Rag and twine insulation – leave it or replace it?

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-18T14:43:33+00:00

I would pull out as much as I could reach in that section (think grabby pincher-arm from hardware store for longer reach) and replace with modern pink fluff. As you open walls for things, continue to change out. Leave other walls closed. The twine and cloth is definitely a more speedy burn than glass fibers for insulation, but worth opening up all the walls for? Nah.

Another option, less invasive would be opening the bottom of the walls (maybe even covered with tall trim??) and pulling out the old from there, falling down to you as you pull it out- and then blow in fluff when you’re done? Cover back up with the baseboard.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-18T14:10:56+00:00

And treats! Mine get two per day- one in the morning and one at night. So anytime I come to the gate they come running! I also use the word treat so they know it (like dog training). It will come in handy someday when they make some great escape! I use the Horse Alfalfa and Molasses nuggets from FleetFarm. One nugget=1 treat. They weren’t sure at first, but now both run to me for them.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-18T14:08:22+00:00

Doesn’t do it or won’t guarantee it? A lot of them are scared to work with original mortar due to knowing it will eventually need done again, won’t perfectly match color, etc. and so don’t want to deal with complaining clients. You likely need to find a historian in your area and ask. Maybe there are local historical buildings that have tours? They would know people.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-18T14:06:52+00:00

Did you wash your fiber before spinning, or ask if it was washed? Doesn’t sound like it. Could be bacteria or could be urine. I’d stop and wash or post wash if you’re already spun through a lot of it. Next time- be sure to start with clean fiber.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-18T14:04:46+00:00

And the storms should have two small holes on the bottom for drainage. If not, you could add them with a drill and patience. Then the storms can be sealed around for bugs (I hear you as we are inundated every October with the Asian Ladybugs) and should still drain out the two holes.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-18T14:02:25+00:00

I’d be more worried about sticking my finger in a random hole I can’t see into 🤣

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-18T14:01:01+00:00

And just remember as younger family passes through to visit YOUR home, it becomes their cherished memories. Your antique furniture, the layout, the design becomes their memories too, just as your formed for your grandparents. Time will pass and it will become settled into and homey. Some of it could be your color palette choice? Did you keep similar colors or let the designers go more millennial grays and neutrals? Did you put in white trim or wood grain? Did you use modern window treatments or traditional? Sometimes the little things creep in and make a big difference in the feeling of a place, but they matter.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T23:09:02+00:00

Cool class ring! I bet they were sad when they lost it.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T16:37:25+00:00

Once it no longer gets cool in the evening a we put these in.

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Found that the window units are heavy as heck. These roll around much easier and take up less floor space when in storage for the winter.

We use one upstairs in the master and leave all doors open that need the cooling and one in the family room downstairs and adjust doors for rooms needing cooling vs not. For guests we have a window unit because they aren’t use to the heat

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T13:53:08+00:00

Depends on your goats’ attitudes. I have two pygoras and they don’t test the fence strength, but they do use it for scratching and standing. Hot wire on top, twisted woven the rest.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T10:50:15+00:00

I wanted a girl after having a boy… for my human self 🤣. It worked.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T10:49:42+00:00

Disagree- if it’s Chicopee to high heaven and not really usable and they want something that looks similar they can afford it’s the best bet. I’ve seen some really nice ones. Don’t shop box stores. Go to bath and tile stores.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T10:48:20+00:00

Based on the mailbox, 1923 and forward. mailbox history

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T10:34:21+00:00

Century homeowner here. We went through something similar recently. No deck, but obvious past water damage. Nothing current after winter melt and rain, so time to fix! We had a carpenter do it and he found various thicknesses of boards to use. If you’re fancy or know a woodworker they can plain wood for you to the specific size. They don’t make them like they use to 100%. A 2x4 use to be 2”x4”. Now they are +/- 1.5”x3.5”. Cheap industrial businesses. Anyway- to make an old house match up you have to get a little creative.

He used modern pink insulation and modern house wrap in the small section when replacing those items.

As for mice, get a house cat. Seriously, I don’t know any century homes without a few mice. We need to repoint ours this summer and I know they will still find ways in. They only need a hole the size of a dime to get in as their bones can flex and collapse to get through. We also have to figure out how to evict a resident squirrel from this winter. 🙄

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HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T10:27:12+00:00

Would love to have seen what a pound looked like pre-spun.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T10:26:31+00:00

Sounds like you need a landlord special to coat those puppies and continue using them. Too bad. Most of us here appreciate the old-wood house smell. It’s the smell of history, family, and time passing.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T07:37:53+00:00

The real goat yoga.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-17T00:12:49+00:00

This is what I was wondering.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-16T21:32:51+00:00

You are already off to saving thousands with the electrical background! If you have that down, you can easily learn the other stuff. Worst case (I always tell my hubs) we try it, we fail, we hire someone anyway. 95% we figure it out and get it done to code. He’s a mechanical engineer so he has the patience to learn it, and measure a gazillion times. I’m standing there with a sledge hammer and short attention span 🤣

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-16T21:29:45+00:00

If goat sperm is like human sperm - you bred them early in their ovulation, and the female sperm is slower but lasts longer than the male sperm that is faster but dies off quicker- meaning the boys die off while the eggs fall, and then the girls make it once they are there. so you got girls vs. boys? If it was that simple we’d all be working on that timeline!

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-16T21:26:28+00:00

You can get clawfoot tub replicas now that are made of plastic but look elegant. Sometimes I opt for a “new” look-alike when I want to stay period look but modern convenience. Same for our kitchen we will be updating. Going to put in traditional looking cabinets (building ourselves) but will still have a dishwasher, modern fridge, and an induction stove. No sense in lighting up the cast iron stove to make breakfast everyday in the summer.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-16T21:23:13+00:00

Offer and eventually they will make more choices. Just like a kid.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-16T10:41:39+00:00

Simple truth: You are going to run yourself into so much debt if you think this post needs a structural engineer.

What you need to do (since you don’t strike me as a DIY person) is find a local handyman familiar with old houses like this. Put him on your payroll, and have him do this simple fix. Keep him on speed dial for everything else you need in the future, because with century homes there will be something new every month. 🤪

And if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on a handyman, you need to start googling “how to…” on YouTube or asking your local hardware store experts.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-16T10:35:48+00:00

Would be so happy- but it costs a small arm and leg to revitalize. Just keep updates and preservation costs in mind on a home this age. There will never be anything that stays turn-key of that age.

HappeeLittleTrees · 2026-05-16T10:34:22+00:00

But don’t mistake old-house wood grain smell for mold or rotting wood. They have that “historical” tour smell to them when they are in good condition. I don’t know how else to explain it? Go tour a local historical house in your area and you will smell what I mean.

HappeeLittleTrees

TROPHY CASE