It is every homeowner's nightmare. Years ago, the architect, one of those visionary types, got into a fight with the engineer over whether the design skimped on structural materials. The engineer wanted to make the floors stronger, but the architect said extra steel would make them unsupportably heavy.

Now, both are long dead, and it turns out that the engineer was right. The beams in the house are cracking so badly that the floors are sagging and the house is in danger of falling down. The estimated cost of repairs is so high that the work has been put off for years.

What to do?

If the architect was Frank Lloyd Wright, the owner installs a glass porthole in the floor so paying visitors can see how badly the beams are cracking, and raises the admission price for the privilege of watching the repairs.

The work will start in November after a two-year delay to raise the $11.5 million needed for structural support and other improvements. Workers will install cables along the length of the cracking beams and, like orthodontists straightening teeth, will tighten the bands to hold the beams straight. Wright enthusiasts who do not want to brave the snows of the Allegheny Mountains here, 72 miles from Pittsburgh, will be able to buy a video history of the repairs instead.