Victorian home kitchen slants downward...???

Question

Does anyone know why the kitchen floors and walls of a Victorian home would slant downward (located at the end of the home)? The windows look like they were installed crooked but they're actually the only thing in the kitchen that's straight. Rumor is back in day they built kitchens with a downward slant so that somehow during cleaning the water would exit on one side (gravity) -- although I don't get that unless they didn't have a wall or opening to stop it. Besides, what would they be cleaning a kitchen with -- a hose (the visual of that cracks me up!!!). I'm sure hoses didn't exist then anyway. Anyone know why a home would be built this way?

Answer 1

Sounds like the foundation has settled quite a bit in that area of the house. The windows probably were replaced at a later date and installed level.

Answer 2

   Victorian homes were built with what is called a balloon design.  The wall studs are all one piece of wood, instead of being 2x4's like they are today.  They go from the foundation all the way up to the attic in one continuous piece of lumber.   Because of this, with time, the wood bends, thus the walls and floors slant.  If you were to rip up the floors, you would find long boards running the entire width of the house instead of 2x4's that cross each other.  Probably all of the floors slant, it's just that the kitchen is the most noticeable.  The windows are level because they must have been replaced at some point in time.

Answer 3

That end of the house could have settled but that doesn't quite explain why the windows are level but the floor is not. Is it possible that the kitchen was built in what used to be a porch? Porches were often built with a bit of slope so water wouldn't sit on them or run towards the house. It might be hard to figure out unless you open the wall closest to the rest of the house where you might find exterior siding covered with interior wall material, or perhaps you can find clues on the exterior siding that will tell you it wasn't all sided at the same time. Also, if you get at the original flooring you should be able to tell if it was outdoors at one time.