Farm house Rehab

[Jags]

A garden hoe works real good at removing lath.

A crow bar also works very well. Punch it through and start yanking it off. It is surprising how fast you can move down a wall. A good quality nail puller (hammer or otherwise) can be run down the studs later on while holding a beer in the other hand.

 

[semipro]

I think you need to find better sources to research. (Greenbuilding Adviser, Energy Vanguard, Building Science, Fine Home Building, ORNL, etc.)
Yes, Moisture control is critical to avoiding rot and mold. The best ways to avoid moisture problems include air sealing, weatherproofing, and insulation. These are 3 different things.
- Control the flow of air that contains the water (air barrier)
- Prevent water leaks into the structure (rain barrier)
- Allow walls and ceilings a way to dry either inward or outward in case moisture does make its way in
- Control the temps of surfaces that come into contact with moist interior air to a temp above the dew point (thermal insulation). This prevents condensation.

Edit: It almost sounds like balloon framed houses were "invented" to keep firemen and coroners busy.

 

[johninwi]

One of my projects was as messy as your is, but only one room, it was an addition off the back that attached to the kitchen. It had 2 doorways and a window, the window and 1 door i covered with plastic like you've done, the second doorway i built a "door" out of 1x4's and wraped it in plastic, at the edges i kept the plastic extra long and folded it back making pillows or flaps for seals, worked really well at controling dust. Used a bungee cord to pull it shut.

 

[brian89gp]

Ive just read this about insulatting in a balloon framed house
"Because of where you live in the cold Northeast - I'm just above you in NH - it would be a GRAVE mistake to add insulation in the wall cavity.
The reason your house is still standing with no wood rot is simple. The balloon framing used in houses of that period - I lived in one back in Cincinnati, OH in the 1970's and 80's - allows water vapor that passes through the plaster and lath to be vented up into the attic of your home.
Once up there, it usually was able to dissipate out gable vents or through the roofing. Many older homes had roofing material and roof sheathing that would allow lots of air to pass through them, but not rain water back into the attic.
Balloon construction was probably invented to do this job as houses built without this open passageway probably developed rot in short time as the water vapor in the winter time would condense in the cavity and be unable to EVAPORATE quickly.
Read this column I just posted about Vapor Barriers vs House Wraps to give you more background.
If there was a way for you to install a vapor barrier to STOP the water vapor from getting into the wall cavity, then I'd say move ahead with the insulation. But I don't know of any TRUE paint-on or spray on vapor barrier that would provide enough of a seal."
what are your thoughts on this?

Balloon framing was not invented for that reason. Side effect maybe, but not invented for it.

Fire code requires fireblocking which would block whatever airflow that person is talking about.

Now there is some truth to what they said but in a convoluted manner. Old houses do need that airflow in the wall cavities because they leak like a sieve and need some method to dry back out and because of that airflow there tends to be less rot. Keep the water out and you don't need an empty wall cavity to dry things anymore. A properly maintained house of any age will not have much if any rot though...

 

[gzecc]

thanks for all the advice and the replies. Ill copy a picture of the 1st floor blueprints and where i plan on putting the stove.

When doing your own remodeling, what have you done when you have encountered lead paint? Thankfully almost the whole house had no paint on the walls... all original wall paper. Only two rooms have lead paint, should i just get coveralls, a nice hepa breathing filter and just make sure to tape off the rooms or do you have to pay a professional to do it?

Lead paint is only a problem for kids. It won't hurt a healthy adult. Be sure any lead residue is removed with a hepa vacumn for future generations. For homeowners there are no regulations for removal of lead only contractors (last time I checked).