We removed all of the existing knob&tube wiring in the house and upgraded the electrical service to 200Amp to support our new induction stove and make room for future electrification of water and space heating. We also insulated the ceiling under the roof and the walls using a mix of Rockwool and Greenfiber cellulose. Both operations “allowed” us to open up spaces that likely had not been seen since the original construction of the house in 1939.
Several of the joists are inscribed with dates and names, among them we found two marked for “Doelger” (that name should ring a bell if you know anything about the houses in the San Francisco Sunset district). Now, I assume this was inscribed by someone at the lumber yard to mark the recipient of the wood, rather then by Doelger himself. Nevertheless, I thought it was an interesting find.
The conduit for the original electrical service still had a faded sticker from the local chapter 6 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union on it, dating it to the year of construction. We had to replace the whole thing with larger conduit for our upgraded service so we cut it out of the wall where accessible and sealed the rest with fire stop foam.
Many other things showed up and were lost to my saw or pry bar such as inscriptions and markings inside the original kitchen cabinetry (replaced), galvanized roof windows (replaced), and original plumbing (partly replaced). Nothing worth much, and all probably pretty familiar to anybody ripping apart old buildings more frequently.
I do enjoy finding these mundane traces left behind by the original building crew or generations of contractors coming in for small odds and ends. Maybe I’ll plant a couple of easter-eggs on my own. Just for the off-chance of making some future builder’s day a little more interesting 🙂