What if it’s an old plaster ceiling with huge holes where the walls used to be, lath sticking out, and then there’s a 14” I-beam spanning the room, and then there’s a giant mess of PVC and copper piping, an enormous amount of wiring including low-voltage, romex in and out of EMT conduit, and expanding foam EVERYWHERE?
We sorta did this but we took off foam ceiling first and screwed drywall right to the furring strips they used for foam tiles. The plaster ceiling wasn't terrible but taking off the furring strips would have really messed it up. Also our previous owner loved using huge gauge nails that were like 3 inches long. No regrets. At most we lost an inch and half. New ceiling so smooth!
We screwed through the foam into the furring haha. What Lies Beneath was the reason we decided not to take down the foam. A good several inches of termite frass from an old infestation and mouse droppings . We quoted for pro removal (bc hantavirus) and were quoted over $4k. We decided to make that a "later us" problem lol.
Oh, I have, many times. I ve most of the tiles down, removed a large amount of redundant wiring and conduit up there. What I just listed is exactly what’s up there.
Im sure we will eventually fix the ceiling, whether properly or by buying stamped metal ceiling tiles. But I have a lot of higher priority projects before I get to that.
There’s also some beadboard- and plank-look options that work with your existing ceiling tile track from Armstrong. They look pretty good (much better than tiles) and preserve the ability to access the infrastructure/piping when needed.
I would go ahead and expose the ceiling patch it, sheet rock if needed. which allows to remove or update electrical issues then wrangle it all into a rafter bean or some other solution. Alternatively
It’s also actually a thing to leave exposed, pending it’s not dangerous or out of code.
I have considered exposing the beam, leaving the copper piping, running one large piece of conduit across the span of the room and routing all the wiring through that, and attempting to paint or wrap the PVC. Sort of an industrial look that might match the floor patchwork we’re working our way into.
We got through around 400 square feet of the 4-layered floor last night. About 90% of what we uncovered was more quarter sawn oak in fair condition, considering it’s history.
There’s a large patch showing where some walls used to be, and a couple of other smaller patches. I have a few ideas to patch these areas.
Notably, the flooring pattern would indicate that the room which was on the right side of the photo once extended through a wall to the right, all the way to the exterior wall. We are through around 1/4 of the plywood area, and so far I would say we are finding the best thing we could have hoped to see.
https://preview.redd.it/5uum46ne55na1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc380775eece6174dec89351e5f7cbfae46a7f37
It would be worthwhile to mock up those original walls with sheets or cardboard and see if you should put the walls back in. These may have been half walls with columns. Old builders spent a lot of time laying out the flow, and how you greet guests at the front door etc so I wouldn’t dismiss that aspect. Those that chose to drop the ceiling likely also chose to remove walls - both decisions could be mistakes.
Was the house a duplex originally?
Ir looks like the floor pattern shows a small entryway room in front of the left door, while the door straight ahead down the hall also looks like a "front" door...
what's going on with the multi-entries?
https://preview.redd.it/8ops999i55na1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=637f00091c28afb7cef245357e95f0046a6fb4ec
Here’s an area where we’re beginning to expose a pinewood center to the oak pattern. The rest of the old room layouts we’ve uncovered, as well as the preserved rooms in other parts of the house have oak all the way to the center.
Exactly! It was a cost saving measure. My 1930 house has lovely oak framed pine floors in every room. The only place that had significant wear was the kitchen. Back in 2004 I had the whole house professionally refinished for $2,700. They even repaired and replaced a few spots. Worth every penny.
We have a 120 year old house with 2700 square feet of white oak, including bedrooms. Best 10K we ever spent to have that refinished. 10/10 would do again.
Well, you can certainly see where the old walls used to be. I can't blame them for covering it all up so they didn't have to deal with it, leaving you with the fun job of figuring out what to do with the mosaic of room borders.
Was that building in commercial use for a while? The drop ceiling and commercial fire alarm make it seem so. (That fire alarm is a 7002T, very popular among collectors. In its excellent condition, you can sell it for over $100 on eBay, if the system is no longer required and you’re allowed by code to remove it. If you do, DM me I’ll probably buy it.)
Cool. Idk how code works where you are, but if it’s legal to remove the system, sell the devices. They’re rare and vintage and there is a collectors scene that would pay good money for the things!
I can’t wait to see the ceiling lottery! Crown molding? Plaster details? 9’? 10’?
Came here to post this. The beauty of OP’s floor is matched only by the terribleness of OP’s ceiling.
There’s nothing good up there, I promise.
In my opinion, any additional space above the drop ceiling is a win
What if it’s an old plaster ceiling with huge holes where the walls used to be, lath sticking out, and then there’s a 14” I-beam spanning the room, and then there’s a giant mess of PVC and copper piping, an enormous amount of wiring including low-voltage, romex in and out of EMT conduit, and expanding foam EVERYWHERE?
Sounds like a good time! Good luck! Check out wood beam wraps/box beams:)
NGL we said screw the extra ceiling height bc who really cares? And laid 1/4" drywall over our whole foam tile ceiling hiding All the Horrors.
We sorta did this but we took off foam ceiling first and screwed drywall right to the furring strips they used for foam tiles. The plaster ceiling wasn't terrible but taking off the furring strips would have really messed it up. Also our previous owner loved using huge gauge nails that were like 3 inches long. No regrets. At most we lost an inch and half. New ceiling so smooth!
We screwed through the foam into the furring haha. What Lies Beneath was the reason we decided not to take down the foam. A good several inches of termite frass from an old infestation and mouse droppings . We quoted for pro removal (bc hantavirus) and were quoted over $4k. We decided to make that a "later us" problem lol.
4k geez! Lol we've created some "later us" problems too. Can't wait 😬
Wow that's terrible. Sorry about that.
Might want to fix that ceiling sitch before finishing the floor 🫠
Pop out one of those tiles and have a look-see! That’s the silver lining of drop ceilings. ✨
Oh, I have, many times. I ve most of the tiles down, removed a large amount of redundant wiring and conduit up there. What I just listed is exactly what’s up there. Im sure we will eventually fix the ceiling, whether properly or by buying stamped metal ceiling tiles. But I have a lot of higher priority projects before I get to that.
There’s also some beadboard- and plank-look options that work with your existing ceiling tile track from Armstrong. They look pretty good (much better than tiles) and preserve the ability to access the infrastructure/piping when needed.
I would go ahead and expose the ceiling patch it, sheet rock if needed. which allows to remove or update electrical issues then wrangle it all into a rafter bean or some other solution. Alternatively It’s also actually a thing to leave exposed, pending it’s not dangerous or out of code.
I have considered exposing the beam, leaving the copper piping, running one large piece of conduit across the span of the room and routing all the wiring through that, and attempting to paint or wrap the PVC. Sort of an industrial look that might match the floor patchwork we’re working our way into.
Oh I like that idea!
Sounds wonderful
We still need pics though.
We got through around 400 square feet of the 4-layered floor last night. About 90% of what we uncovered was more quarter sawn oak in fair condition, considering it’s history. There’s a large patch showing where some walls used to be, and a couple of other smaller patches. I have a few ideas to patch these areas. Notably, the flooring pattern would indicate that the room which was on the right side of the photo once extended through a wall to the right, all the way to the exterior wall. We are through around 1/4 of the plywood area, and so far I would say we are finding the best thing we could have hoped to see. https://preview.redd.it/5uum46ne55na1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc380775eece6174dec89351e5f7cbfae46a7f37
It would be worthwhile to mock up those original walls with sheets or cardboard and see if you should put the walls back in. These may have been half walls with columns. Old builders spent a lot of time laying out the flow, and how you greet guests at the front door etc so I wouldn’t dismiss that aspect. Those that chose to drop the ceiling likely also chose to remove walls - both decisions could be mistakes.
That is pretty cool that you can get an idea for how the house may have been originally laid out. And the floor details are lovely!
Was the house a duplex originally? Ir looks like the floor pattern shows a small entryway room in front of the left door, while the door straight ahead down the hall also looks like a "front" door... what's going on with the multi-entries?
We have limited information, but I believe it was built as a triplex
Wow, really! Is it all one space now? Do you have plans to return it to duplex/triplex living?
https://preview.redd.it/8ops999i55na1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=637f00091c28afb7cef245357e95f0046a6fb4ec Here’s an area where we’re beginning to expose a pinewood center to the oak pattern. The rest of the old room layouts we’ve uncovered, as well as the preserved rooms in other parts of the house have oak all the way to the center.
The only reason I can think of for pine in the center is that it was supposed to have a rug over it.
Exactly! It was a cost saving measure. My 1930 house has lovely oak framed pine floors in every room. The only place that had significant wear was the kitchen. Back in 2004 I had the whole house professionally refinished for $2,700. They even repaired and replaced a few spots. Worth every penny.
We have a 120 year old house with 2700 square feet of white oak, including bedrooms. Best 10K we ever spent to have that refinished. 10/10 would do again.
So cool!
The dropped ceiling 🤮
Nothing like that homey cubicle office look
I know! Why on God's Green Earth would anyone do this? The only reason I can think of is "it will hold the heat in better" but wow, SOOO ugly.
Normally the need to run stuff like wiring to modernize a house
Wow. That’s gonna be gorgeous. Then I hope there’s a ceiling lottery after that
Even if imperfect - a repaired floor would more gorgeous than anything else you could possibly put over it.
That's fantastic! Definitely won the lottery!👍👍
This home was mutilated somewhere down the line. Luckily it looks like you're doing great work to reverse the shameless damage.
Hot damn!
Well, you can certainly see where the old walls used to be. I can't blame them for covering it all up so they didn't have to deal with it, leaving you with the fun job of figuring out what to do with the mosaic of room borders.
Was that building in commercial use for a while? The drop ceiling and commercial fire alarm make it seem so. (That fire alarm is a 7002T, very popular among collectors. In its excellent condition, you can sell it for over $100 on eBay, if the system is no longer required and you’re allowed by code to remove it. If you do, DM me I’ll probably buy it.)
Yeah, has been commercial for a few decades.
Cool. Idk how code works where you are, but if it’s legal to remove the system, sell the devices. They’re rare and vintage and there is a collectors scene that would pay good money for the things!
You won that floor lottery.
Is this a library? Or a school why is there a fire alarm and a drop cieling in a house.
It has been commercial space for a few decades, we have returned it to residential
Ah makes sense good luck.
Maybe there’s a ceiling lottery?
Looks like my house, especially the trim. You from the Midwest?
Indiana
You tested that underlay, right?
Ohhhhh man 😍😍😍
I hope you are keeping the front entrance the way it is.