Search Results for: contractor

APPROACHING WORK ON YOUR OLD HOME: PART 3

PART 3, THE FINAL PIECE IN THIS 3-PART SERIES of working on your old home explores using a good design. Using a good design refers to integrating additions, renovations, or even new construction into your historical building, not necessarily “copying” historical architecture contemporaneous to your building’s era. It simply needs to integrate with the historical …

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APPROACHING WORK ON YOUR OLD HOME: PART 2

PART 2 OF THIS SERIES of working on your old home explores replacement in-kind. Replacement in-kind refers to replicating the original in all respects except improved condition, when absolute preservation is not possible. This is a follow-up to Part 1’s general information about maintaining your home’s historical relevance and period style. Regarding replacement, it is …

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APPROACHING WORK ON YOUR OLD HOME: PART 1

PART 1 OF THIS SERIES of working on your old home explores options for property owners to save the home’s historically relevant aspects specific to when and how it was built, versus mixing time periods and styles. Maintaining your home’s historical relevance necessitates preservation and restoration tactics that honor the home’s appropriate time period. If …

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The Importance of Maintaining Your Historical House

Historical buildings and houses are artifacts of the past, a visible connection to our history, and require a certain level of care beyond the basic seasonal maintenance you would perform on a newer home or building – inspecting the roof, cleaning the gutters, exterior repairs to damage caused by weather and age, as well as …

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Practical Preservation Podcast featuring Andy deGruchy of Craftwork Training Center and LimeWorks.us

Andy deGruchy joined the Practical Preservation podcast to discuss his Craftwork Training Center, the historic masonry contracting and supply business and his philosophy of the body, mind, and spirit working together to create art.  His 35 years of experience as a mason was highlighted as he explained his dive into the material science world and …

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Energy Efficiency and Historical Buildings

Historical buildings were built when neither advancements in technology nor construction technology was in abundant supply.  Early designers made the most of building materials and design options to construct buildings with a powerful combination of harnessed natural resources and innovative design that worked together to maximize energy efficiency. Everything from exterior paint colors, locations of …

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Porches, Doors, and Historic Preservation

At first glance, porches and doors may seem like no more than a way to get in or out of a home or business.   But there is much more to these architectural gateways.  They are frequently exemplary examples of carpentry that give us a peek into the artisanship of our architectural history and have …

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Can Painting Damage Your Home?

Despite all the recent wintery weather, spring is officially here. With its arrival, homeowners turn their attention to maintenance projects – including exterior painting. While seemingly harmless, painting a historical home carries a surprising significant risk of damage. The National Park Service’s Preservation Brief #10: Exterior Paint Problems on Historic Woodwork notes: Because paint removal …

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Being as Original as Possible: Choosing Replacement Materials

[wr_row][wr_column span=”span12″][wr_text el_title=””]It is easy to think that if the look of a historical building is maintained and the appropriate types of materials are used, then the building has been successfully preserved. But preservation is not just about preserving how something looks, it is primarily focused in preserving how something is so that it remains …

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