Just Married an Aged Charmer?

Renovating an Aged Charmer?

It is easy to admire the ground-breaking, often unmatched architecture of a vintage or historic home. We also admire the people who take on the project of a house built 7 or 8 decades back. It is rewarding work, and the character of historic homes in unlike any new construction. Those older homes were built to last, and last they have. But nothing stands forever. Perhaps yours has gone untouched since the 1930’s and you are wondering what to be concerned about and what can wait. After a little research and with conversations we’ve had, here are some thoughts to consider since you have committed and have taken this on. The results will be worth it!

When you bought the home inspections would have taken place, so you know where things stand for the inspections that were written into your contract. Usually it is termite, roof and home inspection. A likely candidate to be your first priority is the electrical system, unless somewhere along the way it was sufficiently upgraded. We suggest having a licensed electrician give the home a good look. The old knob and tube wiring makes for fewer plug-ins thank we have come to expect. If in the winter, leaks will make themselves known.

Besides the knob and tube, our guess is that you may have an undersize service panel with fuses instead of circuit breakers. Modern appliances, such as a microwave or a hair dryer, put more of a load on the wiring than it was designed for. You probably will have to part with several thousand dollars for a new 200-amp service. So, take a deep breath and write the check to get your wiring updated and safe.

On to the stuff that doesn’t cost so much.

The easiest way to make a house fresh and your own is paint. Painting with your colors makes the house fresh, clean and yours. Do one room at a time. Like everything, there's a right way to do it. Here's how:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·                                 <!--[endif]-->First, cover the floors with drop cloths. This part can be omitted if you're going to replace the carpet or have hardwood floors to be refinished soon.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·                                 <!--[endif]-->Wash the walls and woodwork with a solution of trisodium phosphate (TSP) to remove any dirt or grease. Rinse the walls with clear water to remove any TSP residue.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·                                 <!--[endif]-->Use painter's masking tape (blue or green) to mask the edges of baseboards, door trim and window trim. The blue and green versions are less sticky and won't take the paint off when removed.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·                                 <!--[endif]-->"V" out any cracks in the walls or ceiling with the point of a teardrop-shaped paint scraper. Vacuum any plaster dust from the floor, edges of baseboard and the cracks. Fill the holes with Spackle or patching plaster. Sand the patches smooth. Vacuum again.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·                                 <!--[endif]-->Spray the patches with a primer such as Bulls Eye.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·  Fill any holes and repair any dings in the wood trim. If the paint on the trim is chipped, feather the edges with sandpaper.

Now it's time for paint. The rule is to work from top to bottom: ceiling first, walls next, finishing with door frames, window frames and baseboards.

If the walls and the ceiling are to be the same color, use a 2 1/2-inch angled sash brush to paint a 6-inch-wide swath of paint on the sides of all corners of the ceiling and the walls. If the ceiling and walls are going to be different colors, just cut in the ceiling, making sure to cover the joint where the wall and ceiling intersect. Don't worry if you get a little paint on the walls. You'll be using masking tape on the ceiling to give a straight line for the walls. The wall color will cover any overage.

Paint the rest of the ceiling using a 3/8-inch nap roller. Start in a corner and roll out a 3-by-3-foot square. Draw an "M," then roll across the "M" to get uniform coverage on the square. Smooth out any edges left by the roller by lightly rolling over them. Continue with this method, always working to a wet edge.

If the walls are a different color, use masking tape on the ceiling to ensure a straight line. Use the same technique to paint the walls. Cut in the corners with a brush. Paint a 6-inch patch at the base and around window and door openings. Paint an "M" with the roller, fill it in, smooth out irregularities, repeat and work to a wet edge.

The final step is to paint the doors and windows. Make sure the walls are dry. Mask the edges and paint the wood using the same sash brush you used to cut in the corners of the walls and ceilings.