Start a New Career | In Heritage Restoration

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There is a critical shortage of heritage professionals who perform small job maintenance on the vast stock of older houses and commercial buildings across Canada and the United States.

Request your Zoom interview with Dr. Christopher Cooper. Please fill out the form below.

We are now taking applications for the Winter 2023 session of the Heritage Maintenance Guild Programme. Edifice Atelier has released this intensive programme to address the most called for disciplines in high demand from heritage home and commercial building owners across Canada and the United States. Edifice has been the guiding light for consumers for the past two decades. These consumers rely on Edifice to provide them with the best advice and recommendations for their heritage properties.  We realize that we need to attract more Guilds Members as we can not meet the current demands.

What we are looking for…

  • You must have an enthusiasm for heritage buildings, with a good understanding of the character and quality they exude.
  • Do you have woodworking skills?
  • Do you have knowledge and experience using hand and power tools?
  • Are you currently a small contractor, and want to learn new skills and earn a much higher income?
  • Do you have the motivation to run your own successful small business?
  • Do you want more work, or better higher paying work?

If you can answer these questions with a resounding YES, then the Heritage Maintenance Guild Programme is a right fit for you!

This career is open to all adult applicants (18 + with no age limit). However, a good sense of business and the restoration/renovation industry would be ideal. We would like to encourage more women (our current ratio is 50%) to enter this field as well as people who have recently retired, it is never too late to forge a new and creative future in Heritage Maintenance.

MODULE HMG1:

Understanding Heritage Architecture

We investigate the design, methodologies, materials, and techniques employed to disseminate good conservation/restoration practice.

  • Treating the cause not the symptom.
  • When to repair not replace.
  • Dealing with structural issues.
  • Understanding heating systems.
  • Understanding insulation placement.
  • Outdated plumbing, fixtures, bathrooms, and kitchens etc.
  • Outdated electrical, including Knob & Tube, when to call a professional.
  • The best solutions to adding-on an addition.

MODULE HMG2:

Understanding Design Era Intricacies

What design era is my clients house/building, and how should it look and how do I get it right?

  • Principles of Heritage Design, Georgian – Arts & Crafts.
  • Principles of heritage exteriors, Georgian – Arts & Crafts.
  • Symmetry and architectural form and function.
  • Curb appeal, how to achieve that traditional “Magazine Cover” look for your clients!

MODULE HMG3:

Principles of Heritage Woodworking

  • Typical joinery used in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.
  • Species of wood selection for replication and repair.
  • Understanding architectural millwork (AKA Gingerbread).
  • Porches, Porticos and Verandahs, design, and repair.
  • Modern and antique tools to replicate heritage woodwork.

MODULE HMG4:

Understanding Mouldings and Trims

  • Understanding all ancient architectural profiles and how they are employed on heritage buildings as well as modern uses.
  • Understanding the hierarchy and placement of moulding from the Georgian period through to mid-century modern.
  • Understanding the dimensions and sizing of trims and mouldings for the scale of a room.
  • How to protect exterior moulding details. 

MODULE HMG5:

The Tools of The Trade

  • Safety and machine tool use.
  • Ladder safety.
  • Lead and Asbestos safety and abatement.
  • Best tools for the job, hand, and power.
  • What are the expected costs involved in equipment?

MODULE HMG6:

Heritage Cladding Timber

  • Best materials for longevity.
  • Restoring heritage cladding.
  • Replacing Clapboard, Vertical Board & Batton and shingles.
  • New Installation techniques and requirements for Clapboard, Vertical Board & Batton and shingles.

MODULE HMG7:

Water Management

Most water issues are a product of simple raises in elevation of the surrounding soil, or vegetation too close to the foundation, or improperly directed downspouts, or improperly installed flashing.

In this course module we will navigate through the steps of how to create a water management system and plan which will alleviate most water ingress and egress problems.

MODULE HMG8:

Timber Framing Construction

  • Design and intricacies of a timber frame structure.
  • Repair and restoration.
  • Understanding joinery and how they are made.
  • How to deal with rot and replacement.

MODULE HMG9:

Window Repair and Restoration Intensive

This comprehensive stand-alone course module, aimed at professional intensive students, will take the student intern through the entire documentation and evaluation process – through to the full repair and restoration process of original wood window sashes and casements in detail with step-by-step instructions.

Including:

  • Detailed Dutchman and repair techniques.
  • Joinery techniques.
  • Making new stops, parting beads and wood glazing strips.
  • Glass cutting.
  • Glass sourcing.
  • Jamb restoration.
  • Sill repair and replacement.
  • Installation of weatherstripping.
  • Making new jamb sets for reuse of antique sashes and casements.
  • Hardware restoration and refinishing.

This comprehensive course will be one of two (the other being the Heritage Masonry Intensive) of the largest components of the Heritage Maintenance Guild program and is the most requested by your prospective clients.

Note: There is an opportunity for hands-on instruction at our Oxford Campus (located near Woodstock, Ontario). However, fees are not included in this programme.

MODULE HMG10:

Storm Window Installation

  • How to measure for a wooden storm window.
  • Basic wood storm window joinery.
  • Where to source wood storm windows.
  • Storm window alternatives.
  • Specialty hardware and their installation and maintenance.
  • Weatherstripping.
  • Screens.
  • Best materials and painting techniques.

MODULE HMG11:

Door Repair and Restoration

The removal of old doors (not unlike wood windows) can significantly reduce or destroy the character and authenticity of a traditional home. The door is the first thing that greets the owner and visitors alike. The warmth and character of an old wood door – specifically one which denotes the very design style it was intended for – should be kept and restored at all costs.

  • Styles and design eras, Georgian – Mid-Century Modern.
  • Hardware restoration and refinishing.
  • Hinge sag repair.
  • Paint build-up and removal.
  • Painting techniques.
  • Weatherstripping.
  • Getting doors working again as originally intended.
  • Repairing and or replacing exterior trim, architraves and sills etc.

MODULE HMG12:

Heritage Masonry Intensive

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 an historic home.

This comprehensive stand-alone course module, aimed at professional intensive students, provides most if not all the detailed step-by-step instruction to complete spot repointing and general repair and restoration of many issues one may find: such as the improper use of cement mortars and spalled or eroded bricks.

This comprehensive course will be one of two (the other being Window Restoration) of the largest components of the Heritage Maintenance Guild program and is the most requested by your prospective clients.

Note: There is an opportunity for hands-on instruction at our Oxford Campus (located near Woodstock, Ontario). However, fees are not included in this programme.

MODULE HMG13:

Basics in Heritage Painting

  • Interior and exterior.
  • Paint failures – cause and remedies, both mechanical and organic.
  • Understanding flashing, and water distribution and how it affects paint surfaces.
  • Paint technologies and limitations.
  • Preparation of new and old materials.
  • Painting techniques and proper use of tools. 

MODULE HMG14:

Dealing with Rot

The focus of this module will be how to splice and Dutchman materials etc.

  • Finding the root cause of the rot and how to remedy.
  • Using epoxies and when to replace.
  • What wood species to replace with.
  • Acceptable glues and clamping techniques.

MODULE HMG15:

Wooden Floors

  • Repair, restoration, and replication.
  • Acceptable finishes.
  • Sanding.

MODULE HMG16:

Contracts, Quoting and Business Requirements

  • Customer care and consultation as well as initiation of works.
  • Agreements and contracts.
  • Clean up and post client consultation.
  • Dispute mediation and remedies.
  • Dealing with Heritage bodies and Government (permits etc.)
  • Insurance.
  • Opening your business.
  • The inspection processes.
  • Design and basic hand sketching.

Module tools:

Students will have access to all study materials, dedicated academic mentorship, and learning activities via an online learning platform (Live Zoom).

The Module Content Syllabus is broken down into structured study weeks to help students plan their time, with each week containing a mixture of reading, case studies, videos/recordings, and interactive activities to go through.

Online live Zoom instruction once a week, usually on a weekend afternoon (4 hours), to accommodate students busy schedules. This live session is the core of this intensive led by Dr. Christopher Cooper, and must be attended in real time to provide opportunities to consolidate knowledge, ask questions, discuss topics and work through learning activities together.

These sessions are recorded to support students and to enable students to recap the session and work through it at their own pace. Notwithstanding this the student intern is expected to attend all live Zoom classes.

HMG Programme Learning Outcomes:

Once the final examination essay is reviewed with a passing grade, you will receive a one-year membership to the Edifice Guild with all the benefits of a full member to open your consultancy in Heritage Maintenance.

Possible Income

The range of income is much higher than the average home maintenance professional as this intensive prepares the student to become a heritage maintenance consultant.  Typically, a Heritage Maintenance Consultant earns approximately $85,000 – $200,000 per year as a sole proprietor. However, the remuneration is only dependent on how much work your consultancy is willing to take on and execute professionally, on time and on budget. Those with experience and/or qualifications who further themselves through professional development in other areas of related studies (such as Building Pathology) typically earn considerably higher income, with no limit on earnings. 

Start your journey today on a brand-new career in Heritage Maintenance

Request your Zoom interview with Dr. Christopher Cooper. Please fill out the form below.

There will only be 8-10 placements available for the Winter 2023 sessions

You will be sent an interview request once we evaluate your email submission. You will receive Zoom credentials for a one-on-one interview with Dr. Christopher Cooper.