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.

1. Repair & Maintain – The first step is always to repair and maintain your house as you go along. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Make little repairs along the way and you’ll keep your house in great shape and avoid the little stuff turning into big stuff.
2. Restore – When things have gone a bit further than a simple repair it’s time to restore. Restoring is a more involved process that may involve rebuilding whole portions of the house in the style of the original house.
3. Replace in Kind – If all else fails and your problem area can’t be repaired or even brought back to life with a more thorough restoration it might be time to replace. But if you replace an item it’s important to replace in kind. Try to find a replica or construct an item that is as close to matching the original as possible.

Follow this plan for your old home and you’ll not only save a few pieces of history but add immense value.

 

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