Resources for Historic Restorations

Coffee Break RECAP: July Questions and Answers Edition

COFFEE BREAK RECAP – This month’s “coffee break” video recap focuses on various questions and answers related to historic buildings, preservation and restoration. Watch below.   VIDEO SUMMARY: Focus: Questions and answers Questions: What is an appropriate Colonial fireplace design? How do you tackle mold on siding? Does an asymmetrical façade/porch on a duplex imply that …

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Coffee Break RECAP: Existing Building Codes

COFFEE BREAK RECAP – This month’s “coffee break” video recap focuses on how to navigate the existing building code and uniform construction code within your historic building project in Pennsylvania. Watch below.   VIDEO SUMMARY: Focus: Exemptions (Existing Building Code) and things liable to the Uniform Construction Code, depending on the parameters of a historic …

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Practical Preservation Podcast Featuring Bill Morrow of Langhorne Carpet Company

Bill Morrow, president of Langhorne Carpet Company in Penndel, PA, joined the Practical Preservation Podcast to discuss the company’s history and current operations. We covered multiple topics, including: Bill’s family’s background in the carpet-making business, founding Langhorne Carpet Company in 1930 Henry Ford’s connection to the mill The company’s basis on heritage and tradition – …

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Kitchens: A Study in Innovation

KITCHENS – today, these rooms are so essential to what most people see in a desirable home, that they can be one of the main determinants of whether or not to buy a particular house. These rooms generally serve not only as showplaces, but also as a central socializing spot. However, this was not always …

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Practical Preservation Podcast Featuring Steve Larson of Adelphi Paper Hangings

Steve Larson, principal at Adelphi Paper Hangings, joined the Practical Preservation Podcast to discuss his work recreating historic block print wallpaper. We covered multiple topics, including: Steve’s background growing up with access to his father’s paint and wallpaper store, and his art school projects using wallpaper How a project on block print wallpaper at the …

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Bathrooms: A Necessary (Room) Discussion

BATHROOMS – or whatever you call them, as they have many names – are a necessary part of our lives, but we often take them for granted. Bathrooms did not always exist as a dedicated room, and the conglomeration of fixtures and practices that occur in these rooms today, as well as the design of …

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Sanborn Maps Another Tool to Research House History

During the June 2019 Practical Preservation Event the librarian from LancasterHistory shared all of the resources they have to help historic home owners to research the history of the homes, both the architectural history and the history of the people. One of the resources was the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. You can find out a …

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Practical Preservation Podcast Featuring Rabbit Goody of Thistle Hill Weavers

Rabbit Goody, owner, designer, and master weaver of Thistle Hill Weavers, joined the Practical Preservation podcast to discuss information about her background in weaving, and museum curation and consultation. We covered a multitude of topics including: Rabbit’s interwoven skill-sets and background, starting with her intuitive skills as a teen-aged weaver, and her academic backgrounds in …

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Maintenance is Preservation

Well, it’s that time of year again. The weather is warming up a bit as we move into the Spring Season. In the 19th century, before vacuums came into common use, early spring was a time to open windows and sweep homes from “top to bottom” to herald the coming of warmer weather. Your spring …

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Painting Your Historical Home

Paint is probably on a lot of homeowner’s minds right now (and if you listened to last week’s podcast you have definitely thought about it). With the warmer weather allowing us to step outside and breathe fresh air, we’re also afforded the opportunity to see what the weather and time have done to the outside …

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