1. Know your upkeep cycles. Most buildings require tuckpointing maintenance every 50 to 60 years.
2. Match the mortar. New mortar must match as carefully as possible in color, consistency, and elevation. Using too much Portland cement in the mix produces tough mortars, which can harm old structures.
3. Never ever grind out joints. Just scrubby mortar ought to be eliminated. If someone tells you otherwise, run.
4. Never utilize sealers. Sealants trap wetness, intensifying issues during freeze/thaw cycles.
5. Change in kind. Damaged masonry units must be replaced whole or via Dutchmen of the exact same product. Voids filled with putty don't last.
-- Jacob Arndt, Preservation 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 Montclair Home Restoration Companies completely open or fully near to avoid water hammering and squirting air vents.
7. Create an ideal pitch. One-pipe steam radiators must pitch towards the supply valve. Usage 2 checkers under radiator feet-- they're the perfect sizes and shape.
8. Gain control. Thermostatic radiator valves are an excellent way to zone any radiator and conserve fuel. Hot-water and two-pipe steam radiators get them on the supply side; one-pipe steam radiators get them in between the radiator and the air vent.
Old radiator.
( Picture: Sylvia Gashi-Silver).
9. Get a terrific surface. Pros agree that sandblasting followed by powder finishing provides the very best, long-lasting, non-sticky finish-- but do not attempt this in the house.
10. Do not stress over fires. Even with steam heat, a radiator gets only about half as hot as the temperature level needed 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 many species need to never ever be utilized.
12. Rift or quarter-grain cuts are best. These cuts are the most steady. Flat grain often expands and contracts seasonally at two times the rate of quartered stock.
13. Install plain sawn lumber with the heart side up. Flat lumber will wear much better with the heart dealing with up. If there's cupping, the edges will remain flat, and just the center will hump slightly.
14. Discover to use hand tools. The majority of historical woodwork was produced by hand tools, and a lot of machine-made millwork (late 19th century and after) was set up with them. Historical woodwork finishes produced with hand aircrafts can't be replicated by modern makers like sanders.
15. Usage standard joinery. Element repairs should be made using traditional joinery rather of non-historic techniques like a wholesale epoxy casting of a missing part.
-- Robert Adam, Founder and Senior Consultant, Preservation Woodworking Department, North Bennet Street School.
Slate Roofing, refurbishing old homes.
Slate roof on a turret, refurbishing old homes.
Slate roofing on a turret. (Image: Nathan Winter).
16. Identify your slate.To properly take care of your slate roofing, find out what type of slate it is. Just as you can't repair a Chevy with Ford parts, you must never ever utilize New York red slate on a Pennsylvania gray slate roofing.
17. Comprehend your roofing system's longevity. If your roofing just has 100 years of longevity and is 95 years old, it's not worth sinking cash into. But a roofing system with 200 years of durability that's 75 years old is a young roof that must be extremely valued and properly preserved.
18. Inspect your roofing frequently. At least as soon as a year, walk your house (use field glasses if needed) and look at your roofing system. If you see missing out on, broken, or sliding slates, or flashing that looks suspect, call your slater.
19. Look around for quality. Great slaters are out there, but you have to try to find them. It's worth the effort to have somebody who really understands what he's doing.