As with all renovations of 120 year old buildings, once demolition starts, you find things that you wish were not there. Some of the issues that came up for us as the walls were being opened last week are multiple broken header beams at the staircase opening, cut joists in the bathroom floors, cloth wiring in many hidden junction boxes, furred out brick load bearing columns (that instead of three bricks have only one), plumbing that is a combination of lead, cast iron, copper, brass, PVC, and stainless steel all intermixed in random ways.
Despite the clients' 10% contingency for the project being earmarked all within the first two weeks, we hopefully have been able to give the client peace of mind that they will be living in a house that is structurally sound, will not have leaking pipes, and the electrical wiring will not burn the house down after the renovation is complete. It always amazes me in these old homes how many safety risks people cover up behind the walls.
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