Old duplexes hide a century of small decisions
A full gut is where you find out what actually happened to a mill-village duplex's plumbing and framing over a hundred years of individual repairs, rather than guessing from the outside. Layout, drain location, and electrical capacity can all be reconsidered together once the walls are open.
Build a complete scope
- What is found behind plaster and lath once the first wall opens
- Whether joists and subfloor need attention before anything is finished
- The waterproofing method and the point at which it is verified
- How old supply and waste piping ties into new work
- Dust control in an occupied older house, cleanup, and warranty
Durham context
Durham combines nineteenth-century tobacco and textile districts, early streetcar neighborhoods, postwar ranches, and fast-growing suburban edges. In neighborhoods like Trinity Park and Duke Park, original bungalow bathrooms are often tucked into odd corners of the original floor plan, which shapes how much layout change is realistic.