When serial restorers Evan and John Degenfelder bought their 1948 clapboard and Roman-brick Ranch in Lebanon, Oregon, the house was in such poor condition that it was uninsurable. The previous owner had spent 35 years giving the property zero maintenance: pipes froze and burst, the roof leaked, and the interior was covered in layers of grime and neglect. But beneath the filth lay a solid mid-century house with tremendous potential. Over the better part of a decade, the Degenfelders transformed this neglected postwar home into a showpiece through sweat equity and careful period-sensitive choices. Their journey offers valuable lessons for anyone tackling a historic house restoration on a working budget.
Assessing the Damage: What 35 Years of Neglect Looks Like
The 1,100-square-foot house closely followed a popular 1948 plan, with a single-bay garage and a straightforward layout. But years of abandonment had taken a severe toll. Understanding the full scope of damage is the first step in any serious restoration project, and the Degenfelders documented problems in three main areas.
Structural and Exterior Deterioration
- Roof failure: The roof, fascia, and gutters were beyond repair and had to be completely replaced before the house could even be insured.
- Chimney flashing leaks: Water intrusion around the chimney damaged the ceiling above the fireplace mantel.
- Overgrown landscaping: Dense vegetation had taken over the property, requiring significant clearing.
- Peeling paint: The exterior needed a full strip and repaint to protect the original wood clapboard and Roman brick.
Interior Damage
- Boiler failure: The original cast-iron boiler had failed, and frozen copper pipes in the ceiling burst, causing extensive ceiling damage.
- Multiple wallpaper layers: Every main room (living room, dining room, bedrooms, hallway) was covered in multiple layers of wallpaper that had to be removed by hand.
- Carpet hiding treasures: Heavy greenish-brown carpeting saturated with dirt and dog hair concealed original narrow-board white-oak floors that had never been sanded.
- Plywood-clad kitchen and bathroom: Both wet rooms had plywood walls instead of proper wallboard, with rotting behind them.
Unique Construction Challenges
The house featured “button board” walls, a hybrid plaster-and-wallboard system common to the 1940s. The material is drilled with holes so that when plaster is troweled on, it protrudes through to form mechanical keys that hold the plaster in place. This system required the Degenfelders to learn an entirely new skill set since neither had plastered before. The same principle applies when preparing historic homes for exterior paint: older houses demand techniques that differ from modern construction.
Flooring and Wall Restoration: Uncovering Original Character
Two of the most rewarding discoveries came when the Degenfelders peeled back the layers of neglect to find original materials in excellent condition beneath.
Hardwood Floor Refinishing
The tobacco-brown carpeting that seemed like a curse turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When pulled up, the original narrow-board white-oak floors were revealed in pristine condition, never having been sanded or refinished. A professional refinishing transformed them into gleaming hardwood that anchors the home’s mid-century character.
Key steps in the floor restoration:
- Remove all carpet, padding, and tack strips carefully to avoid damaging the wood beneath.
- Inspect for damage, stains, and loose boards that need replacement.
- Sand with progressively finer grits (starting at 36-grit and working up to 100-grit).
- Apply stain if desired, then seal with polyurethane.
- Allow proper cure time before moving furniture back in.
For homeowners with original hardwood, professional hardwood floor refinishing techniques can salvage floors that appear beyond saving.
Wallpaper Removal and Plaster Repair
Removing multiple layers of wallpaper from the living room, dining room, bedrooms, and hallway was one of the most time-consuming and messy jobs of the project. The payoff came when the layers came off, revealing walls with a pleasant “orange peel” textured plaster underneath that could be preserved rather than replaced.
Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation: Period-Appropriate Modernization
The kitchen and single bathroom required complete “studs out” renovations. Both rooms had plywood walls, and rot from leakage had damaged the underlying structure.
Kitchen: Two-Tone Cabinets and Period Design
The kitchen cabinets were structurally sound but coated with many layers of paint. The Degenfelders carefully removed them and set up a makeshift workshop in a garage-sized tent in the backyard. Over one cold winter, Evan scraped and stripped every layer of paint, sanded multiple times, and applied primer.
The original layout included a small peninsula that made the workspace cramped. By removing the peninsula and relocating cabinets to the west wall, the couple opened up the floor plan and made room for a dishwasher beside the sink. Understanding historic kitchen remodeling principles helped guide decisions that respected the era while improving function.
| Kitchen Element | Original Condition | Restoration Choice |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets | Sound but grubby, multiple paint layers | Stripped, sanded, painted two-tone (Shoji White / Slow Green) |
| Countertops | None salvageable | Quartz (modern choice for resale) |
| Flooring | None salvageable | Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) in Willow Green with black inlay border |
| Backsplash | None | 4″ x 4″ ceramic tiles from Make it Mid-Century |
| Layout | Cramped peninsula | Peninsula removed, cabinets relocated to west wall |
| Hardware | Original but paint-caked | Soaked, stripped, restored to like-new condition |
Bathroom: Complete Rebuild with Mid-Century Flair
The bathroom was in the worst condition of any room. Plywood had been installed even behind the tub. The walls were covered first in faux-tile material, then later in Masonite and melamine sheet goods. Everything was rotten from leakage, including the white-oak flooring.
Only two items were salvageable: the original door (which was stripped and refinished) and a privacy-glass window with a starburst pattern. For the new design, Evan specified a shoulder-height wall of 4″ x 4″ ceramic tiles in Daltile’s Spa color, with black trim tile wrapping around a built-in mirror and door. The new floor is Marmoleum, a long-wearing linoleum product that suits the mid-century aesthetic.
Mechanical Upgrades
- Old wall heater: Replaced with a safer Retro-look heater with chrome finish.
- Tub: Original tub was too damaged to save; replaced with enamel-over-steel tub matching the original design.
- Rewiring: Complete electrical rewiring performed by John, an engineer experienced with electrical and plumbing work.
Lessons and Takeaways from a Decade of Restoration
The Degenfelders estimate they completed 90% of the work themselves, driven partly by financial constraints and partly by a genuine love for the craft. Here are the key lessons from their project.
Budget Realities of Sweat Equity
- DIY labor saves money but costs time: the project took the better part of ten years.
- Professional help for specialized trades (floor refinishing, some electrical) can be worth the investment.
- Period-appropriate materials (VCT, Marmoleum, specific tile patterns) cost comparably to modern equivalents.
Prioritization Order
- Make it insurable first: Roof, fascia, gutters, paint. These immediate fixes allowed the homeowners to get insurance and proceed.
- Structural repairs: Fix leaks, replace damaged ceiling areas, address chimney flashing.
- Mechanicals: Boiler replacement, rewiring, plumbing updates.
- Finish work: Floor refinishing, kitchen and bathroom renovations, paint and trim.
- Landscaping and exterior: Clean up overgrowth, period-appropriate planting, exterior paint in Cascade Green (Sherwin-Williams) with Tricorn Black trim.
What Made the Project Succeed
The Degenfelders succeeded because they combined period knowledge with practical building skills. They recognized that a house doesn’t have to be a tear-down just because it’s neglected. With proper assessment, prioritization, and patience, even a house that is uninsurable can become a beautiful, functional home. The couple is now planning to sell this restored property and begin looking for their next restoration project.