What's Wrong with My House - Traditional Tweaks

Brent helps a 1970's house come to life.
Be sure to check out Brent's podcast. Its available on Apple and Spotify. He teams up with Richard from Finish Carpentry TV to chase after the Passion for Craft! Passion for Craft podcast is also on / passionforcraftpodcast
Also, you might want to find all the extra content on the Patreon page. A lot of great learning tools all the time to help you become a better craftsman and builder. / passionforcraft
Also check out our webpage: www.passionforcraft.com
Here are a collection of books used in this talk in my Kit.Co library: kit.co/brenthu...
Here are more great books to check out on my Amazon associates page:
Design book for houses 1920- Architect Small House plan book: amzn.to/37XWaUI
500 Small houses of the 20's- Good designs for period revival homes: amzn.to/3DiH3kh
Samuel Chamberlain's drawings of Rural France: amzn.to/3utg15G
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Brent Hull
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[@renuing]

Really enjoying this series. To my eye, this was the most improved yet. Changing to the gable roof made a tremendous difference, really awesome! Love the explanations of why you chose to do what you did too. Thanks a lot

[@BrentHull]

Glad to hear it. Thanks.

[@EAP2films]

I really appreciate this mode of video and it's my favorite genre of Brent's presentations. I have a 1911 traditional, yet very low style house with a lot of confusing and poorly conceived trim details. I'm trying to fix the place and learning and every bit of this helps. I'm grateful.

[@BrentHull]

So glad to hear it.

[@KenYamaguchi-sg5zr]

Another gem from Brent Hull, the king of building, architectural & design consultation! Thank you!

[@BrentHull]

Wow, thanks!

[@LogansRun314]

I poopoo dormers a lot, but in some instances they're needed and hopefully functional. That entrance was WAY too grand... great job with that and the columns! My favorite improvement was definitely the hip to gable with smaller dormers. I can watch these vids all day.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@rodeopenguin]

If you have to modify the roof that much to extend the porch you could do a Mount Vernon style porch roof. Either way it’s a big change. Lots of cool options.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. Thanks

[@JoshPiland]

I just keep learning. The simple hand drawings on trace paper is pragmatic-it’s something I’ve adopted. Remember your picture of maybe your parents’ den or family’s? You did the perspective drawing video on the room to show what could be. This video reminded me of that “what could be” if you know the excellent. Thanks for teaching Brent, I look forward to your book and hope I get to work on a project with you someday!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks so much!! I'm glad these help.

[@chuckhardesty]

It's great to see how a seemingly nice house can be made better with just a few tweaks.

[@BrentHull]

Nice. Thanks.

[@tc9148]

So interesting to hear the discussion on width-to-height proportion of the porch columns. The 1:7 or 1:8 proportion of Tuscan columns is fascinating. Most new homes I see with 10’ ceilings use 10” square Tuscan columns. That’s a 1:12 ratio. Columns too small? Should be 12”, 1:10, or 14”, 1:8?

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. Proportions. matter.

[@user-xp2op8gs7c]

I really think you will enjoy taking a look at my house. I have the blue prints as well. But they ran out of money building it so alot of details wasn't complete. Everything is odd numbers: 9 columns, 3 dormers, 29 windows. Just a funny detail. Just let me know how to get you everything. It's in Baton Rouge

[@BrentHull]

Happy to see it. [e-mail] Thanks.

[@adamr1637]

Great to see the creative process using correct proportions and elements! Thanks for sharing!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for watching!

[@pointnemo369]

Thanks to you once again another home saved! The house has a grander presence. It's hard growing up and all the other houses making fun of you. sniff.... he's all grown up now.

[@BrentHull]

haha. Thanks.

[@hey_enji]

Thank you for teaching us the scamozzi ionic capital. Definitely will be looking out for them now ❤

[@BrentHull]

Your welcome.

[@jamesstuart3238]

I love this series as it's basically a whole class. I'm really trying to take his information into the woodwork I do. Now I just need more clients interested in classic design and this type of work!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@gjacobson76]

The smallest details add up to take the house from blah... to wow. This series is one of a kind. Great work, Brent!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for watching.

[@valkyrie568]

As soon as I saw the thumbnail for this video I thought someone was trying to re-create the Sear's Magnolia. Apparently I'm not allowed to post a link but it can be found at searsarchives 1915-1920. I really like this series of your videos. You've definitely helped me to pin down WHY I like the 1918 version better. Keeping the hip roof, but dropping down to only one dormer, the single front door, and fewer columns and upper balcony emphasizing the entrance really work- very clear hierarchy. And it creates actual corners so their capitals would work. And like you pointed out, a deeper porch is necessary; this one is 10 feet deep. Even though the dormer window is horizontal overall, the individual panes being vertical make a huge difference. Your adaptation is a definite improvement, but I wouldn't want to lose the hip roof.

[@BrentHull]

Good feedback. Thanks.

[@robnarley]

Awesome transformation. I really hope we get to see photos of the real thing if and when it is done!

[@BrentHull]

Ok. Thanks.

[@JordiShill]

I love this series. I am binge-watching these, what a great idea. I love it.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks.

[@Gab_deb]

Another amazing makeover. Thanks, Brent!!

[@BrentHull]

My pleasure!

[@Indylimburg]

I think squaring the dormers at the top rather than being pitched would look imposing and refined as well as compliment the overall squared look of the house.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks!

[@secondarycontainment4727]

I absolutely love this format. Please keep them coming! I'm learning so much from this - I really like how the nomenclature is completely new to me.

[@BrentHull]

Good to hear. Thanks.

[@wickedmessenger1]

With that wider-appearing roof--which is a huge improvement-- you should spread out the dormers and probably add 2 more, all of them lined up with the windows below. The ends of the face of the roof are too large an expanse of shingles if you stick with just three.

[@BrentHull]

Noted. Thanks.

[@andrewj464]

Simple and clear explanation, with the result being completely transformative. Please let us know when we can pre-order your book; it will be great to read your perspective on a wide range of mill-work, condensed from a multitude of sources.

[@BrentHull]

Thank you! Will do!

[@RonRobertson-lafrance]

My whole life I've been bothered by bad proportions. To me they're instantly noticeable, and pretty much always have been. Now I can see the rationale for what until now was not defined in my mind as to why so many things looked disproportionate. You have a great series here! And yes, your improvements for that house are transformative. The original is fake looking and to my eyes all wrong. It'd be great if they did what you suggest.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks so much.

[@kevinvanzanten2194]

You have improved the elevation of the house, so much more pleasing to the eye

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for watching.

[@reneemarvin3230]

Fantastic - I love the sketch with the trace paper and all of the architectural vocab which I study but don't always remember. I follow you on IG and now I've got your videos. Very nice. Thanks

[@BrentHull]

Wonderful! Welcome.

[@spencer04629]

Another masterclass, great improvement Brent!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for watching.

[@kareng8033]

Another amazing transformation!

[@BrentHull]

THanks for watching.

[@RenovationFarmhouse]

Great to learn from watching you explain/draw simultaneously. Keep it up!

[@BrentHull]

Will do. Thanks.

[@crossroadschronicles4647]

It looks much better

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for watching.

[@jamieomeara7686]

Looks amazing👏 made a major difference I love your attention to detail.

[@BrentHull]

THanks!!

[@kellymoran5409]

wow !! What a huge improvement!!

[@BrentHull]

Thank you.

[@robertbamford8266]

Better? Ha! Artistry. It looks like you left the shingled (slate?) roof. Very instructive analysis.

[@BrentHull]

Good to hear. Thanks.

[@jelsner5077]

These are great changes on an unlimited budget. I would leave the roof as is and gotten rid of the center dormer. I agree that the other two dormers could be reduced. The center Palladian window is grossly out of proportion. I would keep it but much reduced in size. Also reduce the front door and I would suggest a straight transom above the door. Your other suggestions, like extending the width of the porch, etc are excellent, but they would be crazy expensive to implement.

[@613kc]

" crazy expensive to implement." For a working man I Agree! What would the Total Cost of this Project be? ( Start to finish; turn key.) A median price Home in my area is $360 k. Is that abt right or am I dreaming?

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@BrentHull]

This would cost 250k ish on a million dollar house...

[@jelsner5077]

@@BrentHull That's much less than I thought.

[@j.frankparnell3087]

Great series! Loved the improvements on this one.

[@BrentHull]

Nice! Thanks for watching.

[@matthewhicks6895]

Great video. Your knowledge and vision can’t be matched. Haven’t found another channel like yours.

[@BrentHull]

I appreciate that!

[@KCKingdomCreateGreatTrekAgain]

Looks great. Personally I never liked two story rooms. I always see it as wasted space you could’ve put a room in on the second story. I have to admit those old two story entrances with the grand staircases are pretty awesome looking though.

[@BrentHull]

Good stuff. Thanks.

[@t.e.1189]

Yes, definitely looks better.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks!

[@mrBDeye]

You are spot on. The hip roof on that house just doesn’t work well. To do it right will cost the homeowner a lot of money.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. Thanks.

[@jonboy8181]

I love these. Thank you. 🙏

[@BrentHull]

You are so welcome!

[@jonboy8181]

I should send you a pic of my typical 60s ranch. Love to see what you’d come up with!

[@roberthansek6732]

Really enjoy seeing your vision on these houses, very interesting and educational.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for watching.

[@ivonekowalczyk5823]

These are wonderful videos! I love learning about great craftsmanship. Can you inform us more about built in's? Bookcases, credenzas etc that some houses have and sone do not and what was the golden age? Thanks for all you do!

[@BrentHull]

Sure thing!

[@nikond90]

very helpful

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for watching.

[@nathanmiller1948]

Really love these Brent. Keep them coming!

[@BrentHull]

Will do! Thanks.

[@flybyav8tor]

These series are great! I just bought a 1850 farmhouse that’s been in our family since 1930. A great uncle removed most of the historic fabrics and details. Then added an addition that is not proportional to the two over two farmhouse. I want to rework the exterior addition and add another addition on the back of the home. How can I submit a project for consulting?

[@BrentHull]

Send me an email to [e-mail] with pics. I have an hourly consulting fee with a 10 hour minimum but tweak videos go into a different pile and I get to those when I have time. Thanks.

[@oltedders]

What architectural details Brent? This is some builder's guesswork of what he thinks an antebellum plantation house looked like. Those columns are phone poles with volutes. Are the owners actually going to rebuild the entire front of the house and order up custom made columns that are in scale? Rebuild the roof and replace the dormers? What a mess! They should have had an architect design the house in the 1st place.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for watching.

[@mbryan4964]

Window sizes....😶 Master Builder, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternally great construction. Also, pure gold stand-up: "...and I hate when people kinda invent this new style." "...this weird roofing detail...and I don't know why it's there." 😄

[@BrentHull]

haha, thanks agreed!

[@Fedgery007]

Love these vids!

[@BrentHull]

So glad! Thanks.

[@ryansoo4000]

Great video! Since this is a consultation (presumably you were asked by the owner of this house) what is the likelihood that they are going to implement your suggestions? Some might be quite easy, but other, like ripping off a hip roof and going to a gable design, would require a lot of work and money. Also, in looking at the original photograph, it appears that the second floor windows go right up to the underside of the porch roof. If the cornice is increased in size (height) as you suggest won't the porch ceiling therefore be lowered, and if so wouldn't the windows have to be lowered as well (or made smaller), or would you recommend raising the entire roof??

[@BrentHull]

This house was a picture I took 15 years ago. It is not a project. FYI. I'm not sure i would encourage spending money on this house. FYI.

[@valeriej291]

If it wasn’t in the budget to build a whole new gable end roof, could the dormers just go away and still do all the other changes? Would it look decent?

[@BrentHull]

Yes, that is a good idea. Thx.

[@mloewen248]

@Brent Hull You place a lot o emphasis on "looking to the past" for better architectural details, etc. Have you ever seen a modern interpretation or trend that you think adds or improves on historical practices?

[@BrentHull]

Good question. I'll need to think about it and let you know.

[@Hakaze]

A bit hard to judge this one, without more pictures of the original. The old roof had the advantage of creating an illusion of depth, while the gable roof made the proportions of the entire house kinda big and imposing. Extending the porch was probably the right thing to do, but I allways thought that type of overhangig roof looks a bit off. Maby because I'm most used to se colums on the gable end, or just in a symetrical way. I like what you did with the dormers, by making the window take up the most of the size, and I know they historicaly were there for the light, but on a lot of buildings they end up needing to be a bit small due to scale, loosing a lot of the usable floor area. I'm torn here.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for the careful response.

[@stevemiller7949]

About 90% of builders don't adhere to the Canon. Or is it more?

[@BrentHull]

Haha, Its more. 99%

[@stevemiller7949]

@Brent Hull It's probably even more but I didn't want to seem snide. The builders probably couldn't care less.

[@rogerhodges7656]

I love the result. If this is a real change and not just a theoretical exersise. These would be very expensive changes.

[@andrewkennedy9704]

He doesn't work for cheap clients. He knows their budget.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks.

[@ltandrepants]

i would have left the hipped roof and remove the middle dormer

[@BrentHull]

That is a good suggestion. Thanks.

[@bradwatson7324]

It’s too bad that this house needs correcting. It should have been built correctly from the start.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed!

[@MountainManFred]

Glad you deleted the hip roof..

[@BrentHull]

Thanks!

[@robertbamford8266]

Better? Sure is.

[@BrentHull]

Thank you.

[@IanZainea1990]

looks great! Dislike modern big houses like this. These and the "doctors office" mansions ... they look so.... corporate and bland ... like... if you're spending millions on a house (which I never will be able to) why the F would you make it look like a doctors office?

[@BrentHull]

Haha, good question.

[@uglysteve1]

I have a very small house but your lessons on scale help me to meaningfully improve it. Thank you for your guidance. Steve

[@BrentHull]

Great to hear!

[@uglysteve1]

@@BrentHull I realize that I am far from your target audience but art is for everyone. When you suggest improvements the house seems to settle and come together. Not many can do this. Steve