y8qjivs020

1. Know your maintenance cycles. Most structures need tuckpointing maintenance every 50 to 60 years.

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

3. Never grind out joints. Only shabby mortar should be removed. If someone tells you otherwise, run.

4. Never use sealants. Sealers trap moisture, intensifying issues throughout freeze/thaw cycles.

5. Replace in kind. Damaged masonry systems must be changed entire or through Dutchmen of the same material. Voids filled with putty don't 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 restricted space. Keep the valve either fully open or fully closed to avoid water hammering and spraying air vents.

7. Create a perfect pitch. One-pipe steam radiators should pitch toward the supply valve. Usage 2 checkers under radiator feet-- they're the ideal sizes and shape.

8. Gain control. Thermostatic radiator valves are an excellent method to zone any radiator and save fuel. Hot-water and two-pipe steam radiators get them on the supply side; one-pipe steam radiators get them in between the radiator and the air vent.

Old radiator.

( Image: Sylvia Gashi-Silver).

9. Get a terrific surface. Pros agree that sandblasting followed by powder coating gives the best, long-lasting, non-sticky finish-- but don't try this at home.

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. Usage heartwood. Heartwood is constantly the most disease-resistant. Sapwood of a lot of species must never be utilized.

12. Rift or quarter-grain cuts are best. These cuts are the most steady. Flat grain typically broadens and contracts seasonally at two times the rate of quartered stock.

13. Install 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 remain flat, and only the center will hump slightly.

14. Discover to use hand tools. The majority of historical woodwork was produced by hand tools, and most industrial millwork (late 19th century and after) was installed with them. Historical woodwork finishes produced with hand planes can't be reproduced by contemporary devices like sanders.

15. Usage standard joinery. Part repair work should be made using standard joinery instead of non-historic approaches like a wholesale epoxy casting of a missing part.

-- Robert Adam, Founder and Senior Consultant, Conservation Woodworking Department, North Bennet Street School.

Slate Roof, renovating old homes.

Slate roofing system on a turret, remodeling old homes.

Slate roof victorian church interior Montclair on a turret. (Image: Nathan Winter).

16. Identify your slate.To properly care for your slate roofing system, learn what kind of slate it is. Simply as you can't repair a Chevy with Ford parts, you ought to never use New York red slate on a Pennsylvania gray slate roofing system.

17. Understand your roofing's longevity. If your roofing system only has 100 years of longevity and is 95 years of ages, it's not worth sinking cash into. But a roofing with 200 years of longevity that's 75 years of ages is a young roof that ought to be extremely valued and appropriately maintained.

18. Inspect your roofing routinely. A minimum of as soon as a year, walk around your house (use field glasses if needed) and take a look at your roof. If you see missing, broken, or sliding slates, or flashing that looks suspect, call your slater.

19. Look around for quality. Good slaters are out there, however you need to look for them. It's worth the effort to have somebody who genuinely understands what he's doing.