get rid of unwanted solicitors, just yell to them to “come on in!” smile emoticon

Keep in mind that just because you own a stone home doesn’t mean that you will never have problems. There were two major issues going on in this Strasburg home that we were called in to cure.

The first issue was with the main floor system. It had grown weak from age and neglect. The floor was sagging and bouncy. Once we started looking her over we discovered some rot, some insect damage, and some inappropriate alterations. It was time for an upgrade.

We carefully took up all the old flooring, replaced the worn-out floor joists with stronger antique joists and reinstalled the original flooring. Replacing floor joists is tricky in an old stone home because each end of a joist is embedded into the stone walls, so they each required careful stone removal and replacement.

But, the mission was accomplished, she was once again as good as new (maybe even better) but still looking like a loved antique.

Let’s continue onto problem number two and the restored floor system photos in our next post…

Originally posted 2015-03-08 15:16:51.

Replacing a floor system in a stone homeNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:25+00:00

A three room stone home

This Valley stone house appears large, but she is basically just a three room home.

The top floor is a single bedroom with bath.
The main floor is a large family room.
And on the basement level… you will find the kitchen/dining area.

Originally posted 2015-03-07 18:51:43.

A three room stone homeNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:24+00:00

The many virtues of limestone

This home was as black as coal when it was first built.

I would have loved to have seen that.

It doesn’t take long for limestone to develop a grey patina on it’s surface once it is exposed to air.

Whenever I visit the Valley and see all the stone structures that were built there so long ago I try to imagine what they must have looked like when they were new. I’m not aware of any other stone that changes it’s color over time.

The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia is full of stone houses, bridges, barns, and walls… all made out of huge blocks of limestone. If you have ever desired to live in stone home, this is the place where dreams come true.

I am told that the Valley was once a huge inland sea and that over many years a deep layer of limestone sediment was created. Visit the Valley and dig anywhere you want through it’s rich soil and within a few feet you will find a floor of limestone.

One thing incredible thing about limestone… it “shapes” wonderfully. With enough focused effort large sugar cubes will come to anyone willing to swing a hammer and hold a chisel.

This
naturally occurring,
virtually unlimited,
easily malleable,
infinitely durable,
environmentally friendly,
low maintenance,
cost effective,
product, became the building material of choice.

Our ancestors chose to build not only for themselves but for the generations to come. In the Valley they chose to use limestone.

And we are thankful for that.

Originally posted 2015-03-07 17:58:18.

The many virtues of limestoneNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:23+00:00

The first impression of a stone home

There are few homes more alluring than a stone home. They draw us in with their overwhelming beauty. As I first caught a glimpse of this Strasburg home I was smitten.

This house is obviously perfect!

There can’t possibly be anything wrong with it!

Why would these new homeowners call this humble builder for help?

Oh, how beauty blinds us all.

Originally posted 2015-03-07 16:45:11.

The first impression of a stone homeNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:22+00:00

We are currently working on the creation of the Timber Framing Academy!

The Coronavirus can’t stop us here at Handmade Houses! It has made things more difficult… and it has certainly slowed progress down though. But together we are going to make it through these challenging times… and create an amazing Timber Frame Academy course… and demonstrate the construction of small home for you soon!

If you dream of owning your own Handmade House you have found the right place!

If you want a handcrafted home… one made of log, timber, or stone… We can help you!

If you want a home that blends into the environment, one that compliments the landscape… oh yeah!

Here you will find a TON of free insights that you won’t find anywhere else… from our videos… to our FREE newsletter!

Originally posted 2019-06-26 19:42:04.

We are currently working on the creation of the Timber Framing Academy!Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:21+00:00

From disrepair to full restoration

Here we have the three stages of the restoration of this antique log cabin…

The first image is of the cabin as it was first seen by me. She was covered in snow and showed the effects of having been abandoned for decades.

The second photo shows the cabin right after we have just finished the restoration work and have done our final sweeping.

The final image is of the cabin a few years later after our workmanship had aged and nature had once again returned to the cabin’s doorstep.

It’s all good.

One final note…

The following winter, months after we had completed the restoration of this special place, the family who owned the cabin held a gathering at the cabin to celebrate it’s rebirth. I was invited to attend.

I arrived at the cabin and noticed that it was very cold and snow once again covered the ground, just as it had been the first time I visited this site. But this time, a year later, things were different.

Smoke was coming out of the chimney. The house was alive again with human visitors.

There were the sounds of many conversations going on, and of laughter, lots of laughter. Upon entering I could see that there were sleeping bags scattered in every corner, a young woman was playing a guitar and singing, and blueberry pancakes were being cooked on a skillet over an open fire. I was greeted with smiles, thank you’s, pats on the back, sincere compliments, and multiple offers of pancakes… I cheerfully accepted them all.

I do love my job. 🙂

Noah

Originally posted 2015-03-06 20:22:05.

From disrepair to full restorationNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:20+00:00

Buying Land

I’ll admit it…

I love having a piece of land.

Without a doubt, the acquisition of a small parcel of this planet has always been a great thrill for me.

And that new-found joy never seems to end.

No other possession comes even close… (while the thrill of a new car wears off for most of us in a matter of weeks and most other new possessions lose their thrill in even less time).

But… Land… it’s the purchase that keeps on giving!

It never wears out, it only improves with age, and often it increases in value.

It provides us with a location to place our homes… and even some of the materials to use in building that home.

It gives us the fuel to keep us warm, and a place to grow our own food.

It offers us security and sanctuary… a place to retreat to and restore our sanity in this modern world we live in.

The right piece land can even be our vacation spot… a place so wonderful that every day of our lives is a holiday.

The purchase of land often becomes a tipping point to a better life… this one act that we can take will carry us from simply dreaming of “one day” owning our own handmade home… to actually having one.

Welcome to Season Two of Handmade House TV… follow along as Noah… at the age of 60 slowly, part-time, turns a raw piece of land into his future home… as he encourages you to do the same… creating your own special place in this world.

Originally posted 2018-09-15 14:37:57.

Buying LandNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:19+00:00

Never forget the importance of outbuildings

We added two outbuildings to the mountainside cabin property. A shed for storage on the parking lot level. And an outhouse down below the cabin which was used for… well, you know what it was used for! 😉

Each building was sided in the same cedar as we used on the cabin and it’s addition.

Outbuildings anchor a home… they show that the property is evolving… growing… alive.

Originally posted 2015-03-06 18:11:00.

Never forget the importance of outbuildingsNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:18+00:00

A finished lean-to addition on a log cabin

I think that the little lean-to kitchen addition turned out well. I’ve always been a fan of this style of addition onto a cabin. It’s commonly found, and aesthetically pleasing.

This added space is very handy to have on any cabin.

We built stone piers underneath it just like the original cabin has under her. Well… I guess ours are more “refined” and we did cheat some… we put footers under ours, and, there is cement hidden within the stonework. If this cabin comes down one day during an earthquake it will not be because of our addition. 🙂

This lean-to is sided with cedar which should hold up well for a long time with little needed maintenance, if any.

This type of addition… framed with siding, I find is very attractive. I think framed additions (or stone additions) add to the beauty of a cabin and save money. It’s one of the many reasons that log cabin kits fail so miserably.

Future log cabin owners are always presented with log cabin plans that feature nothing but logs, after all it’s what these manufacturers process and sell. “If it’s not all log, then it’s not a log home”.

But, that is not what was done for generations.

I have found that if I stick to proven historic aesthetics that I am always rewarded in the end.

Originally posted 2015-03-06 17:52:36.

A finished lean-to addition on a log cabinNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:11:17+00:00