What to Expect Working on an Older Greenville Home
Plaster, settled frames and other honest surprises
Homes off Augusta Road and in Converse Heights are built better than most things built since. They are also full of surprises.
Plaster is not drywall. It repairs differently, it cracks differently, and hanging anything on it needs the right anchor. Treating plaster like drywall is the most common mistake we undo.
Trim profiles nobody stocks. Matching a 1940s casing means either milling it or finding the closest stock profile and being honest that it is close, not identical. We will tell you which one you are getting.
Doors that have moved with the house. An older door that will not latch usually has a frame that racked, not a bad latch. The fix is adjustment and sometimes rehanging.
Wiring predating grounding. Two-prong outlets throughout are common. GFCI protection is the practical answer, and where it needs more than that, it needs a licensed specialist.
Floors out of level. It is not a defect, it is a ninety-year-old house. It does mean built-ins and cabinets get scribed to fit rather than set square.
The upside: the framing is usually real lumber and the bones are excellent. Most of what these houses need is finish work, not structure.
Send photos of what you are dealing with. Older homes are our favourite work.