Old Homesite with Sheet Metal

[Kiros32]

There is an old home in my neighborhood that has collapsed in on itself, it appears from a fire. It looks like an ideal place to hunt, however, there are sheets of metal lying everywhere and my metal detector goes completely haywire. The more I type, the more I know what everyone is going to say, but my question is, is it worth cleaning up the site, stacking all of the metal in one place, and then searching?

I guess maybe since I am guessing the answer is yes, then my next question is have any of you ever done something like this?

 

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[Gypsy Heart]

Trust me on this one...MOVE THE METAL!!!!!!

 

[da Hobo]

Myself, I would ask or be interested to know . . .

1) The age of the house and site it's on.
2) What is the history of the house and sit and it's past use.
3) Have you done any intense research of that site AND the area around it?
4) What are the soil conditions on site? If 2" down it's gravel, cinders or rock you got some REAL hard digging ahead of you AFTER some heavy lifting..
5) What make and model detector will you be using.

There are old houses and then there are "old" houses. Do the research before you do the heavy lifting. It may pay off in an even better site.

Just my thoughts here . . .

Hobo

 

[Kiros32]

I can answer some of the questions now:

The house sits back in an empty field by itself. I have not done any research on the place yet, however, considering the location and appearance, it looks like an old place.

The soil is fair. I have done a little digging in the area and other than a few large rocks, it is certainly feasible.

I am using a White's MXT with the standard 950 coil.

Unfortunately I moved from the area a couple of months ago so doing any reasearch on the place will be difficult. Anyone know any online resources for this type of research? I have researched homes in the past, however, I went to the courthouse to do so. By the time I get back home in the evenings it is closed.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Mona Lisa]

Kiro, go to your local library or historical society. They should have an old atlas of the county you live in. Preferably, an atlas from the 1800's. Look to see if the house you're considering is in that atlas.

If the metal is still in sheets that's easy to move, then it's not bad. Some sites are hard because the metal breaks up over time which makes for a frustrating hunt. Good luck. Show us anything you find.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Did you happen to get a look at what type of foundation it was sitting on?? That alone will give you a good idea of the time period it was built....

 

[Kiros32]

I haven't had a chance to look at the foundation, but what should I look for when I do?

The house I am referring to is in WV, near my parents place. I moved to Arlington, VA a couple of months ago so I don't think the library here will have an atlas for that county. That is why I was hoping there were some internet resources.

 

[buckeyehunter]

http://historical.maptech.com/ This is a great website that has pretty good quality maps that usually atleast go back to the early part of 1900's not all states are listed but WV is... hope this helps!

 

[Mona Lisa]

Kiro, look for a cut stone foundation....not cement blocks or a poured cement foundation. I only search sites with cut stone foundations. They're the oldest. Hope this helps.