S2.16 Saving the Front Porch - Rebuilding Gets Underway

www.leaguekemp...
This porch has seen better days. Rusting steel beams, falling arches and that horrible Cat's Claw vine have ganged up to try to take this porch down. There was not putting it off any longer, so work got started, whether we were ready or not.
This once abandoned Victorian mansion is undergoing a massive restoration. Designed by noted architect Nicholas Clayton, this Galveston historical treasure is slowly back to life. Restoration of this historic house is not easy, and the extensive yard and gardens add to the complexity and expense. Preservation of the original features is high on the priority list. Follow the journey from start to finish. It’s a tough, hot, sweaty, and very expensive road but worth every minute of it.
The League-Kempner House is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to saving this magnificent house
The house needs your help to survive. You can donate on our website: www.leaguekemp...
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[@stephenburns3678]

Thank you for what you do.

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

My pleasure!

[@deannaoverstreet4146]

You and Ricardo are a good team! Thank you!

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

I just love him. I am having a little withdrawal. We haven't worked much over the holidays.

[@becky8571]

You are so lucky to have such talented workers! That porch structure is a nightmare! It’s a beautiful house.

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

I am truely blessed. I couldn't have done this without Ricardo and his crew.

[@cherylholasek2193]

What a task. If anyone can do it it’s you and your team. Best of luck with this project. Thanks for all the wonderful videos. 😊

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

Thanks so much!

[@treesofcarolinianontario]

Your workers are awesome :) What a complex repair!

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

I was something to watch. And they did it so fast. They don't mess around.

[@tjbren576]

Working on this house you'll end up able to get a job as a structural engineer! You could have a whole new career!

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

My brain has lost too many brain cells to do any kind of engineering calculations. I left all that behind in college 42 years ago.

[@cheryllakin6736]

That's amazing what you guys did. I really didn't think fixing that porch was possible with the whole upper part of the building being held up by the porch.

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

I didn't either. Ricardo said he could do it and I trust him and he did!

[@JamesPollMaine59]

Do you have a degree in engineering? You are brilliant!

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

Sort of. I have a bachelor's and a master's in engineering technology from Texas A&M. It was kind of like an old school mechanical engineering program. I took foundry, several machine shop courses, wood shop, metallurgy, in addition to all the other math stuff. I loved all the hands-on classes but don't ask me to calculate anything. I remember the theory but not the detail.

[@ManWhoLovesTheMary]

Finally caught up from watching every one of your videos ENTHRALLED by this house and your incredible tenacity and determination to get this house restored and up and running. I recently got a hold of an original 2nd Class dresser from the Queen Mary (crazy to think that I own a piece of furniture from that ship) and at first I was overwhelmed by what it will take to restore it. The solutions you've come up with for this house have definitely helped me to see the practical steps to get it looking as good as it did on the ship's maiden voyage. It was through Caleb's 2nd Empire Strikes Back creator recommendation video that I found your channel and I wish I found it sooner! COPY & PASTE FROM OLD/ORIGINAL VIDEO

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

Thanks again for coming over to the new channel.

[@judithanderson6132]

Woohoo! Congratulations on passing 1000!

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

Thank you so much!! We're on a roll. The 4000 hours of watch time is just around the corner. It will naturally happen as more videos get moved over.

[@joejanczak3014]

The stucco seems to have kept its same color for 130 years! Even when chipped away it's the same color.

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

I sure wish I could match it. I'm dreading having to do the exterior plaster work.

[@joejanczak3014]

@@leaguekempnerhouse Whatever the formula mixture that Clayton directed to be used might be in the Rosenberg files. For the Lasker house, ground up Texas Red granite dust was mixed. A forensic study of the League stucco would reveal its mix.

[@joejanczak3014]

I had helped an engineer neighbor apply Venetian plaster on the interior walls of his house. Very complicated. I'll ask him if we can visit to check it out.

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

@@joejanczak3014 I need to research how to get that done. There is a clear color difference between the original house and the addition.

[@dcallan812]

There really was just hope keeping the front part together Really interesting video 2x👍 I wonder if making two supports that fill 2 arches next to each other, to take the weight off the metal between them. You could then cut the metal work out, fix the issue. Then move the form down one arch and remove that metal fix it and move on.

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

I could do that, but I think I would still have to remove the entire I beam between the floor arches, but it requires removal of the arches on either side and then you are basically removing the entire floor. It is quite the issue. A new floor would be easiest but then I'd lose the tile, which I don't want to do. I'll ponder it some more.

[@dcallan812]

@@leaguekempnerhouse Gosh a new floor would cost LOTs.

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

@DC Allan we just did some more "exploratory" work and I think a new floor is going to be the only option.

[@dcallan812]

@@leaguekempnerhouse Oh more money! What a shame, but I guess its got to be safe for everyone.

[@glenmurdock9143]

Great job by Ricardo and his crew and by you coming up with the method of repair!

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

Thanks 👍 He is amazing.

[@Taliesin6]

aww, i really liked the raw brick arches in contrast with the plastered ones.

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

I love the exposed brick too. It has to be replastered at some point but that's more cosmetic so it will be towards the end of our very long to-do list..

[@nikishazechiel6848]

I do look forward to seeing the porch fixed up! Are you going to keep the "gap" on the east part of the porch? Or are you going to buttress it like you demonstrated?

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

I don't have a final solution yet. Since it is now stable, we've moved on to other problems. At some point it will need a permanent fix.

[@nikishazechiel6848]

@@leaguekempnerhouse I totally understand!

[@johnnieangel99]

You and your team are doing fantastic work

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

Thank you. I love my team.

[@daughterofthemosthigh7777]

Wow great job

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

This was a big undertaking.

[@dragonlove1]

❤❤❤

[@leaguekempnerhouse]

It was a big job.