This Old House Names 50 Best Places to Buy an Old House

Calling all lovers of old houses...

"This Old House presents 50 great neighborhoods—one in each
state—where the historic homes (and life-affirming DIY challenges they bring) are rivaled only by the community spirit that surrounds them."

Our personal favorites include Old Louisville, Ky. and Lakewood, Ohio. Mostly because we get the pleasure of helping to fix them up on a regular basis. Enjoy!

Glynn Academy gets a lift

As the Glynn Academy project is coming to an end, I thought it was appropriate to reflect upon how far it's come. Watch Shawn Beckwith describe the restoration project in THIS VIDEO.

Enjoy!

Background information about the project:

The Durable Restoration Company, along with T&T House Moving and Heavy Rigging Inc. from Green Cove Springs, Fl., was contracted by The Glynn County School Board in Brunswick, Ga. to transport the circa 1840’s Old Glynn Academy School house back to the school campus in Brunswick Ga. In the Early 1900’s, the community of Sterling, Ga. provided a piece of land and the Glynn Academy donated this building to them for a school. It was dismantled and moved and re-erected in Sterling and served as an African American School until the 1950’s. DRC removed the roof, gable ends and cupola. We labeled and numbered the roof trusses for reuse, labeled and numbered exterior siding and interior T&G material for the insertion of the steel beams and cross beams to lift the second story off the first. This facilitated the 11 mile securitious journey due to road construction back to Glynn academy in downtown Brunswick Ga.

The second story was cut free from the first and two cranes lifted the second story by the steel beams then inserted and placed it upon two dollies to allow the second floor to be transported to the new site. Steel beams and dollies were placed under the first floor and the bricks of the piers were saved for reuse.

At Glynn Academy, new concrete footers and pads for internal support piers were constructed. The first floor was driven into location and shored up so the new concrete block support wall could be built to hold the structure. After the wall was built, modern steel connectors, rods and tie downs were installed in the foundation and traversed through the first floor. Next, the second story was lifted by two cranes and placed gently and squarely onto the first floor. The structural rods were connected, traversed and concealed to the roof then straps were installed to attach the first and second floors. A new truss structure was designed for modern building codes by John A. Tuten Architects. This was installed and the original trusses were re-erected and attached along side the new for historical references as directed by Robin Williams, the preservation consultant from the Savannah College of Art and Design. The roof was sheeted per modern codes. Former modern drywall partitions were removed. Interior T&G materials were removed from the front and back walls and from one side of the two interior walls that were labeled and numbered. Then, a layer of plywood was installed to add structural stability and the selectively removed material was reinstalled. While this was occurring, the selectively removed, labeled siding, interior trim and stairs were reinstalled to the original locations with new material to match the existing that was sacrificed during the move. Additionally, the salvage brick was reused on the foundation to simulate that the building was placed on brick piers. Finally, the remaining block foundation wall was painted a dark color to accent the piers.

Obama on Preservation

Below is a note from Elizabeth Belleville of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers providing an opportunity for everyone to tell President-elect Obama about our concern for historic presevation:

"President-elect Obama addressed around 40 governors at a National Governors Association meeting in Philadelphia on Tuesday. During his speech, Obama recognized the economic constraints state and local governments are facing and sympathized that they are being forced to choose between raising taxes and reducing services and programs. Specifically, he pointed out that they are now forced into job cuts, reducing programs for needy and at risk, libraries are being closed and HISTORIC SITES are being closed.

Please take a few minutes to do the following:

1. Listen to his speech at www.change.gov (he makes the historic sites comment around the 2:20 mark)

2. Click on the red section An American Moment Tell us your Story and send in a statement describing what historic preservation means to you, your local economy, and community.

I also recommend attaching a picture of a local historic site. I’m sure several thousand emails regarding his historic sites comment would definitely raise some eyebrows! Please forward this message along to your friends and colleagues."

Award Presented for Restoration of Ace Pilot's Columbus Home

The Durable Restoration Company was awarded the Preservation Merit Award from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office for its restoration work on Eddie Rickenbacker’s childhood home. Awards were presented on Saturday, November 1, during a noon luncheon at the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad Station in Columbus.

The quaint house located at 1336 E. Livingston Ave. was built in 1895 by Eddie Rickenbacker’s father. From his humble beginnings, Rickenbacker later gained fame as a decorated WWI hero, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, automobile entrepreneur and president of Eastern Airlines.

The Columbus City Council purchased the house in 1998 after it had been boarded up for decades. Three years later, grant money was acquired and renovation plans began. The home now serves as a part of the Rickenbacker-Woods Technology Museum and Historical Park Board.

"This job was a great learning experience," said Steve White, who served as the foreman on the job. "It made me feel a connection to Eddie Rickenbacker," he added, "who I always heard about growing up."

Projects like this are practically a history lesson in themselves. Pictures and old documents must be studied in order to replicate certain elements of the structures.

The Rickenbacker House is one of three Central Ohio buildings designated as a National Historic Landmark, the highest designation given. Others include the Ohio Theater and Statehouse, which Durable Restoration has also had the opportunity to restore.

The Durable Restoration Company was responsible for stabilizing the structure, rebuilding the chimney, installing a new slate roof and gutters, painting, exposing and repairing original siding, restoring and replacing the wood windows, building a wood fence and rebuilding the front porch on the house Rickenbacker once called home.

All were selfless and came together to preserve this important home of a "very famous man," said Ohio Historical Society Executive Director and State Historic Preservation Officer William K. Laidlaw, Jr.

The Preservation Merit Award is given for preserving Ohio’s prehistory, history, architecture or culture.

See below for before and after pictures of the property:

NATURAL VS SYNTHETIC SLATE

Lately it seems that people are quick to endorse synthetic slate roofing materials without much history to support their approval. Some people rave that synthetic slate is much cheaper than natural slate, lighter, more durable, has a 50+ year warranty and it’s typically recycled. But it seems that few people mention its fading qualities and the fact that the majority of these products have only been around for about 15 years. In my opinion, these materials are simply too new to commit to a “life span.”

If you have a natural slate roof, you should really try to stick to the real thing no matter how tempting a faux product might seem. This is especially true when maintaining the historical integrity of your home is a priority.

Sharon Park, FAIA, senior historical architect for the National Park Service Technical Assistance Division, suggests contacting your local historical commission, if there is one, and with your State Historic Preservation Office to ask about possible substitute slate for your roof. This is required if you plan to cash in on tax credits for home rehabilitation in states that provide them.

The fact is, nothing beats the durability and aesthetic value of a natural slate roof. It takes regular evaluation by an expert to uphold the quality and appearance of a natural slate roof. Winter can be an especially harsh time for a slate roof if it did not have the proper underlayment put in upon installation. Since the majority of people were not the homeowners when their slate roof was installed (they can last up to 100 years or more), it is something all homeowners should get checked out. Having the proper underlayment and high-back gutters can prevent thousands of dollars worth of water damage later on.

Below is a picture of a relatively new synthetic slate roof. If you look closely you can see many of the tiles have curled. This would never happen with the use of natural slate.

If you haven’t already, you really ought to network with local restoration architects and contractors, especially those familiar with your area. In order to maintain the historical integrity of your home, all repairs should be done with materials that match the originals as closely as possible.

VICTORIAN VILLAGE TOUR OF HOMES & GARDENS

Looking for something to do this Sunday?

Check out the Victorian Village Tour of Homes & Gardens.