# Amish-built home - questions??



## LuLuToo (Dec 19, 2015)

We drove a couple hours (each way) today, to see an Amish-built/occupied home. The home is only a couple years old. From everything we've ever heard, their homes are built with top quality supplies and top quality workmanship. That really didn't seem to be the case. 

The walls aren't finished. We knew the upstairs wasn't completely finished, but we didn't expect to find the dry wall not even finished downstairs. No woodwork - no trim around windows, no baseboard, etc. Is this typical?

My biggest question, though, is about what we saw upstairs. The home is about 1600-1800 sq ft, plus a basement. So, the upstairs is about 800-900 sq ft. Right in the areas which would split the upstairs into thirds, there were heavy duty steel cables from the roof down into the floor and back up. When asked about it, the wife said that because the Amish have church services in their upstairs, they use the cable to strengthen the floors - just in case. She said there is no problem, but they want to be sure the floor would never give under the weight of so many people at one time. Has anyone ever heard of that?:shrug:

The rafters in the basement look good - except that they just come together on top of the support pole, instead of overlapping and being bolted together.:kiss:

They seem to have answered all questions honestly on the disclosure form. They indicate the block foundation/basement does leak a bit during heavy rains (today was a downpour all day and it was dry), that there is a tiny bit of mold starting in one spot in the basement, etc. 

What say ye? Should we :runforhills: when we see something like this?? We are going to pass on this one due to the lay of the land. We want something a bit less hilly. 

LuLu


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## mustangglp (Jul 7, 2015)

Hmm does it have electricity?


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## LuLuToo (Dec 19, 2015)

No electricity. No plumbing. No furnace. No septic tank. They heat with a wood burning stove that also functions as a cook stove. We figured it all into the price of the place. The asking price is not bad, at all, so I think all of the other stuff could be done. Of course, the land cannot be changed and it is not to our liking. I am wondering if it is worth looking into other Amish homes, though. Is this cable thing common? Or have they tried to bolster an otherwise weak floor?

LuLu


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

Were you able to see the 2nd floor joists or was the ceiling finished on the 1st floor?


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## Agriculture (Jun 8, 2015)

If you are going to pass on it, then why the heck does it matter? Why do you need to look for things to worry about? The floor will hold for 200 years, or it will collapse tomorrow. So what? It won't be your house either way.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

All houses are built different by different people. All you can do is go look at other ones and see if they are the same, or different.. I'm betting some will be much better, some will be much worse.. I'd not even think about this place any more since you said you don't want it because of the land.


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

The Amish or best known as barn builders, Nuff said...


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## LuLuToo (Dec 19, 2015)

cc-rider said:


> Were you able to see the 2nd floor joists or was the ceiling finished on the 1st floor?


No, the ceiling was finished on the 1st floor. 

LuLu


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## LuLuToo (Dec 19, 2015)

Agriculture said:


> If you are going to pass on it, then why the heck does it matter? Why do you need to look for things to worry about? The floor will hold for 200 years, or it will collapse tomorrow. So what? It won't be your house either way.


It really doesn't make one bit of difference on this particular house, but you may notice that I did ask if anyone has ever heard of this building method or if we should run if/when we see it. So, perhaps, the answer therein is that we wouldn't mind looking at a few more Amish homes, but would like to know if the cable running from joist to floor is a common and sensible thing to look for in an Amish-built home or if we should run when we see it. 

Have a great Christmas!

LuLu


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

My guess is you won't see another with the cables, reinforcement for the extra weight. If they can build a barn to hold up, a house should be easy. To the rest of US some of the materials and craftsmanship can look crude. They use a lot of rough cut sawmill lumber. Can't imagine anything they build not being built stout enough....James


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I think it was a good question, whether they are interested in that particular house, or not. I'd be curious, too. 

I can't say that I've ever seen the upstairs of amish homes before, but I wouldn't have thought they'd need a cable. However, I have NEVER heard of church services being held UPstairs. They have huge rooms downstairs for church services, or use their barns. The upstairs are for bedrooms. That part would make me nervous because it doesn't seem too truthful.


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## andrew3d (Jun 23, 2002)

If they were concerned about it holding up to the combined weight of their worshippers, why did they even start meeting upstairs? 

I wouldn't buy any house where the previous owners felt they needed a cable as insurance to keep it together. :shrug:


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## LuLuToo (Dec 19, 2015)

andrew3d said:


> If they were concerned about it holding up to the combined weight of their worshippers, why did they even start meeting upstairs?
> 
> I wouldn't buy any house where the previous owners felt they needed a cable as insurance to keep it together. :shrug:


We wouldn't buy anything like that either, unless that is typical of the Amish construction methods. 

LuLu


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

Putting the word "Amish" in front of something doesn't make it any better than something made / built by anyone else. This is just a slick sales pitch line used by some to imply some type of "old world craftsmanship". It really guarantees nothing.

There are good Amish builders and crappy Amish builders, same as there are builders of any other religion or following.

If you have someone knowledgeable in construction or the trades that you trust, take them to look at the place and follow their guidance.


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## LuLuToo (Dec 19, 2015)

Fishindude said:


> Putting the word "Amish" in front of something doesn't make it any better than something made / built by anyone else. This is just a slick sales pitch line used by some to imply some type of "old world craftsmanship". It really guarantees nothing.
> 
> There are good Amish builders and crappy Amish builders, same as there are builders of any other religion or following.
> 
> ...


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## KentuckyDreamer (Jan 20, 2012)

I looked at a few Amish homes in Central Kentucky. I was very disappointed for the reasons you noted. I got the feeling the house was not as important as the out buildings. One Mennonite woman said her unfinished type house was the norm for her. She said plain, unfinished, was fine for raising children. The only things I loved were the barn and the outside ice building.


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## LuLuToo (Dec 19, 2015)

KentuckyDreamer said:


> I looked at a few Amish homes in Central Kentucky. I was very disappointed for the reasons you noted. I got the feeling the house was not as important as the out buildings. One Mennonite woman said her unfinished type house was the norm for her. She said plain, unfinished, was fine for raising children. The only things I loved were the barn and the outside ice building.



Don't you find that odd? I know I did. I guess I thought that anyone who could make all that lovely furniture and build phenomenal houses (I have family members who had their homes built by Amish builders) would have the best construction in their own homes and beautiful furniture. Wrong.

LuLu


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