It seems we have gotten a lot more efficient at taking down old houses because I can’t believe everything we accomplished in just four days last week.
You want to see?
First, the guys pulled down two gable ends using rope, chain, and John’s trusty Chevy.
Next, our two-man crew removed ceiling and wall boards and clapboard siding, exposing the skeleton of the house. 
Meanwhile, Mark and I were de-nailing as fast as we could to keep up with the amount of lumber they were removing from the house. That’s my sawhorse on the left.
They removed ceiling rafters and wall studs … or at least some of the latter.
They couldn’t remove all of them, reason being that most go all the way to the ground! That’s about 24 feet in length if you do the math.
Unbelievable!
The days are gone when you can buy a 2×4 that long … or a dimensional 2×4 at a typical lumberyard.
We were again reminded why we do what we do.
Next, John knocked down the two old chimneys to just below the second floor. All the old brick went into the dumpster. It was just too old and crumbly to save.
Unfortunate but true.
While John did that, Reuben started scrapping roof shingles off the back part of the house. The old shiplap boards we wanted to save.
Most of the boards were in excellent condition. We only needed to saw off maybe 6 inches of rotten ends on each one.
They will one day be gorgeous floors or walls in someone’s home.
It didn’t take long for the guys to completely remove this section of roof.
Here’s the “before” shot …
… and the after.
Here’s Reuben, removing the old shakes from another section of roof. That portion of the roof came down last week also.
Both John and Reuben are incredibly hard workers and we’re delighted to have them work with us.
On Friday, Mark had to catch a plane, but he decided to get incredibly filthy beforehand by removing old beadboard from the porch roof.
You just cannot imagine the decades of grime, rat poop, and who knows what else.
During one of our breaks, I shot this photo of the gable end just because. Unbeknownst to me, it was to come down later that day. I liked the shot and thought you might as well.
I’m married to a photographer who has taught me a trick or two.
Speaking of wanting to capture memories of this house, check out this old Dr. Suess fireplace. It looks like it was originally built that way!
For the grand finale of the week, I got to show the guys that I’m stronger than I look. I pulled down the gable end I photographed.
I think we got a lot done last week, don’t you?
I found myself answering a big YES out loud when you asked if we wanted to see! What a great mission you guys are on! 2 x 24’s? WOW! Think what those would cost nowadays…if you could find any! Needless to say I enjoyed your photo story!
So glad to hear that you’re following along with our progress, Cher. We were amazed when we found those extra long 2×4’s. Houses were constructed a whole lot differently way back when, that’s for sure.
WOW!!! So impressed by all of this job you are doing…..the pictures are wonderful…thanks for sharing….hope some of that wood ends up in my garden shed? You are amazing!!
Glad you’re following along, Jenny. YES, we absolutely will use the old wood from the Jacksonville house (or one of our other 6 salvaged homes) on your shed project when you’re ready to get started! (See my direct email to you regarding meeting up this weekend.)
I was curious about the bricks. Are they not even good for a garden border or path???? Love the progress you all have made.
Diane
Unfortunately, no. We have salvaged old bricks before, but these are so old and brittle, they just turn to dust.
I love seeing the pix of what you do. Our house was build in about the 1880s. It too has long boards like those in your project, I reckon they are about 24′ tall as well. We took one of the upstairs rooms down to the studsto work on a bedroom. That is where we learned that the house is framed in solid OAK! Truly amazing. It will stand for time to come, lots of renovations have been done and are on the list! I love old homes!
I totally agree. We love old homes, too, or at a minimum a vintage look which can be achieved with vintage materials. We live in a very old home also — it was built around 1853 — and we’ve been slowly but surely remodeling it … at least when we have the free time between salvage projects! I’d love to see photos of your home sometime. I truly believe that old homes are still around because of the old wood used to construct them. They may be in dilapidated condition because they’re abandoned but they’re still standing. We sometimes see lumber where the nails have rusted through before the wood is damaged. Truly amazing.
Absolutely love what you do. Seriously, if you are ever in the DFW area and need an extra hand please look me up!
We absolutely will! We’re only a few hours away from DFW — if you ever feel like working for a few days, we’re always looking for hard workers, and we have a spare bedroom. Or, if you and your family feel like a weekend drive, we’d love to meet you and show you around.
Kim
P.S. I started reading your blog last night. I’m so impressed!
Thank you!! I actually grew up in Columbus TX off of 10. We moved to the DFW area when I was 13. We’re in Bryan several times a year. My husband’s boss has a ranch in Navasota that we go to. I would love to meet you!
We have so much in common, and I would love to meet you one day also! I’m very familiar with Columbus — I’ve traveled through there on my way to visit my sister who lives in El Campo, and I explored the town thorough a few times when I considered moving there years ago when I was still single. I lived in the DFW area — Farmers Branch, Irving, Addison, Carrollton — for about a decade in my 20’s. I think Navasota is such a pretty town. Such pretty old houses!
We definitely need to meet! My parents and grandparents lived in Columbus their entire lives and Cat Spring TX. I also have several relatives who still live in and around El Campo. I also have several relatives buried at the Swedish cemetery there. We’re the only ones who live “up North”. haha
Agreed! We must!