you have joists 12" apart? I feel there's no way. are you sure that's not just strapping for drywall or something?

Drill a hole as close to perpendicular to the joist in the plaster next to the joist that you found. Stick a feeler wire in there and push it in until you feel the next joist.

I've had pothos in water like this and the water getting murky really isn't too much of an issue. The biggest problem I've seen is with dust settling on top of the water. Maybe consider making lids with cut outs for the different stems (sort of like a toothbrush holder)? You'd keep a lot of the dust out, help limit some of the evaporation so you have to fill it less, and be able to pose the stems much easier as they grow.

Magnet has always worked for my 100 year old house with wood and lathe walls. Never used it on the ceiling, but I’d assume it would do the trick there too.

Can you get into the attic and see the joists from above? If so, get a straight rod poking up through your test hole and take measurements from that, and then transfer the same measurements from the rod at ceiling level.

It'll be fine. As long as the plant remains healthy it won't mold or decay in the water. The only issue is dust that will settle in the opening, but that could be solved by adding a lid that has cut outs for the stems. Pothos are really stable in water

Hydrogen peroxide and peroxide bleach are different things.

I wouldn't plan on a mini fridge on purpose. They have a lot of downsides (lack of space, not cold enough, takes a long time to chill something, lots of energy without much to gain from it, etc.).

If you've ever had the joy of a second full-size fridge/freezer, you never want to go back. And if you ever sell, you'll still want a spot for a full size to make sense.

That's a good point tbh, and yeah flourish is widely used as an algaecide in the fish tank community.

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I have a few thoughts.

For plaster, try a magnetic stud finder instead of an electronic one. With any luck (and luck you will need) your lath is wooden and the magnet will stock on the nails. You need a high powered neodymium magnet, not just a fridge magnet for this. If your magnet sticks everywhere, your lath is made of ferrous metal, and you'll have to use a drill. Stick with a small bit, of course.

Joists aren't 16 to 24 inches apart. They're 16 or 24 inches apart, on center. That was the case even 100 years ago. In some cases, 19.2" is the standard joist spacing. Check those three distances from your first hole.

Your joists could be running the opposite direction of what you'd expect. They normally span the narrowest dimension of the house, but some run the longest length of the house. Try those three distances over the other axis, too.

At that age, there is a good chance that your ceiling joists are nailed to studs. If you can find the studs on opposing walls, the joists should run end to end on the outside of the studs.

Good luck!

Almost always will!

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probably old post and beam, i had one about the same age, sometimes they didnt always follow what we call code. I tell you what though, my floors were unlevel and slanted, I peeled back the years of renovations and the original beams were square and level. They really knew how to build them, and the true lumber, wow, boards 26inches wide, over an inch thick and 14 ft long.

I think the sides of the wood are blocking the direct light. Something like Flourish Excel might be good since it's sort of an algaecide (think "off-label" use), but also meant to help aquatic plants grow. It might help make your plants grow while also deterring algae growth. They sell it in the usual pet stores, and you would need such a smaaaaaall amount. Like drops worth at that volume.

Oh damn, So you have some demo to do too. Here is a set up idea, Puts some space between your bedroom and the storage/office space; and it gives some natural light access

It's used in hydroponic gardening to kill bacteria in the water.

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I am 99% certain that is rift sawn white oak. I can tell it is rift sawn as opposed to quarter sawn because I don’t see any of the “rays” that are typically present in a quarter sawn oak. I believe it’s white oak because the yellowness indicates such where as red oak is more white but with red/pinkish grain hence the name. There are testing kits that use wood shavings to test exactly what species of wood grain it is.

We’ve had our fair share of white oak floor repairs and one thing I will say is that because of the age of the treads, getting an exact match, colorwise, won’t be possible because of the difference between old growth and new growth and the aging your treads were subject to. For the most part the difference in color should be subtle but could be noticeable.

If you do go ahead and refinish these steps, you could test the color matching by getting a sample quarter sawn plank, put a coat of poly on it, then sand a spot on the steps (ideally where the finished has mostly worn off so it’s easy to sand), coat with poly and compare the colors. If the color is close enough and doesn’t bother your then go ahead and replace the tread. If it stands out and bothers you(which I totally understand), I’d maybe consider doing a glue and epoxy repair if the split in the tread is clean enough for you to get a tight and sturdy fit with glue.

I do see what you mean with the top tread. Looking at the wear on the lower stairs it looks like there was a was a runner on the steps and it must’ve been glued down at the top. Lucky for you, a good sanding with 40 or 50 grit will clean those steps up real nice and the color of all of them should be consistent.

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Yeah there are two large egress windows on either side of the bar. They look like doors on the drawing but they are windows.

Those look great, especially that large island!

Are there any other egress windows available besides the one you pointed out in another thread that's in the bedroom you currently have drawn?

Because cat.

Are all the walls and plumbing stacks fixed in place? I hear you on “growing into” a space but the fact that your doors and stairs open into it means while large it’s not going to be as flexible for future space ideas because you truly only have one wall left over.

If I could do anything - I’d have the kitchen/ bar what greets you when you walk down. On the right hand side id keep music but a bit larger; plus that bonus storage under stairs for it would be great. Bathroom id tuck in corner; sharing plumbing wall back to back with kitchen. I like the adjacency between kitchen and living space which is why I’d move that over and have in top LH corner. I like the bedroom back in the area by your furnace room. If you ever wanted to add a second bedroom it’s much easier AND for now what a great little nook to set up as a library/ a dedicated toys/ arts and crafts area that feels connected but tucks mess a little further away.

Woah and it's super affordable, thanks for the link!