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By Kim J. Gifford
Have you fantasized about purchasing a run-down
Colonial and transforming it into a home worthy of
gracing the pages of Country Living? For many,
restoring an old house is a life-long dream: the
ultimate do-it-yourself project. Yet, without the
proper education and assistance, such a dream could
easily turn into a nightmare.
Defining the Terms
Before rushing out in search of the perfect
fix-it-upper, you need to define the following three
terms: old, restore and do-it-yourselfer.
Old
When you talk about restoring an old house, are you
referring to a home built in the 1800s or one that
is semi-new, built in the 1970s? The age of a home
certainly has an impact on the expense; the
necessity of renovating such systems as heating,
ventilating and plumbing; and such details as
interior décor.
Experts note that the real challenges when restoring
an old home are not lead or asbestos, but rather
structural, insulation and wiring problems.
Nancy Fitz-Rapalje from Alstead, N.H., is a woman
with a great deal of experience in restoring homes.
She has restored a Connecticut house built in 1710
and a 1840s house that had not been lived in since
1960. Most recently, she built a copy of a 1814 shop
modeled on one she saw in the Deerfield Museum in
Massachusetts.
Restoring homes from these periods, says Fitz-Rapalje,
differs drastically from working on a newer home.
“On the newer ones, you probably won’t have to do
much, maybe fix the windows.”
Nick Kanakis, a foreman at Trumbull-Nelson with 27
years experience in remodeling says, “Building
techniques from the early 1960s on really haven’t
changed much. We’re still using western platform
framing across the United States.” Platform framing
involves building one story independently, then
another story on top of it. In older forms of
framing, such as balloon framing, long continuous
“studs” that run the length of the two floors were
used. Very old homes often relied on timber frame
construction in which wooden pegs held together
interlocking joints joining huge timbers.
Because building techniques have not varied much in
the past 40 years, restoring a newer home may not
hold many surprises. You may want to correct some
problems in the original design, but most of the
renovations you choose to make may simply be a
matter of taste. “If a house was built in the 1960s
or 1970s, it probably has a terrible kitchen and
bathroom,” says Fitz-Rapalje. Renovations might
include replacing an avocado refrigerator or orange
shag rug.
Restore
You’ve purchased an old home and want to restore it,
but what exactly do you mean by restore? Do you want
to return the house to its original glory using
authentic materials, or do you merely want to
capture the ambience of the period?
Most people do not have the resources necessary to
undertake historic preservation using authentic
materials. “It’s incredibly expensive,” says Fitz-Rapalje.
“They don’t make moldings today that are anything
like the old moldings. You have to have them all
milled. If you do this everywhere on everything, it
starts to add up.”
Kanakis agrees. “Unless you have deep pockets,
historic restoration for a homeowner is nearly
impossible.” Yet, if restoring an old house to you
means achieving the essence of the period using
modern materials, then it’s possible that your dream
is within your budget.
If you are thinking of replicating rather than
restoring an old house, you might want to
reconsider. The characteristics that define older
homes — high ceilings, wooden floors, period
moldings — frequently require extra labor and
expensive materials, adding to the overall cost.
Even if hidden expenses make a restoration more
costly than expected, some people, like Fitz-Rapalje,
would choose nothing else. “I love old things,” she
says, “I think they are much more beautiful than new
things. The proportions tend to be right; the window
placement is excellent.”
One thing you should not do, Fitz-Rapalje cautions,
is take an old house and completely modernize it.
“If you go too far and put in modern windows, change
their size and placement, put in granite counters
and all that stuff, you should have built a new
house,” she says.
Do-It-Yourselfer
You say restoring an old home on your own is
something you’ve always imagined, but does this mean
you’d forego the help of an expert? If so, you may
want to reconsider. Undertaking a project of this
size entirely on your own could be a mistake.
Enlisting the help of an architect or contractor
does not mean you are giving up on your dream nor
does it mean you can't be involved. In the end,
expert help could prove invaluable.
For example, an architect or contractor may have
more experience with building codes in your area.
Building codes vary from town to town throughout the
country. “I did a house in Norwich, Vt., with nine
fireplaces, probably $250,000 worth of work. It
required no permit,” Kanakis says. “In Newport, N.H.,
if you’re doing more than $200 worth of work you
need a building permit. You can see the disparity.”
If hiring a professional interferes with your sense
of independence, then consider Fitz-Rapalje’s
suggestion: “Find someone who will do what you tell
them and who has a love of old houses.” If you
choose the right person, she maintains, it can be “a
real collaboration.”
Biggest Fears
Although it is possible to make your dream of
restoring an old house a reality, don’t expect it to
come off without a few hitches.
Lead and asbestos have received a lot of press in
recent years, and while the old house you purchase
may indeed contain lead paint or asbestos in the
ceiling, this may not be as alarming as it first
seems. “Although certain precautions must be taken,
I go right over the paint with new stuff and pretty
much seal it in,” Fitz-Rapalje says.
This process, called encapsulation, is an effective
solution. Careful cleaning of windowsills and
stairwells can also help cut down on lead dust and
keep your family safe. In severe cases, you may need
to call a professional to eliminate your home of
these dangers.
Actual Worries
Experts note that the real challenges when restoring
an old home are not lead or asbestos, but rather
structural, insulation and wiring problems.
For example, taking out a partition in an old house
to make a room larger is quite common, yet may
result in removing the primary support for the
ceiling above. The wiring in old houses often is not
up to today’s codes and may be insufficient in
accommodating modern appliances.
“The other thing that is difficult about old houses
is insulation,” says Fitz-Rapalje. “In order to
insulate them, you either have to take down the
inside wall, which is often plaster, or you have to
take off the outside wall. Then you can run into
problems, like vapor barrier on the inside.”
If these obstacles do not daunt you, then perhaps
you, like Fitz-Rapalje, may one day be able to say
of your restored home: “It’s not a new house; it
still has problems. But it has a charm that a new
house will never have.”
Research, Research, Research
You, too, can become an expert. The web, television
and your local bookstore are all places to begin
your research. Here are just a few places to look:
This Old House
www.thisoldhouse.com
“This Old House” is a television show, Web site and
magazine highlighting restoration projects. New
episodes are broadcast on PBS with older versions
appearing on “This Old House Classics” on Home and
Garden television (HGTV). This Old House Online
includes articles, a Home Renovators’ forum,
material calculator, polls, tips and a monthly
contest for renovators. The magazine picks up where
the show takes off, offering advice on the latest
materials, tools and techniques for your renovation
project.
Old House Journal
www.oldhousejournal.com
Considered by some experts to be the best online
reference site on the subject. The site features
online booklets from the National Parks Service on
subjects ranging from preserving historic ceramic
tile floors to conserving energy in historic
buildings.
Old House Web
www.oldhouseweb.com
“A community for old-house enthusiasts,” this Web
site features articles, advice and a bulletin board.
Fine Home Building
Available on newsstands, this magazine covers
articles on subjects such as lead paint safety and
sealing a crawlspace. |
