Many new homeowners who have never owned an old house before we have the same problem after moving into our bungalow a few years ago. And now? How can I do this and how can I do? Sometimes it can seem overwhelming when you first move into a house more than 50 years. We wanted to share what we have learned since then.
The first thing to do is nothing. This is the most important point, we need to do: Leave it alone. Follow the wise advice that your doctorField used in the treatment of patients: "First do no harm." You've probably heard before.
Living in your home for at least a year before doing anything. Get to know the house. They are what you will be revealed through the newspaper and be amazed at how often you change your mind. So go ahead, write some notes on your original plans and put them on the back of the calendar. My guess is that most of the projects in a way very different from thatwhat we originally expected.
One of the ideas that we have eliminated from our first year involved painting the pillars of my problems California Craftsman three different colors. We resisted the temptation and decided instead to repair the tendons in our double-hung windows, one of the most reliable repair can be done early on. Similarly, roof, foundations, sewer rehabilitation and repair work ideal candidates for the first year. What do you avoid the temptation to make aesthetic decisionsChange the original fabric, which from the first day the house was his life.
There are three excellent online resources, and you need to find reliable sources, but in most cases it is always better to repair than to replace. After the original (fill in the blank) is gone, it is often irreplaceable. This is because the old growth wood has become rare, or the ability for the building could not so easily is no longer available. So do not be hasty or rash with its uniqueFeatures that give your home its character.
Here are seven tips and some resources for the first year that we think and research:
1 Observe the craft of your home does not remove original detail, these details and make the houses have character and the test of time. If you are not sure that is original, friends and neighbors who are trained and who may have similar homes to talk, and even a little 'research and see how many books andArticles about the style of your home, as you can. Check the National Park Service online documents have information and sources online that can really help when you are unsure of how to treat your old house.
2 Do not paint unpainted wood. Most were originally made before the Second World War, at home, and some mid-century houses, unpainted wood. Leave for at least a year, and preferably forever. If you find the wood is too dark for your tastes, it makes more sense to movein a sort of house, painted wood, reducing the value and includes damage to historic fabric painting the woodwork. It 'really a painful process, remove it if it is painted, in fact, very rare and almost qualifies as a miracle.
3 Do not change the exterior of your home. Many older homes have suffered more than the original wood and stucco finish, or re-plaster on the wrong side. Until you are sure that your home had left lockedalone. Many Victorian and craftsman homes with asbestos linings in the years 1940 and 1950 were one-way, this is easily removed at a reasonable price and can, in fact, legally represented by the homeowner (San Diego Department of Environmental Services has guidelines ) are implemented. The original wood paneling below is almost always intact, for in the day, to convince these companies were able to owners of houses and apartments could invest in their product with the promise of increasing attendance in a day or two directly on thethe underlying material now! In summary, no changes to the outside, without having decided what the right steps. If some pieces of mechanism must be replaced, not everyone has talked down. You grind the substitution of new tables. It will take time before the job is done, but worth it overall.
4 If you have some knowledge of the type of home, and have decided to change the exterior color scheme, if the exploration and use of historical colors. Sinceare books on this subject, and at least two paint companies (Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore) are color charts designed for the historic houses of different eras. While color is important, proper placement of color is essential. With the right colors for areas not hurt the classic look you are trying to reach them. Just a little 'research can go a long way.
5 Do not replace wood windows with vinyl. Never! There are excellent reference materialsavailable and offers you the reasons why and consider rehabbing the repair wooden windows, they must be replaced. Replace wooden windows with vinyl is in your home through loss of eligibility for historic designation, as well as looking totally out of place, since the size of the frame and vinyl window profiles significantly from the old wood windows. The vinyl is not lacquered and will eventually look like the cheap plastic chairs in the patio, when exposed to dirt and dust into the air, after nottoo long. Old wooden windows will last for about 200 years, and also in a new wooden window lasting about 50 years. The larger windows are made of old wood growth. There are a lot of sellers who want to buy new windows, but I'm not looking for you, or long-term interests of your home. If you buy plastic window, save the old, so do not miss the best product at the end or something, if you move to the new owner can re-inch
6 Do not think about home remodelingSeller say if they know they can not solve anything. And when choosing someone to have on your work at home, architects, designers, craftsmen, they want to work with the desire to respect your home and your needs and know how to work on it. Find who is preserving the integrity of the house, probably in demand in your area, but probably worth it.
7 If your home or one of its rooms are too small for your needs, consider, in a bigger house or get rid ofsome points to change instead of your home. The house was proportionate to the size of the lot, when it was built. Superstructure landscape on earth can ruin the motivation of your home and so on. His house was designed as a whole, and if you start with the significant changes, you may notice is the charm of the house, so it was decided in the first place to lose. If after careful consideration you decide to renovate or build an addition that is sensitive to your neighbors, the proportions ofHow many have been harmonized and not interfere with the existing routes.
The Old Town Mission Hills historic district guidelines and other materials you can provide examples of what is generally acceptable, especially considering the proportions of support, setbacks, and fenestration of adjacent structures. And then there is simply old courtesy for your neighbors. In the design of an addition to watching your neighbors of view, sunlight and privacy as well as your own. AArchitect working with historic buildings or design consultant can help with the plans and design decisions.
We have with our neighbors in Mission Hills (San Diego, a subdivision), and placed the first residents of the city completed the historic district of San Diego. We have researched guidelines that are used by cities throughout the state and nation, before we came to a final draft, adopted by neighbors in the neighborhood. The guidelines provide examples of how we producecould exist and the appearance of a bigger house in a historic district, but is relevant almost everywhere. You can check these guidelines and the minister of internal standards for the rehabilitation guidelines (which are national guidelines that professionals use online).
So we have everything ready for immediate action? I hope it keeps going to do something radical. Take the time to live in your home first and you will be glad you did!
