LIVING IN THE PAST

AN OWNER'S GUIDE TO
UNDERSTANDING & REPAIRING
AN OLD HOME

BY
SCOTT AUSTIN SIDLER

Copyright 2014 © Austin Home Restorations Inc. All Rights Reserved

WHO NEEDS THIS BOOK?

So you've bought an old house, or maybe you haven't yet and your wondering if an old house is right for you. Either way this book is for you.

Everything we buy today comes with an instruction manual. Some are more helpful than others, but they all give you insight into how to care for and operate a particular item. They’ll teach you how to troubleshoot problems and give you a list of potential causes and solutions. So what do you do when you’ve just purchased something that didn’t come with and instruction manual? And what’s worse, the designer/builder who made it has long since passed away so you can’t ask them any questions?

The answer for most people is, “You guess.” You try your best to ascertain what the problem is and how to solve it. While you might get a few right, there are thousands of things you couldn’t possibly know.

The way we build houses has changed dramatically since World War II, and there aren’t many folks around from that time to tell you how it used to be done. Materials have changed, techniques have changed, designs have changed. Everything has changed. While some things have gotten better, others have fallen behind.

If you own, or are thinking of owning an old house, you need an instruction manual for it, and that is exactly what this book is. I have purposely put together hundreds of years of knowledge from various sources about the what, why and how-to of working with and maintaining old houses. This is not a dry technical manual full of theories and useless trivia.

I’ll walk you through a host of repairs that almost any Do-It-Yourself ’er can accomplish on important elements, such as: old windows, floors, plaster, doors, weatherstripping, painting, siding, and more.

You’ll learn how to setup a simple preventative maintenance program for your old house that will save you loads of time and money. You’ll learn the why behind old house design to help you gain energy-efficiency by using elements in your old home the way they were meant to be used. Most importantly, you’ll learn the joys and trials of living in an old house, and hopefully come out with a greater appreciation and understanding of how amazing an old house really is.

If you have already made the plunge into old house ownership, you might be wondering what you got yourself into. Your friends and family have probably already begun their cautionary tales about the dangers of an old house.

"The pipes are so old they probably leak like a sieve."

"Aren't you worried about lead paint?"

"You're gonna go broke trying to feed such an old house."

"You're crazy," "You're insane!" "You're absolutely bonkers!"

Well, they might be right! They are likely planning an intervention right now. Buying an old house is not for the faint of heart. It’s for those who aren't afraid to buck the trend and deviate from their peers. A person who doesn't like to "fit in." It takes a brave soul.

Some people stumble into owning an old house, and for them it's often not a very pleasant experience. For those folks I recommend moving out and finding a house that is more their style. But for the unique folks who actually want an old house this book is for you! Hopefully, you're not afraid to get your hands dirty and use some tools (for some that tool might only be your credit card). You won't settle for some run of the mill, ordinary, cookie cutter house in the ‘burbs. You live a unique and extraordinary life, and you want your house to be unique and extraordinary too.

When you're done with this book, you'll wonder why it took so long to buy your first old house. You'll feel empowered to do a lot of the work yourself, and in the process potentially save yourself tens of thousands of dollars!

Old houses are surprisingly simple to work on compared to today's homes. The technology is simple which makes repairs simple. I promise that you'll walk away from this book with a big boost in your DIY confidence and the tools you need to get the job done. You ready? Then let's get started!

INTRODUCTION

I haven’t always loved old houses. Initially, the fact that my parents had purchased a 1759 colonial in Highland Mills, NY really bugged me. Not so much because it was a really old house, but because they were moving. I was 19 and off at college near Houston, TX, when I really wanted to be at NYU (New York University) in what I thought was the coolest city in the world. My parents felt that going to college that far from our home in suburban Dallas was not a good idea. So, I begrudgingly accepted my fate and went to a state school.

Then, after my freshman year was coming to a close they announced that they would be moving to New York for my dad’s work, and due to circumstances beyond my control I was powerless to transfer. This house was already on my bad side and I hadn’t even seen it.

It wasn't until the Thanksgiving break that I first visited their new house. Honestly, I was a little unsure. We had moved plenty of times in my childhood since my dad was a serial entrepreneur, but we always lived in suburbia, in a house that was no more than 10 years old. This 200 year-old house was completely foreign to me.

To me, home was all about familiarity. While each of the houses we had lived in during my childhood were different, they all looked pretty much the same and had the same features. They all had wall-to-wall beige-ish carpet, stairs that I wouldn’t hit my head on without ducking, fireplaces behind glass screens, and windows that actually opened.

This house had none of those things. The floors creaked with every step and were ice cold in the winter. It had a room that my parents called “The Parlor,” whatever the heck that was. The basement ceiling was only 5 ft tall and had a creek, aka "French drain", running through the middle of it when it rained. The heat came from noisy radiators which squealed painfully during the cold New York nights. In short, it was weird!

At first, I complained like any teenager who didn’t get their way. I was huffy, pouty, and honestly an all around annoying sour-puss...but slowly my curiosity got the best of me.

My father had always been handy with a hammer. My grandfather was a painter and handyman for a time and taught dad a lot about fixing up a house, which he imparted unto me over the years. But, this house was a little different. Helping him work on this house, I learned that it came with its own unique set of rules. Even something as simple as putting a nail into one of the huge hand-hewn timbers on the basement ceiling required special attention. The wood was harder than anything I had ever seen before. I listened as he described how the 10x10 timbers were almost certainly cut from the trees on our property, and shaped with the use of hatchets and hand tools, which is why they had such a different and irregular look to them. The trees were likely hundreds of years old when they were cut down and that, combined with the fact that they had been drying out for an additional 240+ years as part of our home's massive timber-frame, had left them almost petrified. Wow!

Another time he took me up on the roof to check the chimney flashing. While up there I asked about the shingles since they were different from any kind of shingle I had seen. The roof on our house was the original slate roof mined from the quarry just down the street. Double wow! I never knew there could be so much history in a house.

History was one subject I always enjoyed in school. I was excellent at memorizing dates and events, but what really captivated me were the pictures and the stories. These were stories about people and events that were long gone from an era that was completely different from mine. As my father worked on our old house and researched its past those same types of stories began to be unveiled in our own home. Learning that the Dutch door in the study (which was originally the kitchen) was there to allow fresh air into the hot kitchen and to keep the animals out.

I could just picture some colonial mom cooking dinner for her family in the huge cooking fireplace and going out to the well just outside the door to draw up some water. I would stare out through the wavy hand-blown glass windows in my bedroom and wonder how on earth the early inhabitants ever recognized their visitors before opening the door and seeing them face-to-face. When the night got brutally cold, which they often do in the Catskill Mountains, I would marvel at how incredibly warm and cozy a Rumford fireplace could make a room in just a few minutes.

This, my first old house, lit a small flame inside me. A flame that burned slowly for the next decade until my wife and I purchased our first old house. After we moved in, I knew that all I wanted to do was restore this house to its former glory.

You see, every historic home tells a unique story. They weren’t built in the age of mass-production on huge tracts of land by builders who churned out thousands of nearly identical homes each year. Historic homes were built and designed mainly by their inhabitants. They were built for a purpose greater than profit and weren’t concerned with resale value. They were built to last generations. The were built to be a home; not a commodity.

To me, old homes bridge the gap between yesterday and today, and help to tell the story of who we were as a society. They are an ever present reminder of a time before our own. That is why I have dedicated my time to teach people like yourself the importance of these historic buildings and the joy of living a life surrounded by the beauty of true craftsmanship.

Section 1

UNDERSTANDING YOUR OLD HOUSE

ONE

WHAT IS A HISTORIC HOUSE?

He who loves an old house never loves in vain.

-Isabel La Howe Conant

For the purposes of this book I will often use the phrases “historic home” or“old home” interchangeably. Arguably, all historic homes are old, but not all old homes are historic. Confused yet? Don’t worry because in this case the terminology isn’t that important. If your home is old then this book is for you!

According to the National Register of Historic Places a structure qualifies to be listed if it is over 50 years old. That’s it! That is the only qualification required by the government. While that may be all the government requires to consider a structure historic I believe there is a bit more to it. For the purpose of this book my definition is a little bit different.

I define a historic building as: Any building that was hand built before WWII.

Residential construction has two very distinct periods in America. Pre-war and postwar. These two periods represent two radically different forms of construction. Before the second world war, neighborhoods and the houses they included were built very differently. The tracts were plotted and sold off slowly as demand dictated. Each new house was typically built by either the homeowner or a contractor they hand selected. As a result, homes were custom tailored to the needs and wants of their owners.

At the turn of the last century it was not uncommon for a new house to take from 8 to 12 months to be constructed; compare that to 2-3 months today! Power tools have made a huge difference in the speed of construction, as have standardized building materials like plywood, drywall and nominal sized lumber. The benefits of this are speedier construction and low prices.

If the standardization of building materials and processes that accompany them had been the only change in building practices since WWII then we would most likely have houses of equal quality built faster and more efficiently for less money. However, the American desire for more space and property was also at play during this time.

According to the US Census Bureau the size of the average American home was 2,306 sq. ft. in 2012, up from 1,525 sq. ft. in 1973 (which is the first year they tracked median house size).

Figure 1.1

With the average size of the American house growing so rapidly the price would have to do the same unless a builder can find cheaper materials, faster techniques, or a combination of the two. In order to keep house prices down so much throughout the decades it couldn’t have been only one or the other. It appears, from the quality of our current housing stock, that it was a combination of both faster and cheaper construction. Today’s homes are all about quantity whereas a pre-war historic home was about quality.

In 1945, millions of GIs came home from the war ready to settle down and start families, which was just what they did. The baby boom created an insatiable demand for new housing in America. Since 1929 America had been in the grips of the Great Depression and then was swept into WWII in 1941. Due to the economic hardships of both of these periods Americans had not been building many houses. The population continued to grow and a flood of pent up demand for new housing was just waiting to burst forth after 1945.

Until this time most builders were still using hand tools to slowly build their houses, but starting in the 1950s, the demand was for quick, affordable housing. Mass production was about to reach the housing industry, and its effects were far greater than anyone could have imagined.

WHEN THINGS CHANGED

In the early 1930s, a man named Abraham Levitt started a small custom home construction company that occasionally dabbled in real estate development in the New York area. The company enjoyed modest success building high end homes and a few small residential developments on Long Island. Abraham had two sons William and Alfred who joined the business. Alfred was concerned with design and William with development.

When war broke out, both sons served overseas until they returned in 1947. William, the oldest, returned from the war with a newly developed expertise in “mass-production building of military housing using uniform and interchangeable parts.”¹ He convinced his father and brother to implement these techniques in a new development they had planned in undeveloped onion and potato fields on Long Island, NY.

In 1948 Levittown (Figure 1.1) broke ground and suburbia was born. The Levitts couldn’t keep pace with the population's insane demand for their affordable middle-class houses. At their height they were completing one house every 16 minutes!

Using pre-cut lumber shipped directly to the home sites they began an assembly-line type setup with each crew doing a specific job then moving on the next house in line while another crew stepped in to complete the next step. The efficiency was spectacular and so was the sprawl. The neighborhoods got so big that they began adding post offices, town halls, and eventually became their own towns.

Levittown changed the way Americans built and bought houses. Houses were no longer a place that you built yourself with the intent of generations of family residing there over the coming decades. At a starting price under $10,000 the house had become a commodity. It was good enough…for now. The idea of a "starter home" took root. It became a stepping stone on our way up the socio-economic ladder. Suburbia was born with Levittown and nothing would ever be the same.

America was growing so quickly at this time, that we were fast depleting the vast virgin forests that once covered our continent. New, fast-growing trees were planted to replace the old-growth lumber that was running in short supply even before the baby boom.

Plywood, which was a relatively new product, began being used extensively in construction. Drywall began to replace plaster walls in many houses due to speed and labor costs. Inexpensive asphalt shingles ruled the day on roofs. The rise of air conditioning meant that houses could be built without concern of proper siting. Centuries old practices of passive heating and cooling were largely cast aside in the name of technology and progress.

Fuel was cheap and it was more economical to build an inefficient house and cool it mechanically than to build houses with good cross-ventilation, and wide roof overhangs to shade the hot summer sun. In a few short years the American home had completely reinvented itself, for better or worse.

WHAT A HISTORIC HOUSE REALLY IS

For the purpose of this book, our definition of a historic home is a little vague and maybe even arbitrary to some. However, from years of living in and restoring these historic buildings I have found two characteristics that are present in almost every historic building I’ve encountered.

1. Quality Materials

Homes built before WWII are almost always constructed of quality materials designed to last decades or centuries in some cases. Some of these materials were selected purposely because of their high quality, and others were chosen by default since there weren’t as many money-saving options available. Plumbing in most historic homes is a combination of copper, galvanized steel, cast iron, and even terra cotta, all of which would be prohibitively expensive to use in a new house today yet were common in years past.

Most historic homes have hardwood floors and the older the home is the more likely it is to have old-growth flooring. Old-growth wood is extremely durable compared to the quick growing woods available today. It is more stable, less prone to warping and bowing, less prone to insect damage or rot and harder than new woods available today. A wood floor in a new house today would be an expensive upgrade from cheap wall-to-wall carpeting, and today it's usually not even solid hardwood but engineered wood floors (a cheaper alternative).

Bathrooms were typically ceramic, or porcelain tiles with custom mosaics, which today are only found in high-end homes. Going back even further to 18th and 19th century homes, you often find a timber-framed structure, which is so strong that it is more stable and sturdy than most concrete structures today! Quality materials last longer and age more gracefully than the inexpensive substitutes that have taken their places.

2. Quality Workmanship

When you chose a builder for your home in the “old days,” you selected someone whose work was known to you or who was referred by a friend or family member because of their quality work. Today, unless you are building a custom home, most people select a builder because of incentives, location, or some other reason that is usually not quality. I have plenty of friends living in the suburbs who have no idea who built their house. Was it KB Homes, Lennar, Toll Brothers? They don’t know and they don’t care. The house was attractive, had a good location, lots of room, and, most importantly, it was the right price.

Listen, you will get what you pay for. If you need 3,000 square feet of living space and a 3-car garage, you can have it at about the same price as a incredibly well-built house of half the size. We all have a finite amount of money, and you can either choose to spend that money on cheap square footage or on quality workmanship and construction.

So, what is a historic home? It’s well constructed. It was built with an eye toward quality and not quantity. It is a handmade treasure in a land of mass production. A truly unique structure that was intended to make you feel safe and secure in an often times daunting world.

You see, a home was constructed as a refuge from the rest of the world. In my opinion, the home has lost a part of its soul in the generations since mass production began. Quality materials and workmanship don’t belong in a house so we can brag and show off to our neighbors. They belong in a house, your house, because they feed and nurture our souls. Your time at home is infinitely more satisfying when you are surrounded by a home that is not just a roof and four walls, but a piece of art assembled by a master builder and local craftsmen.

Humans are constantly seeking out beautiful things. Why not surround ourselves with these things in the place that we spend most of our time? Our home. A historic home brings all these elements together in a kind of perfect harmony.

1 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levittown,_New_York

TWO

WHY SHOULD I BUY AN OLD HOUSE?

A city without old buildings is like a man without a memory.

-Graeme Shankland

Buying a house is the largest investment most of us will make, and most of us hope and expect that investment to increase in value over the years. We kick the tires, as it were, of our purchase by getting a home inspection to point out any shortcomings or potential problems on the horizon. We have our Realtor do a market analysis to see if the price is right. And we spend a lot of time thinking and praying about whether or not buying this home is the right decision.

We’ve already mentioned how quality materials and quality workmanship add to the longevity and livability of your house. So, when it comes to resale, it stands to reason that a quality built home holds its value more than one of average quality. You can always make improvements, but if the bones of the structure aren’t well assembled you're simply “polishing the turd,” as my father would to say.

In addition to quality materials and workmanship there are the three rules of real estate value, as any Realtor will tell you. Location, location, location. It’s here that historic homes pull way ahead of the pack.

FIRST RUNG NEIGHBORHOODS

Buying a home is the biggest purchase most people make.

As cities grow they naturally spread out. The newest neighborhood is almost always in the outermost reaches of the city and the oldest neighborhoods are located very near the city center. With every city, there is a point of critical mass when the city finally reaches the outer limits of its growth. The suburbs have grown so far away from the city center that they have almost become a city to themselves., and when it takes a couple hours to drive from one side of the metro area to the other a city is very close to this point.

When this happens, people in the outermost suburbs begin relocating back to the city’s core. Old neighborhoods, once forgotten, become attractive to new buyers because of their low prices, fixer-upper potential, and close proximity to the center of town. These old neighborhoods begin a slow process of gentrification as money comes back to the area and the neglected neighborhoods are restored to their former splendor.

I’ve watched this happen in several cities over my lifetime. Dallas is a prime example where downtown was nearly abandoned until the early 2000s, when the furthest suburbs were more than one and a half hours from the downtown area. People couldn't bear the commute anymore and the old neighborhoods close to downtown began to be renewed as folks moved back. Run down Bungalows were restored, neighborhoods were revived, dining and retail rushed into the area to set up shop to meet the new demand, and eventually housing prices in these formerly depressed areas soared above the existing stock.

Once this pattern plays itself out, the results are almost always permanent. The coolest suburbs are exposed as fads and quickly become dated while the first rung neighborhoods, filled with restored historic homes, become more and more desirable.

It’s around this time that cities start creating local historic districts to protect these valuable and historical neighborhoods that represent important periods in the history of the city’s development. This is when the lasting value in these homes is secured.

Historic districts will always be subject to market swings, but to a much lesser extent than homes outside of these protected neighborhoods. Don't believe me? Consider the following studies on property values of historic homes:

• A 2000 study of South Carolina home sales showed that homes in Columbia’s historic districts sold 26 percent faster than the overall market; while historic Beaufort owners saw a whopping 21 percent greater sale price. In Rome, GA, properties in designated historic neighborhoods increased in value 10 percent more than similar properties without historic designation between 1980 and 1996. Studies in Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania corroborate the positive effect an historic district designation has on property values, with overall increases between 5 percent and 20 percent.

• A study of the Speedway-Drachman National Register Historic District in Tucson, Arizona showed that between 1987 and 2007 the average assessed value of homes in this district appreciated 15 percent higher than the average in a nearby neighborhood with housing stock of similar age, construction, and design.²

• A study of 25,975 single-family homes sold in Phoenix in 2005, including 212 located in National Register historic districts, showed that historic designation increased the average marketable sales price of a house by 31%, or more than $100,000.³

• Property values in local historic districts appreciate significantly faster than the market as a whole in the vast majority of cases and appreciates at rates equivalent to the market in the worst case. Simply put—local historic districts enhance property values.⁴

• In short, it may be that historic districts are more likely to experience a certain indemnification from extremely modulating property values, perhaps because of a higher degree of investor confidence in these officially recognized and protected areas.⁵

There are countless studies throughout the 50 states that show the same thing over and over again. Homes in historic districts hold their value better than similar houses elsewhere. Buying a historic house not only feeds your soul with its exquisite craftsmanship, but it also feeds your wallet when the time to sell comes.

SUPPLY, DEMAND & OLD HOUSES

The laws of supply and demand are constantly in motion in our economy. They affect the prices and supply of items we buy everyday from groceries to houses. But what happens if the supply of a particular item cannot be increased to meet the demand?

Well, like the definition says, as demand goes up, so does price. When there isn't a way to increase supply, the price will continue to go up hand in hand with demand. That's why artifacts from the Titanic or a painting by Leonardo DaVinci are worth so much. There is a limited supply and no one's making anymore than what already exist.

The Facts on Old Houses

Now let's look at how supply and demand affects old houses:

• Every year approximately 600,000 old and historic homes are demolished.⁶

• The market for historic home buyers has remained steady for the last 30 years.

Old homes are disappearing quickly, and once they are gone they cannot be replaced. A new home, while it may be built to look old, is still a new home. Since the supply of old homes will continue to decrease and the demand is likely to continue to increase as buyers flock back to city centers and first rung neighborhoods, the price of old homes will continue to rise.

According to the US Census Bureau information, pre-1950 homes have been decreasing steadily over the last 40 years. Here is the total of pre-1950 homes as a percentage of total existing housing stock:

• 1970............53%

• 1980............40%

• 1990............29%

• 2000............24%

• 2010………20%

The numbers don’t lie. Old and historic homes are disappearing from America's landscape.

Behind the Numbers

So what does this all mean? Well, if you're like me and you want to save old homes because of their character and craftsmanship it means that you have an uphill battle fighting to save these structures. But, that's not what this is all about...entirely.

You see, while I wish everyone could appreciate these homes the way I do, I recognize that for some people real estate is more about return on investment than a place to hang your hat. Real estate investors and preservationists, historically, get along about as well as Israelis and Palestinians, but on this one subject they should agree. If you won't save an old house because of character, perhaps supply and demand will change your mind.

With the supply of old houses going down each year and demand staying the same or increasing, the value of an old house is guaranteed to increase. Not only will the price of old homes, especially those in historic districts, continue to rise but it will rise at a faster rate than the value of other homes in comparable neighborhoods.

Put simply, an old or historic home is a one of a kind purchase that will give you a greater return on your investment, and maybe, just maybe, teach you a thing or two about what a real home can be!

2 Source: The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation: L’Orange 2007

3 Source: Does the Phoenix Market Value Historic Designation? A Spatial Hedonic Analysis of 2005 Phoenix Home Sales and Historic Designation: Poppen 2007

4 Source: Preservation & Property Values in Indiana: Rypkema 2002

5 Source: The Impacts of Historic District Designation in Washington, D.C.: Gale 1991

6 Source: http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf

THREE

BEFORE YOU BUY AN OLD HOME

A house is not a home until you can write, ‘I love you’ in the dust on the furniture.

-Unknown

So, you’ve decided to buy an old house. Congratulations! Purchasing an old house is more than just owning a beautiful piece of history. It’s a labor of love that can require a lot of work and an extra serving of patience.

Historic homes line the streets of almost every town from Maine to California, and there is no shortage of variety when it comes to old houses. There are Craftsman Bungalows, Queen Annes, Colonial Revivals, Greek Revivals, and on and on. While owning a historic home can be a romantic notion, with wide-plank floors and stained-glass windows, there is often a lot of work to maintain or, in some cases, revive an old house.

While there are plenty of questions you should ask about any new home purchase, buying an old house requires a different set of questions. No one wants to buy a lemon, so before you fall too deeply in love you need to do your due diligence. Here are seven big things you need to ask before signing on the dotted line.

1. Do you have a cash reserve?

Historic houses are old and, like anything old, they can be in good shape or bad shape depending on how they have been cared for over their life. It’s always wise to have an “emergency fund” when you buy a house because let’s face it, things are going to wear out and break down.

Even when you do your due diligence, there will inevitably be something unexpected that comes up. A new roof, a broken heater in the coldest winter on record (that’s what happened to me), or a water heater that blows when you’re on vacation.

Murphy happens to the best of us, and the only way to make sure he stays at bay is by having a cash reserve or emergency fund of several thousand dollars. Old houses break and need repair. So, before you sign up for the absolutely amazing journey that it is to own one of these pieces of history, make sure you are ready.

2. Is there a historic district?

Some old houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, others are located within local historic districts; both come with certain restrictions. Depending on your perception these restrictions may be something you desire or something you detest.

There are no restrictions on the federal level unless you are receiving funding from the government for your renovations. However, local districts have restrictions that can range from virtually non-existent to extremely strict. Make sure you know what you are getting into, especially if you are planning a major restoration project with the property.

3. How old is the plumbing?

If you’re buying a house from the early 20th-century there’s a good chance you’ll find the original plumbing, and it’s likely ready for retirement. Even the finest plumbing can’t last much more than 80-100 years before needing to be replaced. If it is the original copper, galvanized steel, cast iron, or other similar material—don’t panic.

Re-piping a house is a fairly straight forward job for any plumber. The price can vary widely depending on the size of the house and your location, but expect to pay somewhere between $3,000 and $6,000 for the average sized old house. To be sure, get an estimate from a licensed plumber. If that amount is within your budget then there’s no red flag here.

4. What is the electrical like?

Electrical systems in old houses can often be a rat’s nest of wires and splices as the occupant’s electrical needs have grown over the years. Depending on the age of your old house electricity may have even been a later addition.

You may have several generations of electrical components that aren’t as compatible as you would like. Someone may have come along and completely upgraded the electrical system within the last decade. The point is, you need to know what’s hiding in the walls.

5. Is there asbestos?

While asbestos is a dangerous element to have in your home, the real danger comes from asbestos that is old and worn out. Crumbling pipe and duct insulation, worn out asbestos roofing or siding that is in disrepair, chipping vinyl tiles (some of which may contain asbestos) are all something to watch out for. But if you’re looking at an old house with asbestos shingle siding that is painted and in great shape I wouldn’t worry one bit.

If asbestos is in good shape it’s not a hazard. Only when it is disturbed by renovating, cutting, sanding, etc. , and the dust is released is there a significant threat.

Asbestos remediation is expensive and can be a major pain. If you have a suspicion about asbestos in the house have a sample sent to a local lab for testing. The only way to determine if you have asbestos is to have an licensed company perform the testing. Do not disturb suspected materials yourself.

6. What about termites?

Termites love wood. Most old houses are made of…wood. Termites are a big problem here in the warm south, but they are an issue to consider anywhere in the country. Carpenter ants and any other wood destroying organisms are additional issues to consider as well.

Most of the time it takes years for termites to do any significant damage; since an old house has been around for decades they’ve had plenty of time to eat through major portions of the house if they have been left unchecked.

Have a thorough inspection done prior to closing and get a termite bond with the exterminator to protect yourself in the future.

6. What condition is the HVAC in?

Heating, ventilation & air-conditioning (HVAC) is the most expensive mechanical component of your home. Most homes today run on electricity, natural gas, or heating oil, but old homes may have some very old and very unique systems in place.

You may not even have air-conditioning in that old house. Learning how old and efficient your heater is can determine if your utility bills will be $80 a month or $600. Check out the stats on this major piece of the puzzle first to be sure. You can look up the model number on your particular unit and compare its energy-efficiency on the governments Energy Star website at www.energystar.gov/productfinder.

Even if all of these issues show up in some form with your potential purchase, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy. Old houses need brave folks willing to fix them up and bring them back to life.

After you’ve done all your homework and saved the cash, you’re ready to take the big step of buying a historic home of your very own. Speaking from experience, it will completely change the way you think about houses. It’s almost like waking up and seeing things never visible to you before.

Just like any good relationship, it always has its bumps like the closet door that will work fine on Tuesday and then be seemingly glued shut on Wednesday. If you’re strong enough to handle the “quirks” of old house life, you’ll become the newest part of the long history your home has endured so gracefully.

You never know, that old house might be waiting for someone just like you!

FOUR

PRESERVATION OR REMODELING

We shape our buildings; thereafter, our buildings shape us.

-Winston Churchill

The difference between these two terms is often a gray area with historic homes, but the underlying meaning of these two techniques could not be more different. Before you start any work on a historic home you should consider what it is that you are hoping to accomplish.

Remodeling in the purest form is not appropriate for historic structures, but preservation in its purest form is most likely not something most homeowners could live with either, unless you’re making a historic museum. Somewhere in the middle of these treatments is where, I believe, most projects belong. Let’s start by getting a definition of the two and working from there.

PRESERVATION

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines concerning work done on historic buildings defines Preservation as follows:

The act or process of applying measures necessary to sustain the existing form, integrity, and materials of an historic property. Work including preliminary measure to protect and stabilize the property, generally focuses upon the ongoing maintenance and repair of historic materials and features rather than extensive replacement or new construction.

New exterior additions are not within the scope of this treatment; however, the limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a preservation project.⁷

A preservationist essentially attempts to keep all of the historic materials and elements of the building in service and functioning as they were designed. This process can be extensive and often expensive. It may involve a lot of painstaking epoxy work to restore rotted wood elements or cautiously re-pointing bricks with the proper lime mortar instead of today’s Portland cement mortars. However, if the building has been well cared for over its lifetime, then preservation is usually a good route to go. You are simply maintaining the building as it is and enjoying the historic elements that are part of its character and age.

Mechanical systems such as HVAC, plumbing, and electrical should be updated when necessary for safety and to keep up with local building codes. However, these updates should be as un-invasive as possible. For example, don’t tear out plaster ceilings or walls to install new duct-work or plumbing unless it is absolutely necessary.

There is a third term you should know and that is “restoration.” Restoration is the ugly sister of preservation.

When a house has passed into disrepair and neglect you have technically moved into a restoration project where you are seeking to not only maintain the existing historical elements, but in many cases repair or recreate badly damaged or missing pieces. Homes that once had a porch that disappeared sometime through the years, or have only a few of its original double-hung windows remaining should have these items re-constructed to match the original pieces if you are embarking on a restoration project. Old photographs or similar houses in the neighborhood give the best clues to what was once there, and can greatly assist in the design and planning process.

REMODELING

Webster’s defines the word "remodel"very simply: To alter the structure of.⁸

To be honest I had hoped for a little more to work with in that definition, considering all that is involved in remodeling a home, but as I thought about it I realized that the basic premise is powerful. To alter. To change. A room, an element, or even an entire house from one form or structure into a different one. It’s that idea that wreaks more havoc on historic homes than anything else. In my experience, homeowners and contractors do more damage to historic homes than decades of awful weather.

I’ll put this simply. If you want a historic house so you can completely remodel it, please go buy a different house. What you really want is a custom-house in the style of a historic house. There are too many of us out there trying the save what’s left of these graceful structures for you to go around gutting them in the name of energy-efficiency (we’ll talk more about that later) or design and style.

If patina is a color you hate, buy a different house. If hardwood floors really irk you, buy a wall to wall carpeted suburban house like most of America. If you don’t want to maintain a historic house, then don’t buy one in the first place.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with new houses. I think there is a type of house for every person. My point here is that no one will be happy with something they have to change. This applies to buying a house, choosing a spouse, and just about any other big decision we make in our lives.

Every house undergoes some amount of remodeling with new owners. New paint, new window treatments, new lighting and other changes are all fine. Just don’t make any irreversible changes to a house that is an important piece of history.

In my opinion, remodeling is something that is for houses that do not have intrinsic value or historical significance. The country is filled with houses that any contractor would be happy to remodel for you to suit your every whim. There are multitudes of styles when it comes to residential construction, and all of them have their place. It would be just as wrong to gut a Arts & Crafts Bungalow and turn it into a post-modern as it would to turn it into a Folk Victorian. Even though the Folk Victorian is a historic home style, it’s still not right. Each historic home was designed and built according to a specific style, and to try to alter it into something other than that style is like trying to fly a car or use a battleship as a submarine.

THE GREAT COMPROMISE

So where is the middle ground where you can make changes to your home and not destroy its value and historic character? This middle ground is a gray area that makes it difficult to put exact boundaries and definitions around. Let’s just say, I know it when I see it, and I’ve found that a lot of homeowners do too. The middle ground consists of making improvements, changes, or additions to your home in a seamless way that allows them to blend in with the style and period of the rest of the house.

Try using materials that belong to the time period your house was built. Not only will you preserve the integrity of your home, but you’ll also save materials from the landfill and save money by shopping at architectural salvage yards which we’ll discuss in more detail later.

There are places that specialize in house parts from the past. Fireplace mantles, trim and moldings, lumber, doors, windows, hardware, flooring and so much more are all available at most shops. These items can be purchased at a big discount compared to many new materials!

How It Can Work

One of the first times I “remodeled” a bathroom it was in the 1929 Bungalow my wife and I bought. There had been a leaking pipe near the tub, which had caused serious subfloor damage. The subfloor had to be replaced, which meant the tub and other fixtures had to come out and then the whole floor had to be removed. Since the tub was coming out, the whole tile surround in the bathroom would have to be removed. Essentially, the bathroom was completely gutted from about five feet high down to the studs and floor joists. We decided to insulate the exterior wall while the plaster was down and then proceeded to build up the subfloor and cover the walls with drywall.

We decided to do our own bath creation rather than putting everything back exactly like it was. We looked to other old homes in the area for inspiration and to see what was historically appropriate. Open houses are great for this!

To keep in the style of the house we covered the drywall with bead board wainscoting that would have been found in a house of our time. We matched the baseboards to the rest of the house and installed a black and white 1” hexagon tile floor in a pattern that was very popular in 1929. Rather than re-installing our old tub we purchased an old claw-foot tub at a steal from Craigslist, and refinished it before selling our old tub to a salvage yard. The pedestal sink was reinstalled and a new dual-flush toilet with a vintage style was installed to save on water.

When people walk into that bathroom today they would never be able to tell that it was a completely new room. It looks like it was there originally and that’s just the way we wanted it. It’s different than the original, but it looks like someone stole a bathroom from 1929 and set it down in our house.

This is how “remodeling” can be done properly to a historic house, and this mentality has been the guiding principal for my company, Austin Home Restorations, as we push to educate homeowners and renovate historic buildings responsibly. It can be done and you are the biggest and best advocate your historic home has to retain its value by assuring that it stays historic.

7 Source: http://www.nps.gov/hps/TPS/standguide/preserve/preserve_index.htm

8 Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remodel

FIVE

DEALING WITH HISTORIC DISTRICTS

Never believe a bureaucrat who says there's no money for preservation.

-Charles Payton

Historic districts across this country are as varied as the regional accents. Some are virtually powerless while others rule with an iron fist. Once you’ve figured out what the personality of your local district is, you should definitely utilize the resources of these important organizations.

Even as someone whose main focus is saving and restoring historic buildings I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’ve felt stifled by a historic district or two. I’d come to the review process with my well thought out designs in hand expecting an easy approval, and maybe a pat on the back or some kind words like, “My goodness, your work is brilliant!” (they are very supportive in my imagination!)

Instead, I would get turned down and have to rework the project. As frustrated as that would make me, I would work harder to find a more suitable solution to the particular design challenge. In the end I usually came up with something better than my original idea.

Historic districts are there to maintain the character of each particular area and, if they are any good at what they do, then they will restrain unknowing homeowners and over-zealous contractors (like myself) from altering a historic façade in a way that they shouldn’t. So when they frustrate you, just know that they are doing their job.

THE REVIEW PROCESS

Again, this process varies from place to place, but in general any change you wish to make to your home’s exterior will be subject to review by the historic district (with the exception of landscaping in most districts).

Some districts have a simplified process for minor changes like paint colors and reroofs and a more thorough one for large projects like window replacement, additions, and other major renovations.

Before you do any work, ASK! Ask if you’ll need approval for your project. This is not one of those times when it is better to ask for forgiveness than for permission. When, not if, the historic district discovers you’ve made an unauthorized change they will likely have you remove your work regardless of how nice it looks. At your own expense. Always get their permission first.

For a minor change or repair, they will likely ask for information about the change you are making (i.e. what style/color shingles you’re using) and then give you an approval letter for your records. Hold onto that approval letter for as long as you’re in the house, in case new management comes along and doesn’t like your work. For a major change like an addition, you’ll likely have to go before a committee and explain your project in detail. Everything about the project will be subject to inquiry and change if they don’t like your ideas.

Keep in mind that a historic preservation board is made up of local residents who volunteer, some of which may be experts, but many are simply neighbors who don’t know much about historic preservation except for their specialized field such as real estate or law. These are good folks who are donating their time to help protect our neighborhoods and they need to be respected accordingly.

Being thoroughly prepared for your review and having a professional with you can be the difference in getting approved or getting turned down. If you can offer them valid, well thought out explanations of your work you’ll usually come out victorious.

The historic district’s purpose is not to stifle the neighborhood, but to stop tasteless ignoramuses from destroying its character one house at a time. If you get turned down it’s usually for a good reason. Just because you want those style shutters on your house doesn’t mean they are appropriate. Just like any homeowner's association, some will be fairer than others.

There is one area that is often not within the historic district's power and that is the inside of your home. When it comes to interior renovations, you're likely on your own. You can make good or bad decision about the renovation and no one will be there to tell you one way or the other.

Of course, you could always bring your plans to a benevolent member of the preservation society for some guidance. You might be able to find help there, or by visiting with your neighbors to see what type of interior elements are common in your neighborhood.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that the historic home's value largely resides in it appearing to be historic. Don't depart too far from the original style and form.

SIX

THE “GREEN” OLD HOME

We will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.

- New York Times Editorial
(referring to the demolition of the old Penn Station)

Hardly a week goes by that I'm not asked about ways to improve the energy efficiency of someone's old house. It can seem like a daunting task especially considering the lax energy standards that most historic homes were built to. A tight building envelope is a fairly recent idea that came about with the invention of air conditioning.

While your historic home may seem like a leaky sieve, it was intelligently designed to be as efficient as possible with the technology of its time. Many of these design elements, while overlooked by most modern builders, are simple and very efficient ways to regulate the climate inside your house.

Unlike modern technology the passive systems that we’ll discuss in this chapter were not designed with obsolescence in mind. They will work just as well today as they did 200 years ago. Try to say that about your air conditioner or water heater! And what's more, since they are passive there is very little maintenance required to keep them functioning properly. These are not complex mechanical systems.

In the following pages I'll take you through how this old technology can be partnered with modern technology to save big money on your utility bills. First, let’s talk about the differences in building techniques between old and new houses.

NEW HOME EFFICIENT DESIGN

Efficient home design today is based on the principal of creating a tight building envelope that allows the smallest amount of exchange between the air inside the house and the air outside. The building envelope is the exterior shell of a building that keeps the weather out. This exchange of air is called the air exchange rate. The tighter a home is insulated and sealed up, the less air exchanges occur.

There is a certain amount of air exchange that has to occur in order to keep the home healthy, but the goal is to decrease this number as much as possible, then mechanically ventilate the house as is necessary. This mechanical ventilation allows control over where, when, and how much air is ventilated. In the most basic terms, these ventilators function like an automatic bath fan that turns on and off automatically as it senses the need for additional ventilation.

The average home today is not built efficiently enough to require mechanical ventilation. Only the most stringent standards build homes that are tight enough to require this. The Paasivhaus⁹ standard is one such standard that takes this to the extreme by laying out guidelines for how to build super-insulated homes.

A home with a low exchange ratio will hold its temperature better and keep you more comfortable without the A/C or heater having to run constantly to maintain the temperature.

To combat unwanted air exchange, builders are careful to caulk every joint and use insulation like spray foam that creates an air barrier. Good old fashioned fiberglass insulation slows down the transfer of air and heat, but does not stop air flow.

Another way that heat can enter a house is through conduction. Conduction works like this:

1. The sun shines on your perfectly air sealed roof

2. The shingles begin to heat up quickly in the summer sun

3. The heated molecules in the shingles begin to bounce around and bump into the molecules of the underlying roof deck causing those molecules to bounce around and become heated

4. The process continues in the roof's framing and so on

No air changed place but things still heated up.

This phenomenon is also called thermal bridging. Heat or cold can transfer through certain building materials better than others. The best solution to stop thermal bridging is to create an air space, or thermal break, between building materials which will slow down the temperature transfer.

This thermal break can be in the form of a layer of insulation or an air space. Thermal bridging occurs in materials that are in direct contact with each other. Break the contact and you break the bridge that heat can travel across.

There is a third way that heat transfers into your home and that is radiation. Not the kind from the nuclear power plant that turns you into a 3 eyed-fish, but the kind that keeps our planet warm and livable.

Radiant heat doesn't require any air to change place like convective heat, and it isn't affected by a thermal break like conductive heat. Radiant heat transfers through the suns rays. It is a type of electromagnetic waves that pass through materials and heat things up as they do.

The way to stop radiant heat is the installation of a radiant barrier. Radiant barriers are the tin foil looking sheets of insulation that do an excellent job of reflecting the these rays. In fact many reflect upwards of 95% of any radiant heat they encounter. That is a pretty efficient product considering it's only a few millimeters thick!

Efficient new home construction is based on the significant technological advances we have made in building science over the last the 30 years...and the technology is very impressive. Overall, new houses are built to withstand the wild temperature swings of mother nature and keep their inhabitants comfortable. With a better insulated and sealed house, your heating and cooling system will work less and can be sized smaller, saving you money on both sides of the equation.

The question at hand, though, is how much of this technology can be successfully retrofitted into an older house. We'll see in a moment, but first lets discuss the design of an older home.

OLD HOME EFFICIENT DESIGN

If you're reading this book, your house was likely built before the age of air conditioning and the complex mechanical systems of the modern home. Not having air conditioning as an option old home builders had to find creative ways to keep the home's occupants comfortable, and they came up with some clever ideas to passively cool their homes.

Heating was not much of an issue because boilers, radiators, and fireplaces had been doing such a good job heating a home, that this same technology is still in use today. Though most of these old heating systems have been made much more efficient today.

First, lets discuss where most old houses come up short. Insulation. It’s likely there is none. Some houses were given a cursory inch or two of rock wool or had some newspapers stuffed in empty stud bays. I've even come across dried corn cobs used as insulation! Insulation was an after thought in the days before the energy crises of the 1970s.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration¹⁰, as our homes have gotten larger over the decades, our energy use has remained about the same.

Because of that, homes built between the 1950s and the 1970s are some of the least efficient in America's housing stock. After WWII fuel prices were so low, and mechanical systems like air conditioning became affordable enough, that homes stopped being built with the passive cooling systems and designs of the previous centuries. They became inefficient boxes that relied on cheap central heat and air to keep them working.

Fuel was cheap—cheaper and easier than insulation at least. Don't think that these were just simple-minded people who didn't understand insulation. People still wore thick coats in the winter to keep warm, and builders realized that this same idea applied to home construction, however, the added time and expense of insulating a home was unnecessary with heating costs so low. Therefore, most old homes are woefully under insulated.

When it came to cooling a house this is where the old builders were particularly clever. The lack of insulation that made old houses drafty in the winter actually helped them cool down quicker in the summer. Since the air exchange ratio on an old house is so high, they typically change temperatures more quickly than a new house. So, as the sun sets and the temperature begins to drop, the temperature in the house drops along with it. A problem in the winter, but a welcome advantage at the end of a sweltering summer day.

The lack of insulation and a "loose" building envelope also allows old houses to breathe. If water penetrates the exterior sheathing (which it eventually does on most houses) it can quickly evaporate due to the large amount of air moving in and out of the house. This helped prevent mold and rot since the house had a hard time holding onto water.

Conversely, in a typical new house the envelope is so tight that when the sheathing does fail and spring a small leak the house is unable to dry out and mold and rot quickly follow unless the builder has designed a way for the water to escape effectively.

This tightening of the building envelope led to the "sick house syndrome" that began to pop up across the country after the energy crisis of the 1970s. People haphazardly tightened up building envelopes and insulated homes and commercial buildings without giving much thought to the potential mold and water issues; houses began rotting from the inside out.

Old builders (and the smart ones today) knew that, eventually, their structures would have small failures. Wood shrinks or swells with the temperature and joints open up. This is to be expected and planned for, and if your house can't handle these small breaks in its skin it can quickly escalate into a major problem.

So with that in mind, lets talk about some of the passive design elements that the old builders used to keep the homes cooler and more comfortable.

1. Windows - The double-hung windows present on most old homes served an important part in the cooling process. Opening both sashes (a sash is the movable part of your window) halfway creates a unique form of cross ventilation, where warm air can escape out the top while cooler air is drawn in the bottom. Combine that with installing windows across the house from each other to allow prevailing winds to pass through the home, and you have a fairly efficient way to cool a house down with no electricity needed.

2. Roof Overhangs - As air conditioning grew in popularity, the size of roof overhangs shrunk to almost nothing by the mid 1970s. This design has a function that seems to be forgotten. Just like awnings, a wide roof overhang blocks the high summer sun from entering the home to keep things cooler, yet allows the lower winter sun to shine through the windows and warm the house. This simple design, when combined with shades or curtains, is one of the most effective forms of passive energy design used in old homes.

3. Whole House Fan - Many homes built in the early 20th century were equipped with a whole house fan. This fan was usually located in the ceiling of an interior hallway. Though not truly passive, this powerful fan would draw massive amounts of cool air into the house from the open windows and shoot the warm air into the attic and out the gable vents. In about 5 minutes you could change out the entire stagnant air supply of the home and replace it with fresh cool air.

4. Sleeping Porch - These were especially popular in the southern states where very hot summer days yielded to more bearable nights. Unfortunately, the house would still take hours to cool down. Sleeping porches were created as a porch, or room, with windows and screening on three sides to air out quickly and catch the nighttime breezes while keeping the inhabitant free from bug bites and sudden rain storms. For more on sleeping porches you can read my post at www.thecraftsmanblog.com/theamazing-sleeping-porch

These designs are focused more on warm climates, but there are a multitude of designs for every climate. You see, the construction of old and historic buildings was brilliantly locally minded. There was not a one size fits all mentality.

For example, in New England, positioning a saltbox designed house like in Figure 6.1, with the long slope of the roof toward the cold north wind would help keep the house warmer in the winter. In southern climates, high ceilings and wide porches helped keep heat away from the occupants.

Figure 6.1

These passive design elements allowed old homes to keep their owners as comfortable as possible in times gone by. By combining the best of the old technology with the best of the new, an old home can be brought gracefully into the post-modern era while maintaining its historic character.

OIL & WATER

Some things just don't mix, and there are some combinations of these two ways of thinking that can spell tragedy for your home. So always be careful and do your research, or call a professional before making any changes.

One potential danger in insulating an old house is disturbing old wiring with crumbling insulation. Disturb the wiring by digging out old rock wool or other insulation and you run the risk of creating a fire hazard. Also, don't forget that asbestos was used in some insulation products and disturbing it can be a major health hazard. All this to say, "Be Careful!" With an old house, always think twice before you jump.

Do your research. Hire a knowledgeable professional who is not trying to just sell you the most expensive product. Look for a contractor that has the heart of a teacher and is willing to explain things to you.

A GOOD MIX OF OLD AND NEW

So, what parts of the old and new should you use to make your home work efficiently? What is the right mix? I don't know.

"What? This guy proclaims to be an expert and all he can say is, 'I don't know'?"

That's right. In all seriousness, each house is so individual that what works perfect on one house might cause big problems for another. However, I will, as promised, give you a few things that any homeowner can safely do to tighten up a drafty old house.

These may seem like minor fixes but collectively they will make a huge improvement in the efficiency of your old home. Take care of the low hanging fruit before moving on to the more expensive and complicated improvements. Here is the list of things that anyone can do to safely improve their home’s efficiency.

Your Laundry List

1.Caulk All Vertical Gaps - The trim boards around windows and doors should be caulked to prevent water and air from entering your home. Walk around the house and check the joint between the window/door jamb and trim and also between the trim and siding. If you notice any place where there is a gap then get out your caulk gun. I recommend using a siliconized acrylic-latex caulk, but any high quality exterior caulk/sealant will be fine. Alex Plus makes a quality product that you can find in almost any home store. If the gap is larger than 1/8" you'll need to push in a foam backer before caulking. Smooth the caulk out with your finger, wipe off any excess and your done. There are two important places that should not be caulked though. Do not caulk above or below a window or door opening. Only caulk along the sides (the vertical joints). The tops should remain un-caulked so that any water that gets behind the siding can escape through the drip cap above the window or door. And the same goes for the below the window. I leave that space un-caulked so any water that mistakenly makes its way into the window assembly has a place to exit.Horizontal joints are designed to shed water, vertical joints are not. Just focus your caulk on the sides of doors and windows for the best results.

2.Weatherstrip Doors & Windows - When you close your doors and windows there shouldn't be any gaps. If there are you'll need to break out the weatherstripping. If you want be historically accurate to your old home you can use spring bronze (which I’ll teach you to install later), V-bronze, or interlocking metal weatherstripping to help keep the wind and water out of your house. Interlocking metal weatherstripping is fairly complicated to install, but spring bronze is a simple and long lasting option. Or, you can just pick up some rubber or foam strips at the local home store. Both work fine, it's just a matter of how long they will last. Metal takes the cake for longevity. Some are nailed in place, others are peel and stick, but either way it can make a big difference in your energy bill. Install as big a piece that you need to make sure that you achieve a snug fit when the door or window is closed. If you see sunlight through the door cracks you need weatherstripping.

3.Install Door Sweeps - These are pretty simple to add and they do a lot to help keep bugs, rain, and air from sneaking under your door. This is probably one of the most neglected spots on the house. The bottom of your door will not make a perfect seal on the threshold without a door sweep and installing one is easy. These get a lot of wear and tear so they should be replaced every few years to continue to be efficient.

4.Patch Leaky Ducts - Leaky ductwork can increase your heating and cooling costs by more than 30%! So, if you can safely access your HVAC ductwork, checking to make sure there aren't any holes or kinks is a very worthwhile thing to do. Some power companies will even pay upwards of $150 toward the repair of your ducts. Check with your local utility provider and see what kind of rebates they offer.

5.Install Radiant Barrier - This one is a little more work, but definitely not beyond the scope of the average DIYer. Installing radiant barrier on the underside of your roof if your attic is accessible is a great way to save some money on your cooling bills. All you need is a heavy duty stapler, tape measure and a utility knife. Then just follow the manufacturers instructions. At around $.30 a square foot this stuff pays for itself quickly.

6.Add Blown-in Insulation - If you have an accessible attic and there is only an inch or two of insulation up there, then blowing in some more insulation is a great way to keep your house more comfortable. You can do this yourself with materials and a machine from the big box home stores. If you have blown in insulation and you are simply adding a greater amount, you shouldn't have any problems. Just remember that when adding insulation more is not always better. If you have compacted insulation then it is not working as effectively as it could. Your blown-in insulation should be a fluffy pile with nothing resting on top of it to work best.

7.Install Storm Windows - Once you've weatherstripped your windows properly you can get an even better level of efficiency by adding storm windows. These are available in interior and exterior versions that are appropriate for historic homes. Indow Windows makes an excellent low profile interior storm window. You can also find local craftsman who make historic wooden exterior storm windows. Though this is a more expensive addition it can make your windows about as efficient as a double-paned replacement window but with the historic character and longevity of the original single-paned. Put the interior and exterior storms together and you'll have a historic window that is more efficient than some triple-paned replacement windows!

Retrofitting an old home to bring it up to modern standards can definitely be a challenge, and you will run into many contractors who would just as soon tear out the old and replace everything. When you run into one of these contractors just politely thank them and keep looking. The value of your historic home does not lie in it being the most efficient house on the block. It lies in the character and craftsmanship that makes it unique.

To destroy that uniqueness in the name of energy efficiency is tragedy. Remember, when it comes to resale value, people don't buy old houses because they are efficient or easy to maintain. They buy them because of the unique story they tell. They buy them because they feel the warmth of a building that has housed generations of families before them. Although it may be drafty, that warmth of character is what keeps them comfortable.

ONE LAST QUESTION

How much energy efficiency is enough when it comes to historic preservation? This is a very contentious question right now in preservation and building circles. So, I'll give you my point of view and you can make your own decision.

My stance is that historic properties serve a wholly different purpose than a modern built home. Historic properties have been saved because of their character, craftsmanship, and most importantly, their historical significance. The purpose of a historic home or district is not to compete with the energy efficiency of its contemporary counterparts, but rather to remind us of where we came from as a society and how things were done in generations past.

Dwight Young once said, "Saving old buildings and neighborhoods is an enormously effective way to provide continuity in the places where we live." Another quote that I feel speaks to this is from James Burke, "If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where where you are."

Historic structures provide a place marker in our lives. They are little clues left over by those that preceded us; a small taste of a time that is no longer. They educate us and help prevent us from repeating our mistakes.

Admittedly, the newest and most efficient window installed in an historic home will likely increase its energy efficiency over a single-paned original, but should it be our mission to make these homes perform like new? I'd venture a resounding "No." They were never designed to perform that way. Retrofit? Yes, by all means! But irreversibly alter in the name of efficiency?

After all is said and done, the top of the line, energy-star rated window of today will be considered an energy hog by the ever advancing standards of tomorrow. This replacement mentality, once started creates an endless cycle of replacements and upgrades.

Let us save old houses because we want to enjoy them and share them with our children and grandchildren not because we can change them into something they were never intended to be. We might as well paint new clothes on the Mona Lisa because her outfit is woefully outdated.

9 Source: http://www.passivhaus.org.uk

10 Source: http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/

SEVEN

MODERN LIFE IN AN OLD HOME

Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.

-Jane Jacobs

I don't have any friends with a wood burning stove. I think the main reason for this is because it's 2013 and not 1813. While I think a wood stove would be cool and rustic, and probably a lot of fun to have in my own house, my wife does not agree. So, I have an electric range and a happy wife.

Times have changed significantly since your historic home was built. Coal stoves gave way to electric and, rather quickly, we invented radio, television, computers, the internet...the list of innovations is seemingly endless. Progress just keeps marching forward and our homes remain stuck in the past, which is a large part of their charm.

Of course, not every new innovation is an improvement. Seen a Zeppelin lately? I didn't think so. But, as a society, we have the luxury of picking and choosing the best from each generation and assembling them together into our lives however we see fit.

Not only has the technology we use changed dramatically over the last 100 years, but so has the way we live. Homes today are built with the kitchen as the central gathering point for guests and parties. Until the 1960s, this was relatively unheard of. The kitchen was a secret place where guests were not allowed.

Being a guest in someone's home in 1915, for instance, was a bit like going to Disneyland today. There is a whole lot of hustle going on behind the scenes to ensure that you have a magical experience "onstage." All you would see is a perfectly clean, nicely decorated home. There was no mess to be seen because you weren't allowed in the kitchen or in the bedrooms. The perfectly prepared food magically appears through the swinging kitchen door where you catch a tiny glimpse of what the hidden kitchen really looks like.

A lot of older homes would even be built with one type of wood flooring in the public rooms and another cheaper species of wood in the private areas of the house. For example, in the central Florida area there are usually Red or White Oak floors in the public areas and Heart Pine in the private areas. This detail really shows the formality of life inside the houses of the 1930s and before.

Today, life at home is nowhere near as formal as it used to be. Gone are the days of parlors and sitting rooms. Even the mightiest of rooms like the formal living room and dining room are on the decline. We don't use these spaces much anymore and they have become nothing more than a remnant of the way things used to be.

Strangely, most new houses are still built with the formal foyer, living room, and dining room because we are creatures of habit. Always expecting things to be the same. How many dinner parties have you had this year? We haven't had any either. If our house is anything like yours, our dining table becomes a catch all for mail, book bags and anything else that has yet to find its home.

When most people look at an old house their initial reaction is that it feels too small and compartmentalized. In most homes built before the 1960s, each room had very definite boundaries. The great room/kitchen/dining area idea had yet to be born. This open floor plan can be difficult to create in a historic home without dramatically altering its structure. So, if this is what you are looking for then you may be better off in a different house.

However, old homes as symmetrical as they usually are, are good candidates for combining or expanding rooms by taking out partition walls. If you would rather have an oversized living area instead of the formal parlor and dining room you can usually combine them relatively inexpensively, provided you don't have any load bearing walls to deal with. These changes don't usually add much value to the home, but they are usually not detrimental to its value either, so if this serves to satisfy your desire for more openness then I see no reason not to look for ways to use this technique.

THE BEST PLACES TO UPDATE

When it comes to updating your old house there are some rooms that you really can’t do much with. After all, a bedroom is really just four walls. Sure you can do something different to the flooring or try to create a bigger closet, but there isn't much that is dated or obsolete. However, there are two rooms in your old house that will benefit hugely from an update. And these are the places to spend your money to add the modern conveniences you want. Just stick with the style of the house and you'll create a fantastic room that bridges the gap between contemporary and historic.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It is the room with the most built in technology and appliances which also makes it the most expensive room to operate and renovate. While most of your house has a fighting chance to remain original throughout the years, the kitchen was likely the first room to change.

If the kitchen in my house hadn't been updated, we would still have an ice box, and a wood-burning stove. Now as it is, we have a 1991 remodel that was, I can only assume, an homage to Star Trek. I don't know if that was the first remodel or one of many through the years. The point is, kitchens have to change in order to keep up with modern life. No one expects to find a historically correct kitchen in a house today unless it is a museum. Our lives function differently than they did 100 or 200 years ago and the kitchen clearly reflects that.

Fortunately, there are tons of options to make your kitchen work for the way we live today. Many kitchen remodels today would be right at home in a historic home. But I would like to give you a few ideas of materials and fixtures that you can use to make your kitchen work that much better as a part of a historic house. And ,anything that may look out of place in an old kitchen can be cleverly disguised within fake cabinet fronts.

Lighting

Incorporating vintage style lighting (whether it is truly old or simply a replica) will add so much character it's ridiculous. Things like schoolhouse pendant lights or old Edison bulbs bring a warm and vintage feel to a room that might otherwise be almost modern.

The opposite it true as well. Nothing saps the soul of a kitchen more than a cheap fluorescent dome at the center of the room. Find something that speaks to you and adds interest. Something that you would point out to visitors instead of hoping they politely ignore it.

Here are some great sources for vintage lighting:

• http://www.schoolhouseelectric.com

• http://www.rejuvenation.com

• http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com

• http://www.revivallighting.com

• http://www.historichouseparts.com

• http://www.barnlightelectric.com

Hardware

Figure 7.1

The little details of a room shouldn't be overlooked. Simple things like light switch covers, drawer pulls, door knobs and window latches can make a significant addition to your kitchen remodel. These are the things you use everyday but never consciously notice until it becomes a little work of art.

In my own home, we changed one light switch from a standard white switch to a replica black push button switch with a mother of pearl inset and then used a hand antiqued bronze switch plate cover (Figure 7.1). This small addition cost us $20 (which is quite a bit more than the $1.40 cost of the standard switch and cover) but now every time I turn the light on it makes me smile. I've never enjoyed turning a light on this much before. Quality materials make the mundane fun. Splurge where you can, save where you need to.

Here are some great sources for vintage hardware:

• http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com

• http://www.vandykes.com

• http://www.ballandball-us.com

• http://www.historichouseparts.com

The Big Stuff

While the small details are important they will only get you so far. You'll need to make some big decisions to bring your kitchen's functionality up to today's standards. Before you reach for the granite counters and stainless appliances take a look at some of the more period, yet just as functional, options you have.

• Soapstone - Soapstone is a naturally occurring stone like granite or marble and is sold and installed in much the same way. In the late 1800s and early 1900s soapstone was a very popular option for kitchen countertops and wash sinks. It is naturally antimicrobial and can handle having hot pots and pans set on it. It can be installed natural which has a medium grey appearance or the more popular way is to oil it with mineral oil to bring out a deep black richness that puts even the finest granite to shame.

• Butcher block - Butcher block was a huge hit in kitchens of the past and for good reasons. It is relatively inexpensive as far as countertops go and even develops a rich character over the years. When damaged it is easily repaired by sanding and re-oiling with mineral oil. Not mention you won't need a separate cutting board.

• Linoleum - This incredible material has gotten a bad rap the last few decades. And it's because of the terrible misunderstanding of the difference between Linoleum and vinyl which we’ll discuss later. Linoleum is not the same as vinyl and it has a place in historic homes even, if you decide it’s not right for you.

• Vintage Appliances - Check out Elmira Stove Works at www.elmirastoveworks.com. This fantastic company builds replica refrigerators and stoves that look like they came from the late 1800s on up to the 1950s. Though they may look old, they are decidedly modern in their function and energy use. Can't afford one of these? You can get a real conversation piece by purchasing an actually antique stove and having it restored and updated to today's standards. The point is, there are options to be creative and unique, even in your appliances.

The Bathroom

Plumbing has changed very little in the last century. Once houses started being built with indoor plumbing and the outhouse was banished there has been very little change. Functionally, a 1910's bathroom is almost exactly the same as a 2010's. Our toilets have gotten more efficient, we prefer showers to baths, and we need more electrical outlets to support our menagerie of grooming tools, but other than that a bathroom remodel is a matter of style differences.

Antique plumbing fixtures can be found online and in salvage yards inexpensively, and most times the fixtures are in good working order. Worn out tubs and sinks can be reglazed to look and perform like new. If vintage fixtures are not your cup of tea, then there are plenty of places where you can find good deals on quality replicas to fit any age and style historic home.

Ultimately, you want you bathroom to be a fitting part of your historic home. The worst thing you can do for the character and value of a historic home is add an ultramodern bathroom. It will create such a jarring inconsistency to the rest of the house. Not to mention, soon that ultra-modern bath will be ultra-dated. Don't get caught up in the vicious circle of cutting edge design; in an old house this is a losing battle.

Figure 7.2

Whatever the age of your house, the Internet can be your best friend when it comes to getting ideas for period bathrooms. Unlike the kitchen where technology has zoomed past your home's original plans, the design of bathrooms is much more timeless. Period is in.

Features like beadboard wainscoting (Figure 7.2), not typically found in homes today, adds a refined charm to those bare bathrooms walls. Not to mention the protection that wainscoting provides for your walls, especially in a small space like a bathroom where things can easily get dinged up.

Tile

Tile is what makes a bathroom. It's everywhere! And everything from the color palette to the size to the pattern will tell you what decade and style the bathroom is from.

• Small marble mosaics beckon the Victorian era from 1850-1910.

• Staggered bright white subway tiles scream the 1910-1930 sanitary craze.

• Colorful art deco squares point to the art deco style of 1920-1930.

• Pink squares remind us of the 1930s-1950s (a time before pink was a girl's color).

And tile doesn't just belong on the floor and in the shower in a historic house. Tile wainscoting was incredibly popular throughout most American architecture of the past. Bare bathroom walls are a relatively new trend in building. Find creative patterns of period tile with a tile shelf-rail perhaps. The options are abundant. The only limit is your imagination.

Here's a few great resources for period tile:

• http://www.restorationtile.com

• http://www.subwaytile.com

• http://www.worldoftile.us

• http://www.bungalowbill.com

• http://www.waterworks.com/collections/waterworks/vintage/200

Many of these suppliers can be expensive, but in a space as small as a bathroom the total cost for tile is not affected as much. 50 SF of $5 tile vs 50 SF of $20 tile only yields a $750 difference. That may sound like a lot, but since the average bathroom remodel runs between $7k and $12k that is a very small percentage change.

The Big Stuff

Sinks, tubs, and toilets. Your bathroom may be old, but that doesn't mean these items have to be. It also doesn't mean you should remove the old stuff either. There are several ways to take care of your bathroom's biggest fixtures.

If you have some old or original pieces in your bathroom where the porcelain has worn through, or is chipped, then reglazing is always an inexpensive and effective option. Reglazing is a process best left to a professional. Don't even bother with the DIY kits. They are ineffective at best and can create a terrible mess or worse if you make a mistake. Professional reglazing entails sanding down and repairing any chips in the porcelain and then re-coating the surface. It isn't quite as hard a surface as the original but you can get another decade or more with a proper job. Even a trained professional would have a hard time telling the difference between a well cared for tub or sink and a professionally reglazed one. Before you throw out the tub with the bath water, give reglazing a look.

Here's a quick run down on the pros and cons of using new or original plumbing fixtures in your home.

• Tub - If your historic home's tub is original it's most likely cast iron (aka heavy). Cast iron is an excellent material for tubs. It doesn't flex as much as today's thinner steel, fiberglass and acrylic tubs which means less wear and tear on the tile surrounds and caulked edges. The problem that arises with a cast iron tub is that when the porcelain covering chips, rust can develop. A problem easily solved by reglazing. The tub is one item you're better off to restore and use again. Even a beat up claw foot tub can have the inside reglazed, and the outside repainted with an oil-based paint to any color you want, for a little added character.

• Sink - Today most bathroom sinks are either drop in or under mount on a vanity with plenty of storage. But in old homes you're more likely to come across pedestal, wall mount, or legged sinks. Under the sink storage is another new idea in bathroom design. If you need the storage then consider an old piece of furniture that can be converted into a vanity. Otherwise stick with the original. Reglaze if necessary and add a new faucet that fits the style.

• Toilet - This is the one place where technology has really advanced. Old toilets (pre-1982) typically used between 5 and 7 gallons per flush (gpf). After 1982 toilets stepped up their efficiency to 3.4 gpf. Then in 1994 The US Congress mandated that all toilets use no more than 1.6 gpf. Today, there are dual-flush and high-efficiency toilets that use as little as 0.6 gpf! While I respect the vintage of old toilets I do feel that the strides in efficiency can't be ignored. For me, I would usually replace the toilet with a more efficient model unless it was a truly unique piece (which some are). For the more artful antique toilets there are conversion kits to make them more efficient which I have tried with varying success. In the end, I'd say it's your call how much you like your old toilet versus how much water you can save with a new efficient model.

So, now you've got the basics down do a little research and assemble the pieces that will make your dream period bathroom. You can't beat websites like Pintrest.com or Houzz.com for some great visual ideas for your home.

Here's a few great resources for period fixtures:

• http://www.signaturehardware.com

• http://www.vintagetub.com

• http://www.elizabethanclassics.com

• http://www.restorationhardware.com

• http://www.vintageplumbing.com

• http://www.antiqueplumber.com

• http://www.historichouseparts.com

EIGHT

RENOVATING THE RIGHT WAY

In the end, the character of a civilization is encased in its structures.

-Frank Gehry

Combining today's technology and lifestyle with a house built for a much different time can be downright frustrating at times. It may tempt you to tear down walls and start from scratch by redesigning your old home, which may be the only solution in the end. But, before you get to that point, let me offer some ideas about planning the most successful renovation you can for your old house.

My friend Steve likes to say, "Gut fish, not houses." He says it so often that he had T-shirts made for his team members and they have become the uniform for his growing window restoration company in Tampa. Renovating an old house is much more than tearing old stuff out and putting new stuff in. So, let's learn to walk before we run.

If you're thinking about a major renovation on your home there are a couple steps you should follow to ensure you do it right. Follow these three simple steps and I promise you'll come out ahead.

STEP #1 - WAIT

That's right! I've said it before but it bears repeating. Especially if you have just moved into your historic home. Wait for at least a year before you make any major changes. I know you're chomping at the bit to make the house your own, but it takes about a year to see what kind of renovation(s) you’ll really want.

Feel free to paint and arrange the furniture, but for the major changes you should wait.

Most people tackle major projects the minute they move in and then wish they had done things differently. Myself included. Over the first year you'll learn lots of things that drive you nuts about the layout and design of your house. Things like these will slowly become apparent.:

• The dining room is too dark in the winter.

• The kitchen has enough prep space but it's in an inconvenient location.

• The toilet is in an odd spot that keeps the door from fully opening.

• A single basin sink would be more useful since you never end up using the double.

• I wish the vanity was a little taller.

• The breakfast nook is stifling in summer afternoons.

All the nuances of your house will become abundantly clear during the first year that you live in the house. Write them down. Make a list and thoughtfully plan your renovation to incorporate possible solutions to these issues. Armed with this information, you will be able to execute a much more satisfying renovation when the time comes.

Once you tear something out, it’s gone for good.

I've also discovered that waiting a year helps people to appreciate the worth and value of a historic house more clearly. You're less apt to tear the house apart and make some of the 5 big mistakes historic homeowners make (Windows, Floors, Siding, Plaster, Details). In that first year, you come to appreciate some of the quirks that may have initially been an annoyance.

Moving into an old house is kind of like buying a new pair of shoes. A quality pair of shoes usually has a break-in period where they gradually shape to your foot and your foot gets used to the fit too.

The same thing happens when you move into an old house. So, give it some time and when you get through the break-in period you'll have a better sense of how things fit. In the end, waiting at least a year will increase the likelihood of a smooth renovation with the fewest regrets.

STEP #2 USE SALVAGE MATERIALS

This is actually a pretty trendy idea as I write this book which is kind of amazing since, if you ask my wife, I'm not exactly the trendy type. But, even a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut. Being a restorer of historic homes, the only time I notice trends is about 20 years after they were popular. I'm called in all the time to tear out a dated kitchen or bath. Fact is, trends don't last for long and it's never a good idea in a historic home to make permanent parts of your renovation "trendy."

Salvaged materials; however, help the renovation blend in seamlessly with the surrounding older elements of the home. I've given some clients a completely new and upgraded bathroom or kitchen with all the modern conveniences you could ask for, yet was able to maintain the historic feel of the house by using salvaged materials. You can save a ton of money by purchasing old materials and polishing them up (or having your contractor do it) before installing them. Ultimately, salvaged materials are kind to your bottom line, and the earth since you're keeping more trash out of the landfill.

Think about what the big fad in kitchens was 30 years ago and ask yourself if you still want that item. Didn’t think so. Cheap Masonite panelling is just that, cheap! Formica belongs in a mid-century house and not a Victorian. You want granite countertops because they are popular right now? That’s fine, but remember, trendy things go out of style just as quickly as they come in to style.

While salvaged materials are a great addition to any old house you don't have to limit yourself to salvage. Old houses were built with quality materials. Install quality materials, even if they're not old, and you'll thank yourself in the end.

STEP #3 HAVE A PLAN

Plan, plan, plan. This is the by far the most important step. Starting a remodel without a plan is like driving a car blindfolded. Someone usually gets hurt and it costs a LOT of money to fix. Without a plan your renovation will likely take twice as long and cost three times as much. I'll walk you through how to plan properly here and save you much more than the cost of this book.

An important thing to remember is that once you tear something out, it's gone for good. Most things in a historic home can be rebuilt to look like they used to be. After all, that's what I make my living doing, but I always prefer to restore homes and materials rather than reconstruct them. I've come across more than a few jobs where someone hastily ripped out a bathroom with no real plan of how to put it back together. When they called us for help, there was nothing we could do but rebuild even though there were large portions of the project that could probably have been saved and reused.

You should be making 95% of you design decisions before the work ever starts. Decide before you start and you'll be way ahead of the pack. A good plan will stretch your dollars and ease communication between you and your contractor.

Also, the stress that a renovation puts on a marriage, or any relationship, can be pretty tough. Having a plan that both you and your spouse agree on will make everyone calmer and more level headed. A happy marriage is worth more than all the gold in the world! Don't let a renovation cause more strife than it deserves. Having a plan stops your project from snowballing into something bigger than intended.

THE 7 KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL RENOVATION PLAN

After waiting that first year you’re ready to make your plan. Below is a list of questions our company always makes sure to ask before we start any project. Answering these prior to starting helps to focus your renovation. At our company we call these the "7 Keys" and we make sure to have an answer for each of these before we start any work.

Key #1 What are the goals of the project?

There is a reason this is #1. You need to know exactly what you hope to accomplish with your renovation. What problems are you looking to solve? What functionality do you hope to achieve from your new kitchen or bath or whatever room you’re working on. Get specific and make sure that your renovation will meet these goals. Zig Ziglar used to say, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” Make sure you’re aiming at something.

Key #2 What is the simplest way to accomplish these goals?

Not every renovation needs to be huge and expensive. Once you know your goals sit down and try to find the simplest way to accomplish them. Sometimes it is an extensive renovation and other times it can be a simpler fix. Don’t immediately assume the worst, but try to find clever ways to get what you want with the least work and expense.

Key #3 What is the budget and timeline?

This key will eliminate more stress than all the rest during your renovation! Dave Ramsey says “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” A timeline is like a budget for your time. You need to have a budget and it needs to realistic. With a budget you will know which items to splurge on and where you can save a few dollars. Don’t forget to add about 20% for unexpected expenses. And once the budget is decided, stick to it.

Key #4 If repairing damage how can we prevent this in the future?

Don’t just dress up the pig. If you have rotted siding from faulty gutters and you just replace the siding, you’ll soon have rotted siding again. You need to find the source of your problems and deal with it effectively before handling any of the cosmetic issues associated with the damage. Fixing the source of the problem will ensure a lasting repair that you can enjoy for years.

Key #5 What historical elements can we save/reuse?

Sometimes you will have to remove some historic details when renovating an old home, and whenever possible these pieces should be saved and reused. The value of these items is important to your home and reusing them will create a seamless renovation that blends in perfectly with the rest of the house. If your house is a Craftsman and you remodel a bedroom with stock moldings from Home Depot…well…there are simply no words. Just don’t do it.

Key #6 What elements will need to be removed? Why?

As a preservationist it’s hard for me to accept that a historic element will have to be permanently removed, but sometimes it is necessary and beneficial to the renovation. If you have to remove historical elements that won’t be re-installed I want you to ask yourself one question. “Why?” If you can’t answer this question then you should re-think the decision to nix it. If there is a valid reason to have the item removed then please donate or sell it to an architectural salvage yard for other homeowners and restorers to use.

Key #7 Where can we use salvaged/vintage materials effectively?

If your house is historic, then you should really consider incorporating salvaged materials into your renovation. You can find great deals on these items and they will make your renovation fit with the rest of the house. There is nothing more architecturally jarring than an ultra-modern bathroom in a Victorian house or some other historic home. Show your own personality in your renovation, but maintain the integrity (and value) of your home by sticking with the general style that already exists.

If you can find the answers to these 7 keys, then your renovation will run as smooth as the pros. There will always be hiccups, but armed with these keys you will be better prepared and less stressed, and that always makes for a happy renovation.

NINE

THE DANGERS OF DEFERRED
MAINTENANCE

Whatever may be the future of architecture, in whatever manner our young architects may one day solve the question of their art, let us, while waiting for new monuments, preserve the ancient monuments. Let us...inspire the nation with a love for national architecture.

-Victor Hugo

Contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as a “Maintenance Free” product when it comes to home improvement. Anyone who says differently is selling something. Homes, just like relationships, need maintenance from time to time to keep them functioning properly. Everything in your house has a life expectancy. Depending on how you take care of it you can extend or shorten that expectancy significantly.

First, let’s take a look at the life expectancy of the major components of the average house. The chart below shows, in years, how long you can expect these materials and systems to last with their required maintenance. If you take better care of them than the average homeowner you can greatly extend some of these almost infinitely. Conversely, if you let problems go untreated month after month and year after year, you are in for an expensive surprise in the future.

LIFE EXPECTANCY OF BUILDING COMPONENTS

Cabinetry

Life in years

Kitchen cabinets

15-20

Medicine cabinets and bath vanities

20

Sources: Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, Neil Kelly Designers

Countertops

Life in years

Laminate

10-15

Ceramic tile, high-grade installation

Lifetime

Wood/butcher block

20+

Granite

20+

Sources: AFPAssociates of Western Plastics, Ceramic Tile Institute of America

Doors

Life in years

Screen

25-50

Interior, hollow core

Less than 30

Interior, solid core

30-lifetime

Exterior, protected overhang

80-100

Exterior, unprotected and exposed

25-30

Folding

30-lifetime

Sources: Wayne Dalton Corporation, National Wood Window and Door Association, Raynor Garage Doors

Electrical

Life in years

Copper wiring, copper plated, copper clad aluminum, and bare copper

100+

Armored cable (BX)

Lifetime

Conduit

Lifetime

Source: Jesse Aronstein, Engineering Consultant

Finishes used for waterproofing

Life in years

Paint, plaster, and stucco

3-5

Sealer, silicone, and waxes

1-5

Source: Brick Institute of America Floors

Floors

Life in years

Oak or pine

Lifetime

Slate flagstone

Lifetime

Vinyl sheet or tile

20-30

Terrazzo

Lifetime

Carpeting (depends on installation, amount of traffic, and quality of carpet)

11

Marble (depends on installation, thickness of marble, and amount of traffic)

Lifetime+

Sources: Carpet and Rug Institute, Congoleum Corporation, Hardwood Plywood Manufacturers Association, Marble Institute, National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association, National Wood Flooring Association, Resilient Floor Covering Institute

Footings and foundation

Life in years

Poured footings and foundations

200

Concrete block

100

Cement

50

Waterproofing, bituminous coating

10

Termite proofing (may have shorter life in damp climates)

5

Source: WR Grace and Company

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)

Life in years

Central air conditioning unit (newer units should last longer)

15

Window unit

10

Air conditioner compressor

15

Electric water heater

14

Gas water heater (depends on type of water heater lining and quality of water)

11-13

Forced air furnaces, heat pump

15

Boilers, hot water or steam (depends on quality of water)

30

Furnaces, gas- or oil-fired

18

Radiant heaters, electric

10

Radiant heaters, hot water or steam

25

Baseboard systems

20

Diffusers, grilles, and registers

27

Induction and fan coil units

20

Dampers

20

Ventilating roof-mounted fans

20

Pumps, sump and well

10

Sources: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration News, Air Movement and Control Association, American Gas Association, American Society of Gas Engineers, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., Safe Aire Incorporated

Insulation

Life in years

For foundations, roofs, ceilings, walls, and floors

Lifetime

Sources: Insulation Contractors Association of America, North American Insulation Manufacturers Association

Landscaping

Life in years

Wooden decks

15

Brick and concrete patios

24

Concrete walks

24

Gravel walks

4

Asphalt driveways

10

Sprinkler systems

12

Fences

12

Sources: Associated Landscape Contractors of America, Irrigation Association

Masonry

Life in years

Chimney, fireplace, and brick veneer

Lifetime

Brick and stone walls

100+

Stucco

Lifetime

Sources: Brick Institute of America, Architectural Components, National Association of Brick Distributors, National Stone Association

Millwork

Life in years

Stairs, trim

50-100

Paints and stains

Life in years

Exterior paint on wood, brick, and aluminum

7-10

Interior wall paint (depends on the acrylic content)

5-10

Interior trim and door paint

5-10

Wallpaper

7

Sources: Finnaren and Haley, Glidden Company, The Wall Paper

Bathrooms & Plumbing

Life in years

Cast iron bathtubs

50

Fiberglass bathtub and showers

10-15

Shower doors, average quality

25

Toilets

50

Sources: Neil Kelly Designers, Thompson House of Kitchens and Bath

Waste piping, cast iron

75-100

Sinks, enamel steel

5-10

Sinks, enamel cast iron

25-30

Sinks, china

25-30

Faucets, low quality

13-15

Faucets, high quality

15-20

Sources: American Concrete Pipe Association, Cast Iron Soil and Pipe Institute, Neil Kelly Designers, Thompson House of Kitchens and Baths

Roofing

Life in years

Asphalt and wood shingles and shakes

15-30

Tile (depends on quality of tile and climate)

50

Slate (depends on grade)

50-100

Sheet metal (depends on gauge of metal and quality of fastening and application)

20-50+

Built-up roofing, asphalt

12-25

Built-up roofing, coal and tar

12-30

Asphalt composition shingle

15-30

Source: National Roofing Contractors Association

Rough structure

Life in years

Basement floor systems

Lifetime

Framing, exterior and interior walls

Lifetime

Source: NAHB Research Foundation

Shutters

Life in years

Wood, interior

Lifetime

Wood, exterior (depends on weather conditions)

4-5

Vinyl plastic, exterior

7-8

Aluminum, interior

35-50

Aluminum, exterior

3-5

Sources: A.C. Shutters, Inc., Alcoa Building Products, American Heritage Shutters

Siding

Life in years

Gutters and downspouts

30

Siding, wood (depends on maintenance)

10-100

Siding, steel

50-Lifetime

Siding, aluminum

20-50

Siding, vinyl

50

Sources: Alcoa Building Products, Alside, Inc., Vinyl Siding Institute

Walls and window treatments

Life in years

Drywall and plaster

30-70

Ceramic tile, high grade installation

Lifetime

Sources: Association of Wall and Ceiling Industries International, Ceramic Tile Institute of America

Windows

Life in years

Window glazing

20

Wood casement

20-50

Aluminum and vinyl casement

20-30

Screen

25-50

Sources: Best Built Products, Optimum Window Manufacturing, Safety Glazing Certification Council, Screen Manufacturers Association

Everything has an expiration date. So you need to plan for it accordingly.

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT

Look at home repairs like trying to stop a snowball rolling down a mountain side. If you get in front of the snowball when it has just started rolling it can be stopped with relative ease. But, as that snowball keeps rolling it requires more and more energy, and in the case of home repairs more money, to halt its advance. At some point the snowball will become unstoppable and no amount of energy, ingenuity, or money will be able to save the home.

Most folks end up stopping the snowball long before it gets to this point, but still later than they should have. The goal is to stop the snowball as soon as you can. Whether you do the repair or you hire a professional, stopping the snowball in its earliest stages will save you time, frustration, and money.

You see, your house is a bunch of smaller components blended together to function as one big system. Like any system, your home requires all of its components to be working in harmony to function properly.

The problem with the snowball effect is that when one snowball starts rolling it, usually sets off other snowballs in its path. Unless you are a skilled juggler you want to stop all these other snowballs before the whole project becomes overwhelming. Stopping the first snowball early enough often results in a quick weekend repair by the homeowner without the help and expense of a professional.

To give you an example of how a snowball can get rolling and set off an avalanche, I’ll lay out an actual scenario that one of our clients endured. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

A Snowball in Action

Dan and Molly live in a 1920’s bungalow in an old neighborhood with beautiful towering oak trees. Their house is in excellent shape and they have maintained it well over the years. One day, a summer storm blows through town and knocks a few branches down on top of their roof. One of the branches knocks a shingle loose, and puts a small hole in the underlayment allowing water to leak directly onto the roof sheathing. They don’t notice the damage because, after all, who climbs up on the roof. The snowball has started.

One year later the small hole has grown and the constant moisture has caused the sheathing to soften and rot away in places. The humidity level in their attic has increased and mold is growing quickly on the spongey wood at the site of the damage. Another snowball starts.

Their attic windows are beginning to have consistent condensation on the interior due to the high humidity ,and the paint begins to peel and the glazing begins to fail. The next snowball starts.

By 18 months, the leak is large enough that during a rain storm the water is beginning to run down onto the backside of their living room ceiling. The plaster and lath get a good soaking every time it rains. The plaster begins to pull away from the swollen lath and sag. Another snowball is set off.

At the two year point, the plaster ceiling begins to show signs of water damage and Molly notices water stains. Dan assures her that he will repaint the stains hoping that will solve the problem.

One month later the plaster ceiling has had enough, and a 3 foot wide chunk falls to the ground of their living room. Dan calls me the next morning about the plaster damage.

The snowball is plenty big at this point. It took 2 years for the damage to be noticed and now there is a lot of work to do to repair the damaged sections.

At this point the repairs required a roofer to remove about a 30 square foot section of their roof so that the rotted sheathing could be replaced. New underlayment and shingles were installed. The attic windows needed to be restored and reglazed because the extra moisture had caused their paint to peel badly and the window panes to loosen. New lath was installed, and we repaired the missing plaster ceiling portions.

The expensive part of all this was that before we could do any of this work, a mold remediation specialist had to be called in to deal with the mold issues that had occurred due to the water damage.

Now that you are thoroughly frightened by the snowball effect I want to make sure you know that this is an extreme case. However, I wanted to use it as an example because the snowball effect can really eat your lunch if you aren’t proactive.

If Dan and Molly had done an annual inspection of their roof like I recommend, they would have noticed the missing shingles and damage long before it got to this point, and even been able to repair it themselves.

So, do yourself a favor and stop the snowball dead in its tracks before it gets too big for its britches. Nobody likes to have a bunch of little home repairs added to their Honey-Do list, but those little repairs, as unimportant as they may seem, are what keep your house in top shape. They save you time, money and trouble and are worth a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. Trust me!

TEN

HISTORIC HOME MAINTENANCE 101

The strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of its homes.

-Confucius

Maintaining your historic home calls for some unique tasks, as well as the common ones associated with any home. Understanding the differences between historic building materials and current ones is the first step in rejuvenating and maintaining historic structures, without affecting their integrity, durability and architectural appeal.

When things break it’s never convenient. We live busy lives these days, and taking the time to properly fix something that's broken at your home is usually not something we have budgeted into our week. If you don't have the time to fix it right, get a pro to handle it. If you can carve out some time and want to save a little money, I can talk you through most simple repairs you can do for your old home. For more detailed maintenance and how-to information you can always visit my blog at www.TheCraftsmanBlog.com

INSPECTING FOR DAMAGE

The best way to avoid the snowball effect I spoke about in the last chapter is with regular inspections. Pre-war homes were made mainly of natural materials like wood, masonry, and stone which will last almost indefinitely with proper maintenance.

Proper maintenance is the key. These natural materials are relatively easy to repair and maintain, but without regular maintenance they will not last very long. While vinyl siding may last for 50 years without much maintenance before it becomes brittle enough that it breaks down, wood siding will last hundreds and hundreds of years with regular painting and care. However, without regular care it will be ready for the landfill in a couple decades.

Before you begin any maintenance or repairs, it’s a wise idea to create an inspection checklist, so damages can be easily identified and repaired before they become an issue.

6-Month Inspections & Maintenance

• Ext. Chimney Bases and Foundations - Check for any cracks, loose mortar, or damaged bricks.

• Painted Wood - Apply any caulk as needed prior to painting. Chipping or peeling paint should be touched up with a matching paint product.

• Gutters and Down Spouts - Clean all debris from gutters and down spouts.

• Roofing and Flashings - Carefully clean all debris and remove any standing leaves from all flashings and valleys. Check for any standing water, rust, or damaged flashings and roofing materials.

Annual Inspections

• Claddings (Sidings) - Peeling paint and sun damage can be easily repaired with paint. Cupping and/or splitting boards or loose nails are all signs that your siding may need some additional help.

• Windows and Doors - Check for any air leaks, water damage, loose panes, or crumbling glazing putty. Touch up any paint as needed.

• Painted and Unpainted Masonry - Pitted and decaying masonry, cracks, or scaling should all be noted. A stiff bristled brush and some oxygenated bleach can help remove any stains or debris.

• Mortar Joints - Inspect all mortar joints, especially those on the sunniest (Southwest) and wettest (Northeast) side of the house, for cracks, loose pieces, or scaling mortar.

• Chimney Tops - Look for loose bricks, weak mortar, and flashing damage like rust. Inspect the inside of the chimney for leaks or hidden mortar damage as best you can see.

Begin by working through the checklist from the bottom to the top of the structure. Take care in assessing the risks that are involved with examining your historic building for defects and damages. Climbing on a ladder and the roof can be a serious undertaking. Always ensure the proper safety equipment is used when inspecting your historic home.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

Preventative maintenance is always easier and less expensive than repairs or restorations. Try these tips to keep your home running smoothly and stop the snowball before it begins.

• Keep trees and shrubs trimmed back from the home to prevent damage to paint and roofing materials.

• Add ½ cup of distilled vinegar or bleach to your AC drip line every 6 months.

• Change your air filters every 3 months

• Clean refrigerator coils every 6 months

• Touch up whenever you notice chipped or peeling paint to prevent water damage.

• An annual termite and pest program will keep your home safe from annoying intruders and the damage they can cause.

THINK LIKE WATER

Water truly is the source of most problems in an old house. If you can keep water in its place, you are miles ahead of your neighbors. Water affects your house in different ways and they can all be equally damaging. Architecture and home design is essentially a matter of form following function, and a major part of that function is to shed water effectively. There are two types of water you need to think about.

Bulk Water

Bulk water is the water that hits your house in the form of rain or sprinklers. It is the kind of water that your house is designed to shed on a daily basis. Your roof, siding, windows, doors, porch, deck, and railings are all designed to shed bulk water and avoid standing water. Standing water is a sign of either poor design or a damaged element. Standing water is a problem waiting to happen. If you find any of this outside your home think through what might be causing it, or call a pro to assess the problem immediately. Standing water = bad.

Builders and architects are trained to think like a drop of water hitting your house and falling down the roof or siding. Water falls down and so most systems are designed to keep water out of your house as it falls down during a rain storm.

Of course, sometimes water comes in sideways or even splashes up. Those are the places where you need to pay special attention. Severe storms with powerful winds can drive water into places it doesn’t belong, and cause problems. Another typical problem is splash back from porches or decks onto siding which causes rot..

If water doesn’t have a place to go it will pool and cause rot and that is what we want to avoid.

Water Vapor

Water vapor is a bit trickier. You can’t see it and that makes it much more difficult to detect. Water vapor and it’s effects are pretty complicated and beyond the scope of this book, but I’ll give you a cursory explanation so you know the basics of this water issue.

Warmer air can hold more moisture (humidity) than cold air. In the winter our homes are warmer than the outside temperature and therefore can hold more moisture. That warm, humid air is drawn to the colder air and as it cools down, the water that is contained in vapor state condenses (the dew point). This water settles on whatever part of your house is closest. This is the reason that windows fog up in the winter.

There are vapor barriers to help with this issue, but older houses rarely have any building wrap or vapor barrier. The scary part about vapor drive, as it is called, is that during the winter the dew point exists somewhere within your wall. Somewhere between your warm bedroom through the plaster, framing, insulation (if there is any), exterior sheathing and siding that vapor will hit the dew point and condense on something within the wall. That condensation can cause rot issues over years.

The best solution for an old house is to manage the moisture levels indoors. Install a vent fan in the bathroom and another in the kitchen to help remove the most humid air. If you have it in the budget, add a whole house dehumidifier or simply use one room units to keep your home’s humidity at reasonable levels (usually around 40% - 50% relative humidity).

Not only will this protect your home from vapor issues, but it will make it much more comfortable and save money on your heating and cooling costs.

ELEVEN

THE 5 WORST MISTAKES OF HISTORIC
HOME OWNERS

Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men.

-Richard Nickel

On The Craftsman Blog, one of the earliest series I did was called The 5 Worst Mistakes of Historic Homeowners. I wrote it in response to people asking me what the biggest mistakes were that I usually see in historic homes. Being in the business of restoring and preserving historic structures, I have seen many a house that made me cock my head in amazement at some of the frightening things people do to "upgrade" their old homes. The phrase "What were they thinking?" is almost a cliché in my business.

Every year people tear out important (and valuable) architectural elements and replace them with off the shelf items from the local big box hardware store all in the name of "improvement" or "energy-efficiency." Don't get me wrong, I know that the science of building a house has been improved significantly in the last 100 years, and I'm not one to spit in the eye of progress when it comes to green products and energy saving upgrades.

The value of a historic home lies largely in its historic features. Remove or cover those up and you destroy the value of the home. So, in the interest of educating you about how to invest properly in the value of your historic home and to save some valuable historical elements from the landfill, we’ll discuss the biggest mistakes that homeowners make when renovating their historic homes.

MISTAKE #1 – WINDOWS

This has got to be the most widespread mistake and my personal pet peeve. Historic wood windows are constantly being torn out of homes today and being replaced with inferior products. Make no doubt about it, the replacement window industry is out there to sell you a product and to sell it often. There will always be a better, more efficient window model out next year and they count on you feeling outdated with last year's model. Don't fall for their hype!

Metal, vinyl, double-paned, triple-paned, argon filled, and low-E are promoted as the solution to a drafty old house. And I'm not going to lie, they work.

What?

That's right, they work.

For a time these new windows are more efficient than an un-restored unweatherstripped old window; however, they have more than a few flaws that make them a bad choice.

First, is longevity. Most of these windows usually come with a 10 or 20-year prorated warranty. That's great, but what happens after that? Not that you'll be in the house then, but your traditional historic wood windows were designed when families planned to live in a house for generations. There are countless original windows in homes built not just in the early 20th century, but the 19th and 18th centuries that are still in service today! Properly cared for these windows can last indefinitely. On a side note, I recently visited Paul Revere's house is Boston and it still has the original windows from 1680!

The use of old growth lumber, which is more stable and rot resistant than today's lumber, combined with the simple design and function of most historic windows makes them extremely resilient. Historic windows are simple and everyone knows that the more complicated something is the easier it is to break. Argon gas seals leak, causing multi-paned windows to fog up and fail. Spring tensioners wear out making it hard to open and close windows. Historic windows don't have any of these issues. When a sash rope breaks you tie on a new rope. That's about as complicated as historic window maintenance gets.

Secondly, removing your home's original windows inevitably destroys the character of a historic house. New windows were designed for the look of new houses, and while there are companies that make windows that look like historic ones they are not the same. Lacking this major architectural element almost guarantees a lower resale price for a historic home.

More than likely, your windows are painted shut or rotting in a few places if they haven't been cared for. Before you run to replace them, call a restorer to bring them back to life. Your wallet will thank you and so will your sense of conservation. Historic windows are a superior product so why replace them with a good but inferior product?

Historic windows need a couple of things to perform as good as new windows. First, they need to be properly weatherstripped. Next, they need to be properly maintained and painted when necessary to prevent rot or other issues.

Lastly, you should consider adding historical storm windows to dramatically increase their efficiency. You can add these on the outside or, even better, the inside to preserve your home's appearance from the street. Adding storm windows will bring the efficiency of old single-paned windows up to modern double paned replacements at a much lower price. Energy-efficiency and dollar savings. It’s a no brainer.

If you can do these three things, you will have windows that last centuries, retain your home's value and meet even the toughest energy-efficiency standards today.

MISTAKE #2 – FLOORS

Living here in the Sunshine State, it seems that folks have an unusual penchant for $0.69 sq. ft. 20" tiles. The most popular colors are blah, boring, and blech. People love to toss these tiles down over red oak, irreplaceable heart pine, and any number of historic floors. This tile is spreading like a wildfire across the floors of historic homes. Something must be done. Which brings us to our number 2 worst mistake of historic homeowners.

Historic houses are having their floors covered up, ripped out, or trashed in any number of ways to make room for newer, inferior products. Only in America would we be ignorant enough to cover what would be a $15 or $20 per sq. ft. floor with a $1 per sq. ft. floor. Are we really that shallow?

Historic homes have some of the finest flooring available. Have you ever seen a 70 year-old vinyl floor? I didn't think so. How about laminate flooring that has made it even 30 years? Rarely. Today’s floors, even the top quality ones, come with 25 and even 40 year warranties which isn't too bad, but why would you replace a floor that will last centuries with one that lasts only a third that long?

In today's real estate market most of us are being ever mindful of home values. The typical buyer of an old or historic home is expecting hardwood floors. "Maintenance-free" tile is not a selling point for these kind of houses, and while a click-lock engineered wood or laminate floor may be considered an upgrade on a new home, it is a definite cold shower to your historic home's market price.

Refinish & Repair

Wood floors are prime candidates for refinishing and repair. If you have pet stains, loose/missing boards, rot, termite damage, or other issues, these are simple repairs for a flooring professional. If you get someone who says your floors aren't repairable, they are most likely either too lazy to do the work or trying to sell you new floors. I have yet to come across a solid wood floor that couldn't be repaired. The same is almost never true for tile, laminate, vinyl or even engineered wood floors.

Probably one of my favorite jobs restoring a floor was this 1920s heart pine I came across. The home had been used as a business for a time and apparently there had been some damage to the original floors that was patched...well, let's just say poorly, and then carpeted over. When the new homeowner found the damage she intended to tile over the entire house with the aforementioned tile. I was referred to her when her tiling was about half-way done and convinced her (read: begged) her to save the remaining floors because they were not beyond repair.

A week later, after replacement boards were installed and the floors were refinished, she had what looked like new floors. You can visit my website, www.austinhomerestorations.com for more pictures of wood floors we've brought back from near extinction.

Figure 11.1

Solid wood flooring, like this, found in most historic homes, is extremely resilient. It can handle multiple refinishings (done properly) over its life and is easy to repair in a way is almost certainly unnoticeable. And what's best, it can last hundreds of years with minimal care.

So before you jump to "upgrade" the flooring in your historic home take a minute and think it over. Do you want a different color? Stain it. A different glossiness? Refinish it. You can even paint your wood floor to look like almost anything. The only boundaries are your own imagination.

If you are wondering if your floor can be repaired, the answer is almost always yes. Search around for a hardwood refinishing specialist or restoration company and you will find someone up to the task of rejuvenating your floors.

MISTAKE #3 – SIDING

Figure 11.2

"No Maintenance." Those two words scare the crud out of me. When it comes to home improvement products, especially when it pertains to historic homes they almost always spell disaster. So, let's dispel a myth...

There is no such thing as a "No Maintenance" product for your historic home. Not a one! Jo-Anne Peck of Historic Shed tells me, “No maintenance means it can’t be maintained.”

No car will last very long without an oil change, your lawn needs water to stay green, and your house needs care to stay healthy. But, many people search for products to sheath their house that will last decade upon decade with no upkeep. The unfortunate news is that these products don't exist and many of the ones that claim to be such are actually wolves in sheep's clothing.

The Problem With Siding

The problem with siding is simple. It's outside. It gets rained on, snowed on, tortured by hail and sleet. The sun is constantly beating down on it and baking its protective layer of paint off day by day. It takes more punishment than a substitute teacher in middle school. It's no wonder that folks look to solutions like vinyl or aluminum siding to protect their home's exterior. The problem is that they can cause more problems than they solve.

Vinyl siding is touted as a no maintenance product. It is rot proof, insect proof and comes in a variety of colors so it doesn't even need painting. But the problems begin almost immediately. First, vinyl siding doesn't allow the house to breathe. Most of the time when I remove vinyl siding from a historic house, I find spongy and rotted wood siding underneath. Inevitably, the vinyl siding got some moisture behind it. Sometimes this moisture comes from rain seeping in and sometimes just from water vapor trying to escape the house.

Since water vapor can't get through the vinyl it just sits on the wood siding and turns it into a mushy mess that termites love. But, don't worry, you'll never know that you have termites because while they munch away at your home the evidence will be completely hidden behind your perfect vinyl siding. Vinyl siding hides all kinds of ills which, along with its inexpensive price, is what makes it so popular. Unfortunately, you and your inspector will never be able to know there is a problem lurking beneath until it's far too late.

Aluminum siding is another enemy of old houses. Not so much because of the damage it can cause but because it's just plain inferior to historic materials. I actually came upon an aluminum sided house once that was built with brick. After a little show and tell the homeowner was thrilled to have us remove the siding and reveal their beautiful brick home.

More often than not aluminum siding gets dented by any number of things like hail, strong storms, and the occasional baseball. The bottom 3 ft. of aluminum siding is usually covered in dents after only a couple years from its biggest enemies...Mr. lawn mower and Mrs. weed eater.

There is one product that I don't mind, and actually use occasionally on our projects, that is not historically accurate. Hardi siding products are top quality, long lasting products that, in my mind, can be a good fit for historic homes. If you're not going to use the original materials they are a fine substitute. You see, I'm not a blind purist. I simply appreciate quality products and they do a good job.

Wood siding, especially if it is old-growth, is extremely long lasting and resistant to rot and insects. When properly installed and cared for, it will protect your house for well over a century. Problems arise when it is installed poorly or neglected.

MISTAKE #4 – PLASTER

Figure 11.3

The walls of any pre-war house are most likely wood lath covered with a 3-coat plaster finish . The work took a long time and was very labor intensive. Not to mention it required a skilled plasterer to make sure the plaster was properly applied and the wall was smooth and straight.

Then when the post WWII baby (and housing) boom hit America, there was a huge demand for quick affordable housing. A new product was just beginning to get some traction in the wall covering business called gypsum board or sheet rock. It was a wall that could be screwed or nailed to the studs by a relatively unskilled laborer at close to twice the speed and half the cost of the traditional 3-coat plaster. Since this wall wasn't applied wet like plaster it could be painted right away and thus got the nickname "drywall."

A traditional 3-coat plaster is about 7/8" thick and when you add in the 1/4" wood lath that supports the plaster wall you have a wall that is more than 1" thick. Compare that to today's most common drywall thickness of only 1/2", that is a difference worth noting.

Today, the cost of a full 3-coat plaster wall is still expensive and timely to install, but when you live in an old house with one already installed you should try to reap the benefits of someone else's labor all those years ago.

All too often we see historic houses gutted to the studs to install new drywall to replace the outdated plaster. Sometimes this is done to upgrade electrical or plumbing elements, and that can be understandable. Other times the plaster has been neglected past the point of no return, but most times it can be repaired. Usually it's torn out in the name of insulating the wall cavities. However, as with anything in the building trade, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

If insulation is your goal there is another less expensive and just as effective method to beef up your insulation levels. In order to save folks the mess and expense of tearing out their walls, we recommend removing a few clapboards on the exterior in order to insulate the house to modern standards.

Historic homes often have no plywood sheathing under the siding. If this is the case with your house, you will have access to the individual stud bays (where insulation goes) simply by removing a course or two of siding and drilling through the sheathing. Much less mess in your house since the work can all be done outside and it's much faster. To me, the biggest benefit is that historic plaster walls will be saved.

The Benefits of Plaster

Here are just a few of the benefits a real plaster wall provides. Give these some consideration before you think about removing yours.

• Thicker walls mean better sound dampening.

• Thicker walls mean twice the R-value (R-value is insulating ability per inch) of ordinary drywall.

• Wood lath serves to strengthen the wall by adding additional racking resistance.

• Plaster increases the historical authenticity and therefore resale value of a historic home.

• It's already there! It's always "greener" and cheaper to retain existing elements.

Hopefully, this has given you some things to think about when it comes to your plaster walls.

MISTAKE #5 – THE DETAILS

Figure 11.4

We've been talking about all the fun things that unknowing owners of historic homes can do to harm the investment they have made in their old home for a while now. We've covered the major areas like windows, floors, walls (plaster), and siding so you might be wondering what the last blunder is. This last one is a little less specific than the previous 4 mistakes, but equally important and probably the quickest way to destroy a historic home's uniqueness.

If we're not careful it's the little details that we are quick to remove because they don't fit our view of what our house should be. I include myself in this too, because I am quick to notice an out of place element and sometimes it's that very element that makes our home so unique.

The details of each historic home are usually unique to each home. My wife and I live in a historic district here in Orlando, and have been inside many of the homes in our neighborhood. Most for work, some for friends, and many because they're on sale and we can finally get a peak inside. You know you do it too.

For some reason, every time I enter an old house my curious eyes immediately go to the baseboards. I'm always looking for something unique and baseboards never disappoint. I've noticed that almost every home in my neighborhood has a different style baseboard. Some are tall 8" or more while others are only 4" like ours. Some have shoe molding while others are bare. Some have an interesting profile on the top and others have a rounded or chamfered top.

You see, most of my neighborhood was built from 1918-1930 and in that short period architects, builders, and homeowners designed completely different trim patterns for their homes. None of them are wrong (though in my opinion some are nicer than others), but each home has its own unique trim. While some trim is pretty basic, and not of any historical interest, some is extraordinarily unique. Do you know the difference? Most people don't.

Architectural Details

Figure 11.5

To use my own home as example, I should talk about the porch columns I almost ripped out.

We live in a 1929 Vernacular Bungalow that is surrounded by plenty of other similar homes. As a guy who works on historic homes all the time, I know what kind of porch columns are typical for a Craftsman-ish Bungalow, and it is definitely not Greek inspired fluted, ionic columns (See Figure 11.5). However, our Bungalow bucks the trend and proudly displays this showy type of column. When we purchased the home I assumed they were a later addition done by the same owners who felt our kitchen should be a tribute the bridge on Star Trek. I was ready to rip them out and "restore the porch to the way it should be" until I had a conversation with my neighbor.

My neighbor's parents built the house across the street from ours in 1923 and he has lived there ever since. Getting married and raising his own family in the only house he's ever lived in. Pretty amazing if you ask me.

When I told him about my plans he told me how the original owners, who were close family friends, were big fans of the huge Greek Revival house a couple blocks away. Though they couldn't afford to build anything as grand as that house, they added little pieces of Greek styling to the house. Those porch columns were all that remained of their Greek inspiration.

How could I rip out the last piece of those folks decades old dream? I felt like a pretender living in their house. The columns were indeed original and an important part of the story of our home that I would have destroyed had I not been corrected. Thank goodness for good neighbors!

Moral of the story? Slow down. Do a little research by asking long time residents of the area. Speak to the local historic district if you have one. Mainly, just take your time and spend a lot of time planning, especially with major subtractions or additions. Otherwise, you may unknowingly remove a valuable piece of your house. And once it's gone, it can never come back.

Areas of Concern

Your house may be the only one with a particular species of wood trim that is very valuable, or you may have a unique mosaic tile border that is hard to find. Below is a short list of some of the areas where unique attributes of homes typically show up to help you think twice before removing items. This is only the most typical areas I find. Every house has its special pieces that may or may not be irreplaceable. Remember you are living in an antique, and everything original in it is an antique as well, and therefore may be worth a considerable sum to try and replace.

• All trim work (baseboards, door and window casings, banisters, spindles, verge boards, picture rails, etc.)

• Any tile mosaics (typically in bath or kitchens)

• Unique exposed rafter tails

• Porch columns and balustrades

• Plaster work (ceiling medallions, unique textures, etc.)

• Door and window hardware

• Lighting/Plumbing fixtures (can be very valuable!)

• Fireplaces (Mantles, clinker bricks, etc.)

TWELVE

OLD HOUSE HEALTH HAZARDS

The Health of the people is really the foundation upon which
all their happiness and all their powers as a state depend.

-Benjamin Disraeli

There are always some tasks best left to a pro, and in an old house it is often for your own safety. There can definitely be materials in an old house that are hazardous to your health, especially concerning children.

Fortunately, most of these materials are safe as long as they are not disturbed. So, before you do any work on your house that may be dealing with any of these materials, call the experts. If you’re unsure, call a pro and don’t take the chance. Your health is too important.

LEAD PAINT

Figure 12.1

In the old days, lead was used in paint for many reasons. For many years white lead carbonate and yellow lead chromate were the only way to get these two brilliant colors effectively into paint. Lead is also highly opaque, so it was added to increase the coverage or hiding ability of paint. Lead is also corrosion resistant and extremely flexible (crack resistant) which makes lead paint very long lasting. In fact, lead paint is still used in some commercial/industrial applications like water towers, bridges, and ships. If not for its health risks, adding lead to paint makes a lot of sense.

For you and I however, the US government outlawed the use of lead paint in “children occupied buildings” (homes, hospitals, schools, daycares, etc.) in 1978¹¹. This is a very good thing, even if lead paints were superior to modern paints in performance.

By now most people know some of the health risks associated with lead. Paint is the primary area of concern for historic homeowners; however, lead can also be present in cast iron plumbing joints and on the vent pipes in your roofing.

Almost all cases of lead poisoning in the home are from accidental ingestion of lead paint or from dust created when renovating areas of the home that unknowingly contain lead paint. As lead builds up in the body it causes some non-specific symptoms that may easily be missed or misclassified as a common cold. Symptoms can include any of the following: insomnia, abdominal pain, memory loss, depression, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, weakness, pain, or tingling in the extremities, general malaise, fatigue, decreased libido, unusual taste in the mouth, or personality changes.

Children are much more sensitive to the effects of lead and are at a major risk if proper safety measures are not taken to prevent exposure. Children under 6 yrs. old absorb lead at much greater percentages (~50%) compared to adults (~10%)¹². You must be extremely careful if your house has lead paint and there will be children present. Lead poisoning can cause irreversible developmental problems in children since they are so sensitive to this toxin.

Enough of the scary stuff! Lead exposure is dangerous, but fortunately it is very simple to prevent. Unless your house is very old (1875 or older) the most likely place for lead paint to be hiding is on windows, doors and other trim. Wall paint was usually not lead paint, but it should still be tested.

If you have old paint that is cracking or chipping you should address this issue right away. Lead paint has a sweet taste to it, which makes it attractive to toddlers and children who often put all kind of things in their mouths.

If the paint in your old house is intact and has no problems then your chances of lead exposure are much less.

Lead paint in good condition shouldn’t be an issue unless you are planning a renovation where the paint will be disturbed. If you are concerned, or planning a renovation, there are simple test kits available for purchase at most home centers to determine if your home indeed has lead paint.

Lead paint is typically ingested when small particles become airborne from sanding or scraping and then inhaled. If you are planning to do just a small amount of work, then you can choose to take care of it yourself. If, however, you have a large renovation you need to call a someone that is an EPA Certified RRP Contractor to handle the work. This designation means that the contractor has been through an intensive class and certification process on how to safely handle lead paint.

RRP contractors follow very specific rules about containment and clean-up that are designed to keep you and your family safe from any dangers of lead paint. If you still plan to go it alone you should visit the EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm for info on how to protect yourself and follow some basic safety principles. Examples are:

• Seal off the area with plastic sheeting to contain dust

• Wear a P-100 or N-100 dust mask specifically designed for lead paint

• Wear safety glasses or googles

• Keep any surface you are working on misted with water to minimize airborne particles

• When finished working wipe down all surfaces thoroughly with TSP or a suitable alternative

• Vacuum everything in the area thoroughly with a HEPA vacuum

• Tightly wrap up and seal all the debris in plastic and dispose of small amounts with your trash and large amounts with your local landfill hazardous materials

ASBESTOS

When it was first introduced, asbestos was hailed as a miracle product. It is made from naturally occurring minerals and is completely fireproof, extremely durable, an excellent insulator, and very lightweight. Unfortunately, it can also be deadly if ingested. Long term exposure often results in a deadly kind of lung cancer called mesothelioma, among other issues.

Asbestos was used extensively in all kinds of building materials such as siding, mastic (glue), floor tiles, insulation, roofing materials, pipe insulation, and many others. Asbestos products weren’t officially banned in the US until 1989, but they were slowly phased out as people discovered the potential health issues associated with exposure.

Asbestos, like lead, is generally safe as long as it is not disturbed and if you have some in your house you’re best to leave it alone if it is in good condition. However, crumbling and worn out asbestos products are a real hazard that MUST be dealt with immediately by a contractor who is licensed and trained in asbestos abatement.

Asbestos abatement is an expensive and inconvenient job so unless you have crumbling asbestos products you’re better off to leave them alone and let them do their job. Again, if there is a question of whether something in your home contains asbestos you should ask a pro before disturbing it.

How to Identify Materials That May Contain Asbestos

Generally, you can't tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it. If in doubt, treat the material as if it contains asbestos and leave it alone. You may want to have your home inspected for asbestos-containing materials by a trained and accredited asbestos professional if:

• You are planning to remodel your home (remodeling can disturb building materials)

• Your home has damaged building materials (like crumbling pipe insulation, old vinyl floor tiles, cement asbestos shingles (Figure 12.1) A trained and accredited asbestos professional should take samples for analysis, since a professional knows what to look for, and because there may be an increased health risk if fibers are released. In fact, if done incorrectly, sampling can be more hazardous than leaving the material alone. Taking samples yourself is not recommended.

If building materials in your home aren’t damaged and won’t be disturbed, you do not need to have your home tested for asbestos. Material that is in good condition and will not be disturbed (by remodeling, for example) should be left alone.

MOVING FORWARD

We’ve discussed the history behind your old house, the historical and financial value of old houses, and the theory behind renovating an old house today. You have the knowledge necessary to make good decisions about your old house now. You know what to keep, what not to keep, and where the dangers lie.

Now, it’s time to get our hands dirty. In section 2 I’ll give you comprehensive How-To’s for almost anything you might need to do to repair, restore, and maintain an old house. So, grab your tool belt and let’s get to work.

11 Source: http://www2.epa.gov/lead

12 Source: EPA Lead Safety for Remodeling, Repair, and Painting, Module 1

Section 2

Repairing Your Old House

THIRTEEN

WORKING WITH FLOORS

The most expensive hobby a rich man could have is a boat,
and the second most expensive hobby he could have is a very old house.

-Barbara Corcoran

HOW TO REPAIR HARDWOOD FLOORS

Figure 13.1

Hardwood floors are synonymous with old homes. Other than refinishing hardwood floors, the most typical repair we run into is board replacement. It may seem daunting to remove a tongue and groove floor board without damaging the neighboring boards, but with a couple tricks of the trade I’ll teach you to get it done yourself if you are a brave DIY warrior.

It has always been a fairly easy repair for me to do, but as I wrote these instructions down I began to realize how much there was to think about. It really is straight forward, I promise. You may just want to print out this list to set beside you if you decide to take this on.

Step #1 Remove the Damaged Boards

Whether it’s termites or pet stains, some boards will inevitably be beyond saving. When you find these boards, you’ll have to remove them completely and find a suitable replacement (more on this in a bit). It’s also important to take the entire board, or at least stagger the joints of your replacement boards. This will allow the patch to blend in seamlessly with the existing floor.

Tools Needed

• Circular Saw

• Hammer

• Cat’s Paw/Trim Pry Bar

• Wood Chisel

• Multi-Tool (recommended)

• Brad Nailer

• Pencil or marker

• Mark the Boards - Using a marker or carpenter’s pencil, mark the specific boards I will be removing very clearly along their entire length so there are no mistakes.

• Determine Thickness - You need to find out how thick they are (very important). You need to know how thick the boards are so you can set the depth of the cut on you circular saw properly. Most old wood floors are between 1/2″ and 1″. The best place to find the depth is to remove a floor heat register or pull up a threshold. The threshold is less fun. The floor register is usually just set into the floor and can be easily pried up. Once you have the register or threshold out you can see a cross section of your flooring. Measure the thickness here and remember it.

• Set Saw Depth - Once you know the thickness of your flooring, set your circular saw to just a hair deeper than the thickness of the flooring to make sure you cut through the flooring and nothing else.

• Cut 2 Lines - Make 2 parallel plunge cuts into the floor board along its length with the circular saw (Figure 13.1). Start and finish as close as you can to the ends without crossing into the next board. You’ll essentially be cutting the board into three slimmer boards. One piece will have the tongue, one piece the groove, and the middle piece will be free floating.

• Finish Cut With Multi-Tool - To finish the cut you need a multi-tool or chisel. Cut the small amount of wood remaining to the end of the board so that all three pieces of the board are completely independent of each other.

• And then cut across the board to free it up from the next boards in the row. (Figure 13.2)

• Remove the Pieces - The middle piece should come out easily with a pry bar or even your fingers. The groove side will likely need a bit more coaxing with your pry bar. The tongue side will have been nailed down and so you’ll need to use the cat’s paw the either dig out the nails or simply tear the remaining piece out. This side usually breaks a few times on it’s way out.

• Clean Up - Vacuum out all the saw dust and make sure the tongue and groove of the remaining boards are clear of any remaining wood and in good shape. (Figure 13.4)

Figure 13.2

Figure 13.3

Step #2 Install the Replacement Boards

Now that it’s all cleaned up and free of any damaged boards, you need to patch the floor with your replacement boards. If your replacement boards are not the EXACT same width and thickness as the originals the repair will not work very well. Don’t think something close will suffice. Here is the way to get the boards into place properly.

Figure 13.4

• Measure & Cut to Length - Measure the length you need to replace, and cut your replacement to size. It will need to be tight, so if anything don’t cut it short. Cut it long and sneak up on it if you must. For example, if you need a board that is 7” long, cut your board 7 1/4” and try to fit it. Likely it will be too long so go back to the saw after you test fit it and shave off just a hair. Do this until the board fits. It may be time consuming, but if you are unsure about your cutting abilities you won’t waste any boards this way.

• Insert Groove Side First - If you’re doing a large section you should install the groove side first. There is no need to remove the groove. Simply fit the replacement’s groove into the existing board’s tongue. Use a scrap piece of wood and hammer to knock the board into place and make sure it is fully seated and snug. You may have to cut off sections of the tongue so that the board will slide into place properly.

• Blind Nail - With this technique you can now blind nail the board in place by nailing through the tongue into the subfloor or floor joist. Do this every 16″ or everywhere you have a joist if there is no subfloor. Blind nailing refers to nailing the board in a way that the nail and nail hole will not be visible once the installation is complete. This is the preferable method of installing tongue and groove flooring.

In order the set the final board you have to do something a little different.

Figure 13.5

• Remove the Bottom Groove - You’ll need to remove the bottom half of the groove on your replacement board. I usually use a table saw to cut it off cleanly, but a wood chisel or hand plane will work fine. It doesn’t have to be pretty, just don’t hurt the top of the board.

• Insert Tongue Side First - Insert the replacement piece tongue side first into the existing flooring. (Figure 13.5) It will require some force to get it into place, but don’t be too aggressive. Sometimes a piece of scrap Figure 13.5 lumber can be used as a beater board so you can gently hammer the piece in place with scarring the surface. After I’m certain the board will fit, I will sometimes use some wood glue on the underside of this final board to be sure it stays in place.

• Face Nail in Place - Once the board is seated properly and flush with the existing floor, you can nail it in place. I put two 1 1/2″ brad nails on each end and then every 12″ alternating sides. Keep in mind that since we removed the bottom half of the groove, the only thing holding that side down in the nail and possibly some glue. So you may need a couple more nails on the groove side if the board isn’t perfectly snugged down at first.

Step #3 Refinish the Repair

Once the boards are in place, the only way to have a seamless match is to refinish the entire floor. This will take care of any high or low spots and will also ensure a consistent finish throughout.

If you replaced just a couple of boards you may be able to finish them prior to installing, but they will still look slightly different. If a full refinishing is beyond your reach or price range right now, then just relax. The replacement boards will be fine until the time to refinish works with your budget. Until then, you’ll just have to enjoy the fact that you don’t have crumbling or badly stained boards anymore!

Refinishing wood floors is one of the few things that I will recommend leaving to a professional. I have refinished enough floors to know that it is more of an art than a science. So much so that even though I understand how the job should be done properly, I still leave it to my refinisher who has the benefit of three generations worth of knowledge and experience in the field.

Sanding without leaving chatter marks and start/stop marks requires years of practice. Preventing bubbles in your finish requires a craftsman’s touch, and knowing how to intimately work with different kinds of woods and how they will respond to finishes, stains, and weather is beyond the the scope of a DIY project. Trust me, and leave this task to a pro.

A Few More Tips

Here are a few more things to think about before you start:

• Get the same species of wood – This kind of goes without saying, but you need replacement boards of the same species of wood, otherwise they won’t match. The three types of historic flooring I run across the most often are heart pine, red oak, and white oak. However, each region of the country will have its favorites.

• Get the same age of floors – This is my little secret to make your floors match perfectly. Wood has changed a lot over the decades and centuries, and if you put red oak from 1995 next to red oak from 1925, next to red oak from 1795 all three will look very different. Try to find replacement boards from the same decade from architectural salvage yards.

• Subfloor or not – Some old houses have subfloors and some do not. If you start taking up boards and don’t find a subfloor don’t panic. It is more difficult, but can be done just the same. Your replacement boards will just have to end and start on a floor joist. Also, be careful not to fall through!

HOW TO CARE FOR HARDWOOD FLOORS

I often get asked by clients how they should care for their newly refinished wood floors. There is a specific timeline of how to treat and care for a wood floor after it has been refinished. I’ll outline what chemicals or actions are safe for your hardwood floors and when they become safe.

How Long After Refinishing Will My Floors Be Ready?

All of these timelines are dependent on environmental conditions. This is an average only. If your weather is warmer and drier than average, then you can speed up the timeline a bit (but not too much). Inversely, if it is cooler and more humid you’ll have to wait longer for your floors to be ready.

• Up to 12 Hrs After Coating – Floors should NOT be walked on at all, and adequate ventilation must be provided to allow the finish to dry properly.

• 12-36 Hrs After Coating – Floors should be dry to the touch and are safe to walk on in socks or stockings. No shoes.

• 36 hrs After Coating – Floors are safe for light foot traffic with shoes, but high heels and furniture should be avoided if at all possible.

• 1 Week After Coating – Furniture can be replaced and normal activities can be resumed. However, avoid placing rugs on the floors until 1 month after finishing. Also, avoid using vacuum, any cleaners, or even mopping the floor during this period. A broom and dust pan will suffice for now.

• 1 Month After Coating – Set your rugs, use your vacuum, mop your floor. Anything goes at this point. The finish has cured enough and is as hard and free of VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) as it will ever be.

General Care Do’s & Don’ts

After your newly refinished wood floors have fully cured and life has gone back to normal, there are a few things you can do to make sure the finish on your floors lasts. There are only so many times you can sand and finish a floor before you sand right through it. So, by taking care of your new finish you can extend the life of your floors and save thousands of dollars by putting off a refinishing for an extra 10-15 years.

Do’s

• Sweep Regularly – Dust and dirt that sit on your floor get walked on and ground into the finish. It can quickly wear it down.

• Mop Regularly – Depending on how dirty your house gets, you need to mop your wood floors about every month. There are plenty of good wood floor cleaners to use; I recommend Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner but others work well too.

• Use Felt – Put felt pads on the feet of any furniture you have that will be residing on your floors . This will prevent scratching and denting from the furniture.

• Change Rolling Chair Wheels – If you have a rolling chair, you likely need to get new rollers. The typical nylon rollers on most chairs will scratch and destroy a wood floor’s finish. A set of polyurethane casters will smooth out your ride and protect your wood floors.

Dont’s

• Leave Spills For Long – If you spilled food or liquid on your wood floors, clean it up right away. The wood is protected on the face, but if it seeps into the cracks and isn’t dried soon the wood can stain, swell, or both. Pets are often the biggest offenders in this area.

• Use Oil Cleaners – Cleaners with oil in them, like Murphy’s Oil Soap, can create an oily residue on your floors that is often difficult to remove. These cleaners were great for floors when the finish was mainly wax, but with a polyurethane floor you don’t want these as part of your cleaning regimen.

• Drag Anything…Ever – A sure fire way to put a gash in your finish is to drag or slide a piece of furniture across your floor. Even if you put something soft underneath the item you might have a little bit of sand or dirt that gets dragged along and puts fine scratches in your finish.

Without this basic care, you may end up needing a hardwood floor repair or board replacement and that begins to get expensive. Wood floors can last centuries if taken care of properly. So, follow these simple guidelines and your floors will be a blessing, and not a curse, for as long as you hang your hat there.

LINOLEUM VS. VINYL

Linoleum and vinyl. Vinyl and linoleum. If you’re like most people you might think they are the same thing, but in reality they could not be more different. These are two very different products from two very different times. Each one has its advantages, but only one of them rightfully belongs in a historic home. Do you know which one is right for you?

Linoleum

Figure 13.6

Linoleum was invented in 1860 by Englishman Frederick Walton. Quite by accident, he noticed that dried linseed-oil formed a strong yet flexible film on the top of an oil-based paint can. After nearly a decade of toying with the process and adding natural ingredients like pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, and a canvas or juke backing to the dried linseed-oil, he patented linoleum.

Linoleum was slow to take off but eventually became an affordable flooring alternative for homes and businesses. Compared to other flooring options of the time, like hardwood and tile, linoleum provided better moisture resistance and a lower price.

Linoleum is considered a “resilient flooring” like vinyl, and creates a soft surface to walk and work on. Because of this characteristic it was installed on most US Navy ships and is still used on submarines today. Its popularity peaked in the 1950s, when it was slowly replaced by the even more affordable vinyl. However, in recent years, it has reappeared under the brand name Marmoleum, which is made just the same as the original linoleum.

Pros of Linoleum

• Made from only natural and biodegradable products.

• Has color throughout its body, unlike vinyl, therefore it has a much longer wear life.

• Naturally antimicrobial, antistatic, and hypoallergenic.

• Natural ingredients make it stain resistant and fire retardant.

• Relatively easy to care for and install.

• Contributes to LEED points.

• Excellent moisture resistance.

Cons of Linoleum

• Not as readily available as vinyl.

• Some varieties require occasional waxing.

• More expensive than vinyl.

• Less color and pattern options than vinyl.

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring was introduced to the public at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. It was relatively easy to install, and could be purchased in tiles or as a large sheet that was cut to size much like linoleum. In the lean times of the Great Depression and WWII, a very inexpensive flooring option like vinyl was bound to catch on, and it did. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s and 1960s when vinyl really began to appear in homes across America.

Vinyl flooring is made from a combination of several chemicals. Ethylene (a petroleum byproduct) and chlorine, which adds stability and and gives vinyl its heat resistance. Vinyl is very similar in its composition to PVC (polyvinyl chloride). It is made up of several layers of the material with the top, or wear layer, being the one with the color or easily stamped patterns that became so popular. With the relative abundance of fossil fuels, vinyl could be inexpensively and quickly manufactured to meet demands.

Pros of Vinyl

• Very inexpensive.

• Easy installation and care.

• Wide availability at home stores and suppliers.

• Wide variety of colors and patterns.

• Excellent moisture resistance.

Cons of Vinyl

• Made from non-renewable petroleum products.

• Wear layer is thinner than linoleum and does not stand up to heavy traffic as well.

• Prior to the 1980s many vinyl floor tiles contained asbestos.

• Emits small amount of VOC’s into the living space.

Who knows, you may have one or both already in your house. However, for historic homes built before the 1950s, linoleum is the only period appropriate resilient flooring. It’s safer for your family in many ways, easier on the environment, and not much more expensive than vinyl. I like it enough that I installed it in my own home.

INSTALLING LINOLEUM

Linoleum is a relatively easy flooring option to install. Most of the work involves preparing a perfectly smooth surface for the linoleum to be glued down to.

Tools Needed

• Razor Knife

• 5/32 V-notched trowel (or whatever size is recommended by the flooring manufacturer)

• Flooring adhesive (get the type recommended by the flooring manufacturer)

• Solvent/Cleaner (find what the glue manufacturer recommends for cleanup)

• 100 lbs. Flooring Roller (available for rental at most home stores)

Step #1 Install Underlayment

You’ll need to install a 1/4” layer of birch or other hardwood plywood on top of the subfloor. This 1/4” layer can go on top of the old finished floor as long as it can be laid perfectly flat. It should be stapled or glued down securely with no gaps between boards. If there are gaps or lumps anywhere in the floor they will show through in the linoleum very quickly. Linoleum bends very easily to mimic the surface of whatever it is laid on.

Step #2 Glue Down Linoleum

All linoleum is installed by gluing it down. It can come in either tiles (usually 13”) or sheets that are cut to the size of the room. You’ll want to follow the manufacturer’s specifications for materials and trowel notch sizes. Generally, a polyurethane glue is spread out on the underlayment using a small notched trowel and the linoleum is set in place much like tile. Be sure to clean any glue off the surface as you go using whatever solvent the glue manufacturer recommends for cleanup of their product. Cured flooring glue is almost impossible to remove entirely.

Step #3 Roll the Floor

Once the floor is all set use the flooring roller to roll the flooring out to make sure there is a good bond between the linoleum, glue, and underlayment. Do this while the glue is still tacky. Timing is very important when working with glue. You don’t want to wait too long for this step, especially if you are installing a big floor. The manufacturer will list drying times, so follows those closely.

Once your linoleum is installed, give the floors at least a day to cure before you walk on them and a few days before you start moving large furniture or they experience heavy traffic.

FOURTEEN

WORKING WITH WINDOWS

When we build, let us think that we build forever.
Let it not be for present delight nor for our use alone.
Let it be such work as our descendants will look upon with praise and thanksgiving in their hearts.

- John Ruskin

For me, windows are one of my favorite, and at times, most challenging aspects of an old home. Windows truly are the eyes of your home and I have seen too many homes with black-eyes over the years. A home and its occupants look out onto the world through these sometimes simple, sometimes complex contraptions to keep out the elements and let in the light. The world learns a lot about your home by its windows.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Originally, there was no glass. Windows were simply a crude opening designed to let fresh air in, smoke from the family’s fire out, and light the space. This lack of glass was the reason for the first shutters. After all, you didn’t want a hole in your wall during a rainstorm or a brutally cold winter, not to mention all the bugs. Eventually, glass came into the picture. First for the rich and the nobility, and then slowly to rest of the masses.

Up until 1900, all glass was handblown and large pieces were very expensive. The expense and relative unavailability of large pieces of glass resulted in windows with several “lites” (meaning individual panes of glass) being the trademark of the days.

In 1900 a new technique was invented and the predecessor to modern glass, called machine-drawn glass, was born. Hand-blown glass was mainly good for letting light into the room as the images seen through the glass were usually a blurry mess. Machine-drawn glass greatly improved the clarity and consistency of glass, but was still far from perfect. As glass making skills increased, the size of individual panes increased as well, resulting in new combinations such as 6-over-6, 4-over-4, 3-over-1, 2-over-1, and eventually glaziers could affordably construct a window out of a single pane of glass.

Windows are typically described by their number of panes (6-over-6 has an upper sash with 6 panes and lower sash with 6 panes) and by the way they open (e.g. double-hung has 2 sashes that open independently of each other, whereas a casement window swings in or out on hinges).

In 1959, float glass, which is the type still used today, was invented and glass could be had in almost any size with a uniform thickness and flawless clarity. But, for those of us who like the special “wavy glass” in our old homes, that was the year windows with character began to die.

9 REASONS TO KEEP YOUR OLD WINDOWS

The replacement window industry works tirelessly to convince you that you need to replace your inefficient old windows. They make ridiculous claims about the supposed efficiency of their windows. Many companies have even had charges brought against them by the Federal Trade Commission for inflating claims about the energy savings of their windows.¹³

If you see huge savings promised by window companies, think twice. Historic windows are much more than what the replacement industry would have you believe. Here are 9 reasons why you should consider saving your home’s original windows:

1. Authenticity - A large part of a historic home’s character is held in its windows. Original historic windows were custom built to fit their frames and complement the design of the house in a way that no replacement can.

2. Quality - Not just of materials, like old-growth wood which is more rot and insect resistant than today's options, but also the quality of the workmanship. Historic windows traditionally have pegged mortise and tenon joints which are the strongest and most stable joints made by master carpenters.

3. Repairable - Historic windows are simple to repair. Their parts (cords, pulleys, locks, etc.) along with individual glass panes and glazing putty are designed to be easily replaced or repaired when they reach the end of their useable life. They can be restored many times, and their lives extended into centuries of use! This provides a more economical and less intrusive repair process that is more maintenance and less full scale replacement.

4. Resale - Buyers of historic properties will pay a premium for homes with their original features still intact. The most important features looked for by buyers are original wood floors and windows.

5. Efficiency - Windows account for only 10-20% of energy loss in a typical home¹⁴ (much less than attics and doors), but when tuned and weatherstripped properly, that number is cut in half to about 6%. With the addition of historic storm windows and weatherstripping, a single-paned historic window can beat a replacement window's efficiency.

6. Operability - The pulley and weight counter balance system used in most double-hung historic windows has never been improved upon. It provides the greatest ease of use through decades of time, with minimal maintenance. Historic windows are designed to operate smoothly with greater tolerances to building movement and other issues that inevitably arise. Spring tensioned replacement windows become harder and harder to operate after years of use and require much more maintenance.

7. Lead Safe - By restoring your windows once you can assuage all your lead paint concerns. Once they have been stripped and fully restored, the fears of lead paint are no longer an issue for your historic windows.

8. Sustainability - The greenest window is the one that is already installed. Every year, tens of thousands of old windows are brought to the landfill. Most replacement windows have a lifespan of 15-20 years. A historic wood window can easily last 100+ years. Replacing your windows results in almost 5 times more future window replacements over the next century. That’s a lot of materials in the landfill.

9. Return On Investment (ROI) - 21 years.¹⁵ That is the amount of time it will take you, on average, to recover the financial investment of new windows. Since the typical life span of a replacement window is only 15-20 years, that makes replacement windows a very bad investment.

HOW TO OPEN PAINTED SHUT WINDOWS

If your house is old enough to have needed a new paint job in its life then you might have a couple windows that have been painted shut. If your house is as old as mine (1929), you’d be lucky to find a window that still opens. Over the years, numerous coats of paint by lazy painters have typically sealed shut most windows on a historic home. But, you don’t have to live with that anymore. If it’s just a few coats of paint standing between you and some fresh air then I can show you how to get things moving again.

Tools Needed

• Stiff putty knife

• Razor knife

• Window Zipper

Step #1 Inspect

To determine if it is paint that’s the cause of your problems we’ll need to check a few things. First, make sure the sash cords (Figure 14.1) are still in working order. Pull on them to see if they are still attached to the sash weights in their pockets. If the pulleys turn and you can feel the tension from the sash weights, then you’re probably in good shape. If the cords are missing or they are no longer attached to the weights then you’ll need to follow a more involved process outlined in a later chapter.

Figure 14.1

Step #2 Free The Interior

Most old windows have been painted shut on both the exterior and interior, so let’s start with the interior. Be very careful not to cut yourself or gouge the wood while cutting the windows open.

Use the razor knife to cut a straight line in the paint between the sash and window stops on both sides (Figure 14.2). Then push your putty knife into the space along the line to gently break the bond. If you’re using a window zipper simply cut this line in one step.

Figure 14.2

Figure 14.3

Next, do the same at the meeting rail. (Figure 14.3) You’ll need to have the sash lock unlocked in order to separate the two sashes.

Step #3 Free The Exterior

Do the same thing as the interior, except this time you’ll be cutting between the sash and the parting bead (Figure 14.4), which is the square trim piece just outside of the sash. Then move on to the underside of the meeting rail. After that don’t forget to cut the paint and use your putty knife at the bottom of the sash where it meets the window sill (Figure 14.5).

Figure 14.4

Figure 14.5

Step #4 Open Your Window

Now head back inside and slowly try to wiggle the window open. Even if you have cut all the paint out of the seams, the window will most likely be very stubborn.

Don’t be too rough on the window. You may break the glass or bust the mortise and tenon joints that hold the frame together. It will take some elbow grease, but you should not be straining to make it open. If it is still stubborn, keep using your putty knife to clean out the remaining paint.

Once you get it moving a bit, gently keep opening and closing the window. It will continue to slide easier and easier. If you need to you can also add some dry lubricant like paste wax to help things move a little smoother. Now you can enjoy a little fresh air all thanks to your own effort and at no cost.

Figure 14.6

HOW TO RESTORE OLD HARDWARE

After a century of paint jobs and humidity, a lot of your home’s hardware can loose its original luster. It’s a small detail in a historic house, but properly restored hardware on windows, doors, and elsewhere gives a house that extra oomph that adds to the overall vintage feel of the home (whether people consciously realize it or not).

Not to mention removing all that caked on paint will help them work the way they were intended. These pieces can be easily revived and put back into service with just a little elbow grease by following these steps.

Step #1 Prep

• With the possibility of dealing with lead paint, take extra precaution when disturbing painted surfaces especially around windows and doors. For a small task like this some basic precautions will do, but for larger projects follow the rules laid out by the EPA’s Renovate Right Program (you can find more info here: www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf

• Keep children and pets away from the room.

• Wear a N100 or P100 mask* to prevent inhaling any lead paint

*This is not a typical dust mask. It must read N100 or P100!

Make sure to clean up thoroughly with a cloth moistened with TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate), which is a heavy duty cleaner available at paint and home stores. Use a HEPA vacuum to make sure there are no remaining paint chips or dust.

Step #2 Remove the Hardware

The screws holding most of this hardware likely haven’t moved in quite a few decades so they can be easily stripped if you’re not careful. Using your flat head screw driver, carefully scrape any paint from the screw head and groove. I like to add a little Liquid Wrench or WD-40 to coax the particularly troublesome screws out.

If you want, save the screws and clean them just like the rest of the hardware. Personally, I prefer replacing with new brass screws because the old screws are often so much work to restore for so little payback.

Figure 14.7

Step #3 Rust/Paint Removal

There are two ways to go depending on how you want your hardware to look.

• Boiling Off the Paint - You can let your hardware soak in a crock pot or simmering pot of water and baking soda for a few hours, and then wipe off the paint pretty easily with a firm nylon bristle brush. This method will maintain the aged patina of your hardware the best. If your problem is mainly rust, this method is not a solution.

• Wire Wheel - I prefer to use a wire wheel on a bench top grinder for severely rusted hardware. The grinder cost me $40 and the brass wheel was another $15. This is the fastest way to remove decades of built up rust and grime. Wear safety glasses, gloves, and your mask. Also, hold tight and be careful to avoid a piece of hardware flying out of your hand and across the room. Once the wire wheel is spinning, hold the hardware up to it and work all around till the surface is cleaned to your desired level. This method will likely remove any old patina though. Stick with boiling it off if the aged appearance matters to you..

Step #4 Lubricate and Protect

Figure 14.8

After you have everything cleaned up, you’ll need to lubricate the moving parts. Use some spray graphite which won’t gunk up the works like other oil lubricants. To protect the metal from rusting (bare metal will rust quickly once exposed to air) You can use a spray lacquer to protect the surface. Spray a couple coats on and then reinstall the hardware after it has had time to dry.

I prefer an old-school method that I know some folks will disagree with, but it works fine for me. After cleaning I like to wipe the hardware thoroughly with Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). If you use this method you need to wipe the hardware down very well otherwise you’ll have a gummed up piece of hardware once it dries.

BLO is a time tested way to protect exposed metal from tarnish and rust, and anything with hundreds of years of practice to back it up works for me. Although, I have found that BLO does not work effectively outdoors in the harsh Florida summers. Depending on your climate you might have different luck.

Now that you know how, take a weekend and finish the whole house, conquer a room at a time, or hire a professional to do the work for you. Either way, saving the original antique hardware is a worthwhile task that will retain the character of your home and function much longer than anything you can pick up at the local hardware store.

HOW TO RESTRING OLD WINDOWS

Restringing old windows is a task that any DIY’er can tackle to get their old windows working again. Personally, there is nothing that irks me more than living in an old house where I can’t open any of my windows. It feels downright claustrophobic. So, if you have a bunch of cut or missing sash cords on your old motionless windows, you can get these windows working again in about an hour.

Tools You’ll Need

• Hammer

• Flat head screw driver

• Trim pry-bar or firm putty knife

• Sash Rope (available at most home stores)

• Duck-bill vice-grip

Figure 14.9

Step #1 Remove the Stop

Tip: If only one rope is broken/missing remove the stop on the side of the broken/missing rope.

Bottom Sash - Start by removing the stop on one side of the inside of the window. You’ll only need to remove one side to get the sash out. The stop is the trim piece that keeps the bottom sash in the proper line.

1. Score the paint between the window casing and stop with your razor knife.

2. Carefully use you putty knife to pry the stop free.

3. Once the stop is removed you should be able to remove the bottom sash.

4. With the bottom sash out of the frame, now remove the old ropes or chains on its sides, by pulling the ropes out of the holes on the sides of the sashes. Some of these may be nailed into place so you’ll need plier to pry the ropes and the nail out. Caution: when you remove the ropes they are likely still under pressure from the counter weights. Slowly release them back to the pulley face.

Step #2 Remove the Parting Bead

Caution: If your top sash is not strung up anymore when you cut the paint free and remove the parting bead, it can come crashing down. Make sure it is carefully supported.

Top Sash - To remove a top sash you’ll need to remove the parting bead on one side as well as the bottom sash. This piece holds the top sash in place and should not be nailed in place like the stop, though it will likely have a dozen or so coats of paint holding it in place.

Figure 14.10

1. Score the parting bead just like the stop, and slowly try to pull it out using the duck-bill pliers.

Parting bead is very easy to break when removing it. If it does break, don’t fret, you can pick up another piece at almost every home store or lumber yard.

Step #3 Reattach the Sash Weights

Once you have the sashes, stop and parting bead out, you can access the sash weights via the access door (Figure 14.11b). This door will be hiding on both sides of the window jamb toward the bottom where the parting bead was, and will have one or two painted over screws that when removed will allow you to access the weights. With the door removed you’ll have to carefully fish around in there to find your old iron weights. Occasionally, someone will have replaced the weights with insulation. In that case you’ll have to search salvage yards for replacements weights.

Note: These doors are sometimes absent. If that is the case you'll need to remove the whole window casing to access the weights.

Figure 14.11

Figure 14.11b

If you do need to buy new weights you’ll have to weigh an individual window sash to find the right weight. Weights should be half the weight of the sash. A 12 lbs. sash needs two 6 lbs weights.

After you get the weights located, cut a piece of rope as long as the window opening is tall plus a couple inches and feed the rope through the pulley at the top down into the weight pocket until it reaches the weights. Then, thread the rope through the eyelet on the top of the weight and tie it off with a bow knot.

Step #4 Tie Off the Sashes

Figure 14.12

Once the weights are tied off, you need to attach the rope to your sashes.

Test the ropes length by pulling until the weight is just barely suspended in the air. The end of the rope should now line up with where the side mortise for the knot (Figure 14.12) will be when the sash is in its closed position. Cut the rope if it needs to be trimmed.

Tie a double knot that fits into the side mortise of the sash. The rest of the length of rope will fit inside the channel above that mortise (Figure 14.12). You can add a nail here to secure it, or some people leave it as is. If you do use a nail, make sure it is fully tucked inside the mortise and also not long enough to protrude into the glass.

Don’t forget to do both sides. Be careful and support the sash while trying to attach the rope, so that the weights don’t come crashing down if you suddenly lose your grip.

Step #5 Reassemble the Puzzle

Figure 14.13

Reassembling the window has to be done in a specific order and so here it is.

1. Replace the weigh pocket access doors

2. Attach the top sash

3. Reinstall the parting bead (easiest if the top sash is all the way down)

4. Attach the bottom sash

5. Reinstall the window stop (use a few finish nails or a brad nailer to do this)

Once everything is in again, test your windows to make sure everything is working smoothly. Open and close both sashes all the way to make sure you have the proper length sash cords. If the cords go slack at any point then they are too long and need to be trimmed.

Check that the window stops are not to tight or loose. The sash should slide smoothly behind the stop. If the sash can move back and forth in the channel the stop should be tightened up. If the sash scrapes hard against the stop then it should be loosened a bit.

How To Replace Broken Window Glass

Whether it's an errant baseball or a tropical storm, windows are bound to break. Before you call a window specialist to replace your broken window glass, you might just be able to do it yourself. More importantly, if you have an old house, your broken window glass will need to be replaced in a different way than most specialists know how to do today.

What's Different About Historic Windows?

Old wood windows (typically pre-1950s) were almost always putty glazed (You can watch our video on how to putty glaze at: www.thecraftsmanblog.com/how-to-reglazeold-windows). Most window contractors today don't know how to putty glaze and when confronted with a historic window they use caulk or some other product not intended for these old windows.

This can create a host of problems for your old windows. It's always best to replace materials on a historic home with in-kind materials for two reasons:

1. Using original materials allows all the elements of the house to perform the way they were intended to

2. Original materials blend in better and with the other elements and give a more consistent appearance

Tools Needed

• Gloves

• Glazing putty

• Boiled Linseed Oil

• Glazing points

• Putty knife

• Pull scraper

• Pliers

• Tape measure

• Glass cutter (if you plan to cut your own glass)

Step #1 Remove the Broken Glass

Wearing gloves and glasses, carefully remove the remaining pieces of broken window glass and dispose of them safely in a bucket or cardboard box.

Figure 14.14

Step #2 Clean the Rabbet

The rabbets, the recesses on the outside of the window where the glass will rest, need to be cleaned of any old glazing putty. Use a firm putty knife for this, or a pull scraper, and be careful not to gouge the soft window wood while you scrape the hardened putty out.

Figure 14.15

Step #3 Remove Any Glazing Points

There may be some glazing points (little metal triangles or diamonds) remaining in the rabbets. Be careful because they are sharp. Using needle nose pliers pull them out and dispose of them too.

Figure 14.16

Step #4 Wipe On Boiled Linseed Oil

Once the rabbets are clean of old putty and glazing points, wipe them down thoroughly with Boiled Linseed Oil (it's available in the paint section of any hardware store). This will prevent the wood from soaking up too much oil from the putty which could cause the putty to dry out too quickly.

Figure 14.17

Step #5 Cut Your Replacement Glass

Measure the width of the opening for your replacement glass. Your glass should fit into the rabbets with a about 1/16” space all around. You don’t want the glass to be too snug otherwise you run the risk of the glass breaking as the window expands in warm weather. So, measure precisely the size of the opening and subtract 1/8” from the height and 1/8” from the width. That will give you a perfectly sized piece of glass.

You can either cut your own window glass or take the measurements to your local hardware store (not the big box stores) and have them cut it for you.

Some people measure and cut the glass on a table like I’m doing in the picture. Other times, you can place the pane of glass in the opening and freehand the cut. I find that free handing the cut, while easier in the shop with a sash lying flat, is more difficult if the sash is still in place.

Figure 14.18

Step #6 Glaze the Rabbet

Add glazing putty to the rabbet. This will create an air tight cushion for the glass to rest in. For repairs outside the shop, I recommend Sarco Dual Glaze putty. It can handle the elements better than other putties and excels in this application. However, there are other acceptable types of glazing putty.

Figure 14.19

Step #7 Bed Your Glass & Set Glazing Points

Put your replacement window glass into place and press it gently, but with firm pressure around the edges, into the glazed rabbet. This will cause some putty to squeeze out over the inside of the glass which you’ll need to scrape off with your putty knife.

Glazing points are what hold the window pane securely in place. A good rule of thumb is to use one point for every 12" of width and at least one point on each of the four sides. Bottom line, too many is better than too few.

Figure 14.20

Push the points into the wood rabbets so that they hold the glass securely. Make sure they are pushed into the wood deeply and won’t poke through the finished putty later.

If you are using triangle or diamond glazing points (recommended) like I am in the picture you’ll need a tool called the Fletcher PushMate Point Setting Tool, which is available in our old house tool store at:

www.thecraftsmanblog.com/store.

There are also other glazing points that are available at hardware stores that can be installed with a simple putty knife.

Step #8 Glaze the Window

Spread a fair amount of putty around the edges of the window and really push the putty into place. It doesn't have to be pretty at this point.

Run your putty knife along the length of the window to smooth the putty at a bevel. Make nice, clean, crisp corners (Figure 14.21). You can mess with the putty as much as you want. If it doesn't look good, keep tooling it until you are happy with the results.

Figure 14.21

After you’re finished clean the glass by brushing some whiting on to remove the oily putty residue. You'll have to let the putty sit about two weeks until it "skins over" and is ready for paint. Don't wait too long to paint. As soon as the putty has a skin and doesn’t feel oily to the touch it is ready for paint. Glazing putty won't survive long without paint. It can mildew and fail in a few short months when not painted. When painted it should last decades without much maintenance.

How To Cut Antique Glass

It's really the same process for any kind of glass you would find in windows or doors. The easy way is to bring your measurements to a local glass shop or hardware store and ask them. They'll do it perfectly, and it will only cost about a buck a cut if you bring your own glass. Or, you can purchase a glass cutter (Figure 14.23) for a few dollars and cut your own.

Step #1 Mark Your Measurements

Using a Sharpie or grease pen, transfer your measurements onto the piece of glass to be cut.

Step #2 Set a Straight Edge

You'll need to secure a straightedge on top of your glass to ensure a straight cut. I usually use a framing square or drywall T-square depending on the size to cut, but you can use whatever is handy as long as it is straight.

Step #3 Lubricate the Cutter

Apply a little dab of piston lube, WD-40, or anything that will allow the cutter's wheel to spin smoothly during the cut.

Step #4 Score the Glass

Apply firm pressure and roll the glass cutter across the entire length of the cut in one pass. Don't make multiple passes. (This will score the glass and not actually cut it through, that comes later.) One chance is all you get so make sure you have enough pressure and go all the way across your cut line.

Step #5 Tap the Line

Lift the glass up. Using the metal ball on the other end of the cutter, gently tap all along the score line. This will cause small little breaks along the score line and allow the glass to break easier.

Step #8 Pop the Line

This last step may make you nervous.

Take the glass and set the score line just over the edge of your work top. Then, with two hands, break the cut piece off. If you scored the glass correctly it will break along the score and give you a nice clean cut.

Like I mentioned before, it can sometimes be easier to freehand the cut. The glass doesn’t have to be cut perfectly straight since the putty will hide small discrepancies.

The process is pretty similar to cutting drywall and, once you're comfortable, it can be just as quick. Plus, it will save you plenty of cash, especially if you have a little league player and BB gun fanatic living under the same roof like my parents did.

HOW TO: REGLAZE YOUR OLD WINDOWS

Learning to reglaze your old windows is something that scares the pants off of many homeowners. Fear not! It does require practice and a bit of an artist’s touch to get it just right, but like anything, practice makes perfect. You can learn to reglaze your old windows yourself with just a little practice and some good training.

However, describing how to reglaze your old windows in writing is a bit like trying to teach someone to dance via cell phone. So I’ve put together a short video to walk you through the steps of bedding and reglazing an old window. Along with a few tips and resources I’ve included here you should be able to reglaze your own windows with confidence. To watch the video go to www.youtube.com/TheCraftsmanBlog/videos and select "How To Glaze Old Windows."

Tips

• Prime a bare sash with an oil-based primer or coat the rabbets with boiled linseed oil prior to glazing. This prevents the wood from absorbing too much of the oil from the putty and drying it out.

• Wear gloves when handling antique glass. It is very brittle and can easily break.

• Wait until the glazing putty has formed a skin (this depends on the brand putty you use and could be anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks) before you attempt to paint.

• Some putties require primer and some don’t. Check the manufacturer’s specifications.

If you’re too nervous to try this on one of your windows, you can always buy an old sash at a local salvage yard and practice on that one until you feel your skills are up to snuff. Either way, reglazing your own windows is a great way to save money in labor costs and energy costs.

HOW TO: PAINT WOOD WINDOWS

There are a few things you absolutely need to know about painting historic wood windows. We have put together a video to show you the specific ways to paint the window. To watch the video go to https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCraftsmanBlog/videos and select "How To Paint A Window Sash."

Figure 14.22

Painting a window is by far the most important part of the process because it protects all the work underneath. It keeps sun, rain, dirt, insects, air and anything else from harming your window.

Without paint, glazing putty is no good after only a couple months, the sun’s UV rays begin breaking down the wood fibers of the window and water starts to corrode your glazing points.

Without paint your window will fail quickly. But you already know that you have to paint your windows, right? Maybe so, but there is a very specific way that historic windows should be painted to both protect their parts AND ensure smooth operation.

1. Don’t Paint the Sides

The sides of the sash that slide up and down in the jambs should be left bare. No primer and no paint. This may sound odd, but it has been in practice for well over 200 years. These areas are not seen or readily exposed to the elements so there is no cosmetic reason to paint them, but there is a more practical reason NOT to paint them. By leaving these areas bare you allow both rails (horizontal parts of the sash frame) and stiles (vertical parts of the sash frame) to expel moisture.

With these sections bare the entire sash is able to dry out if it should happen to get wet. Bare wood breathes much, much better than primed and painted wood.

In addition, these parts of the sash slide against the window jamb and if they are coated with paint (especially latex paint) they will stick and be extremely difficult to open and close. Leave it bare.

2. Don’t Paint the Bottom or Top

For the same reasons as above the top of the upper sash and bottom of the lower sash should not be primed or painted either. These parts are not visible when the window is closed and therefore not exposed to the elements. Again, this will aid in the window’s ability to dry out. Not much else to say about this so let’s move on.

3. Use Oil-based Primer

For the best performance use an exterior oil-based primer. I prefer Kilz Complete in my shop because it hides very well, goes on easily and sands down nicely. The sash should be primed and lightly sanded with 220-grit paper to smooth out the surface before installing the glazing putty. Many glazing putties cannot be primed with oil-based primer and in fact, the manufacturers recommend not priming them. The primer is just for the wood sash.

Use a brush and work the primer into the wood. Spraying on primer is fine, but be sure to work it in with a brush as you spray. Brushing ensures a better bond between the wood and primer than spraying alone.

4. Apply 2 Coats of Quality Paint

Whether you decide to go with oil-based paint or water-based doesn’t matter to me. The point is the get at least two coats of paint on the inside and outside. Don’t skimp on this paint either. Use a top-notch enamel paint. I prefer Sherwin-Williams Porch & Floor because it is an easy to work with water-based paint and since it is formulated for floors it gets very hard, very quickly.

The technique for painting your window sash is difficult to describe but possibly the most critical part of the whole thing. The most important part of the finish paint is that you lap the paint onto the glass just a bit. 1/16” of an inch is enough, but more is fine. By having the paint go onto the glass you seal in the putty and protect the your work.

What you DO NOT want to to do is use blue tape on the glass or cut the excess paint off the glass once it has dried. Doing either of these breaks the paint’s bond with the glass and allows water and air to get into the glazing putty. If you cut or tape the paint, within a few months you will notice that it is starting to peel away from the glass to reveal your putty. Don’t do it!

The paint must be neatly put on by hand using a brush. It’s hard to paint these straight lines freehanded, but it is imperative.

5. Finishing Up

Once the windows are painted let them sit aside and cure for at least a few days. This may sound pretty elementary and I’m sure you would never try to put windows with wet paint back in, right? It’s not about the windows being dry. It’s about the paint having time to cure.

Water-based and oil-based paints can take up to 30 days to fully cure. Until that time the paint is more prone to being damaged by scuffs, knicks, and water. Don’t try to wipe down new latex paint or clean it until that 30 days has passed. Otherwise you run the risk of messing up your paint job. Once the paint is cured enjoy the finished product by opening those windows as much as you’d like. You deserve it!

13 Source: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/02/windows.shtm

14 Sources: http://www.dahp.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Windows%20Energy%20Efficiency%20Facts%20and%20Myths.pdf! http://www.presnc.org/Features/Historic-Windows-Energy-Efficiency

15 Source: http://energeyesonline.com/blog/2012/01/what-is-the-return-on-investment-for-replacementwindows/

FIFTEEN

WORKING WITH DOORS

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

-L.P. Hartley

Your front door is the most visible part of your home. It’s the first thing visitors see when they come to your home, and the last thing they notice when they leave. You’ve probably never thought about it, but it is the only part of your house that people will stand and stare at with nothing to do but notice its flaws or beauty.

Being an outside element of your house, it takes a beating from the weather and will need to be restored occasionally. The most common repair for old doors is a refinishing. Usually, the finish (varnish or paint) has remained past its useful life and needs to be removed before being refinished. Here’s the run down on the repair.

HOW TO REPAINT AN OLD DOOR

Figure 15.1

Tools Needed

• Scraper

• Random orbit sander

• Sandpaper (40, 80, 120 grit)

• Mineral Spirits

Step #1 Prep

• Remove the door by popping the hinge pins out. These can be removed with a flat head screw driver and hammer by tapping them up and out of the hinge.

• Set the door on a comfortable work surface. A couple saw horses are perfect for this.

• Remove any loose paint or varnish. (See the chapter on Working With Paint for tips and techniques for paint removal). To avoid any health risks don’t forget to test for lead paint before you start and take appropriate precautions.

• After the paint is off sand the entire surface smooth using a 80 grit sandpaper. Then go back and sand again with 120 grit sandpaper.

Figure 15.2

• Once the surface is free of any old finish, blow or brush off any remaining dust. Then wipe it down with a rag moistened with mineral spirits. This will wipe away any remaining dust and debris.

• Wait for the surface to dry completely (about 30 mins).

Step #2 Paint

• Using a brush apply one coat of an oil-based primer and wait for it to dry. You can tint the primer if you plan to paint a darker color like we did in figure 15.2

• Sand smooth with 220 grit sandpaper and blow off the sanding dust.

• Apply at least two coats of a high quality enamel water-based (acrylic) or oil-based (alkyd) paint.

• Use a quality brush. Brushing on paint as opposed to rolling or spraying gives a better bond to the paint.

HOW TO MAKE A DUTCHMAN PATCH

If your door has just a few chips or nicks these can be solved with wood filler or other patching compounds. My favorite for small repairs like this is MH Ready Patch. You can simply spread it on with a putty knife and then sand it smooth after it has dried in about 30 mins. Once the repairs have dried thoroughly, they should be primed prior to painting.

If you have larger areas of missing wood, like old hinge gains or latch holes, a wood Dutchman is the ticket.

Tools Needed

• Sandpaper (40, 80, 120 grit)

• Scrap wood (preferably the same species as the door) larger than the area to be patched

• Wood glue

• Chisel

• Razor knife

• Hammer

Step #1 Paint Removal

Remove any paint from the area you need to repair so that you’re dealing with only bare wood.

Step #2 Prepare the Patch

Measure the repair area and cut a block of wood that is slightly larger and thicker than the area you measured. Now, place the new block of wood over the area you need to repair and trace the outline on the surface of the door.

Step #3 Prepare the Door

Following the outline you created, carefully chisel or cut out the bad wood that you need to replace. This will make a “pocket” where the new block of wood can be attached. The goal is to make it a snug fit. So, if anything, cut the opening a little bit smaller and slowly modify until the patch just barely fits.

Step #4 Attach the Patch

Using wood glue, press-fit the replacement block of wood into the pocket. Most of the time this will succeed in holding it in place, but if not, you may have to clamp or tack the block with a couple of brad nails.

Wait for the glue to dry, then smooth the surfaces of the replacement block with a sharp plane and sander until they become flush with the rest of the door. Do this until it’s all one smooth piece.

Tip: If you are working on an exterior door be sure to use a waterproof (not just water resistant) glue. I use Titebond III in our shop, but there are other glues that will fit the bill nicely.

HOW TO REFINISH AN OLD DOOR

Refinishing an old door is much the same as repainting except that the finished product will be less forgiving of any flaws. If you have done dutchman repairs or puttied nicks in the wood, you are better to stick with a painted door. Paint can hide small issues underneath, whereas varnish is much more revealing of the true condition of your door.

If the door is a candidate for refinishing then here are the steps:

Step #1 Paint Removal

The first thing you’ll need to do is strip the paint. If you’re lucky, there will only be a few layers, but far too many people simply slap on more paint when they want things to look new and fresh, so you’ll likely be dealing with quite a few. We’ll go over paint removal techniques in a later chapter, but for a naturally finished door you can’t leave even one ounce of paint or primer on the door.

After you have removed the majority of the paint, the door may still have primer deep in the pores of the wood if it was originally painted, and not simply a varnished door that has been painted. If this is the case, you’ll need to either sand until you get nothing but good clean wood, or you can use 0000 or 000 steel wool soaked in a paint stripper. I prefer CitriStrip since it is less caustic than some others.

When using any chemical stripper, wear eye protection and thick chemical resistant gloves. Chemical strippers will eat through latex gloves. Buff the surface of the door with the steel wool, working the stripper in, and wipe the door down with the particular neutralizer recommended by the manufacturer thoroughly when finished.

If you use chemical strippers and don’t neutralize them properly before applying new finish your finish will fail in short order. Don’t skip this important step!

Step #2 Staining

The next step is staining the wood. Once the door is completely free of all old finishes or paints, you should “pop the grain” by wiping the door down with water. This raises the grain of the wood and opens up the pores so that the wood will accept the stain deeper and more evenly.

It’s important to not miss any areas. Missed areas will show up very clearly once you start applying stain.

Once the door is dry from the water, wipe on your stain. The color will depend on how much stain you apply and how long you let it sit before wiping it off. I prefer to wipe it on thick and then wipe off with a clean cloth after about 20 seconds. Once you are satisfied with the color let the stain dry until it is dry to the touch and doesn’t come off on your hands when you touch it.

Step #3 Finishing

Figure 15.3

There are a multitude of finishes available for doors. If it is an exterior door you can use a spar urethane. If it is an interior door a regular polyurethane will work. The polyurethane is available in brush-on, wipe-on, and spray-on versions. There are other finishes like Tung or Teak Oil that can be wiped on in several coats as well.

I often use a mixture of 1 part mineral spirits, 1 part boiled linseed oil, 1 part spar urethane for doors. This finish is very thin and wipes on easily. Flood the surface with a brush or rag of this mixture and keep adding more until the wood won’t absorb anymore. Then wipe off the puddles and let it dry for 24 hours. Buff lightly with 0000 steel wool between coats.

If you are using polyurethane, the door will need between 2 and 3 coats. Anymore than that and the finish is too thick. For thinner finishes like Tung Oil, Teak Oil or my special blend, 3-6 coats is more in the recommended range to protect the door properly.

HOW TO WEATHERSTRIP DOORS

Figure 15.4

To allay your concerns that old doors and windows can’t be energy efficient I wanted to make sure we covered how to weatherstrip these openings.

Weatherstripping has changed a lot over the years. Today it is usually foam, vinyl, or felt peel and stick weatherstripping, but there is an old school way of weatherstripping that will last well over 100 years and be just as effective, if not more, than today’s methods.

Bronze weatherstripping, while a bit more work than the peel and stick variety, provides an excellent seal to keep air, water and bugs out of your home.

There are several types of metal weatherstripping. Some are more complicated than others and require modifications to doors or windows. Leave those to the pros. For the average homeowner, spring bronze weatherstripping will be just as effective and it is user friendly to install. You can find it at several places on the web. We usually buy ours from Kilian Hardware online.

Tools Needed

• Tin snips

• Hammer

• Spring Bronze weatherstripping

• Coppered Nails 3/4” 17 ga.

• Tape Measure

Step #1 Cut to Size

The weatherstrip needs to go in the rabbet that the door fits into when closed. There is a flat side and sprung side to spring bronze. The flat side goes on the side that the door opens. For example, on an inswing door the flat side goes on the inside.

Figure 15.5

Measure the door openings and using tin snips cut the weatherstrip to length.

Figure 15.6

You’ll need to cut the bronze so that it doesn’t cover and interfere with the hinges or latches.

Step #2 Nail in Place

Line up your spring bronze and nail it in from the top down. Make sure

you start from one end and keep the bronze straight the whole length so it does not bubble or bind in places. Also, be careful not to nail the bronze too close the the door jamb (see spacing in Figure 15.6) or it may not be able to lay down completely when compressed.

Your nails should be no more than 2” apart. I prefer 1 1/2” between nails to make sure the installation is lasting.

Corners don’t require anything special. The weatherstripping should meet at simple butt joints as shown back in Figure 15.4.

The nails should be flush with the surface. Run your fingers across them and if you feel any that are standing proud set them a bit more with a nail set.

Step #3 Spring the Bronze

Figure 15.7

Depending on how tight or loose the existing door already is you may need to increase the spring angle on the weatherstripping. For doors with a bigger gap you can bend the bronze out to fill that gap.

Use a putty knife or screwdriver to gently bend the bronze to increase the tightness of the fit.

Close the door and check for any gaps where you can see sunlight. If you see light, open the door and bend the bronze a bit more in that section until you achieve a good seal.

SIXTEEN

WORKING WITH PLASTER

It is well for the world that in most of us, by the age of thirty,
the character has set like plaster, and will never soften again.

-William James

A BRIEF HISTORY

Figure 16.1

Lime plaster has been in use for thousands of years from Japan to Egypt, and has been employed in many historic structures around the globe. Lime plaster is a far superior product than today’s modern wall coverings. With its crystalline structure, it repels moisture well, while allowing for contraction and expansion that often occurs in older homes during changing weather conditions. In fact, as the plaster’s structure calcifies (ages), it increases in durability and strength!

Traditional lime plaster was applied in a 3 coat process over thin wood furring strips called lath that were made of cedar, cypress, or some other rot resistant wood and attached to the studs. The lath was soaked in water prior to installing the plaster. This prevented it from sucking too much water out of the the plaster too quickly which would dry the plaster out prematurely.

Lath was spaced similar to the picture in Figure 16.1 with room between each piece for plaster to be pushed through when applied. This spacing allowed the plaster to “key” into the lath and gave it extraordinary holding power when done properly.

The plaster was then applied to walls and ceilings in three successive coats. The first coat is called the scratch coat and is applied at 3/8” thick then scratched with a comb to give it a rough texture. The second coat is made of the same mixture and is called the “brown coat.” The brown coat is applied directly to the scratch coat, at a 1/4” to 3/8-inch thickness, but left un-scored. The sand in the plaster provides a rough enough texture to give the light, 1/8-inch finish coat a surface to grip onto.

You can see all three coats from the thick scratch coat o the thinner brown coat to the smooth finish coat in Figure 16.2.

Plaster takes almost a month to dry properly and fully cure before the walls could be painted. The whole process was slow and required a skilled plasterer which cost more money.

HOW TO REPAIR OLD PLASTER

There are many reasons that lime plaster walls and ceilings fall into disrepair. Knowing the cause of the damage is crucial to applying the correct solution to the problem. From water damage to vibrations from nearby traffic, to peeling paint, historical plaster damage can be caused by many different problems. Is the plaster peeling from the lath? Is the plaster soggy or crumbly? Are new coats of paint peeling from the walls?

Figure 16.2

If you answered yes to any of these questions, don’t panic. While each condition is unique to each situation, lime plaster can be repaired easily, economically, and effectively.

Assess the Damage

Cracked plaster is most common in old houses and small cracks are nothing to be concerned about. If you have a multitude of converging cracks all headed in the same direction,that may signify settling of the foundation and the source of the plaster cracks should be addressed immediately by a foundation professional or contractor.

If there is damage from an impact, the repair is different than when dealing with cracks. Soggy crumbling plaster means there is likely water getting into the wall. That should also be addressed before patching.

Once you have resolved the cause of the damage, it’s time to repair the plaster. I’ll walk you through the different types of repairs here:

HOW TO FIX CRACKED/SAGGING PLASTER

Cracked and sagging plaster can often be reattached to the wall successful. There is very little old material that needs to be removed in this case. To reattach the plaster to the lath behind it is the goal here. I use, and recommend, a system called Big Wally’s Plaster Magic. It is a straight forward process that permanently reattaches the plaster to the lath. You can watch our video of how to use this product to repair plaster walls and ceilings for a more thorough understanding at: www.youtube.com/user/TheCraftsmanBlog/videos and select "How To Repair Plaster Walls."

Tools Needed

• Drill

• 3/16” masonry drill bit

• Caulk gun

• Rags

• 5-in-1 tool

• Vacuum

• Big Wally’s Plaster Repair kit

• Joint Compound

Step#1 Dig out the Crack

Using a 5-in-1 or flathead screw driver dig out a bit of plaster along the crack. Remove just enough that there is not any loose crumbling plaster along the crack.

Step #2 Drill to the Lath

With a 3/16” masonry drill bit, drill holes through the plaster (but not through the lath) every 3-5” on both sides of the crack, and any areas that are sagging. Note the multitude of small drill holes in Figure 16.3.

The goal here is to drill through the plaster where there is lath directly behind the drill bit.

You should feel a difference when you reach the lath. If the bit goes straight through the plaster and doesn’t stop when it hits the lath, then you have drilled into a void between lath. Lath is run horizontally so move up or down about 1/2” and you should be in the right place. Mark any of these spots where there is not lath so you can avoid them as you continue drilling. Also, you will not need to use conditioner or adhesive in these holes. When you’re finished drilling, vacuum out any remaining dust from each of the holes

Step #3 Condition Lath

Spray a couple pumps of Big Wally’s conditioner from a spray bottle into each of the holes you just drilled. Wipe up any excess that runs down the wall with a dry rag. Let this conditioner soak in for about 10-15 mins.

Figure 16.3

Step #4 Inject Adhesive

Using a caulking gun, insert the tip of the adhesive into each hole. Give a good pull on the trigger until a little bit of adhesive comes out of the hole. Complete this for every hole you drilled.

Step #5 Attach Washers

Using the provided 1 5/8” drywall screws and plaster washers, insert them every few holes and screw them until the wall is snugged up to the lath again. Refer to Figure 16.3 for washer spacing. Some adhesive will likely squeeze out when you do this. Be careful not to over tighten and squeeze all the adhesive out. Wipe up any excess adhesive and let the washers sit anywhere from 12-36 hours until the white adhesive dries clear.

Step #6 Remove Washers and Patch

Once the adhesive is dry ,remove the washers by backing the screws out. It may require a putty knife to peel the washers off the wall after the screw is out. Then, fill the crack and any remaining holes with joint compound and a putty knife, sand smooth once it’s dry.

HOW TO PATCH PLASTER

Sometimes there are large chunks of plaster that are beyond repair and reattachment or just plain missing. In these cases, you can repair these patches very simply without pulling the whole wall down.

Tools Needed

• Drywall pieces big enough to cover the hole

• Joint Compound

• Drill

• 1 1/4” drywall screws

• 6” or larger drywall taping knife

• Fiberglass mesh joint tape

Step #1 Remove Damaged Plaster

Dig out the damaged plaster area down to the lath. When you come to plaster that is still attached to lath and in good shape stop there and clean out the hole with a vacuum to get any remaining loose pieces.

Step #2 Install a Drywall Patch

Cut a piece of drywall to fit the damaged area you removed. It doesn’t have to be pretty it just has to fit the hole. Make sure that the drywall patch is not thicker than the existing plaster wall otherwise you will have a big hump in your wall. Thinner is fine because it will be covered with new plaster or joint compound. 3/8” or 1/2“ drywall usually fits the bill, but it completely depends on the thickness of your plaster walls.

Securely screw the drywall into the lath with 1 1/4” drywall screws.

Step #3 Tape and Coat

Cover the cracks between the drywall and existing plaster with fiberglass tape to strengthen the patch and avoid future cracks. Build up the area by applying joint compound. Apply at least 2-3 coats letting each coat dry about 24 hrs. Then sand between coats with 150-grit sanding screen. Once it’s sanded smooth you’re ready for primer and paint which should completely hide the patch.

Figure 16.4

While some damages can be easily repaired, it’s easy to quickly get in over your head when it comes to plaster repairs in a historic structure. Plaster work is an art form and many delicate cornices, crown molding and ceiling medallions were sculpted by hand by skilled craftsmen.

However, for small jobs like this, any handy homeowner can repair it and not have to replace their old plaster walls and ceilings.

HOW TO CARE FOR PLASTER

Plaster almost takes care of itself and is extremely low maintenance. That being said there are a few things that can cause damage that should be avoided if at all possible. If you avoid these mistakes your plaster will last another hundred years with little to no effort.

Plaster Mistakes to Avoid

• Keep it Dry - Plaster and wood lath don’t do well if it is continually being wet by a leak somewhere. If there is any sign of water damage get it resolved quickly before things get worse.

• Don’t Hammer - Hanging things on plaster walls is a bit harder than drywall. If you start banging in nails to hang your favorite family photos you will start breaking your brittle plaster. Instead use screws to hang pictures. Or if you really want to protect those walls try installing a picture rail so you can hang things without putting any holes in your wall and easily relocate them.

SEVENTEEN

WORKING WITH EXTERIOR WOOD

It's not good because it's old, it's old because it's good.

-Anonymous

Siding and other exterior woodwork take the brunt of Mother Nature’s wrath on your old house. While wood siding is extremely durable and long lasting, it needs maintenance to perform well over many years.

So, in addition to talking about how to work with siding, we’ll also dive into ways to protect the other wooden elements of your home’s exterior and extend their life.

HOW TO PREVENT WOOD ROT

Figure 17.1

Old houses are overwhelmingly made of wood. If you can learn how to repair and prevent wood rot, you can solve a large majority of problems in your house.

Learning how to repair wood rot is a part of life when that life is lived in an old house. But what if you could prevent it? Working in a wet climate, like Florida, I have assembled a very specific routine to prevent wood rot on anything I build that will be outdoors. The expense of synthetic materials like PVC, fiber cement and other “rot-proof” products aren’t necessary if you build things the time tested right way. If you want to continue to build with real wood and have it last decades, follow these five simple rules.

1. Prime All 6 Sides

It’s not enough just to prime exterior wood after it has been installed. You have to prime all 6 sides of the wood. That means front, back, both sides, and both ends.

The end grain of wood is like a sponge. If you don’t prime it you are asking for trouble. You have to prime everything before it is installed and after all the cuts have been made. If you have to trim a piece again then you have to prime that piece again at the cut.

We use an oil-based primer because they penetrate the wood better and have less vapor permeability than water-based primers, therefore provide better resistance to water.

2. Build Sloped Surfaces

If you are building anything outside it has to be able to shed water. Porches, window sills, hand rails; everything has to be sloped or designed to shed water. You have to think like water when planning your project. If water lands on your project does it have a place to go or will it get stuck somewhere?

Figure 17.2

I see too many porch railings that are flat 2×4’s. Any horizontal surface will hold water and eventually rot. Whether you decide to round the tops on your railings (Figure 17.2) or install them at a slight slope along their length is up to you, but intelligent design means less trouble in the future.

On this old balustrade, even the bottom rail is beveled on top to provide excellent water shedding ability.

3. Plug Fasteners

Figure 17.3

Unplugged screws and nails are like highways for water. If you’re working outside, you should be using stainless steel or galvanized fasteners anyway, but when you nail or fasten wood (especially on horizontal surfaces) it is worth the extra effort to countersink and plug the fasteners (Figure 17.3). Doing this not only prevents fasteners from rusting, but also avoids any divots in the wood that will catch water.

• Pre-drill a hole, the depth and width of your plug, slightly larger than the fastener head.

• Drive your fastener in the hole.

• Put a bit of wood glue in the hole.

• Place the wood plug in the hole.

• Pound the plug into place gently with a hammer.

• Sand the surface level.

• Fill any remaining gaps with glazing putty to seal out water.

4. Use Rot Resistant Wood

There are lots of choices when it comes to rot resistant wood. Most of the tropical hardwoods like Ipe, Cumaru and Teak are all great choices for decking since they are so hard and resistant to rot and insect damage, but they can be more expensive. Western Red Cedar, Spanish Cedar, Cypress and Redwood are good choices for exterior items like siding, trim, and screens. They are readily available depending on your part of the country and provide decent rot resistance at a fair price.

Try to incorporate these wood options for the best results. Using other woods that are not well suited for the kind of exposure they will get outside will cause repairs to fail much quicker.

5. Allow for Airflow

Creating a rain screen is the best way to keep siding dry. You can either install furring strips, which are thin strips of wood, behind your siding to allow air space or use a product like Benjamin Obdyke’s HomeSlicker or HydroGap that create a little extra space between siding and the housewrap (Tyvek or Typar), so that it can shed water and dry out efficiently.

Wood will get wet outside. The key to making wood elements last for centuries outdoors is to provide a way that they can dry out. The quicker the better.

Some good ways to provide air flow are:

• Make sure the wood isn’t in direct contact with the ground.

• Use a rain screen or furring strips behind siding to allow airflow behind the siding.

• If possible, design your project with gaps between horizontal and vertical surfaces.

• Use a nail or a carpenter’s pencil between deck boards to space them evenly to allow drainage.

• Avoid having wood (unless it is pressure treated) in direct contact with cement or masonry.

Follow these five tips and you’ll have a a project that will last longer than you and I will be around. Skip them and you may save some time and money for now, but in the long run it’s always cheaper to do it right the first time.

WORKING WITH SIDING

Chances are pretty good your old house has some form of wood siding. It may be clapboards or shingles, novelty or board and batten, but whatever it is, it's probably made of wood.

There were no readily available materials besides wood, masonry, and stucco for the exteriors of old homes until the 1930s, really. So, if your house is older than that and you have vinyl or aluminum siding, there is a good chance it is either covering up the original siding or it may have unfortunately replaced the original stuff.

There is a danger when it comes to one type of siding material on old homes though.

ASBESTOS SIDING

Figure 17.4

Asbestos has been mined since antiquity, but it wasn't until the Industrial Revolution that it really came into its own. It became popular for its fire and rot resistant qualities, like we talked about earlier. It is a relatively bulletproof building material and thus was used in hundreds of places in the construction industry.

Asbestos cement first came into use as an exterior cladding after 1907, when an Austrian engineer, named Ludwid Hatschek, came up with a way to shape the material into sheets, which provided an easy way to make siding and shingles like in Figure 17.4.

Even though the health dangers of working with asbestos had begun to surface in the 1920s, the National Board of Fire Underwriters listed asbestos cement as the recommended siding and roofing material over wood because of its "superior fire-resistant properties."¹⁶ This recommendation led to a huge boost in sales of asbestos shingles and, by the 1940s, hundreds of thousands of homes in the U.S. had been constructed using asbestos cement siding.

If your house has asbestos siding, you're in no danger unless the siding is in disrepair and crumbling. It is an excellent, long-lasting material that is quite good at protecting your home. The real danger it poses is if you attempt to remove or mess with it in any way. If you cut or break any of the shingles you may expose yourself to asbestos dust, which is where the real danger lies.

If you have any plans to remove or alter any areas of asbestos siding, call an asbestos abatement firm before starting anything.

HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING

There are dozens of types of horizontal wood siding across the country., and each region has its favorites. There are traditional clapboards, bevel siding, novelty drop, rustic, tongue and groove, etc. I won't go into each type and their uses here. If you'd like some more information about them Old House Online has an excellent brief on all these types and their uses in their Horizontal Siding Guide http://www.oldhouseonline.com/horizontal-siding-guide. We'll focus mostly on the repair and installation of wood siding.

HOW TO REPAIR WOOD SIDING

If you have a few small spots of rot on your siding, they can be easily repaired with epoxy patches. For small areas (about the size of a finger) I typically use Abatron’s WoodEpox or KwikWood. I'll go through the process of each in more detail below.

First, you'll need to dig out the damaged or rotted wood down to the point that there is only clean healthy wood remaining. Use an awl or some other small tool for this task that fits the scope of your repair. After you've cleaned everything out, you can add some wood hardener to the area to strengthen some of the “punkier” strands of wood remaining, though this step isn't always necessary if you were able to get ALL the damaged wood out. You can buy wood hardener at most hardware stores, simply follow the instructions on the can, and make sure the area is well ventilated.

WoodEpox

WoodEpox is part of a system that includes another product called LiquidWood. These two products can be used together or separately and are a two-part epoxy system. WoodEpox consists of a Part A and Part B putty that you mix together. Once they are mixed together the epoxy begins to harden. Large quantities and hot temperatures cause the process to speed up, conversely cooler temps and small amounts of the epoxy cause the hardening process to slow down. Once hard (about 24 hours), WoodEpox can be sanded, planed, drilled, and basically treated exactly like wood except that it will never rot.

Combine it with LiquidWood, which is a wood hardener on steroids, and you have a fantastic repair for rotted wood. LiquidWood is also a two-part combo that, when combined, will turn soft rotted wood into hard wood that can be filled with WoodEpox. If the WoodEpox is added to a section that has been repaired with LiquidWood, the two will permanently bond together and create a very stable repair.

KwikWood

This is a handy two-part epoxy that is super easy to work with. It can be a real time saver too, since it cures and is ready for paint within 20-30 minutes! KwikWood comes in a tube and looks like a big Tootsie Roll. You simply tear off the amount you need and mush it all together in your hands like Play-Dough. By mixing it together you are combining the two parts of the epoxy and it begins to cure almost immediately. Once it's mixed you just push it into the shape you need or fill the damaged section. Wait until it's hardened and you can sand, prime, and paint all in the same hour or so!

REPLACING WOOD SIDING

When the damage goes beyond a simple patch, it may be time to replace some siding boards. Removing horizontal siding is easiest to do from the top down. Unfortunately, most siding damage happens lower down on the house.

So, to remove siding in the middle of the wall you'll need a couple of these tools and techniques.

Tools Needed

• Hammer

• Pry bar

• Cats paw

• Nail puller

• Hot-dipped galvanized ring shank 6d or 8d nails

Things to Know Before Starting

Installing siding requires the most work during the layout and planning phase. Nailing the boards up is the easy part. If you are repairing just a handful of boards then the hard part has been done for you. The reveal has been decided by the last person to install the siding, and it has all been spaced properly (hopefully).

In this case, you need only follow the last guy’s layout, but if you are siding an entire wall or a whole house you have to design your own layout and spacing.

Successful Siding Layout

Spacing your siding is an important part of the installation process. The first thing to remember is that your siding will expand and contract with the weather so you need to leave a 1/8" gap between the siding and any corner trim boards or window and door trim. This will have to be caulked with a good siliconized acrylic latex caulk after the install.

Sometimes the exterior trim is placed over the siding. In these cases, a simple butt joint is acceptable since the joint will be covered by the trim boards.

Plan your layout carefully before you start. Choose your reveal first. The reveal is how much of the board is showing. If you have ship lap siding, the reveal is already taken care of for you because each board fits into the slot on the one preceding it. If, however, you are using clapboards, bevel siding or shingles you need to decide how much of each course will be showing.

You should overlap each course by at least 1", as to keep the whole thing watertight, but anything over 1" is acceptable too. When deciding on a reveal, try to have the siding line up with exterior elements like tops and bottoms of windows and doors. It's not imperative that you do this, but it makes for a nice setup and easier work once you start installing. Again, a smarter layout planned in advance makes for a smoother install. I may say this one more time because it is that important.

Whatever reveal you decide on, measure it out and use a chalk line to mark each piece of siding. This mark will tell you where the next board should overlap to so you don't have to measure the reveal on each board as you install. Also, with proper chalk lines you just have to make sure your first course of siding is level, then you can follow the chalk lines up the building for a smooth and level wall of siding.

Step #1 Remove damaged boards

Since siding is designed to overlap the row below it, you'll need to start with the damaged board that is highest on the wall. FYI, this first board will often not make it off the wall in one piece so be sure to have extra boards on hand to replace any you break during this step.

Each house is different, but I usually use my pry bar to pry the board up from the bottom. It may split, but if I'm removing it because it's already damaged then it doesn't matter much. If you can see the nails on the boards, you can also use your cats paw to dig out each of the nails to free the board.

Figure 17.5

The first board will possibly be nailed through underneath the course of siding above it (a technique called blind nailing). If that is the case you'll have to remove those nails too.

Once that board is removed, you'll have open access to all the rest of the boards below it and you should work your way down the wall prying them off one at a time. The boards should be nailed every 16" or so through the studs.

Some houses will have wall sheathing and some will not Figure 17.5 (Figure 17.5) Without exterior sheathing you can simply see more clearly where each stud is, but the process is the same. Make sure the wall is completely free of any remaining nails in the sections where siding was removed before moving on to the next step.

Step #2 Prep Replacement Boards

Before you put any siding up, make sure you prime all 6 sides of the board like we talked about earlier. If you wait until the siding is installed to prime then you will have spots without primer that will be more susceptible to rot. Don't forget to prime the boards after you have done all your cutting.

Step #3 Install Replacement Boards

Nailing up boards is usually best with two people, so one can hold the board in place while the other nails it on. Nail through every stud with 8d ring-shanked nails. Ringshanked nails aren't always required by building codes depending on where you live, but they provide much better holding strength for minimal added cost. The last thing you want is your siding blowing off in storm.

Figure 17.6

Make sure that you drive the nail flush with the surface (Figure 17.6). It shouldn't be standing proud of the siding or driven deeply into the wood. Either of these weakens its holding strength. Nails should also be long enough to go through the siding, sheathing and still penetrate 1 1/2" into the stud. If not their holding power is greatly diminished.

Additionally, use "hot-dipped galvanized" or stainless steel nails which are suitable for exterior use. Cedar siding is infamous for causing terrible corrosion in non-galvanized fasteners. Any other type of nail will begin rusting through the paint in a couple of years and will fail prematurely. Even if the nail holds on, you don't want to repaint your house every couple years because of rusty nails bleeding through the paint.

Every different type of siding has recommendations on nails, nailing techniques, and spacing. If at all unsure, follow manufacturers recommendations because they know their product better than anyone.

Finishing Up

Once your new siding is installed, you’re ready to paint. I like to start with a metal primer on each of the nails first, just for extra rust protection. Then, add two coats of a high quality exterior acrylic paint. Exterior paint is not a place to cut costs. A good paint job is worth a lot on an old house.

When properly painted, an old house can withstand almost anything Mother Nature can throw at it. So make sure you protect your investment.

Additional Siding Tips

• Always leave at least a 3/4" gap (though we leave 1") between siding and roofing materials to prevent rot. You don’t want siding resting directly on roofing.

• Always prime all sides of boards (especially backs and cut ends) with an oil-based primer before installing.

• Follow the very specific nailing processes using only the approved nail types for your type of siding. Usually, this means hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel nails.

• Caulk vertical siding/trim joints, but not horizontal joints. This allows water to escape from behind the siding.

• Inspect your siding at least once a year and touch up any chipped or missing paint.

• Paint or stain your siding as needed to extend its life.

16 Source: National Association of Certified Home Inspectors http://www.nachi.org/

EIGHTEEN

WORKING WITH PAINT

Old painters never die, they just smell that way.

-Unknown

Paint, paint, paint. Before I started working on old houses I never realized how much the subject of paint would consume my week. We’re either exploring new ways to effectively remove old paint that is as stubborn as anything you’ve ever seen, or we’re trying desperately to make new paint adhere better.

It’s a two-sided battle that has more to do with science than anything else I do. There are a plethora of constantly changing products and formulations of paints, thinners, solvents, strippers, cleaners, conditioners, pre-treatments, and on and on.

If you own an old house you need to know how to remove paint and how to apply it properly. While those two subjects could fill an entire library, I will give you information I have accumulated from my first hand experience, my grandfather’s (who was a professional painter) experience, and the experiences of other painting and preservation professionals that I team with across the country.

There will be some techniques that will work for you and some that will not. Painting is incredibly local and depends a lot on weather and local climates when it comes to long term performance, so take all of this with a grain of salt. I can tell you what has worked for me and others, but cannot absolutely guarantee that it will always work for you. With that in mind here we go.

4 COMMON PAINT PROBLEMS & HOW TO SOLVE THEM

If you own an old house you have paint problems…somewhere. It may be from a poor paint job at some point or a paint job that is just too old.

Keeping your house painted properly, especially the exterior, is imperative to the long term care of your house. Exterior elements deteriorate quickly without a protective layer of quality paint.

So, here are the four most common paint problems that you may find around an old house and how to fix them.

1. Alligatoring Paint

Figure 18.1

This occurs when oil-based paints have gone beyond their usable lives. As oil-based paints age they become harder and more brittle.

This makes for a great hard finish on trim, windows and doors, but eventually they become too brittle to keep up with the constant expansion and contraction of wood. Soon the paint starts cracking in a way that looks like a subway map of Manhattan.

To fix this issue you have a couple options:

• Scrape, sand, use chemical strippers, or heat to completely remove the old paint. Apply a good primer that is designed for the material you are planning to paint (wood, masonry, etc.) then apply two coats of quality 100% acrylic paint.

• Remove any loose paint and apply a filling primer that will smooth out the surface and fill most of the cracks. Then finish with two top coats of quality 100% acrylic paint.

2. Peeling Paint

Figure 18.2

Peeling paint is the bane of old house owners. It can happen without warning sometimes and without specific reasoning. There is one sure fire way to avoid peeling paint (most of the time!) and that is to strip everything down to bare wood and prime before painting.

The two major causes of peeling paint:

• Moisture issues in the substrate

• Too many layers of old paint built up

If you have peeling paint all the way down the bare wood, you have big problems and more often than not it is due to one of these two issues. The only way to fix peeling paint is to deal with the source of the problem.

If it is a moisture issue, find the source of the leak or moisture build up. This doesn’t have to be bulk water. It can be something as simple as too high humidity inside the house, or as complex as vapor drive through the walls.

If your house simply has too many coats of paint built up, you may have had a catastrophic paint failure with huge sheets of paint peeling off. This is a unique issue that no one can really predict, but when it happens to you we all feel your pain. The only solution is to remove all the old layers of paint down to bare wood and start over again.

3. Blistering Paint

Figure 18.3

Blistering paint can be a real pain here in the hot and humid south. There are a few causes of blistering that can be easily avoided if you just prep properly. You must also know when to paint and, more importantly when not to paint. Here are some common causes:

• Painting a damp, dirty, or hot surface

• Applying oil-based over latex paint

• Improper surface preparation

• A moisture source from the other side of the wall

• Exposing latex paint to rain too soon after paint has dried

The solutions are pretty self explanatory. Avoid painting under any of these conditions and you’ll be sure to avoid blistering paint. For example, try to avoid painting in direct sunlight, especially in hot summer months, and avoid painting when it looks like rain.

If you have blistering paint, I’m afraid you’ll have to remove everything down to the layer that is blistering and start over.

4. Chalking Paint

Figure 18.4

Chalking paint is the one paint problem that isn’t due to something you or anyone else did wrong. Chalking paint is old paint that has been exposed to sunlight for a long time and it is completely natural. All paint is made up of several similar elements. Two of the most important are the binder, or resin, and the pigment.

As paint ages the binder slowly breaks down and the pigment starts to wash away. The paint loses most of its sheen and if you run your hand across it you’ll get a powdery residue. The chalking paint on your hand is the old pigment coming off since the binder isn’t there to hold it all together anymore.

Chalking paint is part of the natural lifespan of modern paint systems. If your house’s paint is chalking, that means it’s about time for a new paint job. Here’s how to deal with chalking paint on your old house:

• Gently wash the exterior with an eco-friendly cleaner. You need more than just hosing the house down, but you don’t need to be super aggressive with the washing.

• Let the house dry for at least 48 hours

• Though not absolutely necessary, you can use a quality primer if the chalking is severe even after the cleaning

• Finish with a coat (or two) of top quality 100% acrylic paint

Paint problems usually arise from taking shortcuts or missing issues that need to be resolved prior to painting. Good prep is the answer to most of these issues and good prep takes time and effort. Don’t shortcut it. In painting, more than anything else, you get what you pay for.

The most expensive paint job is almost always cheaper in the long run.

HOW TO PRESSURE WASH AN OLD HOUSE

Figure 18.5

This section may seem out of place in a painting chapter, but I assure you it is right where it belongs. Using a pressure washer on an old home is not as simple as you might think. While it may be a great way to clean dirty siding and prep for new paint, if not done properly it can cause more harm than good.

While I prefer to hand wash a wooden house using a firm nylon bristle brush with soap and water I acknowledge that there is a time and place where pressure washing can work if done properly. Sadly, it is usually not done properly.

You can cause damage to wood or older soft masonry and force water into the structure of your old house. So, to help you prevent this, I put together a quick guide on using a pressure washer properly to protect your biggest investment. These are my seven rules for pressure washing safely and effectively.

1. Don’t Get Too Close

This is the number one problem with pressure washing a house. People put the nozzle right against the surface to get those stubborn stains. Inevitably, this will dig out portions of the wood or mortar and ruin perfectly good siding. Stay at least 1 foot away from the surface at all times.

2. Use a Lower Strength Washer

Some commercial pressure washers are way to powerful to be used on an old wood house. They may be perfect for cleaning driveways, but they will blast right through wood siding especially if there is any wood rot. I prefer a 1500 psi pressure washer. Even if I slip up, I won’t cause nearly as much damage as a powerful commercial washer.

3. Keep the Stream Wide

Many pressure washers have an adjustable nozzle that allows you to make the stream of water go from a wide fan all the way down to a single jet stream of water. That jet stream can dig a hole through asphalt! Don’t even think about using it on your house. Use the wide or medium fan tip.

4. Use Vinegar For Mildew

White vinegar is a great cleaner around the house and it is a natural choice for cleaning mildew off the exterior of your house. Put it in a spray bottle and apply it in small sections. Let it sit about 30 seconds to 1 minute and then use the pressure washer to rinse it away.

5. Scrub, Scrub, Scrub

For the really stubborn areas the best you can do is give up on the pressure washer and use a strong scrub brush with soap and water. Screw one on an extension pole to reach those hard to get areas.

6. Keep Good Aim

If you aren’t careful with your aim, you can shoot pressurized water up under the clapboards or shingles and into the walls. There are plenty of things inside your walls that don’t react well to pressurized water. Try to wash downward along the natural path that water from rainfall would take.

7. Let it Dry

If you plan to paint once you’re finished pressure washing, make sure you give the house ample time to dry out. Painting wet wood is a great way to waste money on a paint job that won’t last. Depending on your climate 12-24 hours probably isn’t enough. 48 hours is a safer bet, but you’ll never have a problem from waiting too long.

Follow these simple rules and you shouldn’t run into any big surprises when you go back to examine your work.

HOW TO PAINT WITH OIL- BASED PAINT

The amount of people who know how to properly use oil-based paint today is surprisingly low They are indeed more difficult to work with, but there are certain benefits and reasons why oil-based paint may still be a good option to use at times in your old house. Since you already have oil-based paint in your house, it’s a good idea to have an understanding of what it is and how it differs from water-based paint.

The landscape of house painting has been changing ever since water-based paints were first introduced by Sherwin-Williams in 1941. Kem-Tone, as it was called, proved that water-based paints were a possibility. It’s no secret that water-based paints are easier to work with, better for the environment, and longer lasting than most oil-based paints, but there is still a place for oil-based paint today.

The Facts

• Slow-Drying - Oil-based paint is notoriously slow drying. It’s the reason we have the saying “It’s like waiting for paint to dry.” Most oil-based paint takes about 8 hours to dry enough to re-coat, as opposed to water-based paints which take around 2 hours to re-coat. This may sound like a problem at first, as it definitely slows down the whole process. However, this slow drying allows oil-based paint to “flow out” better and provide a smoother finish than latex paint. This slow process allows brush marks to level out remarkably well to give a flawless finish.

• Good Ventilation – If you’re working with oil-based paint indoors, you need good ventilation. Make sure to open windows, and put a fan in the doorway to pull in fresh air. Oil-based paints usually have a much higher VOC (volatile organic compounds) content than water-based paints, which is why the extra ventilation is needed.

• Yellows in Dark Areas - If you have old, oil-based paint on your closet’s baseboards chances are it’s pretty yellow. Light colored oil-based paints are notorious for yellowing with age and in dark areas. The more sunlight it gets, the less it yellows. If exposed to more sunlight, the yellowing will fade away, and though today’s oil-based paints have gotten better about holding their color, it’s still a small problem.

• Can Be Mildew Prone - When used outside oil-based paint has a tendency to mildew. This is especially prevalent in humid climates. There are additives for oil-based paints that help prevent mildew and some can be quite effective.

• You Need A Specific Brush - Oil-based paints require a different brush from water-based paints. There are some brushes that work with both water and oil, but natural bristle brushes work much better with oil-based paints. They are readily available wherever you can buy paint brushes. They will usually say “For Oil-based Paints” or “For All Paints” on the brush holder.

• Hard Finish - One of the qualities of oil-based paints that manufacturers have struggled to create with latex paint is a hard, durable finish on enamel paints. For doors, trim, and moldings nothing beats the hard, durable finish of an oil-based enamel paint. That hard finish makes it an excellent choice for doors and windows because that hard finish eliminates the sticking that often happens with latex paints. The hard finish also, unfortunately, prevents the paint from being as flexible as latex, which is why old oil-based paints begin to crack and chip off. After decades of temperature swings and expansion the surface eventually breaks the harder paint film of an oil-based paint.

• Difficult Clean Up - If you’re painting with an oil-based paint, the clean up is a bit more involved. Oil-based paint cannot be cleaned up with water so you’ll have to use paint thinner or mineral spirits to clean your brushes. Here’s some tips for using mineral spirits:

• Make sure the area is well-ventilated.

• Pour some into a bowl and vigorously mix your brush for about a minute.

• Pour the used portion into a sealable metal container.

• Repeat this process until the mineral spirits comes out clear and the brush is clean.

• Dispose of the used thinner or mineral spirits at your landfill’s hazardous waste drop off.

There is one last thing you need to know about oil vs. water based paints...they don’t mix. I would think it’s obvious to most people that mixing a can of oil-based paint with a can of water-based paint wouldn’t be a good idea, which is true, but I’m talking about something else here.

If you are painting oil-based paint on top of latex paint, then you have to prime the latex first. Latex paint and oil-based paint expand and contract at two different rates. So, if you paint oil-based paint on top of a latex paint without priming first, the latex will flex so much underneath that the oil-paint will quickly fail.

You can get away with painting a latex paint on top of an oil-based paint without primer, but just to be safe, it’s always a good idea to prime first when you are switching from one type of paint to the other.

HOW TO PROPERLY PAINT THE EXTERIOR OF A HOUSE

Exterior house painting is neither an easy or inexpensive job, and if it is done properly you can have a paint job that will last 15-20 years. If done improperly, it won’t last more than a few years. Most of the important work is done before a single can of paint is opened. Here’s what you need to do to get a lasting exterior paint job.

Step #1 Clean it Well

Follow my seven rules for properly pressure washing your house to remove any dirt, oils, or other contaminants. After the surface is completely dry you can continue.

Step #2 Remove Loose Paint

Depending on the condition of your existing paint job, this might take 10 minutes or 10 days. Paint is only as good as the surface it adheres to, and if you paint over loose or chipping paint it will be a matter of months before your new paint job starts to fall apart.

Paint adheres best to bare wood so, for the best adhesion possible, strip all the old paint off using a scraper, infrared heat gun, or paint shaver. Complete paint removal is not always feasible due to the extraordinary expense and time required. However, this can be done over the process of a few years.

We have done projects where clients did one side of a house each year so that it could be completely stripped down to bare wood. If this doesn’t work for you, that’s alright. At the very least you want to remove all the loose paint. Once that’s done, you’ll want to sand the rough edges where the paint chipped off to smooth the transitions out and ensure it won’t start peeling again in those areas.

Step #3 Repair Damaged Wood

Now is the time to repair any rotted or damaged wood. Whether it’s replacing a battered clapboard or rotted trim, don’t skip this. Paint will not hold onto rotted surfaces and you’ll wish you had replaced the rot when you had the chance. If the damage is small use wood fillers or epoxies like we talked about.

Step #4 Caulk & Prime

Figure 18.6

Make sure to dig out any worn out caulk in gaps around siding and trim and replace with high quality exterior caulk. There are 50-year, 60-year, and even lifetime warranties on the best caulks and sealants, and they are worth the extra expense. After the caulk has dried, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, prime any bare wood or fresh caulk and filler with an oil-based primer like Kilz Complete.

If you are painting a masonry or stucco building, apply a masonry sealer over the entire building prior to painting. This is similar to primer, but is specifically formulated for masonry. An example of this would be Sherwin-Williams Loxon Sealer.

Step #5 Paint

When all the prep is done you can finally paint. There several ways to apply paint (spray, roller, brush, etc.) For large exteriors I have found that spraying followed by back brushing gives the best performance.

We use the sprayer to simply get the paint onto the building since it is faster than constantly loading a brush or roller. Then, while one person sprays another person follows close behind brushing the paint into the entire surface.

Brushing the paint results in more penetration and better adhesion of the paint into nooks and crannies of the building. Spraying alone is not an effective method of paint application outdoors where excellent adhesion is extremely important.

What Kind of Paint?

This is a question I get asked often. The answer is simple: Buy the most expensive paint you can afford. Every brand has its pros and cons, but, usually, the most expensive paint is the best. The saying is almost always true that you get what you pay for when it comes to paint quality

Interior paint is not quite as important, but when it comes to exterior paint that will get rained, hailed, snowed on and have the sun shine on it 365 days a year, you need all the protection you can get. If there is a place to save money it’s not on exterior paint.

HOW TO REMOVE OLD PAINT

Old houses are notorious for having dozens of layers of paint caked onto them. The need for effective yet safe paint removal techniques in the age of lead-safe work practices is still an evolving science.

I’ll walk you though the ways that I have found to safely remove paint today in this section, but, again, with paint it is a matter of experimentation to find what works best for your particular situation.

All of the methods I’ll outline are approved by the EPA as lead safe paint removal techniques. Be sure to wear a P-100/N-100 mask, goggles, gloves, and have plastic to catch any old paint you are removing. Just because these are approved methods doesn’t mean you don’t still need to follow the rules of lead safe paint removal.

Infrared Paint Removal

Infrared technology has changed the way we use heat to remove paint. In the old days, we used to use heat guns or torches to remove old paint since paint bubbles up and loses its ability to adhere under extreme heat. Torches and heat guns heat paint above 700°F, all the way up to 1200°F at times, which will cause the lead in old paint to vaporize and become a serious health hazard.

Infrared technology accomplishes the same thing with temperatures of only around 400°F. When you place the infrared paint stripper up to the surface, the paint will begin bubbling up and smoking slightly. After about 20 seconds you remove the heat and remove the paint in a clean sheet using a pull scraper..

I only have experience with one brand, The Silent Paint Remover, but I have found that, no matter how many layers of paint, it is very effective at removing the paint all the way down to the first layer of primer.

In my experience, infrared technology is less effective with oil-based paints than water-based though. If the oil-based paint is very old and brittle, this method is almost pointless. For old, dry, oil-based paint the manufacturer recommends applying a 50/50 mixture of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits to the surface of the paint 24 hours prior to attempting removal. This mixture did help, but not as much as I would have liked.

Overall, infrared paint removal is very effective, but can be slow, tedious and very smelly. For small projects like doors it is very effective, but for larger paint stripping projects this will not be a faster enough method to make it cost effective.

CitriStrip

This is the only liquid paint stripper I use anymore. It is typically reserved just for intricate moldings and detailed paint stripping in my shop and is a relatively non-toxic version of the awful liquid paint strippers that are still available today.

Here’s how it works: You brush on a thick coat of stripper onto the surface to strip. The manufacturer recommends about an approximately 1/8” thick coating. Let it sit for anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours until the paint begins bubbling up and peeling away from the surface.

Ultimately, I have found that the longer you can leave the stripper on the better—just don’t let it dry out. Once dry, the paint hardens again and you’ll have to start over.

Any liquid paint stripper is messy. Be sure to have plastic down to catch the gooey mess that results from using this stripper. Once you are finished wipe off any excess stripper and thoroughly clean the work piece with mineral spirits.

If you leave any residue of the stripper your new paint job will have big adhesion problems, so be careful to clean up very well with mineral spirits.

ProScraper

This rather clever yet simple tool is made of hardened plastic and holds a carbide blade in its tip. The fantastic thing about this product is that it has a hollow body and is designed to be hooked up to a HEPA vac. You can dry scrape almost any flat surface pretty much dust free with this tool.

The ProScraper is a relatively new addition to my line up of paint strippers so I cannot speak to its longevity, but it is very easy to use, requires no complicated manual to understand, and it is extremely effective.

PaintShaver Pro

This complex and expensive tool does exactly what it claims to do. It, literally, shaves paint off of any flat surface and it’s quick about it too. At close to $800 it had better be.

The PaintShaver Pro utilizes a cast aluminum head that contains 3 spinning carbide blades and an excellent dust collection system that can be hooked up to any HEPA vac. The motor of the tool is essentially an angle grinder that has been modified for the particular job of paint stripping.

This tool requires practice and has a fairly steep learning curve to get comfortable with it, but once you learn it it is very effective, especially for large scale paint removal. One caution is that it can get away from you and mar wood surfaces if you are not careful. It is very powerful and should be treated accordingly.

All of these tools and methods should be used with caution. You want to always keep in mind the condition of the work piece. For example, if you are restoring an old door with the infrared paint stripper and burn the wood by leaving it in one place for too long, that piece of history may be irreparably damaged.

Any method of paint removal can be rough on the surface you are removing paint from so always use the minimum necessary technique. Custom tailor your paint removal practices to fit the work piece, the overall project, and, most importantly, your skill level.

Dip Tank Stripping

There is a commercial technique of stripping large amounts of paint very quickly that I feel needs to be discussed. I have brought windows and doors to a dip tank before, even though I was advised that it may cause problems, and, as far as its effectiveness, dip stripping is extremely effective. Despite this, I strongly advise you not to use this option.

In my situation, the windows and doors I dip stripped developed what is called “the brown ooze,” and it is one of the most horrific experiences I have been through that cost me more money than I care to discuss. Here’s the short version.

The windows were dip stripped at a very reputable stripping company. They did everything right. We took the windows back to the shop and finished prepping them. The surfaces were sanded lightly, primed with an oil primer, and then putty glazed and painted with two coats of acrylic paint.

About 2-3 months later the client noticed that the paint was beginning to bubble up in places and peel off already. Scared to see what I would find, I examined the windows and sent pictures and made calls to other window experts around the country who confirmed “brown ooze.”

Traces of the old stripper were still present in the joints of the windows, and as it worked its way to the surface it began stripping the new paint from the windows very quickly. We spent weeks repairing all 38 windows from this terrible mistake and ended up spending more money on the project than we made.

My mistake is your benefit. Stay away from dip stripping any old house parts so you don’t fall prey to this same thing. Use any of the other methods I prescribed and you’ll do just fine.

NINETEEN

WHY DOES ANY OF THIS MATTER?

Old houses have stories to tell of family and friends; love and loss.
-Unknown

I truly hope this book helps you understand your old house a bit more than you did before. There is something incredibly special about old houses and the people who own and care for them. Keep learning, keep testing, keep experimenting. Find what works for you and your home and stick with it.

Part of the fun of owning an old or historic home is that it's never done. There is always a next project and a next project after that. For some people that would be incredibly annoying, but not for old home owners. Why do we donate every weekend to fixing a rotten old house? Is it just getting to see the progress as you gradually restore your home back to its former glory?

I say it's more than that. I think there is a part of us that desires to know about a time before we were around. We are like explorers of history, not because we are finding things never before seen, but finding things long since forgotten. The world knew these things like how to build a house so well that nails were not necessary or how to glaze a perfect window corner. Back then these things may have been a simple trade that thousands of people knew how to do, but today they are incredibly rare and the folks who know these "secrets" are considered special and their knowledge valuable.

The past hold the keys to the future. You can't have a future without a past. If life is all about the trip and not the destination, as some people say, then how can you enjoy the trip if you only look at where you are going and pay no attention to where you came from? Without knowing your origin you can very easily end up driving in a circle and ending up where you started.

The same is true for building. By studying the why and how of old house construction you can see the places where we have gone backwards and where we have progressed. Some things have indeed gotten much better in home design and construction over the centuries whereas others have only gotten faster. In our microwave culture faster is almost always viewed as better, but you're an old house owner, you know that's not necessarily true.

Historic preservation is a grass roots job. As a preservation professional I can only do so much. My shop has a limit to how many windows we can restore or wood floors we can save. Time is a finite thing after all. But if each of you dedicates to restoring the old beauty you're living in or the neglected old house in your neighborhood we can expand our reach exponentially.

Other neighborhoods have banded together to form historic districts, why haven't you? Historic preservation boards are open to any citizen usually. Have you joined? Did you email your mayor when they announced the demolition of a landmark in your town? There is always more we can do. Some of us are activists, pounding the pavement and drumming up support. But the vast majority of us live quietly in our old homes, fixing what we can when we can. The activists get the press, and they are a needed group to bring light to the historic preservation issues of our time and town.

But this book is for the everyman. The homeowner on a budget who loves the character of their old home and wouldn't dare change it. The folks who wish they could do more, but are scared they will mess it up. This book is your encouragement. You can do it! You can have the incredibly satisfying experience of working with your hands without fear of destroying that house or causing more damage. I have one favor to ask of you though.

Enjoy the process. Every once in a while, lift your head up and look around at what you have accomplished. It is a great thing that you are doing, even if the rest of the world thinks you're nuts.

Image Credits

All photos courtesy of Scott Sider, Austin Home Restorations, except the ones below:

Figure 1.1 (www.commons.wikimedia.org)

Figure 11.2 (123RF.com/mce128)

Figure 18.2 (123RF.com/thungsarn)

Figure 18.3 (123RF.com/photodee)