Chesnut trim in home.

[ben14826]

Hey all, I didn't know where to post this, so here it is. My Fiancee's parents claim that they're house has all of its original trim, and that it is all Chestnut. I have to be a little bit skeptical. First of all how can I tell if it is? Second of all, if it is Chestnut, what kind of value would this add to the house? They paid $40,000 fr the house and land because it was bank owned. The house is a large, really nice house in town, has a couple acres, a garage, and a shed. I don't think they bought it thinking that the trim was Chestnut. It has a LOT of this wood throughout the house, all the doors, windows, and ceiling and floor trim are made of it upstairs and down. There is also a large picture window that is trimmed, and a double custom glass cabinet that reaches around the entryway to the living room. The house was built around 1909 if this helps. I really want to find out what kind of wood it is, even if it isn't Chestnut. There are a couple pictures where you can see the wood I am talking about, but they were taken with my old camera before I had a good one, so they are a little blurry. Post up wit hany ideas or opinnions.

 

[ericjeeper]

I am supposed to tell from dinner pics?

I will need something a little closer.. Like close enough to see the grain.. Not the shishkabobs.. Thanks

 

[ehgauss]

Chestnut trim

My parents' home (built 1934) had chestnut trim. While we don't own it anymore, my recollection is that the grain is quite similar to oak, but the color of the wood is a bit richer with more of a reddish overtone. I stripped the window sills once and refinished them without staining, and that's my recollection of the color. I think the color I've seen on some Stickley Mission Oak is close. I'm sure that it would be a good bet that houses of the 1909 vintage could have chestnut trim. Gene Gauss

 

[sawyerDave]

Chestnut?

I wouldn't rule out chestnut, but we need better pictures. Chestnut is very hard also. If you can dent it very easily with your fingernail, it probably ain't chestnut. :blob5:

 

[ben14826]

I will definitely be getting some better pics, but not until this weekend. Yes the wood looks a lot like oak, and it does have that red overtone. And yes, this wood is very hard, much like oak. If it is chestnut, is it worth a lot of money?

 

[JUDGE1162]

I have all chestnut trim in my house so it does happen, the reason depending on when the house was built, chestnut was cheap due to chestnut blight, they were cutting down tons of chestnut and flooded the market so it became very cheap and was used to make a lot of trim.


SO the fact that they say it is chestnut might be true.

 

[stipton]

Mmmmm....buttered corn on the cob......

I do RE appriasals and did one on this old 1800's home, the owner was the 6th generation to live in it, family raised ringneck pheasants and the home had chestnut throughout. You could tell the age by the worn steps from 200 years of use. Floors, trim and built-in's were all chestnut. A very beautiful home.

 

[ben14826]

So I'm really starting to think that it just might be true. Does anyone have any idea if a home with that much Chestnut would be worth considerably more than a home without it? I can't wait til this weekend to take some good pics. My mom has a Nikon D-50 with a great zoom lens that should do the trick well.

 

[stipton]

Does anyone have any idea if a home with that much Chestnut would be worth considerably more than a home without it?

Real estate wise, no. Two home, all aspects being equal, one with chestnut trim, etc etc and one with pine/oak, the value would be/should be equal.

If you were to take it all out and replace it with oak and find someone who has a 'strong desire' to have chestnut in their under construction home, you could possibly make a buck. There are far to many superior and more economical products available today, one would have to have a chestnut fetish to pay top dollar to utilize recycled wood. I won't say it couldn't happen, I'm just saying be happy you have it and enjoy it for many years to come.

Cost to remove and replace with oak minus sale price of removed chestnut = profit/loss.

j

 

[ben14826]

Real estate wise, no. Two home, all aspects being equal, one with chestnut trim, etc etc and one with pine/oak, the value would be/should be equal.

If you were to take it all out and replace it with oak and find someone who has a 'strong desire' to have chestnut in their under construction home, you could possibly make a buck. There are far to many superior and more economical products available today, one would have to have a chestnut fetish to pay top dollar to utilize recycled wood. I won't say it couldn't happen, I'm just saying be happy you have it and enjoy it for many years to come.

Cost to remove and replace with oak minus sale price of removed chestnut = profit/loss.

j

Great post, Thanx.