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the_falconator t1_irwt83y wrote

If it's balloon frame like many of the 2.5/3 story buildings in this city are you don't need access to the first floor at all the stud bays run from the basement to the attic.

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LeftyMcKnuckles t1_irwxnbz wrote

Wrong. Even if the house doesn't have blown in cellulose after an energy audit, every floor will have wooden blocking and sometimes masonry fire barriers. It's never a straight shot.

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listen_youse t1_irx2dwd wrote

>all the stud bays run from the basement to the attic

All? You must have just been super lucky. (Not so lucky if fire gets in there).

But thanks for reminding us: It is worth using a phone to take pics upward from the foundation sill in hope of finding a convenient stud bay that is not blocked like they usually are.

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the_falconator t1_irxagzw wrote

obviously not all, I shouldn't have said that. Naturally where you have windows and such it will be blocked. But if you go up into the attic or down to the basement and shine a light often you can see all the way up and down. a lot of times if there has been a substantial rehab of the building you will see blocking has been installed but a lot of times work on these old buildings a permit is never pulled and they don't do the work up to code.

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