1. Know your upkeep cycles. A lot of buildings need tuckpointing maintenance every 50 to 60 years.
2. Match the mortar. New mortar must match as closely as possible in color, consistency, and elevation. Using excessive Portland cement in the mix creates hard mortars, which can damage old structures.
3. Never ever grind out joints. Only scrubby mortar must be eliminated. If somebody informs you otherwise, run.
4. Never ever use sealants. Sealers trap wetness, compounding problems during freeze/thaw cycles.
5. Change in kind. Damaged masonry units should be changed entire or by means of Dutchmen of the very same material. Spaces filled with putty don't last.
-- Jacob Arndt, Conservation Specialist, Architectural Stone Carver
Radiators
6. Do not throttle a one-pipe steam radiator The steam and condensate have to share that confined area. Keep the valve either totally open or totally closed to prevent water hammering and squirting air vents.
7. Create a best pitch. One-pipe steam radiators should pitch towards the supply valve. Use 2 checkers under radiator feet-- they're the perfect shape and size.
8. Gain control. Thermostatic radiator valves are a terrific method to zone any radiator and save fuel. Hot-water and two-pipe steam radiators get them on the supply side; one-pipe steam radiators get them between the radiator and the air vent.
Old radiator.
( Photo: Sylvia Gashi-Silver).
9. Get a great surface. Pros agree that sandblasting followed by powder covering gives the best, lasting, non-sticky surface-- but don't attempt this in your home.
10. Don't worry about fires. Even with steam heat, a radiator gets only about half as hot as the temperature level required to kindle paper, so you can rest simple.
-- Dan Holohan, Author, The Lost Art of Steam Heating.
Woodworking.
11. Use heartwood. Heartwood is always the most disease-resistant. Sapwood of the majority of species must never ever be utilized.
12. Rift or quarter-grain cuts are best. These cuts are the most steady. Flat grain often broadens and contracts seasonally at twice the rate of quartered stock.
13. Set up plain sawn lumber with the heart side up. Flat lumber will use much better with the heart facing up. If there's cupping, the edges will stay flat, and just the center will hump somewhat.
14. Discover to use hand tools. A lot of historical woodwork was produced by hand tools, and most industrial millwork (late 19th century and after) was installed with them. Historical woodwork finishes produced with hand airplanes can't be reproduced by modern devices like sanders.
15. Use standard joinery. Component repairs must be made using standard joinery instead of non-historic techniques like a wholesale epoxy casting of a missing part.
-- Robert Adam, Creator and Senior Advisor, Preservation Carpentry Department, North Bennet Street School.
Slate Roofing, renovating old homes.
Slate roofing system on a turret, renovating old homes.
Slate roofing system on a turret. (Image: Nathan Winter).
16. Determine your slate.To correctly care for your slate roofing system, find out what type of slate it is. Simply as you can't repair a Chevy with Ford parts, you must never ever utilize New York red slate on a Pennsylvania gray slate roof.
17. Understand your roofing system's longevity. If your roofing only has 100 years of longevity and is 95 http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=Montclair Victorian Restoration years old, it's not worth sinking cash into. But a roofing with 200 years of durability that's 75 years old is a young victorian house renovation Montclair roofing that should be extremely valued and correctly preserved.
18. Check your roofing regularly. At least as soon as a year, walk around your house (use field glasses if required) and look at your roofing. If you see missing out on, broken, or sliding slates, or flashing that looks suspect, call your slater.
19. Shop around for quality. Good slaters victorian church interior Montclair are out there, however you have to look for them. It's worth the effort to have someone who really understands what he's doing.