The idea of trying to build better and constantly failing is true almost across the board. At least Chad is trying to bring the world back to some level of reason, one chimney at a time!! Keep doing what you are doing.
I know with a lot of the older houses from the 19th century and earlier for repairs they use a historic mortar mix. Which consists of mainly lime and restoration sand which is a very fine sand and a very small amount of portland.
"We're headed downhill" will get the longest conversation ever started at any bar with guys in the construction and automotive trades. I wasn't there, but I suspect that a hundred years ago more guys in the trades took their skills seriously, partly because there was so much more handwork. Carpenters using handsaws, three-coat plaster on lath wall finishes, poured lead joint plumbing. You had to take your time to do that stuff right. And those tradesmen didn't live very high. A couple of shirts in the closet and food on the table for five or six kids.
I've heard this so many times about the old tradesmen being so much better ect. I can tell you first hand from tearing down sections of 100 yr old schools ect that this is a complete myth. Did they use better materials? Perhaps, but they were no better than us.
"Going to hell in a handbasket" I've heard this so many times in my life, and I love taking the other side of this debate. It's so easy to prove that we have it so much better now than our parents or grandparents. Heck, if my gradfather had the tools I do, he'd have been a millionaire for certain, probably a billionaire when you consider todays inflation. 😉
OK, back in the day people didn't waste time or money prettying things up if it wasn't going to be seen in the final product. But I still am going to say that old-timers had more (also different) skills. As an example, finish carpentry from a hundred years ago. There were lots of built-ins and no power tools. You started with lumber, nails and some millwork. Maybe 5% of the guys doing finish work today could walk in and do that at a production pace. Today, they're mostly installers. But OTOH if you brought in a guy from 100 years ago today, he'd be worthless. You wouldn't be able to get him away from the scantilly clad girls on tv. @@finders-keepers1518
