1. Know your maintenance cycles. Most structures need tuckpointing upkeep every 50 to 60 years.
2. Match the mortar. New mortar must match as closely as possible in color, consistency, and elevation. Using too much Portland cement in the mix creates tough mortars, which can harm old buildings.
3. Never grind out joints. Just scrubby mortar should be gotten rid of. If somebody tells you otherwise, run.
4. Never utilize sealants. Sealers trap moisture, intensifying issues during freeze/thaw cycles.
5. Replace in kind. Damaged masonry units must be replaced entire or by means of Dutchmen of the same material. Spaces filled with putty do not last.
-- Jacob Arndt, Conservation Expert, Architectural Stone Carver
Radiators
6. Don't throttle a one-pipe steam radiator The steam and condensate need to share that restricted area. Keep the valve either completely open or completely near avoid water hammering and spraying air vents.
7. Produce a best pitch. One-pipe steam radiators must pitch toward the supply valve. Use 2 checkers under radiator feet-- they're the ideal shape and size.
8. Gain control. Thermostatic radiator valves are a terrific method 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 in between the radiator and the air vent.
Old radiator.
( Photo: Sylvia Gashi-Silver).
9. Get an excellent surface. Pros agree that sandblasting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?search=Montclair Victorian Restoration followed by powder covering gives the best, long-lasting, non-sticky surface-- but don't attempt this in your home.
10. Don't fret about fires. Even with steam heat, a radiator gets just about half as hot as the temperature required to kindle paper, so you can rest easy.
-- Dan Holohan, Author, The Lost Art of Steam Heating.
Woodworking.
11. Use heartwood. Heartwood is always the most disease-resistant. Sapwood of most species must never be used.
12. Rift or quarter-grain cuts are best. These cuts are the most stable. Flat grain often broadens and contracts Extra resources 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 stay flat, and just the center will hump a little.
14. Discover to use hand tools. Most historic woodwork was produced by hand tools, and a lot of machine-made millwork (late 19th century and after) was installed with them. Historic woodwork finishes produced with hand airplanes can't be reproduced by modern makers like sanders.
15. Use standard joinery. Component repair work must be used conventional joinery instead of non-historic approaches like a wholesale epoxy casting of a missing part.
-- Robert Adam, Founder and Senior Advisor, Preservation Woodworking Department, North Bennet Street School.
Slate Roof, remodeling old houses.
Slate roofing on a turret, remodeling old houses.
Slate roof on a turret. (Image: Nathan Winter Season).
16. Recognize your slate.To correctly take care of your slate roofing system, learn what type of slate it is. Just as you can't fix a Chevy with Ford parts, you must never ever utilize New York red slate on a Pennsylvania gray slate roofing system.
17. Understand your roofing's longevity. If your roof only has 100 years of longevity and is 95 years of ages, it's unworthy sinking cash into. But a roof with 200 years of longevity that's 75 years old is a young roofing that should be extremely valued and effectively maintained.
18. Inspect your roofing routinely. A minimum of as soon as a year, walk around your house (use binoculars if required) and look at your roofing. 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, but you need to try to find them. It's worth the effort to have somebody who genuinely knows what he's doing.