KEEPING YOUR HISTORIC HOME COOL IN SUMMER is an essential part of living comfortably today. But, how was it done in the past, and what can we do now? We’ve outlined the history and applicable steps for you. 1880’s photo of a British home in India. Image source: Wikipedia’s entry on Punkahs Historic Cooling …
TRADITIONAL JOINERY is a term we’ve all heard as a hallmark of historical millwork. But what is it and why is it so important in preservation of historic buildings? 1880’s joiner shop in Germany. Image source: Wikipedia’s Entry on a Joiner What is Traditional Joinery? Joinery in general is the woodworking technique that joins …
Noel Beauchamp, of Olde Good Things, joined the Practical Preservation podcast to discuss the company’s architectural salvage services. We covered a multitude of topics including: The company’s background and evolution from selling small items to large architectural pieces (it started with an iron gate from Brooklyn) How they approach rescuing architectural materials to stay ahead …
Practical Preservation Podcast Featuring Noel Beauchamp of Olde Good Things Read More »
When your historical home was originally built, the process was simple. You bought some land, hired some contractors, and raised the building that met your budget and design needs. Work on an existing building was simple: you hired someone to do the work. Today the process is a bit more complex. Work of any …
Preservation and sustainability. What does one have to do with the other? If we examine these terms more closely, we can see that older buildings are inherently “green” or sustainable because of “embodied energy” (all of the energy used to build the building that would need to be expended to build something else). In fact, …
A façade. What is it? Most of us know that its most basic definition is “face.” In the case of architecture, this refers to the exterior side of the building, usually the front. Façades on buildings are often the first defining features we see. As times change, so do architectural design styles, and this is …
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 …
Winter may soon be coming to a close, but there’s still time during the tempestuous month of March for Spring to “come in like a lion,” as the old proverb goes. The uncertainty of weather related to climate change aggravates the issues we already see at the end of Winter as well, adding to the …
South Carolina Senate Chamber Portrait of Ann Pamela Cunningham, The “Founding Mother” of Historic Preservation. Photo credit South Carolina Legislature. Many women and men have contributed so much to the field of historic preservation in America. However, as is too often the case, the role of many women has been hidden in …
Window repair, restoration, or replacement is an unavoidable topic of concern in historic buildings. Windows in your historic property are like the eyes of the home. They are an important piece of the historical fabric of the location, and also play an integral part in energy efficiency of the property. Simultaneously, they are one of …
© 2022 Practical Preservation | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Service