We are currently renovating a two story home in the Fairmount district that was built sometime around 1900. Properly remodeling a historical home requires expertise in design, knowledge of craftsmanship from different eras, and a thorough knowledge of city requirements. We are always up for the challenge because we find these projects interesting and educational.

The main challenge of renovating a historic home is trying to maintain a natural and historically accurate appearance that honors its essential character, while adding new spirit and modern convenience. There are three levels of watchdogs to make sure the historically accurate appearance is honored: neighborhood, city and state. These organizations are filled with people who are educated and passionate about history. They do a tremendous service for the historic neighborhoods by keeping historical integrity intact, which helps the properties in these neighborhoods continually increase in value while maintaining the historical interest.

Part of the fun of these projects is that demolition is like an archaeological excavation. Just imagine how many renovations have been done to this home in the last 110+ years! Discoveries like these can influence the scope and cost of a renovation, making it especially important to understand what a $350,000 remodeling budget can realistically accomplish and which upgrades may need to be prioritized.
When looking at the demolition picture, you can see evidence of multiple renovations. If you look along the house where the roof was, you can see the different colors, surfaces and flashings that show that at least two additions were made to the original structure. On the gable roof piece that is still standing in the picture, notice the wall covering on the wood and the drywall below it.

This shows part of the evolutionary process of drywall coverings, paper over wood, to paper-covered gypsum board nailed to studs. Here is another picture of the remnants of cheese cloth drywall covering we found when we demoed the kitchen.

I’ll keep posting updates as we move along with this project. If you are considering purchasing or renovating a historical home, give us a call for a free and educational assessment of your project.

Take care,
Mike