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1. Know your maintenance cycles. A lot of buildings require tuckpointing maintenance every 50 to 60 years.

2. Match the mortar. New mortar should match as carefully as possible in color, consistency, and elevation. Utilizing too much Portland cement in the mix develops difficult mortars, which can harm old structures.

3. Never ever grind out joints. Just shabby mortar should be eliminated. If somebody tells you otherwise, run.

4. Never ever utilize sealers. Sealants trap moisture, compounding problems during freeze/thaw cycles.

5. Change in kind. Harmed masonry units should be changed entire or by means of Dutchmen of the same product. Voids filled with putty do not last.

-- Jacob Arndt, Conservation Consultant, Architectural Stone Carver

Radiators

6. Don't throttle a one-pipe steam radiator The steam and condensate need to share that confined area. Keep the valve either completely open or completely near avoid water hammering and spraying air vents.

7. Produce an ideal pitch. One-pipe steam radiators must pitch toward the supply valve. Use two checkers under radiator feet-- they're the perfect sizes and shape.

8. Gain control. Thermostatic radiator valves are a terrific way to zone any radiator and conserve fuel. Hot-water and two-pipe steam radiators get them on the supply side; one-pipe steam Montclair Victorian Restoration radiators get them between the radiator and the air vent.

Old radiator.

( Photo: Sylvia Gashi-Silver).

9. Get a fantastic finish. Pros agree that sandblasting followed by powder finish gives the very best, lasting, non-sticky surface-- however do not attempt this in the house.

10. Don't worry about fires. Even with steam heat, a radiator gets just about half as hot as the temperature level required 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 the majority of types need to never be used.

12. Rift or quarter-grain cuts are best. These cuts are the most stable. Flat grain often expands 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 better with the heart dealing with up. If there's cupping, the edges will stay flat, and only the center will hump slightly.

14. Find out to use hand tools. Many historical woodwork was produced by hand tools, and a lot of industrial millwork (late 19th century and after) was set up with them. Historical woodwork finishes produced with hand planes can't be replicated by contemporary machines like sanders.

15. Usage standard joinery. Component repairs ought to be made using standard joinery rather of non-historic approaches like a wholesale epoxy casting of a missing part.

-- Robert Adam, Creator and Senior Consultant, Conservation Carpentry Department, North Bennet Street School.

Slate Roof, renovating old homes.

Slate roofing on a turret, renovating old houses.

Slate roofing system on a turret. (Image: Nathan Winter).

16. Determine your slate.To correctly take care of your slate roofing system, find out what type of slate it is. Just as you can't repair a Chevy with Ford parts, you should never ever utilize New york city red slate on a Pennsylvania gray slate roof.

17. Comprehend your roofing system's durability. If your roofing system just has 100 years of durability and is 95 years old, it's unworthy sinking cash into. But a roof with 200 years of longevity that's 75 years old is a young roofing system that needs to be highly valued and properly preserved.

18. Check your roofing system frequently. At least as soon as a year, walk your home (use field glasses if needed) and take a look at your roofing system. If you see missing, broken, or moving slates, or flashing that looks suspect, call your slater.

19. Look around for quality. Great slaters are out there, but you have to look for them. It deserves the effort to have someone who truly knows what he's doing.