1. Know your maintenance cycles. Many structures require tuckpointing maintenance every 50 to 60 years.
2. Match the mortar. New mortar ought to match as carefully as possible in color, consistency, and elevation. Using too much Portland cement in the mix produces tough mortars, which can damage old structures.
3. Never ever grind out joints. Just shabby mortar must be gotten rid of. If someone tells you otherwise, run.
4. Never ever use sealers. Sealers trap moisture, compounding issues during freeze/thaw cycles.
5. Change in kind. Harmed masonry systems ought to be replaced whole or by means of Dutchmen of the very same material. Voids filled with putty do not last.
-- Jacob Arndt, Preservation Consultant, Architectural Stone Carver
Radiators
6. Do not throttle a one-pipe steam radiator The steam and condensate need to share that confined area. Keep the valve either fully open or completely near avoid water hammering and squirting air vents.
7. Create a best pitch. One-pipe steam radiators must pitch toward the supply valve. Use 2 checkers under radiator feet-- they're the perfect sizes and shape.
8. Gain control. Thermostatic radiator valves are a fantastic way to zone any radiator and conserve fuel. Hot-water and two-pipe steam radiators get them on the supply side; one-pipe steam radiators get them between the radiator and the air vent.
Old radiator.
( Picture: Sylvia Gashi-Silver).
9. Get a fantastic surface. Pros agree that sandblasting followed by powder finishing provides the very best, long-lasting, non-sticky finish-- but don't attempt this in the house.
10. Do not stress over fires. Even with steam heat, a radiator gets just about half as hot as the temperature level needed to kindle paper, so you can rest simple.
-- Dan Holohan, Author, The Lost Art of Steam Heating.
Woodworking.
11. Use heartwood. Heartwood is always the most disease-resistant. Sapwood of many types should never be used.
12. Rift or quarter-grain cuts are best. These cuts are the most steady. Flat grain often broadens and contracts seasonally at twice the rate of quartered stock.
13. Set up plain sawn lumber with the heart side up. Flat lumber will use much better with the heart dealing with up. If there's cupping, the edges will stay flat, and only the center will hump somewhat.
14. Learn to use hand tools. Most historical woodwork was produced by hand tools, and many machine-made millwork (late 19th century and after) was set up with them. Historical woodwork finishes produced with hand airplanes can't be recreated by modern machines like sanders.
15. Use conventional joinery. Element repair work ought to be made using conventional joinery rather of non-historic methods like a wholesale epoxy casting of a missing part.
-- Robert Adam, Creator and Senior Consultant, Conservation Carpentry Department, North Bennet Street School.
Slate Roof, remodeling old houses.
Slate http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=Montclair Victorian Restoration roof on a turret, renovating old homes.
Slate roof on a turret. (Picture: Nathan Winter).
16. Determine your slate.To properly care for your slate roofing, discover what kind of slate it is. Just as you can't fix a Chevy with Ford parts, you must never utilize New York red slate on a Pennsylvania gray slate roof.
17. Comprehend your roof's longevity. If your roofing system only has 100 years of durability and is 95 years old, it's victorian house renovation Montclair unworthy sinking cash into. But a roof with 200 years of durability that's 75 years old is a young roofing system that should be highly valued and properly kept.
18. Montclair Victorian Restoration Check your roofing regularly. A minimum of as soon as a year, walk around your home (usage field glasses if needed) and take a look at your roofing. If you see missing, broken, or moving slates, or flashing that looks suspect, call your slater.
19. Shop around for quality. Great slaters are out there, however you have to look for them. It deserves the effort to have someone who really understands what he's doing.