Advice from someone who learned the hard way: when digging into a project house, talk to someone who can evaluate what needs to be done.  Mandatory house inspections point out obvious problems like wires drooped across a roof, but provide no details on how problems should be fixed.  With an investment as expensive as a house, it pays to hire expertise.  Not wanting to repeat past mistakes,  not long after purchasing our hacienda, I called up friend and long-time neighbor  Bob Graham,  Principal Architect of Motley Design Group, a firm specializing in historic preservation planning in the Southwest.

So one day, early in December, we had our second and third visitors - Bob and his wife, Roberta.  Vistor Number One was the local Fire Marshall, but we don't need to discuss that...

Bob's first recommendation (belatedly)  was to avoid buying a contractor's personal home.  As is borne out by our house, nothing will match because the houses are  built of leftovers from other projects.  Our windows don't match, the bath tub (above, being examined by Bob) is a hodge-podge of different colors of tile and the walls are a mix of poured concrete, concrete block and adobe. On the positive side, the builder took his time with the  kitchen cabinets; details almost hidden under layers of paint hint at a rustic style reminiscent of Charles Loomis.  The door in the picture is constucted of one by fours bolted together and hung with hand-made hammered brass hinges.  If you've priced custom metalwork, you know treasures like these cost more than new cars.

Bob's evaluation of the roof matched Mick's - too flat.  Water doesn't drain; it puddles.  His suggestion?  A high density foam roof to add pitch and some  insulation.  Note: fifty years ago, insulation wasn't considered important; adding it can be a challenge. 

A couple of two by fours propping up floor joists in the basement concerned the inspector.  Bob and Mick agreed that they served no useful purpose.  It appeared that someone stuck them in to firm up the  living room, not realizing that wooden floors inherently have some bounce.  (The rest of the house has concrete floors.)

Bob caught a problem in my plan to demolish the fireplace that ate the kitchen; one of the brick pillars supports a ceiling joist.  His solution?  Leave the pillar or replace the ceiling joist with a longer one and build a support a couple of feet away. 

We learned that adobe needs to breathe.  Unfortunately during the early part of the century, many builders used Portland cement for stucco. The two materials expand at different rates, causing cracks in the cement, which allow water in.  Trapped by the concrete, the water slowly transforms adobe into mud.  The ideal solution is to remove the concrete and replaster with  lime or mud plaster.    Bob suggested the less drastic solution of caulking cracks to seal the walls. 

While Mick and Bob moved on to  the leaning electric mast (needs a stay), Roberta and I discussed patching a water-damaged wall in the kitchen.  Then it was time for everyone to adjourn for lunch at Joe's Diner.

Because we have lived with an old house  for many years, we were looking for insights into the hacienda rather than renovation plans or a detailed project plan.  Bob provided exactly what we wanted and I thank him for that!