10
Tips for New Owners of Older Homes
We just
bought an old farm house. It’s in pretty good shape, but we know
it’s important to keep up with things. Any tips on how to get
started?
Here are Ten
Tips for New Owners of Older Homes
Tip #1. Safety first: Have
your heating and electrical systems thoroughly checked by
qualified and competent specialists. Install smoke and carbon
monoxide detectors. Buy a 10 to 20 pound ABC fire extinguisher for
each floor of your home. Stop by the local fire department on your
way back from the hardware store for a training session in how to
actually put out a fire. Practice your fire escape plan monthly
with the entire family -- feels silly, but saves lives.
Tip #2. Get to know your building:
My clients say this strategy has lead them most directly to
successful projects. Live in your "new" old home for 1
to 2 years before implementing a major project. Bring in
specialists to investigate problems and find root causes. Hint:
moisture and movement cause all building problems, track them to
their source.
Tip #3. Keep up with maintenance:
Do a round of spot paint maintenance before the whole place
looks shabby and needs a full paint job, at least once every two
to three years. Fix those rickety back steps before you break your
neck.
Tip #4. Keep track of conditions:
After every summer storm check to see if blown down
branches have punched a hole in the roof. In mid-winter look daily
for dampness in attics and ceiling plaster caused by ice dams. Get
yourself into every space at least once a month. Does the water
drain from the hillside every spring and run through your
crawl-space? It's nasty down there, but you should know what it's
like BEFORE the floor rots out.
Tip #5. Test and develop:
When refinishing a floor, try out the entire procedure and
all the products on a 1 square foot area in a back corner or
closet to assure they work and the results are what you want. Try
out a new tradesperson or contractor on a small job before hiring
them to do the big project.
Tip #6. Do-It-Yourself:
Know your limitations. Do it yourself only if you have the
knowledge, skill and ability to follow through, or if you have the
time, persistence and patience to learn to do it right, and if you
have the fortitude to rip it out and start over when you get it
wrong. When you don't know how, get help from those who do before
you start.
Tip #7. Keep a journal:
Record everything, write it down, take photos, shoot video.
Who repaired the front doorway? Where were the moldings from the
back porch stored? What were the materials and procedures used to
fix the hall plaster? When was the last time the chimney sweep
came? Why did we think it was so important to fix up this old
wreck? ("Oh yes, on our first visit, it was the sunlight
filtering through orange autumn leaves that flooded the side
bedroom -- it seemed like the warmest room in the house.")
Tip #8. Educate your children:
Research the history of your home and community with your
children and teach them about the people who lived there. Give
them their own tools (real, but small sized, not toys) that match
their abilities and have them help you out on appropriate projects
and maintenance tasks. They will gain practical skills and
attitudes they will use the rest of their lives, even if they
don't live in an old house.
Tip #9. Educate yourself:
Sure, you have to read the books and articles, but you have
to "read" the building and understand it too. That stain
on the second floor bathroom ceiling says "ugly," but it
means "the vent stack flashing leaks at the roof and you'd
better fix it before the rafter starts rotting."
Tip #10. Enjoy your historic home:
List the features you like most and invite your best
friends over to enjoy them now -- don't wait until the place is
"done." Comfort has much more to do with people than
with buildings.
Learn more
about taking care and planning projects in Leeke’s Practical
Restoration Report, Managing Maintenance. Contact Leeke directly
for answers to your questions and more information on techniques
for restoring and maintaining your historic building. Write to
John Leeke, Preservation Consultant at
26 Higgins St.
,
Portland
ME
04103
, 207 773-2306; or by E-mail at johnleeke@HistoricHomeWorks.com
or visit his Internet Web Site at www.HistoricHomeWorks.com.
Live Video Conferences &
Replays:
http://historichomeworks.com/hhw/conf/vidconf.htm
Historic HomeWorks Forum:
http://historichomeworks.com/forum/
© John Leeke
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