The Side Hall

The Side Hall is an extension of the Reception Hall.  This hall houses the main staircase, entrance to the basement, a half bath and a large hall closet.  The half bath once served as a servant's passageway to the front parlor.  This hall is damaged well beyond any hopes of repair.  This will have to be demolished and restored.

This small hallway leads to the side entrance of the house.  We kinda knew this was going to be a project within itself from the start.  Some time last year, we were leaving to go out to dinner when we walked out the side door and closed it behind us, that is when we heard a large crash.  We opened the door to see that the a section of ceiling in the side hall had collapsed onto the floor.  We just shut the door and went out to dinner.

Upon further investigation, it became apparent that there had been a leak coming from the bathroom above for many years.  You could see where the walls had been patched multiple times and the water had seeped through the repairs.  The walls were destroyed.  So, it was time to remove the walls to see how extensive the damage really was.

I kept removing rotted debris, and more rotted debris!  It was much worse than I had anticipated.  There were 4x4 timbers that made up the closet wall that were reduced to a Styrofoam consistency.  I was literally able to snap them in two by just pulling on them.  The debris pile just kept growing as the day went along. 

After cleaning up, I really was able to closely examine the damage area. It looks as though the leak must have been there for at least ten years!  Once I was done removing all of the rotted wood and damaged plaster, the path of the water damage actually extended from the second floor bathroom, into the basement!

Subsequently, the flooring had to be pulled up because the sub flooring was rotted and unsafe.  From this spot, if you look down, you can see the basement, if you look up, you can see the bathroom on the second floor.  Moral of the story...if it leaks, fix it.  It won't fix itself.

Okay, so we put in new subflooring, oak flooring, then built all new panels and frames.  Added a new door, electrical, sheetrock and paint and finish.

And here you have it folks.

To see some really cool before and after comparisons, go to the Before and After Gallery.  Pictures of this hall are part of the Reception Hall Gallery

      If you have any questions please e-mail us at:

 CSchaible@Comcast.net