Dear Mason,

My house was built in 1938. The walls are plaster over lathe. I'm noticing more cracks in the ceilings, including one that runs parallel to the chimney bump out, about 3 inches away from the wall. It actually looks like the part of the ceiling that is closer to the fireplace is a fraction (1/32"?) higher than the part outside the crack. The crack follows that chimney exactly. Is my house sinking? And do I just repair the crack, or is there more that needs to happen? Last, what sort of contractor takes care of this sort of issue? 

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Lisa C.

 

Lisa, Dear

Mason,

I have a small (1400 sf) old Cape. There is a wall with a double-door opening that separates the living room from a small sunroom. Around the corner from that, there is a tiny bathroom and corridor that separates that sunroom from the kitchen. I'd really like to remove the wall and the bathroom and open the whole space up. My question is, what are the factors that need to be considered to do this and keep my house from falling down? I hear the term "load bearing wall" and don't really know how to tell. And, what if it is? Can I still open up the space? 

This clearly is a job for a pro

Mason:

Our hardwood flooring was buckled in several areas, so we hired a flooring guy to sand and refinish all of it throughout our first floor. Two months later, those same areas have buckled again! What happened, and what do we do now?

Elsie M., Gum Springs

Dear Elsie:

There are several possibilities for this, but (without examining the before and after conditions), I can give you the “90% probability” response…

When the edges are higher than the middle of a wood board, this is known as “cupping”. This condition is typically caused by a higher moisture condition on the bottom of the boards, than

I am trying to figure out how to make the basement a livable space. The partial earth covering 4-7 feet of the front and side of the foundation needs to be excavated and moisture proofed before backfilling. Instead would in be a reasonable proposition to remove the soil and add four windows across the bottom of the house for a two-story look? There are homes in Longwood Acres that were built with windows and very little earth against the home..

RM

Basement space is GREAT space to recapture for finished living area! Some of these conversions are quite simple, while others do indeed become more

I just had to show y’all this recently-completed project in Manakin-Sabot. It is a 1400 SF master suite addition - the second major remodel designed and built by HomeMasons at this property.

The first, a den extension with a sunroom, screened porch and exterior improvements, won a “Best of the South” Award in 2004. The Homeowner declares these new enhancements to be “HomeMasons’ best work ever”.

 

The addition echos the earlier improvements, completing a rear pergola with a similar colonnaded, sun-filled gallery. Other traditional design elements include a standing seam metal roof, oversized