Victorian Restoration - Exterior

This project is very typical of exterior repairs. Although the building is technically a Dutch Colonial rather than a true Victorian, it has many of the features (and potential problems) that Vics have.

In the pictures you can see the detail, including the lovely "spider" windows over the sun room. You can also see the extensive damage to the siding. The damage is primarily caused by a combination of sun damage and mold/mildew, combined with the age of the previous paint job.

In this case, the cedar shake siding is resonably available, and, once the building is cleaned, to ensure that all loose paint is scraped off, new shingles can be installed hwere old ones are in poor condition.

For most Victoiran or historic homes, even this can be an issue, as we discovered -- although the building was powerwashed and scraped vigorously, when the primer was applied, there was still a lot of compromised paint. It showed up and bubbling and blistered paint even before the primer was dry. In this case, the best course of action was to remove the siding and shingles one by one and replace them with virgin wood, which was then re-primer and re-painted.

What cannot be seen is the although the home has modern "k-style" gutters, it has the antique version of the soffits, built into the builing the same way a Yankee Gutter used to be. Extensive carpentry on the soffits and the facia was required prior to the final coat of paint.

Questions? As always we welcome them. Feel free to post here, to e-mail us at lillandbill@aol.com or to call (908) 380-0055.

Victorian Restoration

This is one of our favorite projects -- believe it of not, this beautiful home was once boarded up and almost 40% of the building was badly compromised.

The first things that had to be fixed were the roofs, both the flat roofs and the slate. We are often asked by home owners if they should get rid of a slate roof?
In historic areas (such as this one in Plainfield, NJ), that is not really an option. Also, we often advise customers that a slate roof is a 150-200 year product life, whereas contemporary asphalt shingle is a 20-30 year product life at most. So, if the slate can be repaired or maintained, that is preferable. In this project, the slate was repaired and then sealed with stone sealer -- just as you would seal a stone countertop. If you insist on demolishing a slate roof, please call us for the salvage before your roofer turns the slate into a pile of gravel!

Next came the dreaded YANKEE GUTTERS. In this project, the gutters had several large holes in them, causing water to leak into the building. This is a very typical problem with Yankee Gutters. The Yankee Gutters were first demolished in rotten areas. Then new fascia boards were customized. The old fasia were constructed of 12" boards, but modern boards are only 11 3/4" so we fabricated the fasia on on site. Once complete, the Yankee gutters were relined with metal and then sealed. Even though Yankee Gutters can be lined with rubber or metal, we recommend metal. Either way, we recommend sealing.

Finally, the project was finished with custom millwork (see previous post). And, at last, the interior work could begin.

For more questions on Victorian Restoration, Yankee Gutters, or any home improvement project, e-mail us at lillandbill@aol.com or call (908) 380-0055.

Victorian Restoration

The first question is always "What do you do about all of the detail around the home? If the moldings are destroyed, then what?"

Choice #1 is to purchase new molding. However many of our customers find that new molding either does not fit or does not look "right." The main reason is that modern mill work was standardized on sizes that are slightly smaller than their Victorian originals. But sometimes you get lucky. Especially if you can find a solution that is made of resin, you are in business -- resin will never rot.

If that does not work, try Choice #2. Hopefully, there are at least 1 or 2 examples of the molding intact. Usually there are, even when they are badly rotted. Then you take it to an architectural specialty store, or a custom mill work store, and have a guide made with your molding. Although it can be pricey -- a few hundred dollars, plus set up charges, plus the cost of actually making the piece, if you are restoring a whole house, it can be the most reasonable way to go.

If there are no samples, the last resort is to look for "ghosts" i.e. foot prints of where the molding used to be. This will tell you the size. Then you can work with the fabricator to create the detail.

For more about Victorian restoration, and references for custom millwork and molding, contact us at (908) 380-0055 or lillandbill@aol.com

Victorians

We renovate old houses, andspecialize in Victorians. This post will focus on the moldings that make Victorians so special. Stay tuned for future posts to see photos.

Ornate moldings are what make the Victiral style so special -- make it positively scream "Victorian" but did you know that the Victorian era was approximately 75 year long -- or that it had a number of various styles? Form Queen Anne, to Queen Anne Revival, with a pit stop for 3rd Empire, East lake and beyond, the cobination of moldings, paint, and the dreaded Yankee Gutter are part of what makes the style unique.

We are often asked for resources because of the uniqueness of the moldings. Remember that when most homes were built at during the late 1800's they have few plans, sometimes just a sketch and often the trim work was custom made for that building. For example, here in Plainfield, NJ, architecural plans were not required until 1905. So, some people had them, some didn't, and even those who had them may not have filed the with the City, meaning the original look of the house and its details are lost to time. And that's just the exterior!

So what's a frustrated homeowner to do? You can do a couple of things- if the moldings are lost to time, or vinyl siding, or whatever, you can either ask a neighbor with a similar style home to "borrow" some of their molding, have yours milled and return theirs. Likely the styles would have been similar if the homes are nearby. Or, you can order from the catalog of a good quality custom millwork showroom. Or, you can come up with your own design by "stacking" more modern moldings to develop a unique style.

Have more questions? Call us at (908) 380-0055 or lillandbill@aol.com

Windows, windows everywhere

Windows, its the HOT question right now. Replace or repair? For our clients with historic homes, repair is usually the recommendation -- especially if drafts are the issue rather that "gain" or "loss." Questions? Feel free to ask!

All About Kitchens

We get lots of questions about home renovations -- about projects people are planning, about those they plan to hire for as well as those they plan to do themselves.

This week's question is about cabinets. Framed vs. frameless. Its sort of an esoteric question but here's the low down:

It's really a question of style and personal preference. Once upon a time, frameless cabinets had a certain panache because of their contemporary styling and European heritage. They cost more because all of the structural integrity had to be built into the rear of the cabinets. Certain brands that shall remain nameless had additional supports that had to be installed by the contractor; and here on the East Coast where framed cabinets rule, they were famously forgotten causing the cabinets to eventually collapse or sag.

Framed cabinets, those with face fronts and center stiles -- those are the posts in larger cabinets were and remain the rage of traditional markets on the East Coast.

So what to do? Basically, frameless cabinets give you more space to store things, especially large pots, and framed cabinets retain their repuation for durability. Now that you can get a full overlay, they can even give you the "frameless" look. Frameless cabinets are studier than they used to be.

So what is an overwhelmed homeowner to do?

I always recommend you look a your lifestyle first. Do you have lots of large pots and pans? Cookie sheets, etc. but not a lot of traffic in the kitchen? Then frameless is a great choice. One the other hand, do you have a large family, young children, or an extended circle of friends, in the kitchen? Framed cabinets might be for you.

Next time Wolf vs. Viking -- hold onto your hats folks should be a real barn burner.

More about kitchens, appliances, maintenance or virtually any home improvement topic? Call or e-mail any time.

For more on all your home renovation needs and questions, visit us on-line at www.whatabeautifulhome.com or e-mail at lillandbill@aol.com or call (908) 380-0055.

Lill
B&L Home Improvements, LLC