Historic Restoration

Old House Moldings A few years back I had the privilege to be the contractor and remodel a Neil Reed home. Neil Reed was a famous Atlanta architect in the early nineteen hundreds in Atlanta...

Placing a date on a home can be a challenging task, especially for people who are not familiar with architecture or homes in neighborhoods that contain different architectural styles. For some, it...

Houses built around 1900, whether elaborate or plain, incorporated evidence of social, economic and technological changes. More people lived in cities rather than on farms. A well-established...

The building of log cabins came from Europe to America, and they became the ubiquitous frontier home. Ever since, Americans have been charmed and inspired by log homes. Restored log houses become...

People decide to buy and live in an old farmhouse for various reasons including charm, nostalgia, and distinction. These historic buildings often require work before moving into them. To remodel...

The intricate details seen in rusty older scrollwork require additional attention before painting as even a little rust left behind will ruin the finish you apply to the metal scrollwork. If left...

Adobe houses are fairly popular in the Southwest. Their thickness insulates, and keeps homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter. An adobe wall can be up to 16 inches thick. This is an...

Victorian homes have a very distinctive style that generally doesn't blend well with the latest in kitchen design. In some Victorian houses it can feel like you walked into a different house by...

Barn conversions were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s, as people looked for different styles of homes in contrast to the boxy-looking homes of the postwar era. People are again looking at...

Old barn wood is valuable and many companies will not only come dismantle your barn and haul off the wood for free, they may even pay you for it. Most old salvage barns range from $300 to $3,000,...

If you own a historic home such as a brownstone, you may hesitate before making such renovations as staining or refinishing the wood floors. Altering a historic building can affect its character...

Time and wear can really take away the beauty from knotty pine. Knotty pine is a very coarse wood that has a nice "country cabin" feel to it. After much wear and tear, knotty pine will easily...

Olde Century Colors manufactures a line of simulated milk paint in a variety of colors. The simulated milk paint produced by Olde Century Colors is similar to latex paint in that it can be thinned...

The use of wood shingles flourished in the American colonies thanks to the abundance of trees. The practice of using shingles for the roof as well as the walls of homes and farm buildings...

When remodeling a kitchen in an older home you are occasionally faced with a wall built out brick, stone or cinder blocks without a stud wall on the inside. When installing cabinetry you do need...

Here is an idea to make an old, homemade, painted table look new and unique. As you see in the picture, the first step is to clean it. You must remove old dirt and grease for new applications to...

Graceful turrets, delicate gingerbread details, high ceilings and beautiful windows--here's no denying the charms of Victorian houses. However, these lovely homes often need retrofitting to bring...

If you are remodeling a home, there is a lot to do and many things to buy. One way to cut down on costs is to reuse existing items whenever possible. When working in an older home, you may...

Use a safe, green, and gentle paint removal method for wood.

Many grants are available to fix up your home. However, the road to obtaining one involves considerable research in order to determine which funds are available and from whom; analysis of your...

Flip over saws are a 'combination chop saw' and a 'table' saw rolled into one machine. Flip over saws have been around for years and are a firm favourite with professional carpenters and builders...

In many cities across the US, urban developers are repurposing old warehouses and industrial buildings into loft offices, apartments, and condominiums. Residents of these renovated buildings...

After spending a lot of thought trying to decide how to spend our "investment" money, my husband and I decided to buy an old apartment building. The building still contained most of the...

Leaking roofs may be the worst nightmare that any homeowner could ever encounter. Roof repairs can be very costly and should need the help of roofing experts like Trident Roofing.

Though restoration of an historic home can be a daunting task, national and local grants and tax breaks can make it a worthwhile project for homeowners. Research the history of your home before...

Painting a room yourself can save you money as opposed to hiring a painter. It also can be a fun project that you and your family may enjoy for years to come.

Flipping a house should be financially treated like the stock market: buy low and sell high. How much money you make on flipping a house rests in how low you buy it.

Brick facades provide a dramatic architectural style for a building. Brick structures have been used since the early 1400s and modern bricks (clay red blocks that are typically 2 by 6 inches) have...

If you're planning to demolish an old barn, possibly because it has become unstable and unsafe or possibly because you need the acreage for another purpose, you might be faced with a requirement...

If you are homeowner with a musty basement, moldy attic, or moist moldy smelling garage, you will want to employ some mold remediation to kill the mold and get rid of the smell. Mold remediation...

Contemporary homes in the 1960s featured clean, modern lines with no added frills or ornamentation. It's easy to spot a contemporary home from the '60s. Many of them are standard, ranch-style...

Log cabins were a practical way for early settlers to build homes with few tools and lots of trees, but the inevitable spaces between the log required something to fill them. The following...

Before installing antique or vintage neon lights, obtain an assessment from a professional on the condition and quality of the light. Neon lights are electric discharge lamps that encase argon,...

A dry stone foundation for a small wooden outbuilding uses natural field stones with no mortar, and it doesn't necessarily need to start below frost line. It won't meet most building codes. But...

If newly soldered copper joints leak when full water pressure is re-applied to the copper line, they will have to be removed. This is a fairly simple process, but one should always replace an old...

There are numerous reasons why someone might want to move an existing home to a new location. Often the home itself is beautiful and or of historic significance but situated in an undesirable...

Tin ceiling tiles can provide an authentic Victorian look to both classic, and traditional decor. They are also a solution to camouflage severely damaged ceilings. The downside is that the...

1. How to make the Initial Claim. 2. What Insurance adjusters look at and what you should look for. 3. How to choose a contractor. 4. What is your best option. 5. Dealing with the mortgage...

Three different old-house 'philosophies' in bringing life back to a historic home include restoration, renovation and remodeling: which is best for you?

Bringing life back to a Victorian home is worth the effort. Read more about Victorian paint colors and other ways to restore your painted lady.

Some buildings aren't located near any usable roads. The traditional method used in moving a large building is to undermine the building's foundation, installing a series of metal beams with heavy...

The exact preparation of a building for a move is entirely dependent on the type and size of the building. A shed can be moved by half a dozen men with a framework made of 2-by-4s. Anything larger...

When my husband and I bought our historic home, we wanted to know more than the little bit listed in the city walking tour guide. Now I am a member of the local Historic Landmarks Commission and...

Here's how to choose authentic 19th century paint schemes for your Victorian home.

In the interest of old-world craftsmanship, allow me to explain how to apply/repair ornamental mapping on historic field stone construction. Many historic field stone walls and foundations are...

The fastest easiest and most cost effective way to redecorate is to paint a room using one of these three simple high impact techniques.

What is it about old houses that captures our imagination? The fanciful architecture? The quality of the building materials? The connection to another time and the people who lived through it? ...

Antique glass doorknobs are treasures from days gone by and are actively sought today by collectors and restorers alike. The history of these beautiful bits of our past begins with the...

Restoring old plaster ceilings and walls is an art form that has been almost lost over the years. Tearing out the plaster and hanging drywall gives you a smooth, almost perfect finish. Plaster is...

Board and batten is the most common style of barn siding and as a result you will see some barn doors built in that style. One thing to note is that board and batten is a style developed, so that...