Savannah Ga Photos & Information > Ardsley Park Homes and A Few Downtown Savannah Photos (99)
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Ardsley Park is a great centralized location in Savannah. It is about five minutes to downtown, about 20 minutes to the Tybee Island beach and about 5 minutes to the southside. -
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The home styles in Ardsley are an eclectic mixture. During this time there was a return to colonial styles, and there was also the influence of the arts and crafts movement.
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Brick was a common exterior material duing this time. One of the lures of the older homes built in the
1930s and 1940s is the solid construction. Look at the rafters in these older attics, then go to the nearsest construction site and compare the difference. Although, there are still construction differences that need to be considered -- old is not always better if it hasn't been updated -- the following is from Realestate.com:
1900 – 1940
• GREEN LUMBER – Ever wonder why old houses have so many unusual twists and turns? Much of this is the result of “green lumber”, wood that was never kiln dried. Between 1900 and 1920, it was common to use lumber that came right from the saw mill as the kiln drying process had not been developed. As a result, this lumber shrank, twisted and turned resulting is some pretty interesting wall and floor shapes. The good news is that this is mostly a cosmetic defect. Think of it as house personality!
• KNOB & TUBE WIRING – Around 1920, it became standard practice to install electrical wiring in homes. This wiring was called “Knob & Tube” because it was strung alongside wooden framing on ceramic knobs and run through lumber via ceramic tubes. If you spot some of this in your home, get rid of it. Knob & Tube wiring is unsafe for a bunch of reasons and should be completely replaced.
• STEEL WATER SUPPLY PIPES – Used from 1900 until around 1940, steel plumbing pipes worked well for the first 20 years or so, then they began to rust shut much like a clogged artery. If the reduced water pressure doesn’t force you to change them, the bursting pipes will. If you spot steel pipes in your house, you might notice white spots on the outside. Don’t touch them. The white stuff is a mineral salt deposit that got left behind by the leak which you’ll soon discover once the mineral “scab” falls away!
• BALLOON FRAMED WALLS – Old homes were commonly built with studs that were two stories. This was known as balloon framing. The downside is fire. In a balloon framed wall, fire can rush up through two stories in no time. The solution is to install “fire blocks”, short pieces of two by four lumber installed horizontally between wall studs. This slows the fire and buys precious time to get out.
• UNINSULATED WALLS – Before 1940, insulated exterior walls were a rarity. Insulating the attics wasn’t much better. If you had any insulation at all, it was usually just an inch or two. Today, blown in insulation is a good option. By drilling a small hole in each wall cavity, a pro can blow in insulation that fills the space and warms your home.
• UNLINED CHIMNEYS – Between 1900 and 1920, chimneys were commonly made of brick and had no terra-cotta clay liners. If you look up your old house chimney and see just brick, it might be very dangerous to use it burn wood and it might even be unsafe to use to vent your gas or oil furnace. The solution, get it relined or build a new one.
• PLASTER ON WOOD LATH – Plaster walls, constructed by attaching thin pieces of wood to wall studs and then covering them with several layers of wet plaster, was the standard up until around 1935. The problem with these walls today is that they are weak and usually badly cracked. The solution is to either completely remove or replace the plaster with drywall, or to skin them by nailing new drywall over the old walls.
• ASBESTOS HEATING PIPES AND DUCTS – Unfortunately, asbestos was the insulation of choice for heating systems up until the 1940’s. On hot water systems, a version that looks much like corrugated cardboard was wrapped around straight pipes and a wet plaster like concoction was packed around the elbows. This stuff can be downright dangerous. If you still have asbestos on your old heating pipes, contact a pro to get it removed, then reinsulate with a non-toxic product. Whatever you do, don’t do it yourself! Asbestos fibers are so fine, you could easily contaminate your entire house with these cancer causing fibers. -
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Porches are big in the south, especially in Savannah, GA -- for you history buffs - http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CLASS/AM483_97/projects/cook/first.htm
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Notice the broken pediment over the impressive front door.
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Simple and homey -- one of the charming characteristics of Ardsly Park is the homey feel you get from the styles and the mature landscaping.
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Tudor, perhaps? Maybe this will help -- Recognizing the Tudor style
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Now this a porch my wife would love. -- Building a porch
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The squat columns give this one an arts and crafts feel.
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I love tile roofs and the Spanish flavor. A little tile roof info.
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There is something about the large oak trees that give me a calm feeling. Savannah GA is filled with giant live oaks.
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Some of the Savannah GA streets are lined with oaks and rows of azaleas. The azaleas only bloom for a short period of time, but they are beautiful for that time. The homes along these streets are enhanced by the surrounding -- this is, again, what makes Ardsley Park special.
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