TYPE OF WALLS OF 1900 HOME

Most walls in a 1900 house have sheathing

boards on the exterior side of the wall

studs. Is this what you mean? Sheathing is

usually character grade wood in oak, chestnut or pine. If you need something

like that, I might be able to help.

G reiter

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Hey thanks, I'm really not sure. I see some articles and shows where there are thin strips of wood 2 inches wide and spaced 2-3 inches apart or so and I think it is lath (sp) walls, but mine is solid horizontal boards 8-10 inches wide. You could nail in a nail anywhere with out looking for a stud and most of the times you will bend a nail. I am not looking for a replacement for the boards , but looking for a technique of painting them, but don't know what the basic construction technique is. I know there is lots of info on the net if I can just get the terminology correct. Thanks for your help.

Sometimes boards are found on walls that have been replaced or added later. There are several guesses. The best guess is that that is what they had for materials. Ship lap or Dolly Varden siding was used commonly in thase days for boarding in, especially where the exterior may have been decorative. More in outbuildings such as garages where they needed no insulation or other structural specialties. In your case being on the house it may have been done after the house was first built such as an addition or an old porch. Educated guesses are the mainstay of a good remodler. Check with your local building dept. and see if there were any permits pulled over the years for such a project. Good luck MJH

Hehe...This is so funny to read this now in 2018. Those horizontal boards that you couldn’t find any information on are shiplap. Today people will purposely strip down their walls to get to that shiplap and paint it white (chalk paint is common), or more commonly add it on top of their drywall and paint it. Much like 1970’s panalling, only horizontal. In fact it is such a common trend today, it has become tiresome and too trendy! You can thank Fixer Upper for that!

Hi , My moms house was built in the early 1900 . I notice that the wood in the attic , horizontal wood plank loot chard . Is that w technique carpenters used back then .? The house is in Illinois . I will try to post a picture

I'm currently trying to clean the walls in my uncle's 1880 home and it didn't feel like drywall at all, and is impossible to clean! It's not wood though, anyone have a guess at what it might be? Feels like very hard drywall, but you can't scrub it for anything. If I knew the material I might be able to clean it.

Sounds like plaster. YouTube Lath and Plaster removal and you'll see how the walls are constructed.

Sounds like plaster. YouTube Lath and Plaster removal and you'll see how the walls are constructed.

I have some unique paneling inside my 1899 house. It was covered in drywall when I discovered it. Fairly sure it’s original since there is extremely old traces of wallpaper attached to it that just dissolves when I touch it. They are about 6” wide and maybe 8’ long. But only about 1/4” thick. Possibly pine but possibly cedar. I know most pine from this era can be orange. I believe it interlocks but can’t remember the mechanism. Maybe tongue and groove.