Restoration Resources: Victorian Fireplace Tile

One of the typical problems the average Victorian Homeowner faces is fireplace tile replacement. Normally its totally gone or replaced by Z-brick. Often all we have is the "bumpout" which may require finding a mantle and of course all new time on the floor in front and the back areas.

In the old days that meant scrounging salvage dealers hoping to eventually picked up enough tile to do a surround but often there were significant color differences and it never quite looked "authentic"

Fortunately several tile companies have sprang up in recent years to fill that void. Often duplicating original designs of long gone tile manufacturers. One such company is L'ESPERANCE Tile Works. http://www.lesperancetileworks.com/

In addition to a fine line of Fireplace tiles they also offer "subway tile" in varied colors for use in fireplaces, period kitchen backsplashes and bathrooms.

Historic resources: Historic Wallpaper Reproduction

You have just found that 'fragment' of original wallpaper under a piece of drywall or behind a piece of trim. Now what do you do? You can't go down to the local wallpaper store and order 120 year old wallpaper. Fortunately there are a number of artisans across the country who now reproduce limited run wallpapers. One of the most highly recommended is Carter and Co Mt Diablo Handprints. In addition to a very nice line of historic wallpapers that they resell, the also have a reproduction service. So, if you have the money, there are now resources out there to really restore that room back to original appearance.

You can check out their historic wallpapers and get information about their reproduction services here:

http://www.carterandco.com/

New Series : Antique of the Week

This is a new series we are starting each Monday Afternoon we will feature an antique from our inventory for sale ata special price. Many of these are quality "entry level" antiques that are great for the Old house restorer who may be a little short of cash but it trying to decorate in the Victorian style. Regular readers have a chance to get a good quality antique at a very attractive price.

This is a lovely RED Victorian tufted parlor chair and has been recently reupholstered. The wood has nice carved details as well. A great side chair that would look great in any formal parlor , entry hall or bedroom. Offered at $125.00. More information here:

http://www.blujay.com/?page=ad&adid=3303768&cat=27040000

Available for pick up only in Indianapolis but we can make arrangements to meet you in Cincinnati on weekends for pickup there, or we are happy to work with your shipper. Good Victorian Parlor side chairs of this quality are getting increasingly harder to find and are a bargain at twice what we are asking for this one.

Restoration Resources: Wallpapers

Though it seems like its a long way off on my own house restoration and usually one of the very last things you do, quality "document wallpaper' is perhaps the crowning touch to a room restoration. Although it seems far off I will likely be ordering wallpapers soon to have them on hand for that step. Many are fearful of wallpaper, worried about actually Pasting and hanging. We do it everyday, it just requires patience and attention to detail.

There are several companies out there that you have likely heard about who do period wallpapers. Bradbury is possibly the best known. However there are many other options out there and one of them is this "Alhambra" wallpaper from Burt Wallpapers http://www.burtwallpapers.com/pat.alhambra.html this paper comes in a 18 inch wide roll and has a 15 1/2 repeat and sells for 82.00 per roll. It is based on a late 1880's period original wallpaper.

Not inexpensive but certainly one of the highest quality papers out there and maybe the crowning touch for a formal parlor or hallway. Burt wallpapers offers several designs based on period original from the 1840's through the 1930's and the company can recreate and reproduce wallpaper from historic fabrics, essential if you have an original fragment of paper and want to do a true authentic period restoration.

Restoration Resources: New Period Wallpapers

Mason & Wolf Wallpapers http://mason-wolf.com/main.htm has just released a new wallpaper called Osaka

"A delicate dusting of glittering leaves and starbursts decorate this Japanese-inspired paper. Gold, copper and bronze inks on a creamy yellow ground produce an effect that is positively celestial. Osaka can be used on walls or ceilings. Hand-printed in a historic 18 inch width in authentic colors, Osaka comes with two companion borders. "

This company has an outstanding line of Period design wallpapers in the Dresser tradition and the Aesthetic movement. More information is on their site and you can now order samples Online.

Class Action Lawsuit could result in Drywall Recall

A class-action lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Miami against a manufacturer of Chinese drywall, follows at least two others and may result in an eventual drywall recall.

This high-sulfur Chinese drywall installed in homes during 2005 and 2006 has been linked to more than 100 complaints at the Florida Department of Health Complaints include an odor of rotten eggs, sickness and metal corrosion in air conditioners. The drywall 'outgases" the sulfur and causes major deterioration to electrical wiring and electronics in the home.

One consumer agency has stated that this drywall has been found in 41 states. America's Watchdog, has said that 250 million feet of the drywall came into the United States from China. The drywall entered into ports located along the West Coast - including Long Beach and Oakland, California, and Seattle, Washington. It also entered from ports in New York, New Jersey and Florida, the group said.

This drywall appears to have been sold in Ohio.

Many U.S. drywall manufacturers could also be affected because Knauf Plasterboard - the Chinese company that manufactured the drywall - sold the material to U.S. companies through a "private label" program, America's Watchdog said. Under such an agreement, Knauf supplied drywall would be re-labeled and distributed under the U.S. manufacturer's name.

This could potentially affect contractors or even home remodelers who purchased drywall. Often there have been complaints of a rotten egg smell on humid days. Some of this drywall was stamped KNAUF on the back. Signs of a problem will include black 'smudging" on electrical wiring. Exposure to the Chinese drywall has also been reportedly linked to potential health problems, like insomnia, nosebleeds, headaches and breathing difficulties and estimated 300,000 homes built or remodeled between 2005-2007 could contain this product.

In addition to the smell of rotten eggs, these are other signs that your home may be defective:

Frequent replacement of A/C system or refrigerator components (such as air coils)DANGER: If you have experienced loss of "Freon" or refrigerant from your A/C system, it may have leaked into your home from sulfer eaten pinholes in your equipment. Wiring that has turned black and/or is corroded. Piping that has turned black and/or needs replacing. Silver jewelry turning black.Electrical problems. Respiratory problems

This is just the latest of a series of issues with Chinese manufactured products

Historic Homes: Review your Homeowners Insurance

Spring is just around the corner and like most of us you may be planning this summer's "Big Project". Maybe you are updating a kitchen or adding a carriage house. Chances are you may be hiring help this summer on projects.

Now is the perfect time to take 10 minutes and pull that insurance policy out and take a look at it. Insurance is a necessity of life and as most Historic Homeowners will tell you , often hard to find. Insurance companies don't like to insure those big old houses and often the premiums are high.

Now is the time to look at your coverage. If you have been having your insurance automatically updated you might be "over-insured". Property values have dropped dramatically as well as labor costs for repairs. Some parts of the country have lost 20-40 percent of value. See just how much your home is insured for. One thing to remember, If you have a claim it is often very expensive to repair. For example a slate or tile roof can run 50-75 thousand or more to replace. Make sure you coverage is adequate to cover that worst case scenario and if something catastrophic happened that you would have enough funds to repair or find another similar home in the event of a total loss. Also look at the size of your deductible and review to See if its too high or too low.

Most Historic Homeowners also collect antiques. Do you have riders for valuable items such as pianos or rare art? Review you policy carefully. Now is the time to take that video camera or digital camera and take photos of every room in your house. Save a copy of this off site or online in a password protected secure site. If someone steals your home computer there goes your proof.

Many homes now have security systems and if you have added one you may qualify for a discount. Also if you insure your car with the same insurer you may also qualify for a discount.

THE FINE PRINT: If you are planning on hiring a contractor see what the liability of your insurance is in event of a problem. Any contractor you hire MUST be licenced, bonded and have liability insurance and Workman's comp. Permits area necessity and often an insurer might deny a claim IF permits were not pulled and the work was not inspected. Adding a bathroom or a major remodel such as a kitchen should be reviewed by you agent as your home value may have increased and you may need more coverage. Events caused by your negligence may not be covered. For example of you take a blowtorch to remove paint on the outside of your house and you cause the fire you may not be covered! Do you have fireplace or added a woodburning stove? You may not be covered in case of a chimney fire? Check the fine print. Own a dog? Many companies now have clauses on Pitbulls,Rottweilers and other "attack dogs" and may not cover you if you own one of these breeds. If your municipality has passed laws against keeping these breeds your insurance company can deny your claim! Do NOT assume you have dog bite coverage.

Also look at infrastructure. Has the city added a fire hydrant near you or maybe built a new fire station or police station closer to your home? Those can affect your rate. Also if crime has significantly decreased in your zip code you may qualify for discount.

Do you have flood insurance or earthquake insurance? Now is time to review that and if you do not have it what are the costs of adding it. have you added more smoke detectors or now have a wired in system, or a sprinkler system, then often can get you a discount.

AVOIDING A PROBLEM: Do a Inspection of your home. Have any old trees that might be a problem? If so cut them down NOW, Don't wait for a problem later. Now is good time to inspect your windows and doors and the overall security of your home. Do you have adequate lighting on the outside. Are trees and bushes providing a possible place for an intruder to hide. If you do not have neighborhood crime watch talk to you local crime watch coordinator about starting a crime watch for your block.

A little review, a little planning and some common sense can make sure both your home and your family are safe and protected.

Staying Warm: How the Victorians did it

If you are waking up to one of the coldest mornings in the last several years. Here at our house in Indy it is -12 with a -24-26 wind chill you probably did the usual, went downstairs , checked your thermostat to see how well your furnace kept up and of course turned on your water and hoped it came out. If you survived intact, you realized your furnace never stopped running last night and in the back of your mind you have that nagging thought of just how bad that winter heating bill will be.

So how did those Victorian keep warm? Well we all have the romantic view of Victorian life, opulent rooms with servants bringing by an extra blanket as the fire roared in a grand fireplace as you sipped your hot tea. Well that wasn't the 'real world' of most people in the Victorian era. Opulent Velvet Drapes were the province of only the very wealthy and could cost hundreds of dollars. Most Victorian had to 'get by' by sewing their own drapes. Middle and upper class homes did however have what we called summer drapes and winter drapes. One of the 'chores' of spring cleaning was the removal of heavy drapes and replacing them with a light lace curtains. Most 'less than affluent' Victorians pretty much do what most of us modern day Old house people do. They nailed or tacked blankets or fabric over the windows in really cold periods. They also closed off rooms that were not used either by closing pocket doors and or the use of Portiere which has a drape that closed off a doorway. While many Victorian homes in cities might have gas which powered those lovely cast iron fireplaces you saw in every room of a Victorian townhouse.

Many houses would have had wood burning stoves. Usually in the Parlor or living room and off course the wood stove in the kitchen. In cold weather it was critical to keep these stoked and while the husband went off to work every day it was the "lady" of the house who usually hauled wood in and threw it in the stoves. Children were a blessing because that chore would then fall to the children.

Victorian knew how to "layer' clothes. What we may now view as the 'stuffy' garb of the Victorian era actually had a practical side in winter....it kept you warm! Men wore 'long johns' under their cloths and women had layers of petticoats.

Staying warm at night was the biggest problem. Even in many middle class homes the only source of heat was on the first floor. Assuming you got the downstairs hot enough the rising heat might make the night 'passable". You often found a cast iron grate between floors to allow heat to rise into the upstairs bedrooms. Of course we all think of the grand Victorian bed possibly a 4 poster covered with elegant linens.

A more apt description might be like this:

The best mattresses were filled with horsehair, next step down was cow’s hair, then wool. A straw mattress was often put down under a hair one to protect it from the iron bedstead. Chain-spring mattresses were available in the second half of the century, but they were expensive, and they still needed a hair mattress over them. A square of sheeting was often tied over the springs to prevent them from chewing up the mattress, which was then covered in sheeting to protect it from soot and dirt. If the bed had no springs, a feather bed could be added on top of the mattress. These were expensive and hard to maintain. An under blanket was usually put over the hair mattress. All this needed to be turned and shaken every day, because the fibers tended to mat and clump. Your linens would consist of an under sheet tucked into the lowest mattress to protect it from soot, a bottom sheet, a top sheet, blanket (in winter 3-4 of them), a bolster, and pillows. They would be covered in Holland sheeting then with pillowcases. One good housekeeping writer recommended that blankets be washed every other summer, and sheets once a month, unless 2 people shared the bed, then wash every 2 weeks. Not all sheets were washed at once. The bottom sheet would be taken off and replaced with the top sheet and a clean top sheet put on. The main bedding cleaning was twice a year, spring and fall. The mattresses and pillows would be taken out and aired and every few years taken completely apart, washed, and feathers sifted to get rid of dust. This kind of work could only be accomplished if you had enough room and help. Many could not manage it.A good housewife was expected to check the bedding for fleas and vermin every week. If you found them it meant a major war had to be waged. The bed would have to be taken apart and the pieces washed or soaked with chloride of lime and water. The room had to thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. All cracks had to be repaired and sealed. If the infestation was out of control the bed would be put in an empty room which was sealed airtight and then sulfur was burned to disinfect the bed and surrounding area.People mistrusted laundries because they weren’t sure of what might be in their things when they were returned. They felt the same way about buying used furniture.

Quilting was not only a social pastime but an essential 'chore' as bed linens from a store were often expensive and beyond the means of most people. Victorians Piled on the blankets to keep warm which is why blanket chests were so popular. You needed one to hold them and you needed allot of them to stay warm!

So while we will all grumble next month when that high heat bill arrives, remember, at least we have furnaces!

Cast Iron Mantles: Maintenance and Restoration tips

Over the weekend we had the good fortune to acquire a gorgeous cast iron fireplace mantle. However when we got it , it didn't look very promising. This mantle has sat in squalor for years and had suffered the loss of its top. This would normally be a 'dealbreaker" for most people, but since we never throw anything away we have a couple of spare tops we recovered from a basement of a house we owned several years ago.

It also was severely yellowed from 120 years of smoking, and latex paint or something had been splattered all over it. To many this might have looked like a candidate for the scrap heap. the first thing we did was clean the mantle. I like to use scrubbing bubbles as it gets the dirt off but doesn't affect the enamel paint finish.

Then to get the "smoke" off it and we hoped the white paint I began the second phase of cleaning by using a product called "Hopes Solid Surface Cleaner and Polish" you can find this at Home Depot and it is a cleaner used for corian counters and it is perfect for Cast Iron Mantle cleaning as it is ever so slightly abrasive and will remove the yellowing caused by smoking and it also removed the white paint. This was accomplished using a Kitchen scrubber with the sponge on one side and the green scrubber on the other. Do not use steel wool as it is too abrasive and may harm the underlying finish.

Once we cleaned the mantle we then used a product called "Hope's Counter Top Polish" this is used to polish Formica but works great on mantles , just apply it and wipe it off and then buff with a car chamois. You can in a pinch use car wax.

Now we were lucky with this mantle the paint came off and it did not require restoration. While not perfect its is better than a total repaint which would have eliminated the 'authenticity' of the mantle.

Unfortunately many mantles have several coats of paint. Sometimes you can carefully peel the paint off to expose the original finish. Other times it isn't possible especially when painted with enamel. For those occasions remember I do faux painting and we can restore you mantle to a period finish like the example below. victiques@hotmail.com . We can often do this on site so mantle removal is not required for more details contact us.

The Restorers Library " Pallisers New Cottage Homes 1887"

From Time to time I like to recommend reference books that may be of interest to Old House restorers, Palliser's New Cottage Homes 1887 is a reproduction of the rare catalog that originally was published in 1887. It includes 1,500 detailed drawings of floor plans, elevations, perspective views, architectural details, and interior ornamentation and is has designs for villas, farmhouses, town and country places, barns, and city brick block houses; and fine-lined illustrations of windows, eaves, and other architectural elements.

I have found this to be a great reference source in designing period details for old homes. This book is available from Dover Press for 14.95. http://store.doverpublications.com/0486428168.html But you may be able to locate a used copy on Ebay for less.

Ah "Pre-Spring"

Greg and I have decided that it is officially "Pre-Spring". Not being fans of cold weather we refer to the period between the first snow and the first 70 degree day as "Pre Spring" as it is decidedly less depressing that referring to this as winter!

We did manage to put up our tree this year, though with our Indy house for sale we decided to not go over-the-top this year in yuletide decoration. Although I think our Realtor would agree that there is little chance of selling a quarter of a million dollar plus house in the middle of winter much less in the throws of an economic recession.

As usual I get my "decorate our house for the holiday party" client requests and I have decided to not accept any new clients this year for our services. I have six client's homes to do over the next two weeks. It always struck me as odd that people pay other people to come in and decorate their homes for the holidays but if you are looking for a "period Victorain look" for your holiday party , well you either have to know what you are doing or pay for it.

As I said this year we just put up the tree and a few things here and there, just enough for our Christmas party and dinner. I shot these photos last night, the house looked all warm and cozy. To think after totally restoring this one, what are we doing? Working on another in Cincinnati so we can repeat the process all over again!

Ah "Pre Spring" I am already planning where the gardens, walkways, gazebo and ponds will go at the new house.

'The Peacock Room"

Anyone who has more than a passing interest in the Victorian Era would be well advised to visit this blog which focuses on the Aesthetic Movement within the Victorian era. There is a large quantity of well researched information that is a great resource for anyone who is involved in historic restoration or just a fan of the Era.

http://thepeacockroom.blogspot.com/

Hill Place Tour

I had the good fortune to be invited yeaterday to an open house of Hill Place, here in Indianapolis. the owners have been working long and hard on the home and one can see the result of all that hard work. Hill place is on the National Register and was built by John Fitch Hill and his wife Sarah who was the great niece of Daniel Boone in 1853. The home originally sat on 220 acres but today is surrounded by smaller homes and cottages built in the late 1880's. Once "out in the country" it now sits within view of the Indianapolis business district skyline as the city grew.

The home is 6000 square feet and the owners have done a remarkable job of restoring the interiors to period victorian.

Flood: Technical bulletin for historic homeowners

Many historic home owners throughout southern Indiana and Illinois are faced with the difficult talk of cleanup and recovery after the flood this week. The national parks service has a preservation brief that may assist owners of historic properties on how to properly dry them out and develop a strategy for restoration. This preservation brief is available at the link below:
http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief39.htm

Restorers Resources: Where to buy it!

I plan on adding a regular feature to the blog on Restorers Resources since many of my readers are old house owners and in mid restoration of their homes. One of the most frequent emails is where do I find this or that? The hardest part of getting that perfect look is in the details. One of the best resources for Wolf House Wallpapers LLC, based in Mt Vernon Ohio.. They have an exciting line of Period wallpapers that are perfect for Italiante homes with high ceilings. they also offer reporoduction services as well. You can take look at their complete line of papers at http://www.wolffhousewallpapers.com/

Photo courtesy of their website

A Historic Moving Day Weaver House, Granite Falls,MN

Some picture posted by Mary Gillespie to vicarr ,A group I co- moderate dedicated to Victorian architecture, of the Historic Weaver house move today in Granite Falls MN. This home would have been demolished were it not for the efforts of preservationists who saved it. I had mentioned this in an earlier blog about the impending move. It will be sat on its new fourdation on Tuesday. Boy and I thought I had a lot to move

AH SPRING!

I must confess that this is an unusual spring. Normally I am in the middle of major renovations and this year, well.....this house is done! Ive landscaped, touched up, cleaned, staged and basically just sitting around waiting for this @#$%^%@ house to sell! We are not alone, there are millions of homeowners with perfectly good houses priced at bargain prices and NO ONE is buying!

I think there are a couple of reasons, the overall economy one but clearly the media has painted a perception that now is not the time to buy, that prices will go lower. I am not sure that really is the case. Our house at the "crest of the housing boom" could have probably sold for 450K (If I had only rushed and did it half way!) Instead I took my time and did it right. On the market at a very reasonable 295K and its done right and you cant find anything lose on the market for less than 400K.

Its funny though as I get calls from people wanting restoration consulting because that "Restored Charmer" they bought has become a falling apart "Money Pit". I recently did an "evaluation" for a client. They had bought a nice 4 bedroom victorian 525K in one of the best downtown neighborhoods, and now they were having prolems. Tile was falling off ( not properly installed), Circuits were blowing (inadaquate circuit box). Well the list goes on and on and the estimated bill to fix what needed to be done will likely be over 30K. They had an inspection but that inspector missed some basic "design issues". The "restoration contractor" has run water lines on improperly insulated outside walls (you cant do that in Indiana they will freeze in the winter). he didnt use tile backer board, too many outlets on one circuit. basically the guy cut corners. It "looked" great but a more complete inspection would have revealed it was done on the cheap.

Doing things right takes planning, time and money. I have more information on proper planning on my website: http://thevictorianrestorer.googlepages.com/restorationplanning

Getting it right Period Interior Design

I often have people come up to me and ask "how do you get it right" when it comes to the period look of your house? I think few actually want a "museum period" look for their home. In fact few would want to actually live in a museum period victorian era home because it isnt very practical. In this example this is the parlor to entry view in our home. Now this house was built in 1915 but largely based on shingle design circa 1895, the big difference being a "craftsman brick porch", however it could have just as easily been shingled columns. As part of the restoration, (this house has zero woodwork when we got it), the goal was to recreate the era. This home is what we might call more "transitional" in its interior design. It has many craftman elements but still has the room layout you would have seen in its 1896 design. Since this isnt a 'grand mansion" but a typical working class home the interior is treated more along the lines of how it might have looked. In the time of this house this would have been decorated in family hand me downs do the earlier victorian era pieces work fine with the later circa 1900's pieces.

The goal is if you are "stepping back in time" but not necessarily a "time warp". One trick I tell my clients if you really want to see if you have that "period look:" take a photo then convert it to black and white. If it looks like an old family photo then you've got it right!

A Moving Experience

I always like to report on House Moves. In this case we are speaking about the Weaver house is Granite Falls Minnisota. This house was due to be demolished as it is located in a flood plain. As the Federal Government "reclaims" areas that are prone to regular flooding many historic homes or in some cases whole neighborhoods or towns are lost.

Fortunately this was not the case here. The town offered the home for relocation! The main Historic structure built in 1878 is being moved and the rear later addition will be salvaged. This is a prime example of how towns should approach the issue of demolition. House Moves are expensive but typically the restored home is well worth the cost.

More information, in case you'd like to follow the process or learn more about the history of this home please visit: http://www.holthouse.org/WeaverHouseindex.html

Is Suburbia Dying?

There seems to be some credible numbers and evidence that the suburbs are dying. A recent NPR article http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89803663 points to more urban home prices are actually increasing slightly while suburban areas are taking a heavy hit. The sprawl that has taken place over the last few years has converted rural farmland into large yard starter homes. The foreclosure crisis and the high cost of commute is creating virtual ghost towns where 30-50 percent of homes may stand vacant and basically unsellable or unrentable as people can no longer afford the cost of gasoline for long commutes.

I was speaking to my father the other day who lives in the suburbs and his big complaint of the day was it took forever to get anywhere due to the traffic and congestion. I have noted myself that as the downtown of Indianapolis becomes more populated which has cause a substancial rise in near downtown neighborhoods that many suburban neighborhood primarily the west and east sides of town deteriorate. Crime has risen in those areas and their once popular shopping malls look like ghost towns. In fact one mall 'Eastgate' has closed down completely. Washington Square has lost several anchor tenants and its death seems close at hand. Despite efforts at revitilization Lafayette square Mall is a shadow of its former self. If one contrasts that with Circle Center Mall which has high occupancy and good tenants. There is even a website dedicated to shopping mall history http://www.deadmalls.com/

This is a trend that has been repeated in several cities across the country like Washington DC and Atlanta. In fact the only complaint I hear or reason why some wouldnt move back downtown is the quality of Education. It stands to reason that any city trying to revitalize it's downtown will need to improve Educational opportunities in k-12 to bring families back to urban living