1970’s redwood homes?

[terracore]

I know a lady that lives in a single wall plantation home and she hates it. Not enough sound barrier for the coquis. Like the TV doesn't turn up load enough to hear it. When she toured the house pre-purchase it was during the day when the coquis were quiet.

[Rob Tucker]

I lived in a single wall in Keaukaha for a couple years. Lots of traffic noise. Sound wise the single wall was like living in a paper bag. I really disliked it too.

[Durian Fiend]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Tucker

Well folks, I bought a property with a single wall plantation house made of old growth redwood. It was a tear down. The termites owned it. I tore it down and replaced it with a home with no structural wood. Wood is a poor investment.

Redwood is high in tannin which does resist rot and termites... but not forever. And the old growth stuff is gone.

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Location?

The subterranean termites will eat just about anything, including treated wood. AFAIK we don't have them in Puna.

[Rob Tucker]

Location? The place I bought is in Pahoa Village near Island Naturals.

What is AFAIK?

[Durian Fiend]

Thanks. It means As far as I know. No soil, no subterranean termites.

[Hotzcatz]

We have a Hicks Home #690 built in 1974.  Original walls with the original very light wash finish on them.  Original canec ceilings, original kitchen cabinets which are built in place particle board of all things.  Original hardwood floors with glued down linoleum tiles in the kitchen and bath, original doors, original windows.  Original shoji doors between the kitchen and living room.  It's like a time capsule from the mid-70's.  The cooktop and wall oven have been replaced and we replaced a living room window with a French door and added a big back deck and hot tub, but that's about the only 'updating' that's been done. The Hicks Home is redwood with oak floors. There's no termite damage in the house.  At some point, it had vinyl siding installed.  That's getting a bit brittle but the wood under it is pristine.

'Updating' this house would be to replace the kitchen cabinets, possibly built in place Formica over ply. Possibly replace the Formica counter tops, but wouldn't want to change it too much. It's a good workable solid house, nice but humble, a granite or marble countertop wouldn't be suitable for that house. Plus when your favorite coffee cup falls over on a Formica countertop it doesn't break. Formica doesn't come in as many fun patterns and colors like it used to, though.

We also have a 1952 and a 1953 single wall house built of probably some sort of pine or fir and not redwood.   These houses have significant termite damage, but since they're single wall they're easy to fix.  The '52 house has exterior asphalt shingles on the house exterior walls and has no weathering of the wood under the shingles.  The '53 house had the entire exterior wall on the weather side of the house replaced at some point and it's now double wall on that side.  We've now shingled the exterior walls of the '53 house in asphalt shingles so that should keep it in good shape for the next fifty years or so.

We added ceiling insulation to the '52 house so it's much quieter in the rain. Oh, the '52 & '53 houses still have their original aluminum roofs and the '53 house still has it's original living room carpet. Not quite sure what that it made of, some sort of nylon or something and it's really durable. The '53 still has the original kitchen cabinets with formica countertops with chrome trim.

If you can get one of these houses, they're great. Really easy to fix and sometimes they don't even need it.

[eightfingers2.0]

Hotzcatz, I could see using concrete countertops in that house.

[terracore]

If you ever choose to replace that carpet you might want to get the underlay tested for asbestos.

[kalakoa]

Liquid Stone for concrete countertops. Very happy with mine.