The Rhodes Homestead, presumably built in 1670, has certainly seen its share of building evolution. The main house was a two bay, two story studed timber frame, with successive plank frame additions on each side. The client first came to Heritage Restoration to replace 17-1980’s replacement windows. The previous owner gutted the interior, adding 2×3 walls, batten insulation, a layer of plastic, and new sheet rock, and “interpreted” the interior with new moldings(casing and trim). The plastic was a bad idea. Since there was not an exterior air barrier, like tar paper, and the interior plastic vapor barrier made a nice moisture trap to create frame rot. Needless to say, the neglect of the exterior and the frame, coupled with trapped moisture , required the sheathing and frame to be replaced. Heritage completed the removal of two layers of exterior siding, removal of rotting material, and installation of new white oak sills and sheathing. After the sheathing, HRI installed the new plank frame windows with tar paper splines, copper drip caps, a tar paper vapor barrier, and new shingles on the sides and back, and clapboard on the front. HRI also made a quarter sawn white oak board and batten door, complete with new lock sets, a traditional thumb latch handle, and weather stripping.
