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.

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