Cole, please tell us viewers more about Roman. How he came to work for you, where he's from, etc. He is a joy to watch, a hard worker, upbeat, and fun watching you two interact.

Roman has done such a good job pulling nails out of the walls and narrating his work, I think this should get him several more brownie points and therefore closer to getting a CornStar sweatshirt ! 👍 Hopefully he will have enough by summertime. 😏

A number of recent comments have recommended engaging an engineer to oversee / review the plan and the work. Watching today’s video has validated that recommendation for me. The thought that keeps crossing my mind is that the very hard lessons learned on the bin site are DIRECTLY applicable here … and I would be very careful to learn from that experience. I love the energy and the work ethic, but I an also believe in “measure twice and cut once”. Apply a little Corporate discipline, get the right people in a room and complete a lessons learned on the bin-site and review the plan for the house. And then review again … frequently. Lastly, people look for old barns, old gymnasium floors, and old houses just for the wood. Hard wood makes great floors, fireplace mantels, accent walls and much more. You can modernize the house but use that old wood in very modern ways while keeping a bit of the history. At a minimum, you may be able to sell it. Two cents from the peanut gallery.

And this is why you need a structural engineer and an architect. They both have a combined education that will give you the answers to questions you really don’t know the answer to.

Roman cracks me up. 😂 He has a lot of knowledge too. Good addition to the Cornstar family.

Cole, when you add the boards to the floor joists in the attic, it’s called sistering by the way, if you use regular 2 x 4’s or 2 x 6’s or LVL studs be sure to glue them to the existing boards with liquid nails or construction adhesive. This will guarantee you have a squeak free floor from now on. I would use LVL to sister the existing joists simply because they are much stronger and straighter than ordinary studs and because it looks like you only have 2 x 4’s up there now. If you ever plan to build out the attic all the extra weight from furniture and walking around will cause the floor to sag . Gluing LVLs will give you the most weight bearing strength without having to go to larger/ taller floor joists which will reduce the height in the attic.

You should keep some of the brick from the chimney and build a fire pit outside. Be a nice conversation piece when chillin with friends and family.

Thank you for sharing your work! I’m 67 and grew up on a very small farm but I love watching your channel. The way you work and your character has given me a restored faith in our youth. Keep being the wonderful young man you are!!

It's nice that you are documenting all of this so when your kids are older they can watch it and know that this is what their Daddy renovated and made an old house like new.

Can't believe how motivated Cole is, at 26 he's quite accomplished!

In the late 70s and early 80s we renovated a story and a half farm house that was built by my grandfather in 1941. We had similar interior wood doors and moldings which we refinished and they looked amazing. All new walls, insulation windows, wiring, plumbing and flooring. We did it all ourselves while we lived in the mess. We know you will have nothing but pride and satisfaction when you are done. Keep it up Cole, it’s worth the effort. For others that may not realize, some of the fir two by fours were as hard as petrified wood and would split if nailed without pre-drilling.

Vertical boards mounted at 90 degrees between floor joists to provide additional bracing are called noggins. For best results, they should be screwed in rather than nailed. I've seen them attached both straight line and staggered.

I would be working with a licensed engineer to work out dead loads of historically known snow and even if you are not doing in the near future add in the load for solar panels. To create a living space on the third floor. Sistering the joists while expensive it will allow for dead load which was never considered when they created the attic.I would be working on mechanicals first; closed-loop geothermal heat pump would be the way for heating and cooling and finalize electrical layout and get a licensed electrician to get a new panel I would over size the conduit and run some communication stuff for cable and a back up for wifi.

Thank goodness for Roman, what a great guy and a blessing!

Every homeowner needs a 'Justin' and a 'Roman' in their life....they know their stuff and are the ideal team players for you and your project. Really enjoying this renovation Cole - thanks for bringing us in on it 💙

Fwiw I can almost assuredly say that those attic floor joists are over span and don’t meet code. We just did a similar attic remodel to turn non living space into living space and it involved sistering all of the attic floor joists with steel C-channel so they could properly withstand the additional load on them.

cross bracing those bouncy joists will stiffen them up a lot. worth doing while you have the floor boards up.

Cole I’ve watched your videos for years. We met in Decatur, IL a few years back at the farm progress show. I have to say your grandpa would be so proud of you. You, your brother, your sister, DC and MC. Even Roman. I love watching your progress and seeing it all as you share parts of your lives with us. You guys are awesome and doing amazing!

God bless you and your strength to get this project done. But then again, you got the whole farm clean which is amazing . Plus doing farming, garage , and having two children under the age of one. Do it now when you’re young . ❤ I’d love to have a Justin around .

Roman should provide comments on all videos!

Having that insulation vacuum is going to a HUGE help! I would've liked to have that years ago when we gutted our upstairs, just two rooms had a ton of gross messy insulation to clean up. Already off to a good start Cole!

Roman is a great help. Lucky to have him ❤

If you have to rebuild exterior walls or floors, please consider using 2x6s or 2x8s. Your structure will be stronger with less flex. You might consider using rock wool insulation and QUIETROCK® PANELS SOUND REDUCING DRYWALL to reduce sound transmission between spaces. If you’re interested, you can get more info online.

You could have that wood replaned/stained and used in the attic or another part of the remodel. 100+ year old wood it's going to be very dense/hard quality wood.

I'd add fire stops in the walls while there's no dry wall or insulation.

I have been watching your channel almost since its inception. My observations: You are an incredible young man, son, husband and father. I'm very proud of you! Can't wait to follow this home transformation, watching your family grow up and the farm become the talk of the industry. Be well!

can’t wait to see if finished . remodeling is difficult in older homes but you will have a beautiful home in the end.

Roman is the MVP of this build!

Happy birthday, Justin!! I'm glad you took the bird stained boards out of the house. I'm sure it does smell a whole lot better.

How exciting! I started watching this channel perhaps 3 to 4 year's ago just for the renovation of this building. Not that I haven't learned to enjoy farm life; but this is what I signed up for! I have high hopes for this project.

There aren't enough words to express my respect and admiration for all of you!! Best show on tv!!

Hi Papa Cole, Roman and Justin. Happy Birthday Justin !!! Almost there. It's coming, 3 years !! It's nice to see just how multi talented a group of farmers really are.

I’m so glad you are redoing the house. Making your grandfather proud. And really appreciate you trying to keep as much as the historic part of it as you can. My husband and I are redoing 2 homes at this moment and we definitely understand the chaos and stress that comes with it. Prayers sent to you and your wife. 😂🤣

At 32:00 look behind you, those floor joists need either beefing up or complete replacement with heavier thickness structural pine or if you can find hard work at the recyclers go for it. You will learn a lot about construction methods that are good and stuff that is not worth your while renovating your home.

I started watching your channel when you just began cleaning out Grandpa's stuff. Floor by floor you and Nave got it all done. We've been looking forward to the reno for a long time, as I know you have. It's so exciting to see it happening!

Roman is so funny. What a treasure!

Happy Birthday Justin. With so many hands the work will go fast. Good job everyone!

ELATED! I've watched years to see this come to progress, and you didn't disappoint! SO excited for you guys and this future of this house.

I am anxious to see your finished home. Kudos for restoring a family home, sir.

you have done one heck of a job getting the farm back in order.

Happy Birthday Justin! You’re the man! Wishing you many more happy years!

Cole, I'm so amazed and proud of you ,I'm glad you appreciate your family history and are willing to restore the old home, not just tear it down . I've watched for years. Sorry, this is the first time I've commented as a fellow KZfaqr. I now understand the importance of comments . Keep up the hard work, young man. im very proud of you .❤

Roman is a wonderful man! We pray for his country and family! You’re doing a great job!!!

Still enjoying your content after all these years! Thanks for the journey - we’re learning a lot! Not sure who Roman is or how he joined you all - but he’s a great addition! And Congrats on the growing family.

There's no noggins in the attic floor that's why it has soo much bounce, put noggins in from timber to timber so it helps to spread the weight into the other joists

Just a quick tip cole, gotta use those spray foam cans upside down. Its a pain but you will get way more out of them

Lots of ways to do this. If you're worried abut the ceiling joist deification. You might need a 2x8 or 2x10 next to the 2x6 ceiling joist. It might have been easier to add plywood on top of the 1x6 decking. Then sealed the decking to remove the smell or sprayed with vinegar. Also you might want to vault a bedroom ceiling on the second floor. Good luck

It would be cool to have Matt Risinger come out for some tips, so much interesting stuff going on with mechanical systems for domestic homes these days. Take care Cornstars!

Happy Birthday Justin I agree with some others Roman is a great addition to the family :) good luck

The boards are quite valuable. If they go through a planer, they would have some great wood grain.

I always hear, "Teamwork makes the Dream Work!" a nice video and though some may say to renovate and not destroy all that antiquity, you are doing the right thing Cole. All that OLD stuff is infested with bacteria and mold from all that bird stuff up in the attic, and with today's appliances and electricity, what you are doing with the modernization of that old house is the right thing to do. Happy Birthday Justin!!! Good work, Engineer Roman!!

I love squeaky floors and odd sounds in old homes. It adds character. Plus, you’ll know if someone is breaking into your house. 😀

Restoring is doing your best to bring it back to how it was originally built. You are remodeling. Big difference. I hope you reuse a lot of the beautiful original woodwork somewhere else. It is just so awesome and a big part of the past.

Drinking pickle juice straight out the jar works really good for cramps also.

Call this is so cool of you making a journey of your renovation of your home. I’m pretty sure when your boys grow up and they have the house they’re gonna appreciate everything you’ve done I just hope they’re hard-working little boys like you anyways I think the kids love what you’ve done

While you have an open area you might think about putting a bathroom in the attic. Just a thought. Happy Birthday to Justin. It’s going to be fabulous when it’s done. 😊

Happy birthday, Justin. Thanks for helping out this guy!! The project has finally started. I’m almost giddy!! lol. Couldn’t be happier for you and Nave!!

Wow!! Day 1 in the books and I cannot wait to see how this goes!! Happy birthday Justin!! Hope you have a great birthday. I know if anyone can get this project to stay on task it is Cole with a little help from your friends/family.

Let’s all take time to appreciate Justin, dude knows a lot and nothing would get done without him. Love the work Cole!

Roman is amazing! I hope we see more of him and his humor. I also will say that looking at those joists makes me nervous. I hope you are enlisting a professional to help you decide how to make that space SAFE and reliable. You're entire world will be living in that home at some point - you do not want it all crashing down on them and you because of structurally unstable elements. I love seeing your progression and hard work, but please be safe!

Cole NASA did a study that showed that as little as a 5% Gap in coverage in insulation equals a 50% energy loss. That includes heat transfer between studs windows and other things. You know this but insulate insulate insulate seal gaps. There's a cool invention out there I saw where they create positive pressure in the house and his little spider web type stuff that fills in any gaps.

Cole ask Roman what the floor squeaking sounds like. That was awesome!!! another great job guys. as a part time job I used to vac out the insulation and found a lot of crazy treasures.

Been following you for a couple years wait to see you get to this point! It is so awesome to see your vision start to come to light!

I can’t wait for the renovation video of the farmhouse. Yes, I agree with many other viewers that Roman is becoming a big part of the farm. I would like to know more of his history and how he landed on the Cornstar Farm.

You guys are working so hard and doing a great job. Cross bracing is a good thing. Blessings to you all.

It will be great to see the whole house done. Upgrade everything you can while the wall are out.

I’m so excited you’re working on your house again. I’ve been anticipating this for a while. Ever since you started your siding and your awesome wrap around porch.

Cole you have done wonders on the property and house. Have you considered placing a laundry room on the 2nd floor near the bedroom areas. It will save a lot of trips up and down stairs with laundry baskets. You could put a washer and dryer in the basement just to do your field clothes; keeps that dirt out of the upstairs laundry. Also consider putting your attic and 2nd floor wired to a separate electrical service box. You can get all the new wiring completed while the walls and ceilings are open and have power up there while working. It also completely separates old from new electrical. Then when you start downstairs or renovations you put the downstairs, basement and garage etc on the a separate electrical service box. You could add a separate furnace in the attic that will heat the 2nd floor and attic.

Cole...I am really excited to watch this house project. It's even more fun than watching you clean the shop...lol.

Some houses built back in the day News paper & sawdust was used for insulation in the walls & floors Some even used hay in the attic. Love your channel & Roman’s humour. Keep up the good work

Cole, you should be saving the boards you’re cutting up to use like shiplap for wall decor. all you have to do is run them through the planter. I’m sure there’s different grades of color on the wood. I think your wife would love it.

Cole…thank you for taking us along on this project…very exciting & interesting to watch. It seems like an overwhelming task but then again so was the outside. Agree with the others, Ramon’s positive attitude is a plus!

This is so exciting! Work on the house looks to be moving right along! Cole you are a super amazing person and the hardest working person I have ever seen! God bless you and ALL your family and all those helping you.

You are just the person for the job ! Skilled organizer that you are . 😊

Love watching you and your team work. Beautiful dream you have for your family. Your Grandpa would be proud! Thanks for taking us on the ride!

Happy Birthday Justin!🎉 I enjoy watching this transformation , Cole!

I am so excited to watch this transformation, much like the cleaning up of the farm. Try and keep some historical features, BUT, it's your house and your family, so make it work for you!!! It will be perfect!!!

Great video Cole! I love what Roman adds, you are lucky to have his wisdom.

Happy Birthday Justin…how exciting, Cole when this is done you’ll know everything about your home you’ll ever need. God bless you, your family and Roman♥️🤗

This is the jam! Love seeing stuff get done! You guy's are machines!

Cole everything is looking really good! Down the road your kids will really enjoy the work you’ve done.

Wow! Look at all the new things you are learning. I’m impressed with how much you have already done.

So excited for y’all getting the house done and Nava gets to make it a Home 😊 Happy birthday 🎉 Justin 🎂💚

Very excited to see this project come together. It's going to be a beautiful home!

Can hardly wait to see when you are done. You are truly an inspiration

HaPpY bIrThDaY Justin!🎉🎁🎂🎈 Also, loving the addition of Roman! ❤

Happy Birthday Justin you and Cole and Roman are doing an amazing job on the big mansion project.

Great job Cole!! Roman is indeed a great asset to the farm and the house rebuild. Take care and lots of love to you and the fam!!

I like that you tidy up with the planned chaos of renovations. It makes working safer, good job gentlemen. A big Happy Birthday to you Justin, have a great day 🎂🎉

Cole, you said you’re pulling up the hardwood floor boards so you can screw the subfloor to the studs. Good call. However, those floor boards are very expensive to replace. I am pleading with you to reuse & replace those boards in the rooms from which they came. If you numbered each board numerically on the undersides, you could sand or replane them while they’re off and lay them down where they belong. My concern is the key feature of that beautiful house is in the hardwoods used throughout.

This is SO EXCITING!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to watch the next episodes, and to see your new/old home progress into the home of your dreams!!!! Happy Birthday to Justin! It's great that the three of you men can handle this yourselves. You'll be saving a lot of money, and learning a lot, along the way. Thanks for sharing this with us, Cole!

Wow! A carpenter and an engineer... your home is going to be strong and beautiful. Just think of all the things you will learn, and then tell all of us. Looking forward to this renovation.😊❤

Can't believe I been watching your channel all these years, keep it up.

Your doing agood job telling us what you are doing to your attic! Keep up your good work! Thankyou!

Happy birthday, Justin! I love watching reno shows. This one is gonna be great! This old house has good bones! Can't wait to see the next video.

When you have braces or flooring over the joists it prevents that "roll" you were experiencing when walking over the bare joists. Nothing is weak, just not braced. Salt tablets or pickle juice is more pleasant for sodium restoration. Lucky you caught it in time. I was awakened at 3am doubled over so bad I had to crawl to my kitchen for relief. That vacuum really helped bigly. You can do it Cole, we believe in you.

Better to add bridging in between the joists(I did solid Bridging every 4 feet rather than add another joist). From Wikipedia, "The term 'bridging' refers to a brace, or an arrangement of braces, that is fixed between floor or roof joists to keep them in place, prevent joist rotation, and distributing loads over more than one joist."

I am hooked..Love how you keep your job site clean and tidy!! Looking forward to seeing it completed!

Congratulations everyone who is involved in the project. Although it’s much harder to re-do a house than to build a new one, your family left you something amazing!👍👏 Happy birthday Justin!🥳🥳

Y’all are going to have quite the lovely home when y’all are finished!