Now we are going ALL IN! Rescuing a 120 year old House 

Seeing Smudo "help" with the flooring made my day. And your comment, "Do something dogs do" made me laugh. [edit] Smudo: "Dog? we have a dog?"

Your attitude and optimism are out of this world, Laura. Trained professionals might have given up much sooner, but you are making it happen. I can not wait to see the results of your hard work!!

My wooden house is built in 1914. For the last two years I've been remodeling the bottom floor. I do it all myself and in my spare time, and to be honest I kinda got demotivated for the last months, because I was making so little progress. But now that I'm seeing your series, I got new energy. You have much bigger problems yet you tackle them with great spirit. It's very inspiring. Thanks for sharing your journey Laura.

You are amazing. This is the most realistic home renovation I’ve ever watched because it seems you’re running across every darn thing that can happen to an old home. You are going to learn so much from this.

Now you can insulate the floor and floor heating👍

At this point, I am really wondering what is holding your house up. Well, of course, all the structure isn’t all rotted. Then I remembered reading about straw bale houses that were built out in the great plains over a hundred years ago. Straw bale houses are literally made from straw bales piled up on top of each other, than given a layer of plaster/concrete inside and out. They were cheap to make and super insulated. No one expected them to last that long, or weather so many storms and winters. What they found out is that the plaster/concrete envelope around the straw added tremendously to the strength of the structure. It was not intended to be part of the structural system, but it turned out it was. So maybe the stucco and plaster is helping to hold your house up.

Just love, love, love these videos. Laura you’re incredible in showing ingenuity e.g. the tool to lift floorboards! You and the team are RELENTLESS and determined to get this house how it should be and all credit to you and the guys for persevering each day trying to get the job done🙂

I would love to see you build furniture for this house with the saved wood.

I'm just 'catching-up' on your home renovation. Congratulations on making the tough decision to take the interior to 'bare-bones'. When I worked for a company restoring Victorian Era homes in Denver, CO, USA; we would strip the inside to bare-bones, saving all the architectural details for reuse in the house, and then the Engineer, Architect, and Specialists (Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, etc) would come in and assess what need repairing or replacing. Also at that time we'd see if and how much of the exterior needed to be removed (some had nothing removed, others we stripped down). Then we rebuilt, repaired, upgraded them with some modern conveniences but kept the 'character' of the home both inside and out as traditional as possible. We ran into much of what you're seeing (termites, mice, water-damage, previous remodeling damage). We corrected all that. You're doing a fantastic job and good to see that you're still laughing and looking forward to the finished project... a wonderful home!!! Congratulations

Smudo just KNEW there was a mouse under there. Good puppy, Smudo!

Find your slips and put in a French drain to move the water away from the house. Make sure whoever installs it they put out blow outs. People forget that French drains need to be periodically maintained also. You also need a full fumigation of the house just so you get rid of pest while you work. I find your energy and logic so refreshing to others who are just shocked and frozen by these things.

This series has in part been a time mark to alert me to the passing of another week...thankfully Laura is suffering similar delays as I am with my project, making me not feel so bad. Thank you sister.

That crowbar tool is so awesome!

I discovered your channel when you were exploring the damp in the basement, now I am hooked. I need to know how you manage to solve all these issues. And solve them you will because your determination seems to be boundless! I have total faith that you will work out how to fix these issues once and for all and be comfortable living in this house knowing you didn't just put a patch over the problem like the previous people

For my fellow Americans, Laura is removing the stones from a "storage heater," an electric resistance heater that gives users the capability of heating up the heater when their electricity rate is lower, and store the heat (hence the name) to open the vents and let the heat out, as needed, possibly when the electric rate is higher.

"... if I have the opportunity to be nice, I usually am, because it feels good..." I love ❤️ love ❤️ love ❤️ this attitude and if we could spread this around like Covid the world would be a wonderful place. You're awesome Laura and as always, I appreciate all you do.

My husband is in construction, so I see everything safety wise, those rusty nails, the toxic dust!! I wish I was there to go behind and help. Love your videos.

This is like watching a mystery unfold. Your cheer - even in the face of major surprises - and your ingenuity ("The New Tool") make this one of the best shows to watch on all of television.

I too bought a 120 year old house in Colorado. It has been 5 years and I'm still not done. It has been very hard, amazing and educational. I have laughed cried and thrown some drills. Good luck. I hope you have an amazing journey on your house path as well

WOW, Laura!! You need to market that tool you made!!😁 That thing is wonderful and you could call it "The Kemp" tool😂 Then you would be rich and put all the money back into the house. I'm glad you're doing it right, you'll be so much happier knowing how well you reconstructed your home💗

Aside from the genuine learning experience and the odd satisfaction of watching others work hard, I always really enjoy the great choice of music.

What an amazing opportunity to install in floor heating. There ia so much you can do here. The windows are of excellent quality, you now have the wood to replace the damaged parts. Even here in canada in floor heating. Is god enough and it gets cold

I LOVE your new tool! When I had to dismantle a large outdoor deck after a tree trashed it, I bought a 4 foot crowbar, which worked well. But that tool would have worked better! Glad you're all in - seems like a good choice. And Smudo is an engaging assistant...

Smudo is having the best time helping. He loves this reno!

I am loving this series. Glad you're able to really dig in deep into the house.

Do you have drainage on you to-do list because if it's that rotten and you might have to dig up all around the house. It's kind of a pain, but necessary especially if you want to use your basement as a living/work space.

This haus is being brought back stronger then before and it will be beautiful too, There's a lot of love being poured into this lovely haus.💕

Glad to see that spirits are up this week. I agree that the floor joists running parallel to the underlying I-beam support is counterintuitive, but it may be worth asking a structural engineer about it. Great progress this week! Thanks for sharing!

You are putting together the best videos on RU-vid! Great work ... and good luck with everything!

Excellent job documenting the highs and lows of doing a job right! Thank you for sharing this content - it is very inspiring!

You are a genius when it comes to reusing material in a new way. Your floor board metal remover is perfect for outdoor deck board removal. Please patent it, we need to purchase it. Thanks for sharing.

haha, did the same with the old heating elements in my house :D There is a list (some where on the internet) where you can check if your element has asbestos or not. But people should be carefull with those stones because if they absorb water the chrome inside them might leak and harm your health.

It's so hard to regroup after experiencing setback after setback. I admire your courage and determination to move forward. You're going to have an absolutely beautiful house when you're done.

Damn, so much bad luck Laura! But very interesting to see all the aspects of a house, now that you have to strip it completely. Very awesome to see how you stay positive and keep making jokes no matter what. You’ve got this!

I lost my courage recently, thank you for helping me find my way back to it. What an impact!

Your house is a very similar design to one my Grandfather built in Niederzissen (not too far from you!) after the war. My Grandparents had evacuated to there from Wuppertal. My Grandmother moved to Ahrweiler after she was widowed. She passed away several years ago, but is so sad to see the damage done by the floods to places I used to know as a child on my holidays. I now live in Australia and love your channel. I’ve done exactly the same thing to my legs whilst taking up Lino…it hurts! Grüße aus Australien.

This is such a beautiful house - after the complete gut of rotted wood, infestation and asbestos you will have a fresh clean palette to work your magic! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! ♥️

I love this build series, your attitude and tenacity are contagious. I also live in a 120 year old house that always has terrible surprises in the walls, and watching these videos gives me the encouragement to continue restoring it, just like you are. You are a badass and I respect the heck out of you!

Watching this I'm having flashbacks to a boat we owned for 15 years and was our home for 10 years. She is a 50 year wooden boat. During her life, she had numerous patch-up repairs. Every time we dug into one spot we found more. We just kept plugging and everywhere we worked, we made her a better boat. This is what you are doing with your house. It is a lot of hard work, but it is most gratifying.

I happened upon your channel while scrolling RU-vid. My husband and I live in a 64 year old house that needs a lot of TLC as well. We are also novices where DIY home improvement is concerned, but we're not quite at the point where we can make improvements. Watching videos such as yours gives me ideas and teaches me what I may need to do in the near future. I appreciate your efforts to restore the house back to its original glory...or as much as you can. The skills you learn along this journey can only benefit you in the future. I'm interested to see the transformation as you move forward!

Hey, I don't know, whether you're aware of it and what the situation is in your Landkreis, but I was a bit sceptical about working around a rat/mouse nest without any mask, especially since you have had it in another scene. Of course it's your own decision, but Hanta virus is often underestimated - it can lead to incredibly nasty renal complications. Greetings from Hessen!

Another great learning experience! It was a lot of work, but it's great to have the knowledge of what really needs to be fixed so the house lasts another 100 years.

You obviously love this house. Imagine how much you'll love it when its solid and livable.

Wow. One thing after another!!! They repaired the damage but not the cause of the damage. Your assumption about water coming down the hill is spot on. Are you removing the exterior asbestos or having it done? You will also have to engineer water diversion around the house. Wouldn't make furniture with nail infested old wood. Reuse it in construction. Saw blades cost money. LOL! Don't ask how I know this. Love your resolve and spirit! Eventually you will start recreating your vision!

You guys are superheroes for taking on such a difficult renovation. But I really look forward to every video you upload. Can’t wait to see it finished and a 100%. 🙏👍

You could use those joists you removed to do the wall beam replacement, particularly the rotted ones under the windows! (assuming you decide you don't need them for the floor)

Laura, I've been a builder and remodeler since 1967 and what I would do to see and correct any problems that arose would be to open the walls and floor completely to view. them. Until you do you are only guessing at what's beneath the surface and it's hard to repair. You could try but I would not warrantee the work. I know it is expensive and very time consuming but you want this house to outlast you. You seem to be doing an outstanding job so far and it's nice to see you don't mind getting dirty to do the work. Keep it up, the end is in sight but it's way down the road, you can only get there by taking small steps.

That sweet dog would be working to so cute how he tries to help n pulled the wallpaper too so smart

Brilliant! That tool you made is absolutely brilliant! I laughed right along with you throughout this video. Smudo is great, and he sure knew what he was smelling. Doing it right. That is the best motto and it inspires me to keep watching! It's completely understandable that you were very downcast about the problem, and It's so good to see you with your spirit back!

Having renovated an old house (1912) I now call "character" houses "character-building" houses. Keep on keeping on!

Oh how cute, he wants to help! What a sweet pup.

You’re doing it right. Finding out what needs to be fixed is a huge part of any restoration. Well done!

Thanks for another great video. I suggest keeping those bricks from the heater - they could be useful in a future build. Maybe another bbq? Anyway, thanks for posting, and thumbs up.

Jede Woche warte ich gespannt auf eine neues Liselotte Video ! Das ist einfach so so so interessant und spannend und ich bewundere dich in allem was du kannst und wie positiv du bist ! Danke dafür ❤️! Du inspirierst !

Stepping on a rotten floorboard in a completely rotten corner of the House seemingly only held together by asbestos boards. "I'm happy ...." and not even ironically. Amazing.

Deine Videos der letzten Wochen machen mich richtig emotional. Ich danke dir, dass du teilweise "live footage" mit uns teilst, wenn mal wieder eine Katastrophe aufgedeckt wird und Felix mit der Kamera hinter dir steht. Deinem Gesicht sieht man die rohen Emotionen an. Im nächsten Video dann höchstens kurz ein müder Blick, aber dann sprühst du wieder vor Optimismus und die Stärke, mit der du die Themen dann erneut anpackst, ist echt so beeindruckend. Mach weiter so! Viel Erfolg und alles Gute.

It would be difficult to list all the RU-vidrs that inspire me to tackle projects, but, Ms. Laura, your name would be up top with Jimmy, Bob, and David.

I've got to say, I LOVE this series! Can't wait to see the end result, but love the detailed process. 🏡❤

WOW! Its good to do it once and for all. So doing it right the first time will always pay off!

That tool is AMAZING! There is definitely a market for that design. Quick! Patten it as the L.Kampf ripper! You ROCK! And hang tough.

My husband is a builder; he has taken up floorboards like those and turned them over to use the side that's been in the dark and undamaged, as new boards. It saves the budget and keeps the age of the home in tact. But not if there are worms in them...😎

Suggestion for rough or hot metal surfaces or hurt body parts: if you have some self stick stretch athletics tape, you can use that as a quick barrier. If you need it to be thicker, sacrifice a bit of neoprene or fabric...& more tape. The tape will only stick to itself & not damage any surface. Its reusable even.

Smoot is an intelligent puppy! Your home will be solid and lovely when you are finished! You have great friends, good job!

All I have to say about that drawing, is that it really captured the essence of Smudo!

Hi Laura! Watching these videos on Sunday mornings has become a tradition in my house. I used to own a house from 1927 and can relate to some of the problems you've had. One thing that caught my eye from today's video was how there was no vapor barrier between the dirt and the subfloor. Perhaps it's not needed in this case? I don't know. Also I was wondering if setting up a French drain to divert the water away from that corner would help prevent future damage? I look forward to more updates and wish you luck!

love the tool for removing floor boards!What an awesome idea

“Lots of potential, lots of opportunities “…you’re such a positive role model!

ich ziehe meinen Hut und neige mein Haupt, Laura. Dein Mindset verdient unser aller Respekt.

Really love how even tho it's been a long and frustrating project you're not giving up and you're trying to learn how to do better. It's really inspiring. I'm not an expert but I really believe you're doing the right thing by doing a little bit of "demolition" before you start adding things to the house. Love your job, can't wait to see the house when it's done.

Loved this vid. Had such a good laugh at you, Felix and Smudo 🤣 and then the way Smudo stood inspecting the rotten corner 😄

Oh mein Got! Die Sendung mit der Maus!!!!! It's what I watched when I was very very young, and the way I learned German. That and Lowenzahn. Just had to look it up. loved your rollerpin Christmas card episode I feel old and young all at once. Thanks for the reminder. Keep on making.............. people happy!

I appreciate that unlike so many other (USA based which may play a role here) renovation videos. I appreciate the care and time being taken here to do things right. Your not just running in with a hammer and smashing stuff. Everything seems very deliberate and thought out.

Good decision to do a Kernsanierung. I was planning to do some cosmetics on my old house eventually ending up with only the structural relevant pieces left (many of them were sawdust and therefore obviously not as relevant as supposed)... But in the end it will stay at least a few more generations.

Use the bricks from the heater for a small oven or bbq!!

GO LAURA, GO LAURA! I believe in you and the team.

You are now into the "nitty of the gritty". Reminds my of our old family house. Another kid another "rip and tear".

YOU are more hard-working than all ants in the whole house ;) Very informative, exciting and funny video plus fantastic editing, thanks a lot!

Your fortitude & tenacity are truly inspiring! I'm so emotionally invested in this project. I want to see you succeed!!

Hi, forensic civil engineer and materials scientist here. The construction of this house seems very solid because the deterioration is extreme but there doesn't appear to be much cracking directly above it. My guess is you really just need to fill the gaps in, but it's not a bad idea to make it stronger anyways. For a full-strength repair that's easier to do by yourself, you can fill the rotted sections with fiber-reinforced concrete, and use rebar dowels to bond it to the wood. That's not a standard fix in the USA, but people don't usually repair construction that has this much damage, and bonding a concrete beam into the existing wood would help prevent future moisture damage while minimizing the amount of timber you remove. If you use concrete, you can lock out a lot of the moisture permanently using a "vapor barrier admixture" Another option, since you're comfortable with welding, would be to add steel framing in the missing sections, with cap plates and lag bolts where it hits the timbers.

I love watching your videos so much, so enjoyable not matter what happens. The “helper” today was the star 🐕😁

The editing is really on point. I love it❤

Don't loose your optimism. I love watching your videos and I don't mind if there are another 100 videos coming out about the house renovation...

We love watching your adventure, we have as much work with laundry 😝we watch every Sunday. Love from Denmark/Brazil ❤️

So fun to hear you talk to Smudo! Nice to know I’m not the only one who uses a special tone with my dog.

You might want to look into french drains or similar draining solution to avoid further water-damage :) Its one job where Smudo could be MVP after all ;)

Loving this journey! Doing my own old house in wales. As you had to remove the floor, maybe an opportunity to add insulation? Perhaps insulated limecrete?

Don't know if anyone else has already suggested, but if you don't already have a home for the fire bricks from the radiators, they'd make a really good kiln for firing pottery in, or a forge for blacksmithing stuff! :)

It is possible to take the boards to a lumber mill and run them through a kiln. Use a shorter cycle than drying but a little higher temperature. That kills any potential pests in the wood. Many like the worm holes to get a little distressed look and much cheaper than buying new lumber.

I just discovered (and binge watched) your channel and this reno. Loving it!!! Very inspirational for my own renos here is Australia. xxo

Incredible episode Laura! Good on you for stickin’ with it.

Smudo is representing all of us watching Laura working hard.

I have an old house that I've been in for over 40 years there's always something to do fix or improve but you love it and you want to bring it back to life!

I strongly advocate to remove the entire facade of the house. This will allow you to see damage you won't find from inside. (I assume there is more botched jobs/repairs) and will also enable you to properly insulate the house. Some of the character will be gone. But it's still azbestos. Sooner out later you want to get rid of it.

Once again, Laura and your Team, I feel so uplifted by your work. It's great to be able to see the messy, dirty, surprising stages of your reno. Dead mice, ants, dirt, dry rot...all of it! I love your sharing of the way the house was built and the changes over time, including "fixes"! Love the way Smudo wants to get in there and be part of the action!!! I wonder why you don't wear masks to protect your lungs from whatever is in all that reno dust, especially if asbestos has been used in any of the construction. Love the way you work and I always learn something new from watching you share your work!

Wow! It's crazy how much work this house is! I do love how sarcasm is still sarcasm in any language!

Laura , with having so mutch energie by being young and having the greatest attitude , you’ll comme over the worst obstacles ever !!! For taking everyting out and looking at the damages where they stop , is the best decision for you 👍🏼 For the joinery of the windows , you could do it with dove tails . That way you could glue it in place . If you do it with mortis and tenon joinery , you’ll have to glue it before puting it in place . We know that it will be hell with those walls full of mortar and uneven holes . Any way if you need help with knowing how to do a dove tail , how big and deep . Anyway i have 30 years of woodworking under my belt .

ich könnte deine Videos stundenlang sehen! Wirklich guter Schnitt und Videoführung! Macht richtig Spaß beim zusehen! :D

I love your perseverance and determination. Thank you for sharing this journey with us. I can’t wait to see the finished product. You will be so proud.

Smudo is trying to help! He did such a good job with the wallpaper and he knows he has what it takes now!

Hard to believe you can stay so positive with one setback after another, that is really inspiring. You can spray the ants with soapy water if you want to eliminate them without chemicals. Can't wait till next week. Stay positive.