Restoring Your Historic Home
Historic homes are beautiful pieces of architecture that captivate us with their character, detail, and history. It is no surprise that owners of these pieces of history choose restoration over renovation when starting a construction project. As an owner of an older home, preserving the original state of the home as much as possible, and highlighting original woodwork, moldings, and details is a uniquely challenging task. It is important to assemble the right construction, architectural, and design team to keep the history of the home intact while also updating the home to current standards and functionality.
Remodel, Renovation, & Restoration
The 3 R’s: remodel, renovation, and restoration. What exactly is the difference between each one? When beginning a project in your old home, it is important to know exactly what you want.
Remodel: transforming the purpose of an area.
Renovation: repair and update an area without changing its purpose.
Restoration: restoring an area to its original condition using original materials as much as possible.
Restoring Your Historic Home:
Preserving your Historic Home
Restoring Your Historic Home:
Historic restoration is important in maintaining the cultural and architectural significance of the time. Identifying the home’s period and keeping true to the design of that time’s craftsmanship and character, holds great responsibility. Hiring a company that has the experience and the talent to take every detail into account without changing the intention of the initial builder is essential. These historic homes have an identity and a story that deserves to be told into the future. Common steps in preserving a historic home include:
- Update electrical wiring
- Update insulation
- Modernize HVAC system
- Re-roof the structure
- Update plumbing
- Reinforce the structural integrity of the home
- Install/update windows
Once these preservation steps are established as needed, uncovering and identifying the original materials and details that you want to enhance and restore will play a vital role in the design of your home. In the instance that you cannot restore certain areas of your home, working with an experienced restorative architect and interior designer to streamline the design will add to the overall result. Having a trusted contractor and talented carpenters to execute these plans adds to the history, charm, and character of the home.
Restoring a historic home requires additional planning and attention to detail. Maintaining and repurposing original materials in the home and retrofitting existing structural elements will sustain the integrity and history of the dwelling.
Additionally, restoration allows for environmental benefits as well as historic ones. The process of restoration reduces waste, conserves resources, and saves energy. Reusing and restoring existing materials is the recycling of home construction.
The Result of Restoring Your Historic Home
By choosing to restore your historic property, you are given the opportunity to have a unique home with original features AND incorporate your personal touch into each room. Implementing the period design with your aesthetic will result in a one-of-a-kind home oozing with character and charm, while also bringing your home up to code, up to date, and maintaining the historic value of the home. These celebrated homes are stunning to look at and learn about. NJW Renovations Unlimited wants to help them stay relevant and let them flourish well into the future by restoring them and telling their stories. Over the years, we have been given the opportunity to work on numerous historic homes in the Central Ohio area and have gathered the experience and expertise to restore and preserve the right way. We work with knowledgeable architects and designers, making the process accurate and precise, speaking to the history of the home. If you have a historic property that needs some love, we can help you bring it back to life. Contact us to learn how we can help! These projects are important, and we approach them with thoughtful insights, authenticity, integrity, and care.