Living in an Eichler -- modernist tract houses built
in California in the 1950's and 1960's -- can be
frustrating as they're wildly different than your
average ranch home. We've learned some interesting
skills as we've encountered oddities of our house.
Our house has an atrium -- an open courtyard -- in the
center of the house. It's great to see plants growing year
round. Ours has an annoying habit when it rains, so we
built a cover over it to keep the water
out.
Eichler's roofs are unusual because they're open beam --
the boards that are the ceiling of each room also hold the
roof up. There's no attic, just boards, then roof. Understanding how the roof is put
together makes it easier to learn how to add
skylights, bathroom vents, and electrical work.