Seventy some years ago, carpenters working on the construction of the NIH campus in Bethesda made a mere $1.62 per hour. Carpenter apprentices made even less. Fast forward to 2011 and carpenters working on the restoration of Building #3 on the campus were paid a prevailing wage rate of $17.44 per hour. That’s a big difference …
Your house is a money pit, you know it, I know it and there is no way to get around the fact. So what do you do, when you discover that your largest single investment requires you to constantly tend to it with your time and money. A quote from my childhood, “a stitch in …
May is preservation month the theme of this year is, “Old is the New Green!”. With most people looking for ways to minimize their impact on the environment in their corner of the world it is important to not do anything to a historic building that will damage the historic fabric of the structure. Historic …
The April/May 2010 issue of Old-House Journal listed the top ten restoration mistakes. Following these tips can help to save time and money (in the long run). The entire article can be found at: http://www.oldhousejournal.com/top-10-restoration-mistakes/magazine/1673 Cheap Paint (good paint is hard to find – we are trying linseed oil paint on our house available from …
On Thursday, April 22nd, any contractor working on a building with lead-based paint will have to be a lead-safe certified firm. The EPA is has written guidelines to help protect homeowners from lead dust and contractors have to complete a 8 hour training course. Helping to protect homeowners is important – the downside is the …
American Express along with Take Part are promoting a contest in which people can vote (once a week) for the charity of their choice. The categories are: Arts and Culture (in which the National Trust for Historic Preservation is included) Community Development Education Environment and Wildlife Health and Wellness There a lot of worthy organizations …
This time of year people become a little more curious about supernatural happenings – going on in strange and normal places, looking for a sign or some kind of message , that to this point may have gone unnoticed as we live in our own worlds. It seems appropriate that on Monday of this week …
Sometimes I find gems buried in the piles of papers on my desk. This is from the Winter 2008-2009, HARBnews, published by the Historic Architectural Board of Review of the City of Lancaster. The speech was given on December 22, 1905 at the opening of the Stevens High School (corner of North Charlotte and West …
Lancaster, Pa is the oldest inland city in the United States. Lancaster City also boast itself as the largest designated historic district in the U. S. with it’s four square miles of structures that tell the story of this settlement’s life since 1730.We live in the city and enjoy the urban feel of a downtown …
Last Saturday, Chuck and Lois went to lunch at the Preservation League of Staten Island to receive an ‘Encouragement Award’. Recognizing the work underway (but not yet completed) at the George W. Curtis house – we have completed the front facade restoration including the front porch, missing architectural details (aluminum siding installers love straight edges …
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