Memphis Kristin sends this photo of her awesome Memphis ranch – I love it, it’s perfect!
Here’s what she has to say:
We just purchased a 1953 “mini-ranch” in Memphis, TN and are in the slow process of bringing it back to some glory (it is in pretty great shape to begin with; one family owner from 1953-2007). The current beast is a MASSIVE metal antenna that is affixed to the chimney with an aluminum strap with a wire leading from said antenna grounding it to an old exhaust pipe on the roof. How do we safely remove this? It looks like the wire from the pipe leads to more wire at the back of the utility room where all the wiring for the phone/cable/etc seem to collect.
If you or any one you have known has ever done anything like this, let me know. I want it gone before winter even if I have to pay someone! And if you recommend hiring someone, who should do it? An electrician?
Due to the oak foliage of our huge backyard shadetree, it is difficult to see the antenna, but if you look closely at the chimney and above, you can see it on there like a star on a christmas tree!
Can anyone out there help? Thanks, Kristin! Can you tell me, though, do they really call these “mini-ranches” down in Memphis? I am curious….
we had a similar antenna on our roof, but it was on the ridgeline, right smack in the middle, with cables attaching it to the roof in four locations. we intended on taking it down *right away*… that was 7 years ago! it was daunting, thinking about handling a 15-20ft antenna, lowering it down w/out hurting ourselves or our house, never getting around to wrangling some of our friends up on the roof to help…
one of the cables snapped a couple months ago and it came crashing down in the middle of the night. there was no damage to our roof, thankfully, and we just cut the remaining cables (leaving the fasteners in the roof for now) and cut the coax (no danger of electrocution with coax, afaik), then removed the pole & bracket from the plate attached to the roof. we left the fasteners and plate in place, as we’re planning on replacing our shingles in the coming year anyway.
good luck!
The “fins” on an antenna are collapsible (on hinges) for easier handling, or because they are made of thin alluminum they could be bent back for safer handling of the antenna during removal. Get a hacksaw and cut it away from the pipe and cut the cable with the same saw if you don’t have a wire cutter. As wndl mentioned there is no electrical current in the wire so no worry about calling an electrician – your biggest safety risk is being on the roof while wrangeling a TV antenna and keeping your footing.
Is it too much of a faux pas to like the way a cool, retro antenna look on a cool, retro house?
Ya know, Kristin, I actually love the look of that antenna on your house (which is a great house, by the way).
that looks like a really nice antenna, from what I can see. And the way you say it is wired in makes me think it is a high quality one. You could put a note on Craigslist and say if you want it come take it down. People are looking for antennas again with the switch to digital.
Personally I think it looks in keeping with the house. Much nicer then a satellite dish. Will you need it to get your local channels come February? Most of us are going to need antennas on our roofs again!
I’d hate to think you tore it down then found out you needed it in four months time.
With the coming recession (depression?), a lot of people will be changing their lifestyles a bit. I’m already thinking of getting rid of my super-ultra cable package to save $$$. I don’t mean to be Debbie Downer, but perhaps having a good antennae isn’t a bad idea. No more 150 channels, but you would be able to get your local stations.
People around here (southern Indiana) are already getting rid of their satellite dishes and cable hookups and going back to antennaes.
I think the Craigslist idea is a great one. If I were going to call someone, I’d call a handyman or painter type with a big ladder. Someone who is used to being up on the roof.
But unless you have a burning reason to take it down, I’d leave it up there. You say it’s “massive”…I say it’s massively COOL! Gives the exterior that retro vibe. And, like others have said, you have an antenna in place in the event that you want to save money and get reception locally. I would totally leave it if I had a 50s ranch with a rockin’ antenna.
I found one of these that had been taken off my house – in the garage when we moved in. I sold in on Craigslist for $20! Alot of people emailed me about it – so I’m sure you can find a good home for it!
I vote for leaving it in place, as a sculptural homage to a by-gone technological era. But I know that some people see them as tacky and “trailer trashy” now that cable is ubiquitous.
If you do take it down, and are able to do so without damaging it (by carefully folding it up on its hinges as Mid Cent Keith suggests), do please try to sell it on either Craigslist or eBay. There ARE collectors out there who will buy these things and pay decent money for them. Be “green” and recycle it to someone who will value it for what it is.
Wait, I thought that with the digital change-over, antennaes and rabbit ears won’t work anymore, right? That being said, we left the vintage antennae on our house for the first few years of owning the home. We thought it added a cool mid-century touch – a notion that our relatives and friends just didn’t understand. However, when it left a rust stain on our $8,000 new roof, I decided that it had to go. We took it down a few weeks ago. We both went up on the roof, cut the cable, loosened the screws on the metal strap that went around the chimney, and my husband gently tossed it onto the side yard. It was pretty easy. We folded its “legs” up and the trash men took it away. Sniff, sniff. I never thought of trying to resell it… Oh well, $20 down the drain! =)
Wow! I am so happy to see my house and all the great comments about it make me feel very warm inside. Yes, it is a great house. Lots of fantastic details too, my fave being the front three windows (exterior of living area) and as it bends around to the side, there is another window beside the front door, so it almost feels like you are outside, it is so light.
I just made “mini-ranch” up as it is barely 900 sq feet and there are many ranches in and near this neighborhood that are absolutely sprawling Modernist beauties. This neighborhood (Colonial Acres) was built between 1953-55 and four blocks exactly due South exists the first home my paternal grandparents bought for their new family in 1953! I have original photos of this neighborhood, which is now packed to the gills with massive oaks, completely stripped bare of forest and dotted with about 20+ variations of these “mini-ranches”. I share the same plan with one woman up the street; she paid $11,000 NEW for her house in 1953.
I love that people like the looks of my vintage antenna! The reason it bothers me is that it breaks up the long flow of the house and I always notice it way too much. The great thing about these deceiving little homes is their genius floor and exterior plans. I feel like I have room after room in this place. The only interior issue is the galley kitchen and the necessity of having the washer/dryer in the kitchen by the back door.
OK, nancy b has convinced me to get up there soon with my dear husband and do exactly as she did prior to any hideous rust stains on my new roof. I will sell it though–I sell everything–this yard will be a sale a month come Spring.
Be on the lookout for a future “vote”/suggestions of what exterior colors to paint my baby.
Well Dear, best of luck with the antenna project. As for that galley kitchen — it’s time to be on the lookout for a vintage washer and dryer! Mine are 1963 Maytags and they are true champs! (They’re also pink!)
Much less repairs than my friends who buy new!
REALLY!!?!? They are still out there functioning? Will the Maytag Man still come out if needed? I know the new LG’s and Kenmore’s (front loading) are skinnier, but it seems as if they fitted the original cabinets to fits these 80′s/90′s monsters. One part of me wants to wait til the LG single unit steam washer AND dryer starts dropping in price. It is $2Gs now–eek.
Hey! I live in Colonial Acres too! I’m at 4820 Parkside Ave. and I was lucky enough to get a house that was never “renovated”. I still have the original formica countertops, metal cabinets, and a seafoam green full bath and light blue half bath. I’ll post pics here soon.
You lucky dog! We just painted our dinette/kitchen a ’50′s light blue and boy does it help…even the crappy replaced countertop looks better. Luckily we still have our unpainted original birch cabinets in there. Our neighborhood rules!!! Can’t wait to see your pix.
Why wait to see the pics? Y’all just come over and see what’s going on! leetwilliams@hotmail.com
I am writing this while sitting not three feet from a TV engineer. Which is not as exciting as you might think.
I am not just writing what I think I know, I know this for a fact. I have been hearing the details of digital television daily for more then three years.
You are going to need rabbit ears and antennas now more then ever. If you can not get your local stations through your cable or satellite provider you will need an antenna to get them. You will need a good antenna to get your local news and probably your local PBS station.
Personally I would wait until after February to take it down. If you think that one is big you should see the one on top of my house. Combine that with the six satellite dishes in the back yard the neighbors think we are spying for North Korea. I try to think of it as a cold war vibe.
Please be mindful of one thing, should you remove the antenna yourself. Although it is not energized, the antenna is a perfect conduit should it come into contact with an overhead service entrance (electrical connection) to your home.
Keep away from this line at all costs and good luck.
Just a little addition to those of you who may be confused about the February 2009 conversion to digital for television. Your antennas will still work; all you need is to get a converter box for your older TV. The government even has special coupons to make it cheaper to buy them. (Get info from the U.S. govt. here: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/ .)
By the way, as Kayleen said above, if you have cable service that doesn’t offer local stations, you many need an antenna to watch local or regional sports, local PBS programming, and local news.
After the message of even the possibility of being shocked, I am starting to REALLY think it is a nice addition to the house!
Kristin,
Fantastic ranch house! Love it!
Forgive me for not knowing nada about taking down antennas, LOL!
Kristin, I think the white looks rather nice with that color brick, but I’m also tired of white trim on my brick ranch and want to change colors.
Try the Benjamin Moore visualizer that Pam talked about. It’s a great tool and lots of fun to use! I’ve almost settled upon a light yellow-green color for my house as it really brings the color of the brick out (orange-tan brick).
Beautiful looking home, Kristin. I just discovered this post after reading your landscaping post.
Coincidentally my husband just took down the antenna off of our 1952 bungalow last weekend. He did it himself. He just asked our next door neighbors to move their cars out of their driveway in case it fell while he lowered it down. He put it out on trash day and a trash picker was driving by and took it immediately. I’m sure he got money for the metal. I’m glad it got recycled. I think we were the last house on the street to still have an antenna on the roof.
I say leave the antenna!!
Leave the antenna for the sake of nostalgia. The thing received some great old TV shows. We still use one of these to get a great signal for digital TV. Way better than rabbit ears! If you aren’t in to it, you could always sell it. They also work for tomato stakes or rose arbors…