Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (Paperback)
November 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Remodeling Books
Review”Plain talk for restorers, from soup to nuts (and bolts). Here’s thorough, practical advice that’s sensitive to both history and budget.”
For those who love to live in old houses or want to invest in one, this completely revised and updated book leaves no stone unturned. From evaluating a property to making foundation repairs to adding on a porch, it’s a comprehensive guide to every aspect of making renovations and repairs whether you already live in, or are contemplati (more…)
I got this on a recommendation from somebody who does work on interior walls of houses when I asked for an information source for stripping old wall paper and rerairing lathe and plaster walls. If you’ve ever looked at ‘how to’ books on home repairs or re-models, you doubtless have found them either overly technical, unrealistically involved, unreadably boring or way off-topic. If you own an old house and would like to do repairs on it but don’t know where to begin or what to do, this is a great reference for pointing you in the right direction and getting you started on your project. The really cool thing about this book is that the author has a knack for explaining things succinctly yet simply and then illustrating what he means with excellent photographs in a way that causes one to realize right away whether the project one proposes to do is realistically undertaken or better left to experts. You can’t imagine the disappointment one feels when one has begun a project that some flimsy how-to book (perhaps written to sell product) has promised to guide one through, only to discover too late that the problems covered are not at all the same ones being encountered. Usually this occurs because the authors presuppose that they are dealing with an audience trying to fix their mid-60’s home, mid-1960’s that is, and not something about twice as old. The the beauty of this book is that nearly every problem and project discussed is going to have you saying, “Wow, I’ve got that problem,” or “Man, I wish somebody had shown me that before,” or “What an excellent, elegant solution.” Most of the other books I’ve consulted had me instead running off to a hardware store or a contractor to get the problem ‘fixed’ by simply getting rid of it and replacing it with something ‘NEW.’ Finally, this book makes things look so straightforward that I believe it will give most readers the courage and encouragement they need to begin to tackle stuff they’ve wanted to but have been putting off for years because of their heretofore intractibility.
Nash is a classic author who joyfully shares his experience in restoring old houses. While there have been a lot books we’ve enjoyed, no book has been more useful regarding issues specific to old homes than THIS ONE. The book is published by Taunton Press, known for other high quality publications like Fine Homebuilding and The Not So Big House. It’s been critical for helping us to figure out how to do everything from fixing a smelly basement to removing a load bearing wall. What it has done the most is helped us to think of our house as a system (not just as the sum of it’s parts). While it’s true that construction and engineering have come a long way in 97 years, you can’t always slap on a new [insert any product here] and assume everything will be better. Nash emphasizes how old houses are different in many ways, including how they circulate air, keep in heat and even stay standing. We never knew a balloon from balloon framing until we read this book. Finally, Nash shares our own values for design integrity. We know that his heart is with us and other old house owners trying to “right the wrongs” brought upon a house which has been ‘remuddled’ one too many times. We never lend this one out!
I have 5 books that are “Old house” oriented. I have an old house as well, “1765″. Well, that’s the oldest part of my house with which I most cherish and protect.
This is by far my most looked at, referenced, used book period. I have the last edition. This edition has been improved. Mine is just starting to have that used/broken in feeling.
It’s my favorite in terms of depth and breadth of coverage.
Whether doing the work yourself or highering specific contractors familiar with what it is that needs doing. This book may help familiarize you with a great many things you’re likely to encounter owning an old house.
It also gives a nice explanation of the difference between Restoration, Renovation, and Preservation. As in religion and politics, those are very, very, different things.
I’m preserving the 1765 end while renovating the damaged/shabbily repaired sections.