TIL a client's 1920s house in Philly had plaster walls with no studs for 16 inches

We had to sister in new framing before we could even think about hanging board, which added a full day to the job. Anyone ever run into a wall that was basically just lath and air?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliver_anderson3mo ago

Sounds like a real nightmare. Old houses are full of surprises, aren't they?

angelas783mo ago

Oh man, oliver_anderson, you are not kidding about the surprises. Our place had a leak under the kitchen sink that turned into a whole weekend of fixing rotten floorboards. What finally worked was getting a dehumidifier running in the basement, seems like keeping the air dry helps a lot with the old wood. It's a constant battle though, always listening for new drips.

diana82911d agoMost Upvoted

Well, I'm not sure I'd call it a nightmare. We've had our share of quirks with our older house too, a drafty window here, a sticking door there. But a little maintenance and some caulk usually sorted things out. It sounds like you folks are dealing with more than just age, that sounds like neglect from a previous owner more than anything else.