Category: How-To Projects

9 Common Heritage Masonry Problems

The appearance of brick and stone masonry owes as much to the character of the mortar joints as to the brick and stones themselves. Unsuitable poorly executed repointing can affect not only the look but also the durability of masonry and is amongst the most frequent causes of damage to the character and fabric of a historic building.

Tin Ceiling Conundrum!

The kitchen has been driving me crazy, mainly because it was in the most miserable condition of all! The tin ceiling had great chunks of lead based paint dangling from it, hmm images of a big pot of stew or soup simmering on the stove with paint chips floating down into it like autumn leaves!

A Heritage Landscape | Neo-Classical Fence

This lovely 18th century house (circa 1716) is located north of Boston, Massachusetts. These images were taken in the early 1930’s and are a record of both the building and this most remarkable wood fence. I would surmise the fence would date from the mid 19th century, but it has a very Neo-Classical flavour to the design so it could even be earlier.

Poison Ivy

To remove existing vines, cut them off at the base of the plant and allow the vine attached to your house to wither and die. This may take several weeks or even months, depending on whether or not the side of the house has direct exposure to the sun.

Wooden Scaffolding

When I was young and foolish, I would climb ladders and walk ridgepoles on three-and four-storey houses without a care and without fear.

Making Keepers

I am sure our readership is aware of my passion for antique hardware, to wit, I have become a collector of early Suffolk and Norfolk latches, with a few interesting Tudor and Elizabethan era pieces.

Even More Wallpaper Woes

In our previous article entitled “Wallpaper Woes,” where we gave our best advice to repair plaster walls after the removal of many layers of wallpaper.

A Closet Solution

Many people who own traditional houses have one thing in common, the total lack of closet space!

Water-Based Paints Of Old

Paint has had a very long history as is evident in cave paintings and the Egyptian Hieroglyphs, and in the colourful 200-year-old armoire you purchased while on vacation in rural Quebec.

For The Love OF Wooden Columns

More and more terribly executed repairs are being perpetrated on original verandah, portico, or porch posts and columns in Canada each day.

A Wooden Dado

In the mid to late 18th century, lath and plaster walls were devised to hang beautiful hand-blocked wallpaper.

How To Choose Furniture For Your Heritage Home

Restoring the “envelope” of an historic building requires many skills. Not only does the restorer need to know about the various trades, but must also approach them from a historical perspective.

Wallpaper Woes

Many people who live in century houses come across, in some cases, dozens of layers of wallpaper on walls and ceilings.

A Wooden Box Latch

You will find all sorts of interesting things when you dismantle an old building.

Choosing A Traditional Floor

There are many reasons for replacement of a wooden floor in a traditional home. Small repairs to existing floors may be required due to damage from a leak around a hot water radiator, vents that are no longer in use, or a wall that has been moved.

Painting A Raised Panel Door

Recently we restored an early six-panel wooden door. When it came to painting it, we found the task not as easy as one may think. If you paint across the grain, the finished product looks terrible.

Painted Brick? What to do?

Many times I come across houses that have been painted and many of our subscribers ask what to do with the painted bricks and in some case, how you can remove the paint from the brick?

Repairing Antique Hinges

Many wooden doors that have given faithful service for a century or two suffer from sagging because of screw holes which have become, after literally thousands of sharp shocks with closing and opening, too large for the screws. The whole door binds and sags, making it difficult to shut.

A Summer House – Do we still possess the skills?

We have many resources to our architectural past. This summer house is a beautiful example of a late 19th century garden feature. The Historic American Buildings Survey in 1933 documented this wonderful summer house (located in Mount Holly, NJ, on the Ashhurst Estate) – with a single photograph and a complete set of detailed drawings…

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How-To Project One – Prop-It!

Summer is here and it is always nice to prop open your old fashioned guillotine windows (a window devoid of weights and pulleys) and take advantage of cool evening breezes. The problem with this is what to use other than a book (see Image 1). During our visit to the east coast a couple of…

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