Home renovation projects - Can of worms

pandaman1784

So the wife and I embarked on getting our 2 primary bathrooms renovated. not doing it ourselves.

interesting finds so far in my 1960s house:

internals walls used 2x3 studs instead of 2x4. ugh
exterior walls used 3/8 plywood. ugh
exterior siding is asbestos based. sfdjahfajklsdhjkdsfdsjkhsjkhske!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why does all this matter? first, some walls needed to be reframed with 2x4s so they fit the proper depth requirements (think shower niches). because of this, the pipes have to be moved over a little. (yay! repiping... ugh).

second, the 3/8s plywood has deteriorated due to dry rot. since there is asbestos siding on top of the plywood, i have to do a full siding replacement JUST to replace the rotted plywood. not to mention the proper asbestos abatement.

this house is an endless money pit it seems. sigh.

px_eliezer_

pandaman1784

Was your house built individually or as part of a big development by one builder?

If the latter, presumably all your neighbors will have similar findings.

Sorry to also comment that you might have aluminum wiring, used after about 1965.

The electrical folks here might have some thoughts on that.

MomOfARocker

pandaman1784 Our house was built in 1923 ... I'm afraid to renovate our bathroom lol, however, it is on the agenda.

AMDUSER

pandaman1784 exterior siding is asbestos based. sfdjahfajklsdhjkdsfdsjkhsjkhske!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would much rather work on that than some parts of my house. Hepa P100 3M filters - full face resporator. Easy enough to do yourself. I would. [That would either be the shingle looking version or the portland cement / asbestos binder- looks like slate.] Call a professional if you want to.

ScottUrman

Ah the joys of home ownership...

sempergoofy

Wow. And I thought the things I discovered in my old house when renovating over the years sucked.

pandaman1784

sempergoofy yea, but i was told asbestos siding was normal for the age of the home.

the 2x3s were surprising. my contractor said this is the first time he's seen such a thing. but since the home is kind of small, the thinner studs probably helped maximize space.

all the doors in the house are steel framed. even the closets. practically impossible to change out without damaging the drywall around it.

Rich221976

pandaman1784

My house is concrete block. They decided to use 2x2 for studs around the perimeter of the house that has the concrete block. They also decided to make the outlets flush to the dry wall that they cut a hole in the concrete for the outlets.

Somewhat-Reticent

Vintage studs were often from stronger denser wood, likewise vintage plywood.
"Dry rot" is a misnomer - fungus needs moisture to eat wood, just as damp-wood termites do.
Asbestos undisturbed is "safe". Remediating siding or popcorn ceiling, not so much. 😦

pandaman1784

Somewhat-Reticent yea. my contractor just sistered up the new 2x4s right up against the original 2x3s. so they are carrying the same load, but i have a "thicker" wall.

unfortunately, i will have to disturb the asbestos. the plywood that the asbestos siding is installed on has rotted away. only way to replace the plywood is to remove the asbestos siding first. at some point, the previous owner installed new siding over the asbestos ones, which is acceptable according to code.

Somewhat-Reticent

pandaman1784

How's the vapor barrier ( on the inside, right ? ) ? How's the insulation ?
Is the plywood T1-11 siding ? + asbestos-reinforced siding ? + more siding ? 🙄
( Meeting code minimum isn't always optimal, or even good. )

pandaman1784

Somewhat-Reticent unfortunately, there is none of that, from what i can see. from the inside, it's studs (2x4), plywood (3/8), asbestos siding, and vinyl siding.

pandaman1784

Rich221976 sounds like someone wanted to be super precise with everything in the house.

Somewhat-Reticent

pandaman1784 there is none of that

Rot's not surprising, given that.
The right paint can serve as vapor barrier - several layers of oil-based, for example,
or a modern latex formulated as vapor barrier.
Good time to add insulation. And remediate that asbestos-reinforced layer, carefully.

pandaman1784

Somewhat-Reticent so my contractor has proposed a future project. rip off all the siding, vinyl and let the abatement company remove the asbestos layer. the contractor will remove any remaining plywood. new 1/2 inch plywood, peel and stick waterproofing, insulation and then new siding.

Guy54435

pandaman1784 Hopefully they are not going to try and put sub terrain waterproofing on the wooden structure .

Somewhat-Reticent

Vapor barrier normally seals warm humid interior air inside, protecting walls from rot.
( I'm not familiar with peel-and-stick waterproofing. )

Guy54435

Somewhat-Reticent Here is an example

pandaman1784

Somewhat-Reticent if it was up to me, i would spray foam the walls. But the cure time and the lack of plywood makes it impossible.

Somewhat-Reticent

Guy54435 Is your exterior wall below-grade !? That example is for such.

Somewhat-Reticent

pandaman1784 I would spray foam the walls.

Indeed. Spray foam comes in a variety of formulations to fit conditions.
Application ( in what little I've seen ) was done before exterior siding went on,
but interior wallboard was installed.

For walls around here, some insulation is better than the all-too-common none.
I've seen spray-fixed cellulose still standing with a few studs after a fire took walls & roof.

The easiest retrofit vapor barrier I've seen on interior surfaces is a special latex paint.
Around here exterior walls need to breathe ( and shed water ) .

pandaman1784

px_eliezer_ it was a strip of homes built by either the same builder or based on the same plans, but different builders.

Luckily, no aluminum wiring. All 12/2 copper wiring in old school bx jackets without a dedicated ground. Had a federal pacific panel, but that was changed out before i moved in.

Guy54435

Somewhat-Reticent ?