Preservation Guides
Maintenance and Rehabilitation
Proper maintenance is essential to the long-term appearance, usefulness, and value of any property. For buildings which have already been exposed to the ravages of time and weather for 100 years or more, maintenance is particularly key.
There are two basic approaches to building maintenance: reactive and preventive. In the reactive approach, minor repairs are put off until they have developed into major problems requiring immediate attention and major expense. Preventive maintenance, on the other hand, is designed to monitor the ongoing maintenance needs of a building by regularly identifying and repairing minor problems, thereby minimizing the need for major repairs and expenses in the future.
The most important diagnostic component of a good preventive maintenance program in the periodic “physical.” The basic tools needed to conduct a house’s yearly checkup consist of a notebook and pencil (to record your observations), a penknife (to scrape and poke with) a flashlight (to help you see poorly lit features) and, if available, binoculars (to examine upper story walls, roofs, and other high places from ground level). You can make your building’s physical as detailed as you like. However, it should definitely include an inspection of the following areas at least once each year.
The Building “Physical”: What to Look For
Exterior
Roof: tears; cracks; surface bubbling; warped, cupped, missing shingles, or similar deterioration; cracks, holes, or other signs of flashing deterioration around chimneys, vent pipes, etc.
Masonry walls (including foundations): missing or deteriorating mortar; cracked or spalling bricks; excessive bowing or cracking of wall surface; displacement of masonry materials.
Wooden sidings/trim: loose, split, rotted, or warped shingles, clapboards or trim; blistering, peeling, or cracked paint; mildew on paint surface.
Gutters and downspouts: damaged or missing sections, blockages caused by accumulation of debris (such as leaves); displacement.
Chimneys: deterioration of mortar or bricks; cracking; excessive leaning.
Windows and doors: debris (such as dirt or leaves) along sills which may lead to mildew or wood rot; lack of weatherstripping and caulking; rot, mold, or mildew on wood; broken sash weight cords; deteriorating glazing putty; loose or broken glass; blistered, peeling, or cracked paint on sash or casings.
Porches and steps: rot, mold, or mildew on wood surfaces; broken railings, floorboards, or stair treads; blistering, peeling, or cracked paint; excessive settlement of porch base or columns.
Yard plantings: excessive overgrowth of trees and shrubs along sides of building; creeping vines on masonry surfaces; growth of fungus and moss in damp areas.
Interior
Walls, ceilings, and trim: water stains or streaks which may indicate leakage; buckled plaster or wallpaper; buckled floor boards; misaligned door and window frames; blistering or cracking paint.
Attics: water stains on rafters and floorboards around chimneys, vent pipes, etc. which may indicate leakage; insect damage.
Basement: water stains or puddles which may indicate leakage; extensive condensation on walls; mold or mildew along joists and sills which may indicate excessive moisture levels; excessive bowing or cracking of foundation walls; signs of termites or similar insect infestations; cracked or severely deflecting structural members.
Once you have established your systematic review program and identified necessary repairs, you are ready to tackle rehabilitation.
The extent and complexity of the work involved in rehabilitating any building depends on a variety of interrelated factors, including the overall condition of the building, its projected use, the financial resources of its owner, and the owner’s physical and technical abilities.
Rehabilitation: Some General Guidelines
Planning: Before a hammer or saw is lifted, make sure you have determined all major repair issues, such as: work to be undertaken; how to finance it; requirements of zoning ordinances, building and fire codes; work you can do on your own; and work to be done by professional contractors. Thorough planning greatly helps in minimizing the risk of unanticipated expenses.
Prioritizing: List the necessary repairs in descending order of importance and schedule your work accordingly.
Preserving: Try to retain or restore those architectural features which visually define the building’s historic character. Buildings which retain original architectural features are more visually appealing, valuable, and marketable than those which do not.
Performing: When performing repairs, always: a) Use quality materials which do not damage or deteriorate easily. Inexpensive materials will usually lead to more extensive future maintenance costs. b) Know your limitations. Even the most avid “do-it-yourselfer” has limited technical skills and physical abilities. Do not attempt to make repairs that exceed these limits. It could not only wind up costing you more money, it could also lead to dangerous accidents.
Text and drawings by Paul Loether and Preston Maynard