Search Results for: repair

Preservation and Sustainability

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, …

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Historical Interiors: The inside counts, too

How often have we heard the phrase “It’s what’s on the inside that counts?” When it comes to historical homes and buildings, I’m sure those of us who are preservation-inclined would say it’s what’s on the outside and the inside that counts. And we’ve discussed the outside before: last week we shared our piece on …

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Labor Shortages and How They Affect Your Project

Choosing a contractor with the right mix of skills and experience to work on your historical building can be a daunting experience.  Especially considering the potential for permanent damage to the historical fabric of your building, you need to select a contractor who: is well-versed in historical products and materials; can identify and replicate the …

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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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Practical Preservation Podcast featuring The Real Milk Paint Co.

Dwayne Siever, founder of The Real Milk Paint Company, joined the Practical Preservation podcast to discuss information about his historic preservation- and earth-friendly paint, wood finish, and wax business. We covered a multitude of topics including: How his background in wood-working, repairing antique furniture and creating antique reproductions eventually led to an interest in finishes …

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Energy Efficiency for Historic Buildings

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 …

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Women’s Hidden Roles in Historic Preservation

    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 …

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Practical Preservation Podcast featuring Chad Martin from Partners for Sacred Places

THIS IS A RE-POST OF A PODCAST INTERVIEW WE ORIGINALLY POSTED January 2019: Chad Martin from Partners for Sacred Places met with me to discuss the work he does helping to preserve religious buildings from demolition through adaptive reuse and the creation of community resources. Some of the topics we discussed include: The economic impact …

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Siding on Historic Homes

Age is not the only thing that makes a building historical. The traditional materials and craftsmanship in the original construction of your historical building are an essential part of its historical fabric. Preserving its architectural integrity can only be done by using the same traditional materials and craftsmanship that made your building what it is …

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