Maintaining an old house can seem like a full time job at times. Old homes were built with materials and in a manner that requires regular maintenance. While this maintenance requires time it is ultimately a more affordable option than today’s home design of replacement rather than repair. Regular Inspections Regularly inspecting your old house [...] Read on →
Some of you may not know, but I have just recently released my first eBook. It’s been very exciting for me to put this together. I started with the goal of compiling the most important information that owners of old houses need to know. It’s my way of providing a reference guide for what’s important [...] Read on →
Installing trim properly requires an eye for detail and a few specific tools and techniques. The best historic trim and moldings were installed in a seamless way called “coping” that hides joints while still allowing for the house to move and settle with the decades. A coped joint is a big part of the installation [...] Read on →
Using a pressure washer on an old home is not as simple as you might think. While it may be a great way to clean dirty siding and prep for new paint, if not done properly it can cause more harm than good. You can cause damage to wood or older soft masonry and force [...] Read on →
Old houses can smell. Not always, but many do. Maybe your house had the crazy cat lady or a bunch of fraternity brothers who never cleaned up after wild parties. The older your house is the more likely you had a dirty occupant at one point in its life. The best you can do is [...] Read on →
This will be the last post in our series Tips For Historic Home Owners. I really hope you’ve enjoyed these helpful mini posts and that you’ve found some value in the info. We’ve been told that patience is a virtue all our lives. Well, it turns out that when it comes owning an old house [...] Read on →
If you live in a part of the world, like I do, where insects are a daily nuisance you’ll want to pay close attention to this tip! With Mosquitos and other annoying pests just waiting for you to step outside you might be tempted to screen in your wonderful open air porch so you can [...] Read on →
As I write this post about oil-based paint I realize that the information is quickly disappearing from both common knowledge and usefulness today. If you live in California I don’t even think you’re allowed to buy oil-based paint anymore (at least not in any significant quantities). The landscape of house painting has been changing ever [...] Read on →
Every painter has his tips and tricks. So I know that this list will vary significantly from another painter’s. My grandfather had a long and very busy career as a painter, and before he passed on he shared his 7 secrets of a great paint job with me. Some of his tips are pretty easy [...] Read on →
Remodel or Restore? They may sound like the same thing, but they are very different when it comes to an old house. And understanding the difference is key. Remodel To remodel something literally means “to alter” it. Because of that you might think that remodeling is juxtaposed to the idea of preserving an old home, [...] Read on →
In historic preservation there is a hierarchy of how to care for a historic structure. And when you own an old house it’s a good idea to follow that hierarchy. Repair & Maintain – The first step is always to repair and maintain your house as you go along. An ounce of prevention is worth [...] Read on →
Every old house has its own story, and each one is unique. Once you move in, your family has now become a part of that story too. While I may talk a lot about saving the historic and original features of your home, I realize that an old home is not a museum. Maybe the [...] Read on →
I think my family doctor is great. He really is! And one of the reasons he is so great is because he sends me to the best specialists in town. He sent me to a no-nonsense ENT (ear, nose and throat specialist) when I needed my tonsils out, a very sweet-natured allergist when my hay [...] Read on →
Your home wasn’t built all by its lonesome. It has friends all around the neighborhood, built at the same time by the same people using some of the same techniques and materials. Just like you can learn a lot about someone by asking their friends, your house is no different. Maybe your historic house has [...] Read on →