idea's / uses for old cast iron hot water radiators.

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I have the go ahead to tear anything I want out of an old house in town, and I'm going to have a blast doing it. There are some very heavy items in it, including the cast iron hot water radiator system. Immediately I thought about using them in my yet to be built greenhouse, or in my yet to be built home, but I'm unsure of their quality. A friend had been living in the house until quite recently, but the hot water system had succumbed to a freezing at some point before he moved in, and was not operational. The house has been heated by a couple of woodstoves for the past few years. One of the radiators was sitting in a shed, open to the road, and one day, while my friend was in the yard, a guy drove up and asked about the radiator, and whether there were more. After finding out that there were many in the house, he said he'd buy the lot for $500.00. Would it be wiser to locate a buyer, and liquidate the items, or try to make use of them myself? Is there any other uses that you can come up with, let me know.

-- roberto pokachinni (pokachinni@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002

Answers

Don't know about uses for the radiators but I would love to get into that house too !! How about the kitchen...cupboards, stove ?? The old bathtub ?? How about the cement wash tubs in the basement too !! Just let me there with my old pick up truck !! You can probably salvage a lot of really nice things...any stain glass windows in the house ?? Stairways ?? Good Luck !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), March 17, 2002.

Thanks for your support Helena. I'm really excited about the project too. I'm going to take time off work to get the job done right, as it will be demolished completely with large machines in very short order. My plan is to salvage the windows, the brickwork from the fireplaces, the fir hardwood floor(damaged as it is), the ceramic bathtub, the ceramic laundry sinks, the stairways, the beautiful panelling, all the drawers(maybe the cupboards). I want to go onto the roof, and rip off some shingling to see if it's useable plywood, tongue+groove, or what. The owner is taking the stoves, and a few doors. I will take the rest of the doors, maybe the insulation from the attic, maybe the entire roof rafter/ceiling joist arrangement, and the floor underlay/joist arrangment... leaving just enough to hold the structure together as I haul it all out, basically. then there's the yard. The landscaping is 70 to 80 years old. Many interesting plants from Europe, and Eastern Canada. The roots on the rhubarb that sprung up after the machine bulldozed part of the lot were bigger than my thigh. I will be as thorough as I can, for the benifit of my recently aquired property. I hope that you come across a bounty of this value, as well.

-- roberto pokachin in B.C. (pokachinni@yahoo.com), March 17, 2002.

Based on past experience as a plumber I'd say if you can get someone to haul them off AND pay you 500 bucks it's a miracle. Most plumbing contractors have to break them up and pay to haul them to the dump.

-- Ken in Maine (kenjan@pivot.net), March 17, 2002.

Isn't cast iron one of the more valuable scrap metals? I'd guess $500 is a pretty good rate as scrap. I'd grab it and save the hassle.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), March 17, 2002.

alot fo that old stuff, people are buying, and putting in new houses,, for nostalgia I guess,, saw an old cast iron bathtub,, with the "feathered feet" go for 1000 bucks at an auction

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), March 17, 2002.


How about old door nobs, switch plates, light fixtures, and of course solid wood doors. What a treat! I have an old house and when I bought it I asked that the previous owner leave all "junk". What a blast.

Susan

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), March 17, 2002.


Around these parts, what you are pulling from the house is called archetectual salvage. This seems to be the rage, with at least two or three archetectual salvage businesses in the Indianapolis area. I know of two in Louisville, KY. Many people that are restoring old houses use these businesses for additional items. New construction often uses these old house parts for a nostalgia look and feel. Cabinets, wood trim and moldings, sinks, claw foot tubs, commodes, wood flooring, built in china cabinets, hinges, door knobs and all hardware, windows, sashes, ballistrades, newel posts, antique light switches, old ceiling lights and fixtures, register covers, windows, sashes, weights, old distorted glass, transoms, cobels, brackets etc. are just a few of the items that might have significant monetary value.

Don't forget about the scrap value either. Copper wiring and pipes, aluminum siding, doors and storms are worth a small fortune. I made about $150 just scrapping out the metal from 2 tiny houses in about four hours.

I would strongly suggest finding one of these business, visiting it, and learning about what might have more monetary value to someone else than just for your own re use.

My suggestion is to do your homework, and buy a large framing hammer, several sizes of pry bars, and a Milwaukee Sawz-all.

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), March 17, 2002.


And Roberto..dont forget to check the mantles if there are any!! I bet they are pulling away from the wall some and if they are. ..there is treasure there!! Good Luck

-- Lynn(MO) (mscratch1@semo.net), March 17, 2002.

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