For many years I lived in a historic home in Tennessee. Built in 1901, the home had a good share of problems, just as any house that has stood for over a century will. I knew I lived a charmed life in that house, but I didn’t realize just how fortunate I was until the first annual inspection of my 1950’s Georgia rambler.

Termites? Check.

Carpenter ants? You bet.

Powderpost beetles? Sure. (At this point, why not?)

I was completely puzzled by the fact that all of these infestations had rained down on my house over the past year. After all, both home inspections–the one that seller conducted and the one I had hired out myself–showed a clean record. The termite inspection had turned up nothing.

So where did these creatures come from, and how did they get to work so quickly? Most importantly, what did this mean for me?

An area ripe for ant damage. Image credit: OldHouseWeb

Not-so-fun adventures in pest control

The exterminator was pretty positive about getting rid of the termites. They hadn’t had much time to set up shop and besides, termite eradication has become very good in recent years as long as it is done thoroughly and diligently. Powderpost beetles damage wood very slowly, and getting rid of a small infestation is rather easy. Sure enough, treatment for each was done and over with in a few months.

The carpenter ants? Those turned out to be a nightmare.

The big difference between carpenter ants and the other pests found in the house is simple: Location, location, location. In this case, an astounding number of locations. Carpenter ants like to invest in serious real estate, both inside and outside the house. What I thought would be a simple job of finding the nest turned out to be a nightmare of finding dozens of nests spread throughout the walls of my home.

Typical do-it-yourself treatment involves watching where the carpenter ants go (assuming you can find them in the first place), then drilling holes underneath the baseboards and puffing boric acid into those holes. This will kill the nests and any ants who come into contact with it. It works wonders at first, but when you have a multitude of nests, it can be almost impossible to get them all this way. I worked diligently at the job for six months but recently gave up the fight and called in a professional contractor to handle the job.

Even so, there are no guarantees. Just as a termite infestation can take a long time to clear up, so can the issue of carpenter ants. In the meantime, they are happily gnawing away at the very structure of the home. It’s enough to make you cringe–and worse, enough to make you a little paranoid. I’ve had more than a few nightmares about ants who tried to get revenge.

I’m glad I chose to call in the annual inspection before I moved forward with plans for my new cabinet refacing. A contractor who started work on refacing the cabinets and then found an issue with pests would have to stop the work while I called in another contractor, and that means serious hassle and a project that immediately catapults way over budget.

I will repeat what I have heard dozens of times: no matter how much of a hassle annual inspections seem to be, they are worth the time and money. It is the best way to stop pests in their tracks and take back your home.

I have written posts discussing my annual housing market predictions for the past two years. Unfortunately, they were pretty much spot-on. I felt that as long as high unemployment existed and many of the people lucky enough to have a job were worried about cutbacks, home sales would continue to languish. Of course, all the foreclosures hitting the market and dropping home values didn’t help much either.

But what about 2012, are there any indications that this may be the year of the housing market rebound? The answer is a resounding maybe, but probably not. On the bright side — it does look like this year could be better than 2011 for home sales. However, that’s not saying much as numbers are saying that 2011 was the worst year on record for the real estate industry.

A deal at less than $120,000

First the housing market good news

So are there any bright spots on the horizon — anything that might make a potential home buyer feel good about 2012? Well for one thing, interest rates are still unbelievably low. There were indications last year that they may begin to rise, but other than a few fluctuations that hasn’t been the case. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index also rose in January. The numbers indicate that the nation’s builders are becoming a little more optimistic about the immediate future of their industry. The index is now at a 25 which is the highest it has measured since June 2007. While anything under a 50 is considered a negative outlook, at least we’re seeing some improvement.

Now the bad

Still waiting for a buyer after 3 years on the market

Unfortunately, the good news continues to be weighed down by the bad. While interest rates are low, an article on CNBC reports that tough credit requirements are preventing many potential homebuyers from taking advantage. The big problem for many young families is coming up with the down payments that are necessary to qualify for a loan. Housing values that continue to drop aren’t helping matters. An ABC News report states that the S&P/Case-Shiller 20 city index showed a drop of 3.7 percent through November from the previous year.

So what does all this mean to the average person hoping to buy or sell a house in 2012? Well, if you have good credit, money for a down payment, and plan to live in the house for a few years, there may never be a better time to buy. An old house in my neighborhood that had been on the market for over two years recently sold to a young couple who plan to renovate. The home was originally listed for over $160,000 and they got it for under $120,000.

However, if you hope to sell a home in 2012, it may prove to be a long tough year.

A report produced by the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental benefit of building reuse.

This groundbreaking study in a punny way says “don’t break new ground.”  It offers compelling evidence of the benefits of retrofitting old buildings to be more energy efficient rather than tearing down and building new.  The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse, concludes that it can take between 10 and 80 years for a new, energy-efficient building to overcome, through more efficient operations, the negative climate change impacts that were created during the construction process.

The U.S. has been in the bad habit of tearing down old, often historic, buildings and constructing new ones.  The emerging counter-trend is to consider the entire life-cycle cost of building new versus making old buildings more energy efficient.  In other words, how much energy will a building use over one hundred years including the energy cost of construction?

A new home uses a huge amount of energy and resources to construct.  And even though newer homes are better insulated and have more efficient appliances, we are still using more energy than in the past. We burn up our efficiency savings by bringing more appliances and electronics into bigger and bigger homes.

An older home generally takes very little energy and few resources to renovate.  But, if does not undergo a serious energy retrofit (improved insulation, air-sealing, and HVAC systems), it can use even more energy than a new home.

The study concludes that “building reuse alone is insufficient to meet our responsibilities to reduce climate change related impacts. This study demonstrates that retrofitting existing buildings with appropriate energy upgrades offers the most substantial emissions reductions over time.”

The study also cautions against the uber-renovations of old homes that became common during the housing boom.  It emphasizes that design matters.  Stuff an old house with new materials and you may lose the benefits of reuse.

The authors conclude that the bottom line is that “reusing existing buildings is good for the economy, the community and the environment. At a time when our country’s foreclosure and unemployment rates remain high, communities would be wise to reinvest in their existing building stock. Historic rehabilitation has a thirty-two year track record of creating 2 million jobs and generating $90 billion in private investment. Studies show residential rehabilitation creates 50% more jobs than new construction.”

But if you’ve read about my family’s 111-year-old net zero energy house where we have eliminated our utility bills . . . then you already knew all of this.

Photo courtesy National Trust for Historic Preservation

Searching for the ideal wood flooring, windows or simple accents for your old home can lead you to many interesting places. There are the antique stores where old molding is stacked in a dusty corner. There’s the auction house where you can find that perfect door–at a staggering price, perhaps, but perfect nonetheless. There is the warehouse or junkyard where it appears whole houses were taken apart and then left out in the elements until someone came along to find that perfect replacement window, door hardware or intricate wrought-iron railing.

A salvage shop. Image credit: 1912bungalow.com

Anyone who has innocently walked into a salvage yard and come back out with a massive case of sticker shock knows that the best things for your old house aren’t always free. But there are some tips for salvage that can save you a bundle of both time and money.

Where to find the best salvage for your old house

Before you go to the high-end warehouse shop to find that rare flooring or lighting fixture that your old house simply must have, try these budget-friendly options:

1. Yard sales. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that was never more true than at a yard sale. Look for tag sales in rural areas, older neighborhoods and those with multiple families participating. If you stumble upon a very nice door or other item at a reasonable price, inquire about what else they might have for sale.
2. Flea markets. Though flea markets might be a bit more expensive than what you find at yard sales, there could also be a larger selection. Some flea market vendors bring only a small portion of their wares, so if you see a vendor who has a nice collection of what you might need for your home, feel free to ask if there is anything behind the scenes. You might be able to strike a deal.
3. Private owners. Plenty of people try to sell items through online message boards, such as Craigslist. Though you might have to wade through a wide variety of useless posts before you strike gold, it pays to keep an eye on the possibilities.
4. Internet auctions. The good news is that you can get plenty of old-fashioned elements for your old house at a cheap price. Savvy shopping and bidding can keep your costs down. The bad news? Shipping can kill any savings you might get.
5. Estate sales. These sales are often large events that last for a few days. The high-dollar items tend to go first, so keep that in mind if you choose to bid. Estate sales can often yield a fantastic deal on rare items, but you must be patient, check out all the offerings and be ready to pay cash on the spot.
6. Antique shops. Some of the best deals I have ever made came from antique shops. I scored a beautiful stained-glass window for under $100 and the perfect chandelier for less than $50. Remember to take your time and be ready to negotiate a deal.
7. Reproductions. As home restoration has become more popular, coveted items have become rare. As a result, sometimes the original restoration of a part of your home can be more expensive than the house itself. In that case, reproductions can be the answer. Though they don’t have the antique pedigree, some of them are so good that only you will know that little secret.

From the perfect doors for your kitchen cabinet refacing to the ideal antique fixture to highlight your front porch, these salvage tips can help you find what you need at a price that your pocketbook can handle.

You’ve polished those old hardwood floors, painstakingly restored the original windows and scoured antique shops for the perfect furnishings. Your old house might be as historically accurate as you can make it on the inside, but what about the outside?

When it’s time to upgrade the exterior of a historic home, many homeowners will go with vinyl siding colors and styles that are meant to mimic the look of old clapboard. Manufacturers can do a fine job of making their vinyl siding look as though it belongs in a historic district, and in many cases even historic commissions are giving the enthusiastic go-ahead for vinyl siding use.

Historically accurate paint. Image credit: Victor Bloomfield

But what if you have an old house that features original clapboard or other original exterior cladding? It is a shame to get rid of that or cover it over with something modern. In that case, painting your house might be the way to go.

Choosing the proper historical paint colors

Early photographs can be the best way to determine the proper colors for your historic home. Even black and white photographs can lend a clue as to the color scheme. Look for photographs through your local library, historical society or former residents of the home. If you don’t have any luck finding photos of your house, look for photographs of your neighbors’ properties–your home could be in the background.

It is also a good idea to look at historical information on your particular neighborhood or street. In some cases, houses truly stood out with unique paint jobs, and that might have been mentioned in historical documents, such as old newspapers.

If you can find an area of the house that seems to have original paint, that can help as well. Though paint chips like this will likely be faded by the elements, a professional well-versed in historic paints might be able to analyze it to determine the original color.

Keep your eyes peeled when looking for antiques, too. Paint color cards were presented to homeowners as early as the 1840’s, and many of them have wound up in the dusty shelves of antique shops. Though those samples might not be the color your old house once was, they can serve as inspiration for a new paint job.

Creating your own color scheme

In some cases, finding the original paint colors might be impossible. That’s when you turn to the popular colors of the day. For instance, bright colors like yellow and orange were popular in the South, while darker hues of red, indigo and brown were more popular in New England states. Paints for homes built before the early 1900’s had natural pigments; synthetic pigments didn’t come along until well after that.

Those natural pigments showed up often in Colonial style homes, including indigo and deep red. Federal style homes had more muted colors, such as cream, pumpkin, or light blue. Greek Revival homes were often painted white or cream with a few accents in deep colors. The palette really exploded with Victorian homes, which were painted in every color of the rainbow. Colonial Revival homes went back to the darker colors, including various shades of blue and gray.

Before you embark on that important paint job, do plenty of research. Your color scheme should add to the neighborhood ambiance and curb appeal while staying true to the home’s unique history.

Image credit: ColdwellBanker

Among all of the celebrity homes that have hit the market lately, few stand out as a historic gem. This one in Connecticut, however, is definitely worth a look. “The Cotton Tavern” sits on 40 acres of what is commonly referred to as the “Quiet Corner” of Connecticut, where the population is surprisingly low. The Federal-style house was built around 1770, and has been added onto over time whenever the residing family needed more space. Owner Renee Zellweger recently put the house on the market for $1.5 million.

A very careful restoration

The list of renovations done on this house are impressive. There are the usual things you would expect, such as an extensive overhaul of the plumbing and electrical systems, as well as the addition of a heating and air conditioning system. The kitchen was completely rebuilt, but it was done with care–the custom kitchen cabinets were built to reflect the time period in which the original house was built, and the hardwood floors were carefully chosen to match the rest of the house. Crown molding and new baseboards were installed, but they mimic the “real thing.”

The library

Some important elements were kept in place or restored in such a way that the original integrity of the house wasn’t compromised. The rear staircase was rebuilt, probably for safety concerns, but it was designed to look just like the original. Most of the original hardwood floors were kept, and so were many of the bathroom fixtures, including the tubs and sinks. Rather than strip the paneling from the majestic library, it was painstakingly restored.

In keeping with the look of the original home, the siding is painted wood clapboard, and the replacement windows blend in well with those that have been there for over a century. The fireplaces? There are seven of them, and they are all original.

The guest cottage is the original carriage house, and it still has the original doors. It also has an abundance of rough-hewn ceiling beams, wide-plank hardwood floors and replacement windows that are customized to look like the originals on the main house.

All of this is tucked away behind dry stone walls that are five feet high and four feet thick. That’s a nice historical touch that also provides some serious security.

The kitchen

A refreshing new life for an old house

Many celebrities with virtually unlimited funds tend to cast aside older homes in exchange for something new. After all, new construction is often much easier than careful restoration, so it’s nice to see someone pouring their cash into keeping up the integrity of their historic home.

The new owners of this place could consider putting in energy-efficient improvements when it is time to do a bit more renovation work. As any old house lover will tell you, the renovation on a home built in the 1700’s never actually ends. In a few years, we might see this home touted in Architectural Digest, and it could well have more improvements that make this historic home more than a little green.

I’ve warned about ice dams many times. It’s one of the leading causing of major damage to old homes. But, the problem doesn’t start on your roof. It starts from inside your home from leaking hot air.

If you have icicles hanging from your eaves, you need to take action now.  Those frozen daggers are a sign that you’ve got ice dams.  The ice dam enables the trapped water to get under the roof shingles, causing water to leak inside.

Here’s five tips from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for preventing ice dams and saving you thousands in repairs.

· Seal air leaks: Seal air leaks and duct air leaks in your attic to stop warm air leakage, the source of ice dam problems.

· Add insulation: After sealing leaks, add additional insulation in your attic.

· Check ventilation: Provide adequate attic ventilation so the underside of the roof and outside air are at the same temperature. Check to make sure attic insulation is not blocking roof ventilation. Incorrect ventilation can also cause additional problems, such as mold and mildew.

· Clean gutters: Clean leaves and other debris from gutters before the first snow. This will help prevent ice build-up in gutters.

· Hire an accredited contractor: Hire a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor accredited through the Building Performance Institute (BPI) or approved by your local energy program to conduct an in-home comprehensive energy assessment. The comprehensive assessment will not only identify specific home improvements to prevent future ice dams, but will also recommend ways to reduce energy use, save money and improve the health and safety of your home. 

Matt Grocoff, Esq. LEED is founder of Thrive - Net Zero Consulting Collaborative, host of Greenovation.TV, a contributor to The Environment Report on Public Radio, the green renovation expert for Old House Web, and a sought after lecturer. His home is America’s oldest net-zero energy home and was called “Sustainable Perfection” by The Atlantic, honored as one of USA Today’s “Seven Best Green Homes of 2010″ and Preservation Project of the Year.  He has been featured in hundreds of publications and news shows including Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, Preservation Magazine, Solar Today, Fox Business News, Huffington Post and more.  Join him on Google+, Twitter and Facebook

In addition to being a huge fan of architecture and old houses, I have a serious weakness for old-fashioned television shows where the underdog always wins. After getting hooked on a few seasons of Leverage on TNT, I started to notice that occasional scenes were filmed in a very nice hotel, one that had more than a few historic features. Was this a real place or just a very clever set?

The Governor Hotel. Image Credit: Hotels.com

After a few minutes of surfing message boards, I was reminded that yes, you can find anything on the Internet. That includes the history of the Governor Hotel in Portland, OR.

The history of a hotel

Originally known as the Seward Hotel, the swank downtown hotel opened in 1909 to fanfare and accolades. During that time, guests paid between $1.50 and $2.00 for a room that included luxurious and edgy designs for the time, including stained glass, terracotta and fine handcrafted details.

On the other side of the block, an entirely different but no less respected establishment was taking shape. In 1923, the Portland Elks Lodge was built. The Lodge was built in the style of the Farnese Palace in Rome, which was largely created by Michelangelo. The very classic look included coffered ceilings, inlaid marble and frescoes.

During the Depression, the Elks Lodge lost their Portland building. Over time, the majestic space underwent some serious changes, including the construction of an office building inside the structure. Fortunately, the architect who created the interior office building kept the original walls intact. That turned into a very significant choice years later, when the owner of the hotel saw those walls and realized there was great potential there. Though the buildings had been joined in the 1980s, they were not seamlessly integrated until much later. In 2004, the former Elks Lodge became the new entrance of the Governor Hotel.

Careful renovation achieves a work of art

Architectural details. Image credit: Governor Hotel

Architect Barry Smith led the 2003 renovation, which posed a significant challenge: how to update the building for today’s modern hotel yet keep all of the historical features intact? The job was wide-reaching and included everything from hiding modern lights in old-fashioned ceilings to installing stained glass that had been removed years prior. Through the use of old photographs, dismantling layers of wood and carpet and doing plenty of old-fashioned research into the nooks and crannies of the hotel, the renovation team reclaimed the 1909 grandeur of the Seward Hotel. Contractors worked tirelessly to restore, renovate and improve every part of the building, including a few spaces that had never before been opened to the public.

One of the most interesting parts of the hotel is a mystery that hangs right out in the open–tall figures that look more like robots than gargoyles grace the top of the building and appear to be looking down at passersby. These figures are completely out of place with the architecture of the building, yet make for a lively conversation piece from a hotel that already gives guests plenty of things to talk about.

One of the "Robots." Image credit: Governor Hotel

Being featured as a set on Leverage is just the latest claim to fame for this hotel, which has seen a great deal of movie-making magic within those historic walls. Now on the National Register and listed as one of the top hotels in the world by Travel and Leisure Magazine, the Governor Hotel is proof that a multitude of styles, details and histories can weave together to form one truly beautiful work of art.

In late 2010, I purchased a 1950’s rambler-style house in coastal Georgia. In keeping with my usual method of madness, I deliberately chose a fixer-upper home that I could pour my time and energy into. The big difference this time was the direction that energy would take.

My previous home, a 1901 Victorian, was by far the “youngest” house I had ever owned. Every older home I had worked with was a study in restoration. I preferred to keep the home as original as possible, and so spent countless hours wandering salvage shops, working with restoration contractors and doing so much research that I dreamed about the late 1800’s with an almost unsettling regularity.

Moving into a home built in the 1950’s offered a sudden new lease on renovation. Though the home could still be considered “old” it was certainly not an ancient darling, and that meant more options for my fixer-upper. Many changes could be made without sacrificing the integrity or the history of the home. That meant that I could start anywhere with this buffet of choices, so I gravitated toward products I had never had a chance to use before.

And was that ever an eye-opener.

A whole new approach to renovation

One of the first projects I tackled was the kitchen floor. I needed a quick and temporary fix for the scratched, dented and gouged vinyl flooring that was already in the kitchen and dining area. I simply wanted to avoid tripping over those trouble spots, and that called for a smooth, safe floor. Since I do a great deal of cooking and entertaining, it also had to be a very quick project.

My kitchen floor in progress.

I started with the easiest route–a walk down the aisles of my local home improvement store. I browsed the offerings and found everything from hardwood to thin vinyl, as well as a selection of custom options, such as bamboo, cork and concrete. The prices were just as varied as the materials.

During the restoration of an older home, the options for materials narrows down quickly. But for a home built in the 1950’s, the choice of materials covers almost everything out there and makes the choice much more difficult.

I finally chose simple, cheap vinyl flooring tiles. The tiles were less than ten dollars for a box of twenty-five. At that price I figured they would last only long enough to keep the floor nice while I searched for a more permanent solution, and that suited my needs just fine. The installation was do-it-yourself and very easy. A full Saturday of work was all it took to complete the entire project.

What was meant to be temporary has really surprised me. After a solid year of walking on these tiles, the durability is still impressive, and I like the look. Not only do I now plan to keep the vinyl tiles in place, I am going to use them for the bathrooms, too.

The completed floor.

Restoration versus renovation

I admit that I went into these projects with a serious bias toward materials that had stood the test of time. Reclaimed wood? Much better than any other flooring out there. Traditional ceramic tile in the bathrooms? Best choice available.

But as I slowly became familiar with options that I never would have considered for my older homes, I was reminded that just as there are some old materials that will always be superior, there are modern options definitely worth considering.

However, I am not giving up on the tried-and-true products just yet. In my search for hardwood floors for the master suite, I keep wandering back to reclaimed woods. My tastes in fiber cement siding are leaning toward a very traditional look. Plans are brewing for installation of original clerestory windows over the dining area. Maybe it’s proof that old houses get in your heart and stay there, even when you’re living in a relatively modern rambler.

“What’s the most environmentally friendly way to remove the snow from my sidewalk?”  This is one of the most popular questions that I get from readers.  My favorite answer is “wait till spring.”  If that’s not practical for you then try these methods.

1.  Shoveling, plowing & sweeping:

Now stop your whining.  I know this is not what you wanted to hear.  But, without a doubt, human-powered removal is the only 100% eco-friendly way to get rid of snow.  There are no downsides for the environment, your family or your lawn.  A simple shovel and broom are the cleanest, cheapest and most effective to keep a safe walkway and you can save a ton by canceling your winter gym membership.

There are many creatively designed (and expensive) snow shovels available.  But, my favorite is still the simple snow-plow style aluminum shovel with a wooden handle.  You can make easy work of it by angling the blade toward the grass and plowing the snow forward rather than the conventional shovel, lift & toss method.

TIP:  Get the snow cleared early in the day and let the radiant heat of the sun warm the surface to keep it safe and dry.   Shovel before the snow reaches more than 3″.  It’s easier to shovel 3″ of snow three times a day than it is to shovel 9″ of snow once.

Personally, I don’t find mechanical blowers any easier to use than a shovel unless there is a huge snowfall.  By the time you drag the thing out of the garage and mess with all the moving parts you could have finished a small driveway and sidewalk.  That said, if you’re looking for an eco-friendly snow plow you’ll have to choose from the lesser of the evils.

An electric blower is the cleanest, quietest and easiest to maintain (especially if you have solar panels).  But, they are not as powerful as their fossil-fuel powered brethren.   If you need more power you can find a diesel powered blower and use a bio-diesel.  I once road in a car powered by leftover oil from a churro factory.

If you are still addicted to dirty foreign fossil fuel you have one more lesser evil. Honda makes a hybrid snow blower with emissions 30% lower than EPA Phase 2 standards.

2.  Get Some Traction:

Sometimes simply keeping the surface from getting slick will do the trick.  Try putting down an abrasive material like sand or wood ash to help get some traction.  The black wood ash will also absorb some heat from the sun and help melt and evaporate the snow during the day.  Sand should be used sparingly since it can clog local storm drains and create excess silt in local streams and rivers.

One interesting product is EcoTraction.  It’s made from a volcanic material that is lighter than sand and has none of the disadvantages of chemical ice melts.

In 2008, the town of Ankeny, Iowa got deliciously creative.  They used garlic salt donated from a local spice-maker to spread on the roads.  That winter they had some of the tastiest road-kill around.

3.  Ice Melt:

We all wish there was some safe and effective chemical that we can toss on the ground and make the snow or ice just disappear . . . but there just isn’t.  Despite the growing chorus of wild claims of “green” or eco-friendly”, there is no perfect ice melt out there.  Municipalities are studying the best approaches and looking for healthier alternatives.  De-icers should be considered only as a last resort.

Let’s take a look at some options:

De-icers commonly contain either chlorides or acetates.  Ingredients like Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride and/or Calcium Chloride are all salt.

Salt is bad for your pets, will kill you grass and plants, is corrosive to cars and will pollute nearby streams and rivers.  Other than that . . . it’s great for melting snow.  Use it rarely and very, very sparingly.

Products containing acetates are noted for being less corrosive than salts.  Potassium acetate, often used at airports, has come under fire recently after research showed that it is toxic to fish and other marine life.

As they say, life is messy.  So is snow removal.  Slow down.  Enjoy the morning.  Take your time to shovel and breathe in the quiet snowy day.

Matt Grocoff, Esq. LEED is founder of Thrive - Net Zero Consulting Collaborative, host of Greenovation.TV, a contributor to The Environment Report on Public Radio, the green renovation expert for Old House Web, and a sought after lecturer. His home is America’s oldest net-zero energy home and was called “Sustainable Perfection” by The Atlantic, honored as one of USA Today’s “Seven Best Green Homes of 2010″ and Preservation Project of the Year.  He has been featured in hundreds of publications and news shows including Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, Preservation Magazine, Solar Today, Fox Business News, Huffington Post and more.  Join him on Google+, Twitter and Facebook

Now that the holidays are here, so are the Christmas lights and candles burning into the night. That makes this time of year the most dangerous for house fires. Fire safety experts claim that fires from candles alone jump 300 percent from now through the New Year.

Unfortunate holiday fire. Image credit: Jackson Citizen Patriot

But a recent ABCNews report found that if you live in an old house, the chances of your home surviving the fire are much better than that of a very modern home. In fact, a side-by-side comparison of a modern home and an older home in flames found that the modern home went up in smoke much faster–up to six times faster.

Why do new houses burn faster?

The reason is attributed to the materials used to build the home, as well as the materials inside it. Homes built over 50 years ago likely used solid lumber and other heavy-duty materials. Today’s homes are built at a much faster pace and often at a cheaper price, thanks to materials like particle board and synthetics.

These materials be lighter, cheaper and easier to produce, but they are also much more hazardous in the event of a fire. The newer products are often petroleum-based, and that is pure fuel to a raging fire. The older products are made of natural materials and thus have a longer burn, giving firefighters more time to put the fire out. Most importantly, that longer burn gives your family much more time to get away from the danger.

The report points out that fire-resistant technology hasn’t kept pace with the rapid growth of new products. The only possible exception might be mattresses; in some cases, mattresses that are deliberately set on fire will only smolder, or put themselves out altogether. Though some of the same can be seen with modern insulation, most of the elements of modern homes are more dangerous than their older counterparts.

Lessons to remember in old house renovation

Want to make your renovation as safe as possible? Look for products that have a lower rate of burn, as well as a lower rate of fumes and gases released when they are heated. A good example of this is fiber cement siding, which resists fire very well and looks great on older homes. Another good option is solid plank flooring versus veneer that only looks like the real thing. Speak with your contractor about choosing original woods and traditional materials, such as concrete.

When you are renovating an old house, it might be tempting to look for modern materials that mimic the originals in order to save on money and effort. However, that particle-board won’t stand up very well to the ravages of a house fire. Solid wood costs more, but it also provides a measure of safety and peace of mind that newer products can’t offer.

On a final note, remember that most serious house fires begin when furniture is somehow ignited. That’s why it pays to furnish your home with solid woods and other old-fashioned materials, rather than particle-board or synthetics. This makes a great argument for furnishing a historic home with antiques.

In 1928, the Felt Estate (Shore Acres) in Michigan’s Saugatuck Dunes was powered with a series of windmills feeding electricity to all the buildings.  Remarkably ahead of its time, a wave undulation machine was installed which pumped fresh water from Lake Michigan up the hill to irrigate the homestead fields. At Shore Acres, renewable energy allowed a life of opulence and excess.

Dorr Felt, millionaire inventor of the comptometer, built this 17,000 square foot mega-mansion as a largely self-sustaining luxurious summer retreat for his family.  In 1925 he began construction on the “Big House” as a gift to his wife Agnes.  Agnes’ death in 1928 followed by Dorr’s passing in 1930 set the stage for the rapid decline of this extravagant property.

Felt’s daughters sold the estate to the St. Augustine Seminary in 1948.  By the 1970’s declining enrollment forced the Seminary to sell the property to The State of Michigan.  The State did what any forward-thinking governmental organization would do with a the former home of an industrial-era capitalist . . . They turned it into a minimum security prison and converted the “Big House” into prison storage and a State Police Post.

Eventually the State sold the property to Laketown Township.  The prison was eventually razed and the Felt homes and out-buildings laid abandoned.

Years later Pat Hoezee Meyer and her husband Dean were hiking in the Saugatuck Dunes and were awestruck to discover the erstwhile treasure decaying in sand.  Pat had two extraordinary visions about the estate.  First, on the day of their discovery she knew that she wanted to begin a Herculean community-led restoration of the mansion.

The second epiphany came years into the remarkable restoration.  After attending several of my lectures about converting the existing housing stock to net zero energy, water and waste, Pat announced the Felt Zero By ‘16 project: by 2016 the property would harvest more energy than it annually consumed.

“Instead of spending $2,000 a month on energy costs, we need to spend it on renewable energy sources,” Pat said.  By losing less, using less then producing energy with a solar array in a nearby field, Pat has set her sights on Felt as the first property on the National Registry of Historic Places to achieve net zero energy.

I’ll keep you posted on Pat’s extraordinary quest.

Read Lessons in blending history and energy efficiency to learn more about what you can do to your old house.

The Felt Mansion today is used for community events, tours and weddings

Matt Grocoff, Esq. LEED is founder of Thrive - Net Zero Consulting Collaborative, host of Greenovation.TV, a contributor to The Environment Report on Public Radio, the green renovation expert for Old House Web, and a sought after lecturer. His home is America’s oldest net-zero energy home and was called “Sustainable Perfection” by The Atlantic, honored as one of USA Today’s “Seven Best Green Homes of 2010″ and Preservation Project of the Year.  He has been featured in hundreds of publications and news shows including Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, Preservation Magazine, Solar Today, Fox Business News, Huffington Post and more.  Join him on Google+, Twitter and Facebook

Every few weeks there will be a nice write-up, complete with video, of an old house lifted onto a platform and rolled through the streets to a new property. Just as common are the heart-warming stories of historic homes saved from the wrecking ball by a group of concerned citizens and a few hefty donations.

The lovely house that will move back to Sag Harbor. Image credit: Robert Strada and Sag Harbor Express.

But it isn’t every day that you hear of a historic home that was literally taken apart, piece by piece, in order to save it. That’s what happened with a 1740’s home in Southampton, New York.

A labor of love

Robert Strada and his wife Michelle learned in 2006 that the home was to be demolished. Unfortunately, there was nothing the historic commission could do, as the home was just outside of the designated historic district. Ironically, “outside of the district” meant literally right across the street.

After a bit of legal wrangling, Strada secured permission to remove the home, one stick at a time. It took a month to dismantle the house, and then it was stacked neatly in a warehouse in the hopes of one day finding a new home. After several years of looking for the perfect place, Strada and his wife took out an ad in The Sag Harbor Express explaining the situation. Two friends they had known for decades stepped up with the offer of property, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But this isn’t the first time the house has been moved. It was originally constructed in Connecticut and then moved to Sag Harbor, where it remained for many years. At some point a woman from Texas fell in love with the home, and her devoted husband agreed to move it to Southampton for her. The move was made much the same way the current one was–painstakingly, piece by piece.

The art of taking a house apart

Taking houses apart to move them happens more often than you might think. It is not unusual to see ads in newspapers or online for homes given away for free, assuming they can be moved by the new owners. A good contractor and their team can make short work of a small house, but for homeowners intent on doing the job themselves, the work could take months.

Long before modern conveniences made lifting a house look easy, homeowners were taking apart a house one piece at a time, starting with the siding and ending with the plumbing and other major internal systems of the house. It was all slowly shipped to its new home and assembled with painstaking care. Other methods included rolling houses, or large sections of them, on a series of logs stacked side by side. Sleds pulled by strong horses or oxen were sometimes used to carry parts of the houses just as they had once carried parts of the trees that made them. Timber carriers allow large logs and stacks of lumber to be moved by hand with relative ease.

Keep in mind that taking apart a house, even if you are doing most of the work yourself, is not a cheap proposition. In many cases a contractor must be employed to help put the house back together, and some areas of the house might need to be upgraded after years of neglect, making that kitchen remodel or new bathroom an absolute must. Though obtaining a historical home for a few thousand dollars might be tempting, it pays to consider the additional cost, time and effort that must be poured into the home to make it livable again on another piece of property.

The holiday season means colder temperatures, and that means heating your old house. But this can be trickier than simply flipping a switch or dialing up a thermostat. Every year about this time, there are horror stories in the news of homes that burned to the ground, families that were devastated by the loss and historical gems that vanished in a pile of ashes.

Image credit: Country Living

Hopefully, your old house is in better shape. But there are still a few special precautions to take when the winter winds try to get into your house.

1. Get a thorough chimney inspection. If you plan to use the fireplace, have it checked out, cleaned and if necessary, repaired by a professional contractor. This is an important step to take even if you don’t use your fireplace. Plenty of warm air can escape your home through a faulty chimney, and that means higher heating bills.
2. Have the furnace checked out. If you use an electric furnace, a maintenance check can help ensure that it runs efficiently and safely. Some furnaces are old workhorses that have worked well for years, but they still need some care in order to keep up that sterling track record of service.
3. Be careful with heaters. During my first year in an old house, the wiring was rather iffy and the furnace didn’t work. I was nervous about using the fireplace, so I went with electric heaters instead. If you are in the same situation, keep in mind that vigilance is key. Choose heaters that shut off automatically if they tip over or overheat. Place them strategically around the home, always away from curtains, blankets or carpets, and keep an eye on them at all times.
4. Don’t overload the outlets. This is an important thing to remember during the holidays but it holds especially true for old houses, where the wiring might not be the best. In many cases the breaker will trip or the fuse will burn out, but if it doesn’t, you could have a serious fire hazard on your hands. Never overload extension cords.
5. Put safety measures in place. This is one of the most important things you can do to keep your family safe. Install smoke detectors and make sure they are in good working order. Install carbon monoxide detectors as well. Don’t forget to invest in fire extinguishers. I once had a kitchen blaze that was quickly handled with a fire extinguisher; if I hadn’t had it handy, my old house could have been lost.
6. Have a plan to get out. If the worst happens, have a plan to get out of the house quickly. If you are living in a fixer-upper, keep in mind that some windows might be painted shut and other routes out of the house might be compromised. Have a plan that takes all of these possible issues into account. In one of my former old houses, I purchased inexpensive ladders for every upstairs window rather than rely on the kids coming down the narrow spiral staircase. Though we never had to use them, the peace of mind worked wonders.

Staying safe during the winter months takes a special kind of vigilance, especially in an old house. Now is the time to call a contractor to handle any issues with the furnace, wiring or fireplace. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Anyone who follows Matt Grocoff and his old house adventures knows that energy-efficiency and old houses can be a beautiful mix. Homeowners across the country are catching on to the fact that green doesn’t necessarily equal ultra-modern, and that even the smallest changes in an old house can make a big difference.

However, when price is not really an option, there are even more upgrades you can make while restoring your old house to its rightful glory. When Julie Tung and Ed Schwartz decided to find a home in Ridgewood, New Jersey, their two passions had to meet: she wanted a historic home to restore, and he wanted a home he could make energy-efficient. They settled on a 5,000 square foot house built in 1767 that was at risk of being torn down.

Image Credit: Ridgewood Patch

From basic problems to modern ideas

The work started from the ground up–literally. Part of the foundation was missing, making the home unstable. Other surprises included those common to old houses, such as lead pipes, asbestos, ancient wiring, unusable chimneys and mold lurking in the basement. What was meant to be a project of a few years began in 2006 and was only recently completed.

Schwartz pointed out that approaching the job one step at a time was the best way to go–and that hiring a good contractor was a key to success. “Old houses have a lot of nuances, and a contractor who doesn’t understand them can do more harm than good,” he told NewJersey.com. In their case, a seasoned contractor was able to help them save as much of the original wood flooring as possible. The addition of cork floors in the foyer and kitchen proves that modern materials can fit in perfectly with an old house and be even more environmentally-friendly than traditional wood.

The original windows from the 1860’s reside in harmony with the solar panels on the roof. Rather than sacrifice the windows for energy-efficient replacement windows, the couple chose to instead heavily insulate the walls and looked to inexpensive fixes, such as weather-stripping and caulk, to keep the original look. Schwartz pointed out that many renovations rip out the windows first, but that it doesn’t make much sense, since windows are only about 20 percent of the wall area. “You want to tackle the 80 percent–insulating the walls–before you go after the 20 percent that’s windows,” Schwartz said.

Tricks of the trade that save money

Though several hundred thousand was put into the work, there are lessons homeowners on tighter budgets can take away from the home Schwartz and Tung restored. Keeping all the elements of the home you possibly can, using reclaimed wood where appropriate and holding out for discount items are all mainstays of the budget-friendly restoration. For things that must be replaced, a salvage yard can be your wallet’s best friend. Consider using second-hand appliances, doing much of the small detail work yourself and always hire a good contractor for the big projects–remember, if it is done right the first time, that saves you money in the long run.

Humidity levels in your house are a year-round issue.  While wet or frosted windows are probably not a sign that you have bad windows, it may be a warning sign that you need to take some action.  Chances are that whatever is causing condensation is also making your house less comfortable and costing you more to heat and cool.

Condensation appears when the window’s surface is colder than the room temperature and drops below the dew point.  This is the same reason your mirror gets foggy when you take a shower in the winter or your can of soda gets sweaty in the summer.

The most effective ways to manage moisture levels are 1) reducing moisture at the source, 2) stopping air leakage, and 3) ventilating properly.

Reduce Moisture

The first line of defense is to reduce the amount of moisture coming from your house.  Check out the list below of sources of home moisture.  Just your family’s breath and sweat can add 1.5 gallons of water per day.  One solution would be to stop sweating or breathing.  But, it’s not recommended.

You can reduce the interior moisture levels by installing high-efficiency shower heads and faucet aerators.  A high quality 1.5 gallon per minute shower head will save 15,000 gallons of water per year for a family of four.  Water efficient dishwashers and clothes washers will similarly reduce humidity levels.

Make sure your dryer is properly vented to the outside.  Venting to the inside not only adds nearly a gallon of water per load, it spills unhealthy air into your living space.

Typically you should not need to use a humidifier in the winter because of the amount of moisture that is generated during your daily activities.  If you find your house too dry, consider a whole-house ventilation system such as an energy or heat recovery ventilator (or maybe several house plants).

Stop Air Leakage

Moisture on the inside of the storm window may mean that the your main window is leaky and carrying moisture to the cooler storm where it condenses.  Weatherstripping and caulking your old windows will help stop these air leaks.  Read “Save Big Bucks By Restoring Your Old Windows & Making Them More Energy Efficient“).  Ultimately, this will save your windows and save you money.

If the moisture is on the inside of your single pane windows consider adding high-quality Energy Star rated storm windows.  This will slow down the heat loss from your house and keep the inside window warmer and keep away the condensation.

Ventilation

You can control how your house is ventilated by opening and closing windows, using bath and kitchen fans or installing a energy recovery or heat recovery ventilator.  Energy or heat recover ventilators (ERV or HRV) which run continuously can help maintain proper moisture levels.

Running bath and kitchen fans will help exhaust excess moisture and help prevent mold from these high-moisture source points.  It’s a good idea to put a timer switch on exhaust fans so that stay on only as long as necessary and are automatically shut off when they are not needed.

—-

When the heating and the outside temperature is below 15º, the relative humidity should be below 30%. In very cold weather, the humidity may need to fall below 30% to prevent condensation or frost on windows.

The University of Minnesota has developed guidelines for the minimum recommended humidity levels for houses. Based on a 70ºF interior room temperature, engineering studies established the following guidelines:

Outside Temperature Inside Humidity

20º to 40ºF Not over 40%

10º to 20ºF Not over 35%

0º to 10ºF Not over 30%

-10º to  0ºF Not over 25%

-20º to –10ºF Not over 20%

-20ºF or below Not over 15%

These guidelines do not guarantee that condensation will not appear on mirrors or windows. Factors such as closed blinds or drapes may require you to decrease the relative humidity in your house below these guidelines.

Clothes washing (Automatic, lid closed, standpipe discharge) 0 +/load (usually nil)

Clothes drying: vented outdoors 0 +/load (usually nil) not vented outdoors or indoor line drying 4.68 to
6.18/load (more if gas dryer)

Combustion - unvented kerosene space heater 7.6/gallon of kerosene burned

Cooking: breakfast (family of four, average) 0.35 (plus 0.58 if gas cooking)
lunch (family of four, average) 0.53 (plus 0.68 if gas cooking)
dinner (family of four, average) 1.22 (plus 1.58 if gas cooking)
simmer at 203°F., 10 minutes, 6-inch pan (plus gas) less than 0.01 if covered, 0.13 if uncovered
boil 10 minutes, 6-inch pan (plus gas) 0.48 if covered, 0.57 if uncovered

Dishwashing: breakfast (family of four, average) 0.21
lunch (family of four, average) 0.16
dinner (family of four, average) 0.68

Firewood storage indoors (cord of green firewood) 400 to 800/6 months

Floor mopping 0.03/square foot

Gas range pilot light (each) 0.37 or less/day

House plants (5 to 7 average plants) 0.86 to 0.96/day

Humidifiers 0 to 120 + /day (2.08 average/hour)

Respiration and perspiration (family of four, average) 0.44/hour

Refrigerator defrost 1.03/day (average

Saunas, steambaths, and whirlpools 0 to 2.7 + /hour

Ground moisture migration 0 to 105/day

Seasonal high outdoor humidity 64 to 249 + /day

On a distant corner of my grandparent’s farm, there was a slab of concrete in the middle of a field. When I was very young, I fancied it was a landing pad for aliens. When I finally asked my grandfather what it was, he told me it was the basement of an old house, one that had been torn down many years before.

So much for that alien theory.

But my grandfather cautioned me not to play there, because there was something even more sinister lurking, something that was just as invisible as aliens from other planets. Radon, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, was in the soil underneath and around the basement.

Popular Radon Test Kit. Image Credit: Radon.com

Understanding what radon is

Radon is created by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, water and rock. If this happens out in the open, the radon quickly dissipates and poses no risk. The problem arises when radon gets trapped inside a structure. Radon levels can build up to a point where they are dangerous for humans. In fact, radon gas is considered the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

New construction homes can be properly ventilated to direct radon gas out of the living area and into the open air. But houses built before 1970 probably don’t have any sort of mitigation system in place, as the gas wasn’t considered a threat until studies were done in the 1970’s. The true implications of radon buildup in homes weren’t known until 1985.

The highest concentrations of radon are found in the Appalachian Mountains, Pennsylvania and Iowa, but radon can cause problems anywhere, as evidenced by the abandoned basement on my grandparents’ farm in Kentucky.

What to do about radon in your old house

The test for radon is very simple and inexpensive. Some states offer radon testing programs for free. The test entails hanging a radon-sensitive packet in the lowest livable level of your home for several days, then sending it in to a lab for analysis.

The EPA has in-depth information on radon, including information on how to get a test kit and what steps to take if your old house does test over the acceptable limit for radon.

If your home has high radon levels, don’t panic. This is something that can be remedied. The EPA approves numerous methods, including radon sump systems, improved ventilation techniques and sub-slab depressurization. There are also a few do-it-yourself radon mitigation options you can try, but you must closely monitor radon levels if you go this route. Professional mitigation costs vary depending upon the area and the situation with the house itself; however, expecting to pay between $500 and $1,500 for mitigation is a good rule of thumb.

Most radon mitigation requires the help of a professional. Some states require radon mitigation contractors to be licensed, registered and certified, while others have more relaxed requirements. Contacting your state radon program can give you more information about what to expect from mitigation experts in your area. Be sure to check them out before you hire them, just as you would with any contractor.

Energy efficient lighting has been a challenge for historic buildings.  Compact fluorescents with their little squiggly shapes often don’t fit in or are just too darn ugly for many elegant historic fixtures.  Help is fast approaching.  I believe that 2012 will be a watershed year in the history of lighting.

Last year when I toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House in Chicago, the historic home and museum was undergoing a deep restoration.  Part of the challenge for the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust was to maintain the integrity of the legendary architect’s vision while seeking ways to reduce the energy consumption of the building.

I asked about how they would handle the energy hogging bare-bulb sconces.  They answered that they would have to compromise.  When the home was not open to the public they would use only the lights in enclosed fixtures that used CFL bulbs.  The bare-bulb sconces would keep their energy-hogging filament bulbs but would only be turned on during special events.

I’ve said many times that weaning old homes off of dirty fossil-fuels is a precondition to preservation.  So, as one who believes there is no way to separate sustainability and historic preservation, I’m thrilled at the new choices available on big box store shelves.

One exciting new entrant into the LED market is the Panasonic “Filament” LED.  It’s designed to look like a traditional filament light bulb but uses only a tiny, tiny fraction of the energy.  It won the 2011 Good Design Gold Award at this year’s Good Design Award show hosted by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.

It’s a traditional screw in bulb, uses only 4.4 watts (almost 80% less than it’s incandescent counterpart), and it has a soft, warm glow (for you lighting geeks . . . that’s a 2700 kelvin light temperature).

Perhaps the most impressive feature of this bulb is it’s endurance.  It is designed to provide 40,000 hours of light!  For the average user this bulb will last 40 years!

Unlike CFLs, LEDs deliver 100% of the light instantly. So no need anymore to wait a warm up of the lamp. You can finally truly use it in a staircase or bathroom or wherever the light needs to be switched on 100% instantly.  And they are dimmable and contain zero mercury.

Since this bulb is meant to replace a 20 watt incandescent bulb, it’s great for bath, kitchen or other locations with multi-bulb fixtures.

Matt Grocoff, Esq. LEED is founder of Thrive - Net Zero Consulting Collaborative, host of Greenovation.TV, a contributor to The Environment Report on Public Radio, the green renovation expert for Old House Web, and a sought after lecturer. His home is America’s oldest net-zero energy home and was called “Sustainable Perfection” by The Atlantic, honored as one of USA Today’s “Seven Best Green Homes of 2010″ and Preservation Project of the Year.  He has been featured in hundreds of publications and news shows including Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, Preservation Magazine, Solar Today, Fox Business News, Huffington Post and more.  Join him on Google+, Twitter and Facebook

Communities usually start with families. One family builds a home on a piece of land and moves into it, then within a short period of time, another home pops up nearby. Soon there is development happening everywhere, and those first residents sit back and watch as their little community grows by leaps and bounds.

In the case of Levittown, it was the houses themselves that launched the community.

The year was 1945. World War II was ending, and at the same time, residents in the tiny farming town of Island Trees, New York were selling off their property as fast as they could. The golden nematode had decimated the valuable potato crops, making the land useless.

The floorplan for an original Levitt house. Image Credit: University of Illinois at Chicago

Golden nematodes lead to golden opportunity

Bill Levitt, one of the sons in building firm Levitt and Sons, was finishing up his Navy service. Seeing a unique opportunity, Levitt talked his father into buying up the old potato farms, dividing them into tracts and building cheap yet sturdy homes for the returning soldiers. The GI Loans offered to the servicemen would make these homes an affordable option. The homes would also have a very simple floor plan that would allow the owners to easily build onto the home in future years.

The mere promise of affordable homes was a success. On May 7, 1947, Levitt and Sons made a public announcement of their intent to build 2,000 homes for returning soldiers. Two days later, 1,000 of those homes had been rented. The homes were yet to be built, but the soldiers needed housing right then.

The solution? The first mass-produced homes in America.

The homes were built on a concrete slab foundation, forgoing the basement that was so common in homes of that time period. All of the lumber was pre-cut and shipped to the site. Brochures from that time period show walls, stairs and other elements of the homes already assembled and waiting to be put into place, making Levitt homes one of the first examples of the modular construction technique. In fact, these techniques were so successful that soon, the company was building 30 homes every day.

In the end, over 17,000 Levitt homes were built. The community had its own schools, shopping centers and post office. In honor of the astounding accomplishments, the new town dropped the Island Trees name and became known as Levittown.

A community still going strong

Today, most of the Levittown homes have changed from their original look, thanks to remodeling that added more rooms, changes to the exterior and sometimes significant changes to the surrounding area, such as homeowners who bought neighboring property in order to tear down the original house and expand their own homes. However, the homes are such a part of American history that the Smithsonian has long been on the prowl for a homeowner willing to donate their original Levittown house for exhibit display.

Though it is common to see the forerunners of today’s more modern homes–for example, a look at a Frank Lloyd Wright “Prairie” house has the first elements of a modern open floor plan–it is rare to see a particular house and construction style change the way the world lives. Today’s rapid construction techniques for modular homes and subdivisions began with the need for quick and affordable housing, and Levitt and Sons found the solution that influenced the history of our communities.

A photograph from Levitt and Sons brochure. Image Credit: University of Illinois at Chicago

When the August 2011 earthquake caught the upper eastern seaboard by surprise, I was on the second floor of a 1836 home just outside of Philadelphia. I had just walked out of my kitchen into the living room when it seemed the floor tilted, then settled back down, then tilted again.

I leaned against the wall, confused. I thought it was a dizzy spell. When I heard the rattling of the glass in the window frames, I adjusted my thinking: this was the result of construction on the street below. But when the rattling got stronger, the tilt came again and the power suddenly flickered away, I realized it was an earthquake.

Spires on the National Cathedral tumbled during the earthquake. Image credit: UPI.com

Shaking up an old house

I grew up in an area around the New Madrid fault zone, so I knew what an earthquake felt like. But I had never felt an earthquake in a truly old house, and it was an interesting experience. Rather than the shaking I had always felt in the past, the home gently swayed. Rather than the usual groaning and creaking of wood, there was a deep grinding sound that must have come from the thick brick and mortar. Rather than cracking at the corners like I had known modern windows to do, the glass in the ancient windows, some quite fragile, stood up to the quake.

Soon after the earthquake was over, everyone from newscasters to neighbors began to talk about what could happen to the cherished historical buildings in the area if a really big quake hit. Unfortunately, a true seismic retrofit could destroy or disturb the very period details that make a historic building so–well, historic. The key is to find a happy medium between modern seismic protection and the historical integrity of the building.

Time for a seismic retrofit?

Since every old building is unique, calling in a contractor who specializes in seismic retrofit is the best course of action. Since an earthquake can strike at any time, it is a good idea to get the ball rolling on what needs to be done. But while you wait for the contractor, there are a few things you can do to help ensure your home is as safe as possible if the earth starts to rattle and roll:

1. Check for moisture damage. Any weakened wood in your home is a prime place for collapse.
2. Watch for termites. The same is true of areas where termites feed. The weaker the wood, the more opportunity for damage.
3. Check out your bricks. Many historic homes are made of ancient brick, and it can crumble if it hasn’t been properly maintained.
4. Upgrade to flexible gas and water lines. Sometimes a home that survives an earthquake without damage is later destroyed by fire from broken gas lines or heavily damaged by broken water lines. Flexible connectors can help prevent this secondary catastrophe.
5. Identify unsafe areas. For example, that beautiful masonry on the exterior of your home could be the first to tumble, so keep that in mind when forming an emergency exit plan.

Finally, if you are not in a place that gets many earthquakes, don’t be fooled by that false sense of security. Many people in the D.C. area, Philadelphia or New York City never expected to feel the shaking of an earthquake, but what was happening was unmistakable. Just when you think it can’t happen, it can–so be prepared.