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Historic Restoration Guidelines
Historical Restoration Banker & Tradesman Restoration: Bringing A Historic Home into a New Century By Doug Hanna Owning and restoring a historic property can be rewarding, though at times an unpredictable experience. Many owners of historic properties rightly view themselves as custodians, entrusted with the task of preserving and maintaining architectural details through the years. However, they often find that the scope of restoration work can be difficult to gauge, and local agencies having jurisdiction can vary widely as far as what is expected and required of the owner. When working in an historic district, the town's historical commission is your first stop. Learning the requirements, guidelines, and restrictions on your project at the start is a necessity. Don't minimize the time and effort necessary. It can take weeks, months, or even years to complete a project. The best philosophy is to think of historical officials as friends, not enemies, of projects. A town's historical commission has a wealth of knowledge - and may even offer suggestions or contacts to improve your project that you hadn't considered. Open communication will make it easier to bring a project to the finish line, and it may even help you earn a few concessions. Also, there is no harm in trying to do a little "horse-trading" - for example, "I'd love to restore the back porch in every detail, but my budget only allows for doing the front porch, which is visible from the street ... can we compromise on the back porch?" Such bargaining may not work in every district, but you'll find out pretty quickly if it will fly or not. Still, remember there's a big difference between bargaining with colleagues and trying to cheat the requirements. Playing by the rules is key to maintaining good relationships with officials and helping your project sail through to the completion. Even outside a historic district, there are certain steps you should take to maintain the integrity and accuracy of your home's details. Organization will go a long way here. Begin by documenting the architectural details with photographs and measured drawings if possible. It will take the guesswork out of replicating the style down the road. Make sure you catalogue, label and store architectural components to be re-installed. Much like a puzzle piece, you won't get the finished look you desire if things are put back together the wrong way. The best person to work on that puzzle is a qualified contractor. Someone who doesn't know what they're doing can easily damage the integrity of the components, and a piece of history will be lost. Paying a little more for personnel with a solid knowledge base is a smart investment. Treasure From Trash Here's another tip: Don't throw out architectural components just because they're rotted. By saving a sample, you can show contractors exactly what you're looking for in terms of authentic replacements. In some cases, a two-part, marine-type epoxy might allow you to repair trim rather than replace it entirely. Qualified contractors will know when that's appropriate. If a beautiful architectural detail is coated in lead paint, all is not lost either. You can try lead-encapsulating paint. A piece of trim can even have segments replaced with new wood. Just make sure that those replacement parts are made from wood that has a natural resistance to rot, so you're not repeating the whole process again a few years down the road. If it all needs to be replaced? You can still replicate old trim. Make sure that you save any custom-made cutting knives and extra components for future repairs. Adding new-world convenience to that old-time charm is a necessity in today's competitive real estate market. But renovating a dusty historical gem is a labor of love. By taking the time to follow the rules, maintain the integrity of the project's historical details, and working with experienced contractors, you'll ensure that your property continues to add historical context to the fabric of the community for years to come.
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