Discoveries...

"Discovery" is easily the most terrifying word that a homeowner can hear from their contractor... it means more time, more planning, more problem solving, more expense... at the very least!

When you are your own contractor it isn't any easier to make discoveries... so far we've done 'okay':

Discovery 1:

A postcard sent in 1941 that slid between the mantle piece and the brick, complete with a canceled stamp...

Discovery 2:

The Kitchen Fire...
on the ground floor in the right side kitchen there was a serious fire. It started at the stove and quickly engulfed the entire ceiling heating the room to the point where the walls on all sides were scorched five feet down.
The previous owner had simply put another layer of sheetrock over the damage, moving on, making no mention of it to the city.
When we had the rest of the sheetrock off we were relieved to discover that the tongue and groove saved the day! It kept the heat from getting into the joists or studs and so, after we lose the charcoal, we still have complete structural integrity... whew!

Discovery 3:

The Trivet of Whompaquanesset
We discovered the ancient burial site of this regional artifact when we looked between the tongue and groove sheathing and the flue chimeny.

Discovery 4:

Strength in the Attic...
If you look past the knob and tube wiring that was still in use when the building was shut down by the City, and past the feeble attempt at blown in insulation, you will notice that there is great structural health in the way that the roof is supported and the size of the weight bearing cross members!

Discovery 5:

Movement in the structural brick...
This little space between the original (non-weight-bearing) wall and the outer wall means that the brick has moved out of plumb. Not the best thing. Not so severe that we have great concern but it does lead to further investigations.
We found the flaw is in the very upper left side of the building and that it was repaired some time in the late 60's (mortar type and technique) and hasn't moved since then, so, if we don't blow it things should be fine... should be...

Discovery 6:
Sometimes it's a good idea to sit down with a lovely piece of toast and figure out what to do about all of the discoveries of the day...