DIY Network

1903 Victorian: Rediscovered Fireplace From "Restoration Realities" episode DRTR-109

	Our project house: a 1903 Victorian in Wilmington, NC.
	Media Watch a video recap of this restoration project

In this episode, DIY's Restoration Realities visits Wilmington, North Carolina, and the home of Rick and Helen Williams, where a hidden fireplace has recently been discovered. Both Helen and Rick are the self-taught types and served them well when they decided to buy a 1903 Victorian, 2-story with about 2300 square feet. "We just had to have an old house," says Helen "something a little beat up that we could restore and live in forever."

In this first segment, we are introduced to Williams, and their neighborhood and home.

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	Homeowners Helen and Rick Williams (and friends) take a stroll through their neighborhood.
	Figure A
	Figure B

Helen Williams is originally from South Yorkshire in England. She turned her do-it-yourself hobby of making wire-sculpture from a pastime into a business making functional and decorative pieces from wire. Rick is from Atlanta. He works for an auto-insurance company, is a music lover and plays bass guitar in his spare time.

The Williams love the community of Wilmington, and find it to be just the right size city to suit their lifestyle. They enjoy the relaxed pace of the city and the variety of activities that are available. They purchased their 1903 home in a historic neighborhood and, though it was a little larger than what they were looking for, they thought they could easily "grow into it." But they soon found some problems with their new purchase. Most notably, the leaky roof (figure A). In fact, when the heavy rains came, they discovered 17 leaks.

"We immediately had to deal with the roof," says Rick "and we didn't really understand what we were getting into at that point. We moved in during a dry period." As soon as it started to rain they were both on a bucket brigade to catch the leaks. To solve that problem the couple had the metal roof coated with a rubber coating (figure B) called an elastometric roof coating.

Prior to the projects undertaken in this episode, they had also restored several interior rooms with repairs and fresh paint.

"[Owning an older home] is a little like maintaining an older car," says Rick. "To keep it running, you have to spend a little extra time on it, but you can takes some real joy in doing that and preserving it."

	Figure C
	Figure D

When our hosts Bill Click and Chris Babcock arrive, Rick and Helen are asking for help with an upstairs bedroom. It seems they discovered a fireplace hidden behind a recently added closet wall (figures C and D). The couple would love to see if the fireplace can be revealed and then restored.

But once they uncover the fireplace, the question is whether it will be intact to function and will there be any parts they'll have to replace or add? Our restoration experts are there to help Rick and Helen bring their old fireplace back to life.

An initial inspection indicates that it probably won't be safe for this to be a functioning fireplace, but the owners are fine with that. They'd simply like to restore it as a visual amenity to the room.

The foursome splits into two teams. Chris and Helen plan and work on building a mantle to add to the fireplace once it is uncovered. Bill and Rick get to work demolishing the added-on wall that conceals the fireplace and assessing what will need to be done to restore it.

Estimated Costs: $200-$800

Estimated Project Time: 3 days

	Plans for the new mantle.

Tools and materials used in this episode:

Sledgehammer
Flat bars
End Nippers
Table Saw
Power miter saw
Kreg jig or pocket jig kit
Air compressor and hoses
Extension cords
Finish nailer
Brad nailer
Random-orbital sander
Router and misc. bits
Cordless Drill
Reciprocating saw and blades
Drill Bits
4' Level
Hammers
Nail punch
Saw horses
Mixing paddle
Buckets
1/4" notch mortar trowel
Margin trowel
6" Taping knife
10" Taping knife
Drywall-mud pan
1 sheet of 3/4" OSB or plywood
2 sheets of false-rock substrate
1 bag of grey mortar
1 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood
2x4s
3" masonry anchors
3 8-foot 1x6, poplar stock
1 8-foot length of 3-1/4" crown mold
3 8' pieces of glass bead or molding
2-1/2" Finish nails for pnuematic nailer
1-1/2" Finish nails for pnuematic nailer
1" brad nails
Carpenters wood glue
Quick-drying drywall patching compound
Drywall sanding sponges
Sanding disks 120, 220 grits

Note: This is a summary of steps included in the procedures shown in this episode of Restoration Realities. There may be variations in procedures for your particular restoration project based on the types of materials you select and the nature or extent of your particular project. Always follow proper safety precautions, and read and follow manufacturer's guidelines, diagrams and safety notices that come with materials or products that you select.

RESOURCES :

Victorian: American Restoration Style
Model: 0879058870
Author: Joan M. Brierton
Publisher: Gibbs Smith Publishers
Order this title from Amazon.com.

Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes
Author: George Nash
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561585351
Order this title from Amazon.com.

Renovating and Restyling Older Homes: The Professional's Guide to Maximum Value Remodeling
Author: Lawrence Dworin
Publisher: Craftsman Book Company
ISBN: 1572180293
Order this title from Amazon.com.

Selecting and Renovating an Old House: A Complete Guide
Author: United States Department of Agriculture
July 2000
Publisher: Dover Publications
ISBN: 0486409562
Order this title from Amazon.com.