[notyouagain]

Re: why we can't build houses like we used to. Even if we employ skilled artisans, we usually do so on 3000+ sq.ft monsters that are totally out of scale with the lots they sit on. There are decent new McMansions but they typically hit the property line on multiple sides and have awful landscaping. Throw in a double car garage and a double height entryway/spiral staircase and no amount of carvings will recapture the atmosphere of the older homes.

Bingo. It's the scale of new homes and the prominence of garages that's the problem. I've seen many Kingsway homes and have always been surprised at how small they seem in compared to newer homes, even the centre hall homes. The other thing you'll notice about the original Kingsway homes is that the single car garage will be tucked in at the back, requiring a long driveway. Newer homes would never waste all that land for a driveway. They would place the garage at the front.

 

[Jarrek]

Apparently, it's the way the walls were originally made. Old houses built before around 1940 allegedly do not have the type of regular wall cavities (created by predictable framing) required for this procedure.

I'm just repeating what I was told, I'm certainly not an expert on the matter.

My house, built in 1958 doesn't have the proper wall cavity either, but it is suitable for this procedure. Back in the day, the outer exterior walls supported the whole house, and it was usually made with a combination of concrete (masonry) and brick. Inside the house, 1x2 or sometimes 2x2 strapping was used to secure the plaster against the concrete exterior walls, leaving a very small cavity. You can tell if a house is built in this style from the outside by looking at the brick. The brick veneer will be a regular pattern, while a solid masonry wall will have every other brick turned in. Just like this:

Now the bricks are just used for decorative purposes, hence why we call it brick veneer, and your typical house is supported by the wood framing.

 

[Malthus]

Thanks, Jarrek. I know that the walls have the arches over the windows, but I've never closely examined the rows of bricks themselves.

The house was built in 1932, so I suspect that the brick walls hold up the house.

 

[Jarrek]

Thanks, Jarrek. I know that the walls have the arches over the windows, but I've never closely examined the rows of bricks themselves.

The house was built in 1932, so I suspect that the brick walls hold up the house.

I'm pretty sure your house is solid masonry. The arches were a common way to protect the solid masonry wall from caving in on the window opening. Later on this method was replaced with a single steel beam above the window opening, which is what my house uses.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Most of older Toronto is cookie cutter boxy houses built right up to the property line with little land. The difference with the new areas is landscaping and the lack of large driveways. Majestic old trees make a huge difference.

I wasn't really talking about comparing new areas with the oldest areas...I was talking mainly about differences within single areas, especially the mid-century areas that are seeing heavy McMansionization, creating a stark contrast between the newer and older architectural and construction styles. McMansions are often offensive when they replace older/smaller houses in the Kingsway or York Mills or wherever, but they are rather benign when located in an Aurora ghetto of exclusively monster homes.

 

[Towered]

Well according to the Etobicoke Guardian, the developer of the proposed condo at Dundas and Prince Edward has won the battle by way of OMB approval, so it's going ahead as planned. Good.

 

[Towered]

Sales centre has been constructed for the controversial The Strand condos at Prince Edward and Dundas.

 

[Towered]

Driving by a few days ago I noticed that the sales office is gone, and all the ads, including the render, for The Strand condo on the boards surrounding the site have been removed, though the website remains. Has this project failed? Mike in TO, got any gossip that you could share?

 

[MuchoGrande]

Driving by a few days ago I noticed that the sales office is gone, and all the ads, including the render, for The Strand condo on the boards surrounding the site have been removed, though the website remains. Has this project failed? Mike in TO, got any gossip that you could share?

My understanding is that the project is in fact "on hold". The prices were very high, perhaps that's why.

 

[urbandreamer]

Looks like the Strand is back...with a name change: http://www.kingswayterrace.com/