Farmhouse construction

OK, after bidding on nine other houses (over bidding on most), you may be wondering how we were able to close on this one, an extraordinary property (1/2 acre, former olive orchard with a view of downtown) for asking price. The answer is simple: "farmhouse construction."

This picture, taken when we removed the defunct wall furnace, illustrates the form quite nicely; its a board and baton style with no framing. The walls are 1x12 boards which hold up the roof. The nice thing about it is that you never have to worry about finding a stud when hanging a picture; the problem is that your nail might poke through to the outside if it is over an inch long.