History of a house
By JUDY STARK, Times Homes Editor
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 5, 2002
This St. Petersburg bungalow, built in 1913, represents some of the good and the bad about older homes. Many of its shortcomings were modified by current and former owners. Others are simply things owners have learned to live with for the sake of enjoying a historically accurate home built with many quality materials that have stood the test of time.
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House built on piers, not a slab. Makes it easy to reach and repair plumbing, wiring, air-conditioning ductwork. Raising house provides privacy from the street. Some older houses had hard metal ductwork that was more durable than today's flexible ducting, which animals can tear.
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Friable asbestos insulation around water pipes under the house (has been removed).
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Lead paint (has been painted over).
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Original knob-and-tube wiring, though not inherently dangerous, is virtually uninsurable. Owners have now rewired, at considerable expense. Old system had many splices and some bare wiring under the house.
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Casement windows: a beautiful and historically accurate appearance, but they can be leaky. New methods of weatherstripping can make them more efficient.
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Original double-hung wood windows require maintenance for broken ropes, weatherstripping.
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Deep overhangs (these are 36 inches) protect walls from rain, provide shade that cools the house. But they can be vulnerable in high winds (they act like a wing) and must be supported or they'll sag. This house uses 4-by-8 outrigger beams to support gable overhangs; they are a design feature.
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Laundry, gas water heater and gas boiler for heat were originally in garage, some distance from house: inconvenient and energy-inefficient. Owners have installed a heat pump upstairs for winter warmth and will do the same downstairs when the current air-conditioning system needs replacing. Owners have sacrificed some space in first-floor half bath for stacking washer and dryer.
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Original cypress shingles are beautiful and long-lasting, but expensive and hard to find when repairs are needed. Previous owners used western red cedar, easier to find but also expensive. Current owners have found an excellent match in fiber-cement shingles.
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No hurricane straps or tiedowns. But house survived the 1921 hurricane and is built of strong, full-dimension lumber with toenailed connections.
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Multiple windows, although beautiful, would be extremely expensive to protect against hurricanes.
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Insulation: House was designed before air conditioning and originally used ventilated wall cavities and attics to cool it. Blown-in cellulose has now been added in attics, raising the rating to R-30. Walls and floors are not insulated because it was not cost-effective and could trap vapor, leading to rot or attracting termites.
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Installing new wiring was difficult because of the house's structure. Problem was solved by running conduits on the outside of the house, which some may find unsightly.
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Real plaster walls and ceilings. Plaster gives a better finish and is fairly inexpensive to repair, but more homeowners are familiar with drywall repair.
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Small reach-in closets. Owners have added more rods and shelves.
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Modest bathrooms, no glamorous master suite and no room to create one. Original hexagonal bathroom tile, pedestal sinks.
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Heart-pine floors.
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Appealing open floor plan.
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Architectural details: coffered ceilings, wall sconces, glass doorknobs with brass escutcheons, poured-concrete porch with Cuban tile floor, solid-wood doors. All would be expensive to reproduce today.
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