Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

How to get a $383.00 paint job!

The 1949 Cadillac is completely covered with 38,295 pennies!
They were affixed one by one using Silicone.
They added over 200 pounds to the vehicle's weight.
The guys wife didn't want him to pay too much to get his car painted.

They must have been real copper pennies, the half plastic modern versions wouldn’t weigh that much.

I like the sign that says “please touch”. That’s the same sign I used to put next to my fragrant herbs at the farmer’s market.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

How to get a $383.00 paint job!

The 1949 Cadillac is completely covered with 38,295 pennies!
They were affixed one by one using Silicone.
They added over 200 pounds to the vehicle's weight.
The guys wife didn't want him to pay too much to get his car painted.

I like it.

Did he use nickels for the bumpers and chrome? LOL

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Actually, I never make New Years resolutions......I got nothing I can improve on.

I won't even mention @driver100's ending the sentence with a preposition.

Excellent. Proves my point, I am a very informal friendly guy:

Which journal was your article published in? (Casual)
In which journal was your article published? (Formal)

It’s not an error to end a sentence with a preposition, but it is a little less formal. In emails, text messages, and notes to friends, it’s perfectly fine. But if you’re writing a research paper or submitting a business proposal and you want to sound very formal, avoid ending sentences with prepositions.

btw...it also says; Grammar snobs love to tell anyone who will listen: You should NEVER end a sentence with a preposition!

Let me see here. Someones says they have nothing on which they can improve in poor grammar.
Others correct that statement and are referred to as "dinoaurs."
Others improve that statement and are referred to as "snobs."

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

imidazol97 said:

snakeweasel said:

@driver100 said:

Actually, I never make New Years resolutions......I got nothing I can improve on.

Please don't give me straight lines like that, I only have so much self control.

I won't even mention @driver100's ending the sentence with a preposition.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/youve-been-lied-to-heres-why-you-absolutely-can-end-a-sentence-with-a-preposition/

@Ioldfarmer50 s that similar to the snobs who look down on Canadian French as opposed to French French?

Probably....there is a difference. In high school we learn Canadian French.....we would probably get laughed at if we tried using it in France. Too bad you reminded me...that brings back fond memories of going to summer school every year to pass French...and I still can't speak or understand it.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I don't know where we are with GGs house but this shows lots of pictures of the inside. Everything looks nice, even the basement and furnace area. Looks like a steal at $169000. Not sure why there are so many cars parked next to it......maybe it can be a used car lot too.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/500-Garrard-St-Apt-1_Covington_KY_41011_M43840-29383

An ideal retirement job perhaps. He could become a boutique used car dealer working from home. Specializing in buybacks, no doubt.

....and out of town buyers could stay over at GGs Hotel and B&B. Make a little extra cash on that too!

Something hinky about the owners. Can’t quite put my finger on it. Not sure what’s going on there. Eventually, the real estate agents around will get to the bottom of it.

That said, the house is all plaster, solid wood and brick. The roof is slate, which was replaced (and great expense) about 10 years ago, and will probably last another 100 years. The only dry wall is where repairs had to be done to electrical and/or plumbing.

No nothing about mold remediation. I don’t know if they have to tear out walls, drill holes in walls/wood…I just don’t know enough to understand the undertaking.

Real estate agent said it was priced at market (which is what I bid), but could be bid up. Now, it’s stuck in limbo with the current owners allegedly unable/unwilling to tackle the mold issue. I don’t want to tackle it,either. I’m just not smart enough to do it.

graphicguy

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

How to get a $383.00 paint job!

The 1949 Cadillac is completely covered with 38,295 pennies!
They were affixed one by one using Silicone.
They added over 200 pounds to the vehicle's weight.
The guys wife didn't want him to pay too much to get his car painted.

They must have been real copper pennies, the half plastic modern versions wouldn’t weigh that much.

I like the sign that says “please touch”. That’s the same sign I used to put next to my fragrant herbs at the farmer’s market.

Not a metallurgist, but doesn’t copper (of the pennies) advance corrosion of steel (that car’s body panels)?

qbrozen

driver100 said:

How to get a $383.00 paint job!

The 1949 Cadillac is completely covered with 38,295 pennies!
They were affixed one by one using Silicone.
They added over 200 pounds to the vehicle's weight.
The guys wife didn't want him to pay too much to get his car painted.

The penny car has been around for quite a long time and even has its own facebook page. I wondered what they did to fill the gaps, but, apparently, the color underneath looked like an old penny, which I'm sure helps make it appear smoother and more consistent.

driver100

@imidazol97 Let me see here. Someones says they have nothing on which they can improve in poor grammar.
Others correct that statement and are referred to as "dinoaurs."
Others improve that statement and are referred to as "snobs."

Is there some point to this name calling?

"Snobs" was part of the quoted text, I had no control over that.
"Dinosaurs" was my doing, I thought it sounded nicer than "Old F---s"

jmonroe1

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

How to get a $383.00 paint job!

The 1949 Cadillac is completely covered with 38,295 pennies!
They were affixed one by one using Silicone.
They added over 200 pounds to the vehicle's weight.
The guys wife didn't want him to pay too much to get his car painted.

They must have been real copper pennies, the half plastic modern versions wouldn’t weigh that much.

I like the sign that says “please touch”. That’s the same sign I used to put next to my fragrant herbs at
the farmer’s market.

Now we know how @oldfarmer50’s herbs got their fragrance.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Actually, I never make New Years resolutions......I got nothing I can improve on.

I won't even mention @driver100's ending the sentence with a preposition.

Excellent. Proves my point, I am a very informal friendly guy:

Which journal was your article published in? (Casual)
In which journal was your article published? (Formal)

It’s not an error to end a sentence with a preposition, but it is a little less formal. In emails, text messages, and notes to friends, it’s perfectly fine. But if you’re writing a research paper or submitting a business proposal and you want to sound very formal, avoid ending sentences with prepositions.

btw...it also says; Grammar snobs love to tell anyone who will listen: You should NEVER end a sentence with a preposition!

Let me see here. Someones says they have nothing on which they can improve in poor grammar.
Others correct that statement and are referred to as "dinoaurs."
Others improve that statement and are referred to as "snobs."

Is there some point to this name calling?

When did he ever make a point that made sense?

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

imidazol97 said:

snakeweasel said:

@driver100 said:

Actually, I never make New Years resolutions......I got nothing I can improve on.

Please don't give me straight lines like that, I only have so much self control.

I won't even mention @driver100's ending the sentence with a preposition.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/youve-been-lied-to-heres-why-you-absolutely-can-end-a-sentence-with-a-preposition/

@Ioldfarmer50 s that similar to the snobs who look down on Canadian French as opposed to French French?

Probably....there is a difference. In high school we learn Canadian French.....we would probably get laughed at if we tried using it in France. Too bad you reminded me...that brings back fond memories of going to summer school every year to pass French...and I still can't speak or understand it.

Don’t feel bad, I flunked both French and Spanish. I’d flunk English too if it weren’t for spell check.

venture

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I don't know where we are with GGs house but this shows lots of pictures of the inside. Everything looks nice, even the basement and furnace area. Looks like a steal at $169000. Not sure why there are so many cars parked next to it......maybe it can be a used car lot too.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/500-Garrard-St-Apt-1_Covington_KY_41011_M43840-29383

An ideal retirement job perhaps. He could become a boutique used car dealer working from home. Specializing in buybacks, no doubt.

....and out of town buyers could stay over at GGs Hotel and B&B. Make a little extra cash on that too!

Something hinky about the owners. Can’t quite put my finger on it. Not sure what’s going on there. Eventually, the real estate agents around will get to the bottom of it.

That said, the house is all plaster, solid wood and brick. The roof is slate, which was replaced (and great expense) about 10 years ago, and will probably last another 100 years. The only dry wall is where repairs had to be done to electrical and/or plumbing.

No nothing about mold remediation. I don’t know if they have to tear out walls, drill holes in walls/wood…I just don’t know enough to understand the undertaking.

Real estate agent said it was priced at market (which is what I bid), but could be bid up. Now, it’s stuck in limbo with the current owners allegedly unable/unwilling to tackle the mold issue. I don’t want to tackle it,either. I’m just not smart enough to do it.

I have absolutely nothing in this, but I would walk away quickly. The risks are building, and the rewards have not changed.

cdnpinhead

imidazol97 said:

. . . Is there some point to this name calling?

Is there ever? Subtlety is useful, though often misunderstood.

driver100

@imidazol97 Let me see here. Someones says they have nothing on which they can improve in poor grammar.
(is that even close to being a sentence? :@ )
Others correct that statement and are referred to as "dinoaurs." (Actually, it was dinosaurs :@ )
Others improve that statement and are referred to as "snobs."(as explained, that was the direct quote).
Just joking....as I say, it is the thought that matters. When I taught elementary school we laid off proper grammar or correct spelling...it was the creative thinking that was the main thing.

fintail

I know someone who works in the industry - he jokes to be leery of covid-era builds, as there could easily be cut corners via labor and materials issues.

I have a 1954 house that has been heavily remodeled a couple times in its life, the latest a thorough re-do in 2005, to the point where the appraiser said the "effective" date of construction is 2005. Not sure what might be older than that in here, maybe a couple electrical outlets and a light switch. Structurally, it passed inspection with flying colors. I found the original building permit, it was $13K.

My late grandmother's early 60s house also had no issues at inspection when we sold it, and they had virtually no issues with the house in nearly 60 years of ownership.

tjc78 said:

Our old house was built in the 50s. I know today’s homes are more efficient, etc but that home was very well built.

The roof had all the original boards (not plywood). Subfloor was tongue and groove boards with hardwood over them. Yes they creaked a bit but rock solid.

Our contractor said the same thing as RB’s when he cut into the walls for the addition.

sda

I wonder the same about the quality of Covid build vehicles.

stickguy

probably not as much of an issue in Mexico.

explorerx4

Covid has definitely ben an issue in Mexico.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

How to get a $383.00 paint job!

The 1949 Cadillac is completely covered with 38,295 pennies!
They were affixed one by one using Silicone.
They added over 200 pounds to the vehicle's weight.
The guys wife didn't want him to pay too much to get his car painted.

Hate to be a nit picker but first off it's not a paint job. Secondly unless you used only 5 cents of silicone that cost more than $383.00 plus the time it took to do that.

snakeweasel

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

How to get a $383.00 paint job!

The 1949 Cadillac is completely covered with 38,295 pennies!
They were affixed one by one using Silicone.
They added over 200 pounds to the vehicle's weight.
The guys wife didn't want him to pay too much to get his car painted.

They must have been real copper pennies, the half plastic modern versions wouldn’t weigh that much.

I like the sign that says “please touch”. That’s the same sign I used to put next to my fragrant herbs at the farmer’s market.

Not a metallurgist, but doesn’t copper (of the pennies) advance corrosion of steel (that car’s body panels)?

If it's applied using silicone then there would be a layer if silicone between the cars steel and the pennies.

qbrozen

@snakeweasel said:
Hate to be a nit picker but first off it's not a paint job. Secondly unless you used only 5 cents of silicone that cost more than $383.00 plus the time it took to do that.

I don’t recall anybody referring to it as a paint job.(?)
The whole family worked on it together. Free child labor FTW!

driver100

qbrozen said:

@snakeweasel said:

Hate to be a nit picker but first off it's not a paint job. Secondly unless you used only 5 cents of silicone that cost more than $383.00 plus the time it took to do that.

I don’t recall anybody referring to it as a paint job.(?)

The whole family worked on it together. Free child labor FTW!

Exactly....his wife didn't want him to spend the money for a paint job. And, as the story goes he had all of these pennies saved up that would be very difficult to get rid of. So, as we say in French, it was in lieu of a paint job.

ab348

fintail said:

I know someone who works in the industry - he jokes to be leery of covid-era builds, as there could easily be cut corners via labor and materials issues.

I have a 1954 house that has been heavily remodeled a couple times in its life, the latest a thorough re-do in 2005, to the point where the appraiser said the "effective" date of construction is 2005. Not sure what might be older than that in here, maybe a couple electrical outlets and a light switch. Structurally, it passed inspection with flying colors. I found the original building permit, it was $13K.

My late grandmother's early 60s house also had no issues at inspection when we sold it, and they had virtually no issues with the house in nearly 60 years of ownership.

My house is also a 1954 model. Aside from building codes being very different now to what was required then, it is very substantial. What strikes me is the structure you see in the unfinished part of the basement, with huge (8"x8" or maybe even bigger) wooden posts and beams holding it up. Floor boards and roof boards are all tongue and groove lumber. The one deficiency is that the exterior walls are framed using 2"x4"s so there is not a huge cavity for insulation. It was "insulated" from new using what I hear was a locally-produced product, paper-backed batts with shredded seaweed glued to it, which is useless. And it unfortunately prevents blown-in cellulose or spray foam from being installed with it in place. On the plus side, the interior walls are finished with what must have been an early use of gypsum board, as each 4'x8' section uses 2 sheets of board on top of each other, making for a thick and substantial-feeling interior wall.

snakeweasel

@qbrozen said:

@snakeweasel said:
Hate to be a nit picker but first off it's not a paint job. Secondly unless you used only 5 cents of silicone that cost more than $383.00 plus the time it took to do that.

I don’t recall anybody referring to it as a paint job.(?)
The whole family worked on it together. Free child labor FTW!

Driver called it a paint job, check the original post.

Plus I was thinking about it, there is a good possibility there are a few of those pennies that are worth more than a penny.

qbrozen

snakeweasel said:

Driver called it a paint job, check the original post.

Plus I was thinking about it, there is a good possibility there are a few of those pennies that are worth more than a penny.

oh, ok. i see.

From what they said 7-8 years ago, they didn't have very many on hand, and a large number came straight from the mint.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

@imidazol97 Let me see here. Someones says they have nothing on which they can improve in poor grammar.
(is that even close to being a sentence? :@ )
Others correct that statement and are referred to as "dinoaurs." (Actually, it was dinosaurs :@ )
Others improve that statement and are referred to as "snobs."(as explained, that was the direct quote).
Just joking....as I say, it is the thought that matters. When I taught elementary school we laid off proper grammar or correct spelling...it was the creative thinking that was the main thing.

I never heard of anyone being laid off in elementary school. You Canadians are ruthless.

jmonroe

tjc78

My house is only 3.5 years old now. There are definitely things that contribute to it’s energy efficiency and structure that differ from older homes

Steel beams/columns were used as the main support structure in the basement. Exterior walls are all 2x6. The basement walls are all insulated (can see in unfinished part). There is also a ton of insulation in the attics.

It all adds up to a much more efficient home. My utility bills are virtually the same here as they were in a house half the size. The HVAC in the old home was brand new so it’s an apples to apples comparison.

So while I agree 50s and 60s homes were built to last they weren’t built as tight and insulated as today’s homes are.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

@qbrozen said:

@snakeweasel said:

Hate to be a nit picker but first off it's not a paint job. Secondly unless you used only 5 cents of silicone that cost more than $383.00 plus the time it took to do that.

I don’t recall anybody referring to it as a paint job.(?)

The whole family worked on it together. Free child labor FTW!

Driver called it a paint job, check the original post.

Plus I was thinking about it, there is a good possibility there are a few of those pennies that are worth more than a penny.

Some were a bit rare, but probably not valuable. I wonder if he put them all heads showing....or tails, or alternated?

sda

In the Charlotte area, exterior walls are typically 2x4. If I was to custom build I would specify 2x6. The insulation values on new construction: R-30 attic, R-13 exterior walls and if built on a crawl space, R-11. A large percentage of newer construction is concrete based slab foundation vs. crawl space that used to be the standard. True underground basements are rare, walk out basements are gaining popularity.

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

My house is only 3.5 years old now. There are definitely things that contribute to it’s energy efficiency and structure that differ from older homes

Steel beams/columns were used as the main support structure in the basement. Exterior walls are all 2x6. The basement walls are all insulated (can see in unfinished part). There is also a ton of insulation in the attics.

It all adds up to a much more efficient home. My utility bills are virtually the same here as they were in a house half the size. The HVAC in the old home was brand new so it’s an apples to apples comparison.

So while I agree 50s and 60s homes were built to last they weren’t built as tight and insulated as today’s homes are.

Some homes today are built so tightly that the inside air is very stale and has led to health problems for some inhabitants to the point that outside air has to be brought in to correct this situation. However, in my opinion I’d rather bring in outside air that can be controlled than to lose uncontrolled amounts of it in a “leaking house” that can’t be controlled without a huge expense.

BTW, several folks in here have mentioned sub-flooring and roofing in homes built in the 50’s that had tongue and grove plywood. To the best of my knowledge I don’t think tongue and groove plywood existed back then. At least I never saw it in my area. Subfloors and roofing were usually #3 grade pine sheathing 3/4 inch thick (various widths) with plenty of open knot holes but this wood was still very strong. The reason it’s no longer used is because of the time it took to nail down each board. Today, tongue and grove plywood or OSB is used because it is just as strong or even stronger but it can be installed much faster. A win/win for everyone.

jmonroe

tjc78

I mentioned tongue and groove boards. Yes much longer to install for sure!

As for the air quality. My house actually required a high CFM fan in the upstairs hallway bathroom on a timer for ventilation. We disabled it, as it didn’t seem to be making a difference either way.

tjc78

Edit. Disabled the timer by taking off the program. Still works manually.

ab348

tjc78 said:

I mentioned tongue and groove boards. Yes much longer to install for sure!

As for the air quality. My house actually required a high CFM fan in the upstairs hallway bathroom on a timer for ventilation. We disabled it, as it didn’t seem to be making a difference either way.

Likewise here on tongue and groove boards, not plywood. The subfloor boards are installed on a diagonal.

I have been considering the best way to insulate the basement walls in the unfinished part of the space there without having to construct framed walls around the perimeter. Gluing insulation panels to the concrete sounds appealing but I think they would need some sort of fire-resistant barrier on top.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

tjc78 said:

My house is only 3.5 years old now. There are definitely things that contribute to it’s energy efficiency and structure that differ from older homes

Steel beams/columns were used as the main support structure in the basement. Exterior walls are all 2x6. The basement walls are all insulated (can see in unfinished part). There is also a ton of insulation in the attics.

It all adds up to a much more efficient home. My utility bills are virtually the same here as they were in a house half the size. The HVAC in the old home was brand new so it’s an apples to apples comparison.

So while I agree 50s and 60s homes were built to last they weren’t built as tight and insulated as today’s homes are.

Some homes today are built so tightly that the inside air is very stale and has led to health problems for some inhabitants to the point that outside air has to be brought in to correct this situation. However, in my opinion I’d rather bring in outside air that can be controlled than to lose uncontrolled amounts of it in a “leaking house” that can’t be controlled without a huge expense.

jmonroe

Don't you get an air exchanger to do that?

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

tjc78 said:

My house is only 3.5 years old now. There are definitely things that contribute to it’s energy efficiency and structure that differ from older homes

Steel beams/columns were used as the main support structure in the basement. Exterior walls are all 2x6. The basement walls are all insulated (can see in unfinished part). There is also a ton of insulation in the attics.

It all adds up to a much more efficient home. My utility bills are virtually the same here as they were in a house half the size. The HVAC in the old home was brand new so it’s an apples to apples comparison.

So while I agree 50s and 60s homes were built to last they weren’t built as tight and insulated as today’s homes are.

Some homes today are built so tightly that the inside air is very stale and has led to health problems for some inhabitants to the point that outside air has to be brought in to correct this situation. However, in my opinion I’d rather bring in outside air that can be controlled than to lose uncontrolled amounts of it in a “leaking house” that can’t be controlled without a huge expense.

jmonroe

Don't you get an air exchanger to do that?

Yes, and it ain’t cheap. But, the HVAC companies love it. Thank you tight house technology. :@

jmonroe

imidazol97

What is a good place free on internet to store short videos from cell phone
and camera so that others can view it when I send them a link.

I tried setting up Dropbox, but I don't see how to just give someone a link to see a 15 second
video of the granddog playing in the yard or a 10 second clip of a classic car driving by on the interstate.

Sending the videos via my cell phone company to their cell phone drops the
sharpness greatly, probably to limit the size below some maximum Megabyte size.

stickguy

Can try YouTube.

qbrozen

imidazol97 said:

What is a good place free on internet to store short videos from cell phone
and camera so that others can view it when I send them a link.

I tried setting up Dropbox, but I don't see how to just give someone a link to see a 15 second
video of the granddog playing in the yard or a 10 second clip of a classic car driving by on the interstate.

Sending the videos via my cell phone company to their cell phone drops the
sharpness greatly, probably to limit the size below some maximum Megabyte size.

myspace? AOL?
The cloud? I hear folks always talking about the cloud.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

@qbrozen said:

@snakeweasel said:

Hate to be a nit picker but first off it's not a paint job. Secondly unless you used only 5 cents of silicone that cost more than $383.00 plus the time it took to do that.

I don’t recall anybody referring to it as a paint job.(?)

The whole family worked on it together. Free child labor FTW!

Driver called it a paint job, check the original post.

Plus I was thinking about it, there is a good possibility there are a few of those pennies that are worth more than a penny.

Some were a bit rare, but probably not valuable. I wonder if he put them all heads showing....or tails, or alternated?

Well "valuable" is subjective. I tend to look for wheat ear pennies and separate them out and keep them. I routinely check the value and some are worth a couple of cent's but I have a few that would fetch a buck or more. I'm still looking for a 1943 copper penny . Also error can skyrocket a coins value.

snakeweasel

sda said:

In the Charlotte area, exterior walls are typically 2x4. If I was to custom build I would specify 2x6. The insulation values on new construction: R-30 attic, R-13 exterior walls and if built on a crawl space, R-11. A large percentage of newer construction is concrete based slab foundation vs. crawl space that used to be the standard. True underground basements are rare, walk out basements are gaining popularity.

Around here houses without a full basement are rare, houses on slabs are hard to sell. Here you have to dig pretty deep to get to bedrock so digging out for a basement is relatively easy and inexpensive. Now when I lived in Tennesse few people had a basement and many that did had walkouts on houses on the side of a hill. the reason for that was that the ground was very rocky and you only had a short dig before hitting solid rock. In short if you wanted a basement you had to blast. Now in Florida they call basements indoor swimming pools. The water level is high enough to prohibit basements in many areas.

stickguy

same here. Slabs are pretty uncommon and usually only the cheap, small houses.

tjc78

@imidazol97 said:
What is a good place free on internet to store short videos from cell phone
and camera so that others can view it when I send them a link.

I tried setting up Dropbox, but I don't see how to just give someone a link to see a 15 second
video of the granddog playing in the yard or a 10 second clip of a classic car driving by on the interstate.

Sending the videos via my cell phone company to their cell phone drops the
sharpness greatly, probably to limit the size below some maximum Megabyte size.

YouTube, TikTok, Imgur (possibly).

snakeweasel

imidazol97 said:

What is a good place free on internet to store short videos from cell phone
and camera so that others can view it when I send them a link.

I tried setting up Dropbox, but I don't see how to just give someone a link to see a 15 second
video of the granddog playing in the yard or a 10 second clip of a classic car driving by on the interstate.

Sending the videos via my cell phone company to their cell phone drops the
sharpness greatly, probably to limit the size below some maximum Megabyte size.

Here is an idea, most actors barely make any money. Help them out by hiring them to go to your friends place and act out what's on the video.

fintail

I am not sure about my exterior walls, but I suspect maybe the same. Nor do I know about wall insulation, but I know the attic is the blown-in stuff, which I dislike for the mess - I get around the issue by not going up there Still, the house has held up well I think, maybe a good year for houses. I am also on a slab, which is fine with me - don't need a basement, and I like the level entry. Only drawback may be if one wants to add a bathroom or modify the ducting, but I don't, so it is cool. Slabs are uncommon here too, as I believe the water table is low, so basements are seen on houses of all ages.

re: tongue in groove flooring, pretty sure my grandma's house had that, as the floors weren't nailed. Hardwoods throughout save for kitchen and bathrooms/laundry room, would be insanely expensive today. Real wood and materials like the slate (I think) entry and large raised hearth fireplace would only be seen in higher end houses today.

ab348 said:

fintail said:

I know someone who works in the industry - he jokes to be leery of covid-era builds, as there could easily be cut corners via labor and materials issues.

I have a 1954 house that has been heavily remodeled a couple times in its life, the latest a thorough re-do in 2005, to the point where the appraiser said the "effective" date of construction is 2005. Not sure what might be older than that in here, maybe a couple electrical outlets and a light switch. Structurally, it passed inspection with flying colors. I found the original building permit, it was $13K.

My grandma's early 60s house also had no issues at inspection when we sold it, and they had virtually no issues with the house in nearly 60 years of ownership.

My house is also a 1954 model. Aside from building codes being very different now to what was required then, it is very substantial. What strikes me is the structure you see in the unfinished part of the basement, with huge (8"x8" or maybe even bigger) wooden posts and beams holding it up. Floor boards and roof boards are all tongue and groove lumber. The one deficiency is that the exterior walls are framed using 2"x4"s so there is not a huge cavity for insulation. It was "insulated" from new using what I hear was a locally-produced product, paper-backed batts with shredded seaweed glued to it, which is useless. And it unfortunately prevents blown-in cellulose or spray foam from being installed with it in place. On the plus side, the interior walls are finished with what must have been an early use of gypsum board, as each 4'x8' section uses 2 sheets of board on top of each other, making for a thick and substantial-feeling interior wall.

sb55

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

tjc78 said:

My house is only 3.5 years old now. There are definitely things that contribute to it’s energy efficiency and structure that differ from older homes

Steel beams/columns were used as the main support structure in the basement. Exterior walls are all 2x6. The basement walls are all insulated (can see in unfinished part). There is also a ton of insulation in the attics.

It all adds up to a much more efficient home. My utility bills are virtually the same here as they were in a house half the size. The HVAC in the old home was brand new so it’s an apples to apples comparison.

So while I agree 50s and 60s homes were built to last they weren’t built as tight and insulated as today’s homes are.

Some homes today are built so tightly that the inside air is very stale and has led to health problems for some inhabitants to the point that outside air has to be brought in to correct this situation. However, in my opinion I’d rather bring in outside air that can be controlled than to lose uncontrolled amounts of it in a “leaking house” that can’t be controlled without a huge expense.

jmonroe

Don't you get an air exchanger to do that?

Yes, and it ain’t cheap. But, the HVAC companies love it. Thank you tight house technology. :@

jmonroe

We went from a 700 sq. foot summer cottage to a 2100 sq. foot actual year round house. We did this big addition and renovated the old part on my house in 2010 and used 2x6 construction plus spray foam. The house was too tight. We have an automatic humidistat on the bathroom fans and always use the range hood when cooking. The windows would still fog up when it got cold so I had to run a dehumidifier the first winter. We had to retrofit an air to air exchanger and it works great. It has 3 speeds so I can adjust it as needed. No more foggy windows

ab348

My 1954 house was also surprisingly tight as shown when an energy audit was done and they did a blower door test some years ago. I had suspected as much as the double-pane windows would have condensation on the bottom inch or so in the winter despite having a bathroom exhaust fan in use. When coming home from being out you also noticed that the air inside smelled stale. Last winter I ended up getting an energy recovery ventilator installed and it has made a huge difference. No longer a condensation problem and the stale scent is gone.

graphicguy

RANT COMING…..

So, lots of mainly busy work I need to do today. Got an early start. Pulled the car out of the garage noticed the “low fuel” light on. First stop, Costco for gas.

Surprisingly busy for early in the a.m. Get in line, which moves quickly. Both pump spaces empty in front of me at the same time. Pull up behind an F250, who pulled up the same time as me.

Swipe the Costco Card, and we’re off. My fill up is quicker than the F250s. On the right of me is a guy who pulled into the pump, but with his filler on the opposite side of the pump. He got the hose to go around to the other side of his mini-van to the filler but his body was partially in the space between the islands.

After I fill up and get my receipt, I go back to my car to pull around the F250. No can do without either hitting the guy refueling his minivan, or hitting the F250. There’s just not enough space.

I use a service/MPG tracker on my iPhone. Get into my car to put in the data while I wait. No more than 30 seconds go by than the guy waiting for the pumps behind me, honks. I look into my rear view and wave at him, not sure where he wants me to go. He honks again. I waive again.

Finally, he gets out of his car, and comes up to my window and yells at me to “move out of my way”. I try to put on my “zen” face and tell him I can’t move until either the guy to my right finishes or the F250 in front of me finishes and pulls away. He gets even louder at this point and tells me to “get out of my ‘f^&c#!#&’ way”.

Well, this is getting ready to spiral out of control. I get out of my car, calmly point to the lack of space between the guy filling at the right pump, and the lane between the islands. And, firmly tell him to get back in his car and wait his turn. He just stands in the middle of the island, red faced, as the F250 has finished fueling and pulls away.

I get back into my car, start it up, and pull away. This is horses’ posterior is still standing in the island yelling at me, which the cars behind him are now honking for him to get his car out of the way.

Good Friday Morning to my Edmunds friends.

venture

graphicguy said:

RANT COMING…..

So, lots of mainly busy work I need to do today. Got an early start. Pulled the car out of the garage noticed the “low fuel” light on. First stop, Costco for gas.

Surprisingly busy for early in the a.m. Get in line, which moves quickly. Both pump spaces empty in front of me at the same time. Pull up behind an F250, who pulled up the same time as me.

Swipe the Costco Card, and we’re off. My fill up is quicker than the F250s. On the right of me is a guy who pulled into the pump, but with his filler on the opposite side of the pump. He got the hose to go around to the other side of his mini-van to the filler but his body was partially in the space between the islands.

After I fill up and get my receipt, I go back to my car to pull around the F250. No can do without either hitting the guy refueling his minivan, or hitting the F250. There’s just not enough space.

I use a service/MPG tracker on my iPhone. Get into my car to put in the data while I wait. No more than 30 seconds go by than the guy waiting for the pumps behind me, honks. I look into my rear view and wave at him, not sure where he wants me to go. He honks again. I waive again.

Finally, he gets out of his car, and comes up to my window and yells at me to “move out of my way”. I try to put on my “zen” face and tell him I can’t move until either the guy to my right finishes or the F250 in front of me finishes and pulls away. He gets even louder at this point and tells me to “get out of my ‘f^&c#!#&’ way”.

Well, this is getting ready to spiral out of control. I get out of my car, calmly point to the lack of space between the guy filling at the right pump, and the lane between the islands. And, firmly tell him to get back in his car and wait his turn. He just stands in the middle of the island, red faced, as the F250 has finished fueling and pulls away.

I get back into my car, start it up, and pull away. This is horses’ posterior is still standing in the island yelling at me, which the cars behind him are now honking for him to get his car out of the way.

Good Friday Morning to my Edmunds friends.

It just never ends.

mjfloyd1

@driver100 said:
Some were a bit rare, but probably not valuable. I wonder if he put them all heads showing....or tails, or alternated?

He flipped for it

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

RANT COMING…..

So, lots of mainly busy work I need to do today. Got an early start. Pulled the car out of the garage noticed the “low fuel” light on. First stop, Costco for gas.

Surprisingly busy for early in the a.m. Get in line, which moves quickly. Both pump spaces empty in front of me at the same time. Pull up behind an F250, who pulled up the same time as me.

Swipe the Costco Card, and we’re off. My fill up is quicker than the F250s. On the right of me is a guy who pulled into the pump, but with his filler on the opposite side of the pump. He got the hose to go around to the other side of his mini-van to the filler but his body was partially in the space between the islands.

After I fill up and get my receipt, I go back to my car to pull around the F250. No can do without either hitting the guy refueling his minivan, or hitting the F250. There’s just not enough space.

I use a service/MPG tracker on my iPhone. Get into my car to put in the data while I wait. No more than 30 seconds go by than the guy waiting for the pumps behind me, honks. I look into my rear view and wave at him, not sure where he wants me to go. He honks again. I waive again.

Finally, he gets out of his car, and comes up to my window and yells at me to “move out of my way”. I try to put on my “zen” face and tell him I can’t move until either the guy to my right finishes or the F250 in front of me finishes and pulls away. He gets even louder at this point and tells me to “get out of my ‘f^&c#!#&’ way”.

Well, this is getting ready to spiral out of control. I get out of my car, calmly point to the lack of space between the guy filling at the right pump, and the lane between the islands. And, firmly tell him to get back in his car and wait his turn. He just stands in the middle of the island, red faced, as the F250 has finished fueling and pulls away.

I get back into my car, start it up, and pull away. This is horses’ posterior is still standing in the island yelling at me, which the cars behind him are now honking for him to get his car out of the way.

Good Friday Morning to my Edmunds friends.

Were you gassing in NYC? I thought you midwesterners were all nice and stuff.