☞ REVIVE: Central Harlem Reno Walls Revealed

The second house renovation that we have been following is in Central Harlem and the gut renovation first started out over a month ago with removing the 70's wood paneling from the majority of the walls. Paneling is a cheap way to cover up walls in poor condition so it was not that surprising to find the century old plaster and pealing paint hidden underneath.  The Linoleum flooring had also been removed to reveal wood floors that were dry and with varnish worn away for many years.  There was also some asbestos lining some of the walls so the additional cost of its removal had to be factored in.  As for original details, fireplaces were all intact and had been removed for storage while the work was being done but the plasterwork on the ceiling might not get a second chance because of the budget limits (lower photo).  The first phases of gut renovations are the ugliest ones and things get worse before they get better. Stay tuned.