New Listening Room, and New House

[dtel]

1 hour ago, CECAA850 said:

1 hour ago, dwilawyer said:

It is for sure concrete and not plaster?

Plaster and lath walls.

Yes, but they have used cement over that in the past. My daughters house we just finished helping remodel is about 100 years old. We tore out some walls to rewire the kitchen and the next room to make a bigger kitchen. It was Lath with plaster over and in between the boards as it should be, but there were some walls that had cement over that. What they did was nail up wire similar to chicken wire but heaver and with smaller holes over the lath/plaster, they put the cement over that about 5/8" thick.  We had to use a skillsaw with a diamond blade to cut through the cement and wire where it met the roof to be able to add new drywall, chipping with a hammer and a chisel didn't cut it. A maul was needed to break it up, a regular hammer would wear you out beating on this stuff.

 

Between the 2 layers it's really nice, very strong and so thick it helps with sound and temp changes, we really hated to remove it is so strong. I bet it's so strong it adds alot of strength structurally.

But we had to rewire the kitchen and part of another room, we quickly learned to do a whole wall because the thickness of the old wall would not match up to new sheetrock even 2 layers.

 

Do not remove this stuff if you can help it, it's very heavy and really tough to deal with, plus dusty.

 

It's great for a wall, very solid and extremely tough, I'd be surprised if a bullet could go through a couple layers of this stuff.

It  looked like the cement mixture was added during a past remodel long ago, the best we could guess because on this house it's not every wall of the house, none upstairs ?

 

I did help a neighbor/friend change out a window on his daughters house years ago, the house looked just like the style you have, same thing. But Interior was drywall exterior was cement, same kind of diamond blade to cut through exterior wall which looked like cement and just as tough, we thought it was stucco but not so lucky.

[Mallette]

Sounds like you describe what I am seeing.  No reason to disturb any of these walls in my lifetime.  

 

Dave

[Ceptorman]

4 hours ago, dtel said:

Yes, but they have used cement over that in the past. My daughters house we just finished helping remodel is about 100 years old. We tore out some walls to rewire the kitchen and the next room to make a bigger kitchen. It was Lath with plaster over and in between the boards as it should be, but there were some walls that had cement over that. What they did was nail up wire similar to chicken wire but heaver and with smaller holes over the lath/plaster, they put the cement over that about 5/8" thick.  We had to use a skillsaw with a diamond blade to cut through the cement and wire where it met the roof to be able to add new drywall, chipping with a hammer and a chisel didn't cut it. A maul was needed to break it up, a regular hammer would wear you out beating on this stuff.

 

Between the 2 layers it's really nice, very strong and so thick it helps with sound and temp changes, we really hated to remove it is so strong. I bet it's so strong it adds alot of strength structurally.

But we had to rewire the kitchen and part of another room, we quickly learned to do a whole wall because the thickness of the old wall would not match up to new sheetrock even 2 layers.

 

Do not remove this stuff if you can help it, it's very heavy and really tough to deal with, plus dusty.

 

It's great for a wall, very solid and extremely tough, I'd be surprised if a bullet could go through a couple layers of this stuff.

It  looked like the cement mixture was added during a past remodel long ago, the best we could guess because on this house it's not every wall of the house, none upstairs ?

 

I did help a neighbor/friend change out a window on his daughters house years ago, the house looked just like the style you have, same thing. But Interior was drywall exterior was cement, same kind of diamond blade to cut through exterior wall which looked like cement and just as tough, we thought it was stucco but not so lucky.

You have to be careful with that old plaster/concrete coatings. A lot of it had asbestos in it. Even if it didn't have asbestos, it had other materials that now are on the list of bad articles to breathe in. A lot of advancements have been made lately in terms of dust control....drills and saws with built in vacuums, hollow drill bits that suck out the dust while drilling. The cheap paper respirators won't catch all that fine concrete/plaster dust. That dust collects in your lungs, then turns back into concrete when the moisture hits it.

[CECAA850]

Sounds like it would insulate well.

[Travis In Austin]

10 hours ago, Mallette said:

Appears to be concrete with plaster as a layer on top.  Inspector described it as concrete, and it certainly looks and feels like it.  It's certainly a very fine concrete with no more than sand as aggregate.

 

Dave

Lath and plaster, most in South is lime because it is so abundant.  Howeve, I just learned plaster can be concrete based.  It all disappeared after the advent of sheetrock.

 

Now if you have a POPCORN ceiling it is most likely asbestos. 

 

That is a beautiful home.!  

[Travis In Austin]

4 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

You have to be careful with that old plaster/concrete coatings. A lot of it had asbestos in it. Even if it didn't have asbestos, it had other materials that now are on the list of bad articles to breathe in. A lot of advancements have been made lately in terms of dust control....drills and saws with built in vacuums, hollow drill bits that suck out the dust while drilling. The cheap paper respirators won't catch all that fine concrete/plaster dust. That dust collects in your lungs, then turns back into concrete when the moisture hits it.

With the age of that home they probably used horsehair rather than asbestos, but regardless, you want a good respirator with ANY dust, even sheetrock.

 

I am hoping Dave doesn't plan to touch any of those walls.

[CECAA850]

Can't wait to see him hang pictures.

[Marvel]

Beautiful house, Dave! Congrats!

 

Our small house we built in the Philippines is stacked cinder block that is filled, and about a one inch layer of cement on both sides. Very solid. They do the same in Brazil where a friend of mine lives, but instead of hand applied cement they spray it on.

 

Bruce

[Travis In Austin]

3 minutes ago, CECAA850 said:

Can't wait to see him hang pictures.

Three words.  MMM

 

3M hangers

[Mallette]

Interior and exterior walls appear to be the same stuff.  It's been inspected...no asbestos.  Not sure why hanging pix should be all that big a deal with a small masonry drill bit.  Stuff must be pretty crack and break resistant as I see no signs of cracks or such inside.  I am sure pictures have been hung and guess that holes are easily completely covered.  Whole interior recently painted.  Guess I'll find out pretty soon.  My buyers realtor sent a GC over yesterday to estimate the inspection repair list.  Nothing major, couple of thousand at most, but he wants to go back to the seller for it.  Who am I to argue?  The guy is probably the best known realtor in town and has been in the business here over half a century.  

 

Dave

[CECAA850]

1 hour ago, Mallette said:

Not sure why hanging pix should be all that big a deal

Because we know you.

[dtel]

9 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

You have to be careful with that old plaster/concrete coatings. A lot of it had asbestos in it. Even if it didn't have asbestos, it had other materials that now are on the list of bad articles to breathe in.

Like most of the things I have done, it's to late now.

We used a large shop vac right at the saw and respirators, with the AC off and doors hung with plastic to contain it to that room. It was so bad the shop vac filter had to be cleaned every 15 minutes. We would do a little and go outside leaving the vac run to help remove it from the air.

Like someone said it's a fine cement mixture, no rocks or anything visible, kind of a dark grey color, no telling the age but really strong. The lath mixture was easy to deal with, it was like some kind of a plaster mix ?

 

Putting a nail in it might not be that bad except for thin small nails, but removing the wall was no fun.

 

4 hours ago, dwilawyer said:

Now if you have a POPCORN ceiling it is most likely asbestos. 

Don't know about that ? But I do know the old hard roofing tiles were asbestos, my dad had those on his house that was build in the 60's. He found this out when he went to get a few to replace broken shingles, you had to fill out forms to get them, and then when he went to get a new roof later. For the new roof he had to pay a special hazards disposal fee, the contractor probably just threw them in the dump ?

 

If I did not have to make any changes, these types of walls like in your house would be my first choice for a house.

[Mallette]

Noticed yesterday that every room has a vent to this hall.  I am VERY pleased to find the attic fan.  They are great in fall, spring no heat/no cool days in this area.  Those vents mean one can sleep with the fan on and door closed.  Very nice!  The grills of the vents are ornamental.  Most interior doors have skeleton key locks and glass door knobs.

[ssh]

Congratulations on your new home, Dave!  It took a steel splitting maul to bust out some of the walls in my house. They had the same finish as yours, but the cement was solid, with flat, diamond shaped wire in the middle. The owner of a block & brick company poured it. You may find that load-bearing walls are solid. I look forward to your museum opening.

SSH  

[dtel]

Love those fans, I remember as a kid we would close off a couple doors or windows to make more air go more through where we were, nothing like going to sleep with the curtains blowing out into the room because of fresh air coming in the windows.

[Mallette]

1 hour ago, ssh said:

Congratulations on your new home, Dave!  It took a steel splitting maul to bust out some of the walls in my house. They had the same finish as yours, but the cement was solid, with flat, diamond shaped wire in the middle. The owner of a block & brick company poured it. You may find that load-bearing walls are solid. I look forward to your museum opening.

SSH  

You should come over and spend a night sometime after I get the systems up.

 

Dave

[Mallette]

1 hour ago, dtel said:

Love those fans, I remember as a kid we would close off a couple doors or windows to make more air go more through where we were, nothing like going to sleep with the curtains blowing out into the room because of fresh air coming in the windows.

Yes, I was absolutely delighted when I saw it!  Like I said, my dream house.

 

Dave

[Ceptorman]

3 hours ago, dtel said:

Like most of the things I have done, it's to late now.

We used a large shop vac right at the saw and respirators, with the AC off and doors hung with plastic to contain it to that room. It was so bad the shop vac filter had to be cleaned every 15 minutes. We would do a little and go outside leaving the vac run to help remove it from the air.

Like someone said it's a fine cement mixture, no rocks or anything visible, kind of a dark grey color, no telling the age but really strong. The lath mixture was easy to deal with, it was like some kind of a plaster mix ?

 

Putting a nail in it might not be that bad except for thin small nails, but removing the wall was no fun.

 

Don't know about that ? But I do know the old hard roofing tiles were asbestos, my dad had those on his house that was build in the 60's. He found this out when he went to get a few to replace broken shingles, you had to fill out forms to get them, and then when he went to get a new roof later. For the new roof he had to pay a special hazards disposal fee, the contractor probably just threw them in the dump ?

 

If I did not have to make any changes, these types of walls like in your house would be my first choice for a house.

In most states, asbestos goes into 2 plastic bags, then right to the dump! I thought they went somewhere special, but no.

[dtel]

2 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

In most states, asbestos goes into 2 plastic bags, then right to the dump! I thought they went somewhere special, but no.

That makes sense, just what you would think.

[Mallette]

The asbestos threat is WAY overrated.  Who eats paint?  No doubt that inhaled it is a health threat, but the forms in which it occurred in structures weren't really inhalable.  My dad, and many others, had a heater at his shop that had asbestos as a radiant heat source.  The glowing and moving incandescent threads fascinated me.  I am sure some came off and into the air, but from all I understand you need to be exposed to significant airborne asbestos for a considerable period to have anything to worry over.  I have never known a person, or a person who knew a person, who suffered ill effects traceable to asbestos.

 

Again, not denying it is unhealthy under certain conditions...just the hype about it.  

 

Dave