Mary Stith House (History.org)

I was out walking my dogs one evening last week and had the opportunity to talk to a neighbor doing some yard work. We had talked briefly in the past, but this was the first time our conversation had extended beyond dogs and how the weather had been lately. He mentioned that as a nature lover and history buff, he often looked out at the mountains that dominate our landscape and thought about how lucky he was.

I will have to second that motion. He was referring to the Native-American and Civil War history for which Virginia has a well-deserved reputation, but when it comes to historic preservation and old houses, I don’t think Virginia takes second place to any state. I know all states have their share of historic older homes and do their best to preserve the buildings and old houses that have played a significant role in the states’ growth and development: I recently wrote about Oklahoma’s on going preservation projects and have discussed successful efforts in many other states, as well. However, it seems like the importance of Virginia’s history as a state and as a driving force in the formation of our nation has been drilled into my head since I first moved here in seventh grade.

Virginia has Mount Vernon, Monticello, Jamestown, and Williamsburg–all well-known historic landmarks to any student of American history, or old house enthusiast. She has historic Charlottesville, Winchester, and Alexandria–and small towns dotting the countryside that are full of beautifully preserved old homes–but one area I never associated with old houses and historic preservation was the resort area of Virginia Beach.

Virginia Beach Preservation

Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia and known for its miles of pristine Atlantic beaches, but it came from very humble beginnings. Virginia Beach was once nothing more than a small resort town in Princess Anne County, one of the first colonial counties in Virginia. However, as Virginia Beach grew, the county eventually joined forces with the city, and Princess Anne County no longer exists except in name and in the history books.

Historic old houses like the Adam Thoroughgood House, one of the oldest colonial homes in Virginia, and the Francis Land House, are now a part of Virginia Beach. Adam Thoroughgood was an indentured servant when he arrived on the scene in 1621 and his home was built between 1680 and 1720. The local preservation organizations are now hard at work trying to save the Whitehurst/Buffington House built in 1793. Virginia Beach has inherited the historic old houses of Princess Anne County, and just like the state it’s a part of, seems to be taking historic preservation seriously.

Are solar panels appropriate for historic homes?  Wouldn’t it be better to put the panels on the back of the house - behind the tree - so it can’t be seen from the street?  Do the panels look worse than asphalt shingles or vinyl siding?  These were some of the questions I heard during an hour-long hearing where my friend Chris Hewett was the first resident ever seeking permission from the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission to install solar panels on his 120-year old home.

Historic Victorian house in Santa Cruz, CA with thirty-two 215 watt SunPower solar panels

These questions demonstrate the conflict between historic preservation and the urgent need to eliminate the carbon footprint of our homes.

But, the first question our Historic District Commissions should be asking is one posed by Henry David Thoreau, “what’s the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?”

I deeply believe that we must preserve old homes and I am a die-hard supporter of historic districts.   Preserving and restoring historic properties and neighborhoods helps us know who we are and helps revitalize deteriorating communities.  Indeed, it is essential to a sustainable future and a core mission of my show on www.Greenovation.TV.

Existing homes produce a shocking 22% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.  Historic district commissions must understand the urgency of this problem and become an active part of the solution.

But, as the barriers slowly fall for consumers to install renewable energy systems, historic district commissions nationwide are creating bigger hurdles and sometimes forbidding renewable energy solutions - all in the name of preservation.

Commissions should certainly collaborate with homeowners to help find the least intrusive way to install panels, while still allowing maximum production efficiency.  We don’t want old homes cluttered with poorly designed solar arrays.  But, denying applications outright makes historic homes unsustainable in the future energy economy.

To get my family’s historic home to net-zero energy we are considering using SunPower solar panels which are exceptionally efficient, meaning fewer panels will produce more energy.  They also have a black-on-black color which makes them well suited for historic district aesthetics.  But, should our application be denied if the historic commissioners decide that black-on-black looks “too modern”?

The Ann Arbor HDC unanimously approved my friend Chris’ application for his six solar panels.  But, thousands more homeowners in historic districts will soon be considering rooftop solar.  Since Chris’ hearing was the first in Ann Arbor, the commissioners admitted they have a steep learning curve.

We need to streamline and relax the historic district approval process nationwide.

And strict prohibitions against visible solar is contrary to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s mission of making historic homes more sustainable.  Most importantly . . . is it wise to preserve history if we fail to protect our future?

Meanwhile, I am scheduled to appear next month before the Historic District Commission for our solar application.  Will they prevent us from becoming the first net-zero house in a historic district and the oldest net zero house in America?  Or will they help us make history?  Stay tuned . . .

I’d love to hear your stories about installing solar on a historic house.  Tell me about your good and bad experiences. Share your stories in the comment section below and join me on Facebook and Twitter.

Addendum:  Since writing this story I learned that the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission is setting up a subcommittee to meet with solar experts to learn about solar options.  Jill Thacher, Ann Arbor Historic Preservation Coordinator, said “the commissioners want to figure out what information they need to make quick and informed decisions.”  I believe this is a historic step toward integrating renewable energy into historic neighborhoods.

Photograph via Real Goods Solar

Standards touch your life every day. Products that you encounter and use in daily life should be expected to conform to certain standards and certifications. Whether you are using your toaster, driving your car, using the elevator in a building or purchasing clothing or toys for your children, we all look to standards to ensure that product quality conforms to our expectations.

Libertyville village trustee adopted a six-month moratorium on new "personal services" businesses in downtown Libertyville after a tattoo studio attempted to open on Milwaukee Avenue across from Cook Park.The Village Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the moratorium for the C-1 and

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Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Occasionally, and not realizing I am a mere scribbler, some organization will mistake me for someone important and send an invitation to an awards dinner.These dinners are always expensive. I understand that. The purpose of the dinner is to raise money for the organization and the good works it (I

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Although they hadn't seen each other in nearly 15 years, it took only a moment for each girl to go back to high school days and recall the names of their friends.On Sunday, Libertyville High School and Saturn summer league softball players from Libertyville High School classes of 1993-97 gathered

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A fire in the utility room of a Libertyville home on Aug. 3 caused an estimated $50,000 damage, fire department officials say.Libertyville Fire Department received a 911 call of a home fire just before 3 p.m. at 429 S. Fourth Ave.A mother and daughter, who were inside the house at the time, escaped

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The U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to seek "governmental redress of grievances."But before there can be redress, there has to be the ability to address.On the local level that often means the ability for residents to address their elected officials at village board meetings, school

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Fogg-Lassen Home from Preservation Oklahoma

I was reading a story about the efforts to move an old house in Enid, Oklahoma, to an historic neighborhood. Plans are to convert it to a museum housing memorabilia belonging to an international opera star, a former native of Enid.

This story reminds me of so many similar preservation articles I have read over the past several years, but it occurred to me that this one was different. While I’ve read articles about preservation efforts concerning old houses in many states, for some reason I’ve never read about historic homes being saved or restored in Oklahoma.

This kind of surprised me, as I lived in Oklahoma for a very brief time many years ago, and I recall cities such as Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Norman were full of beautiful old houses. That was during the ’70s, and even then there seemed to be an effort to maintain and preserve the historically significant buildings and homes of the state. I wondered how it could be that I was constantly reading about diligent preservation efforts in California, Pennsylvania, and New York, but never even saw a blurb about Oklahoma. The answer is very easy; I just haven’t looked hard enough.

Oklahoma Preservation

Preservation is alive and well in Oklahoma and seems to be moving along nicely. Preservation Oklahoma is a private non-profit organization that has been working since 1992 to save Oklahoma’s historic treasures such as the Quanah Parker Star house, the Fogg-Lassen home, and the Nickel-McClure mansion. All of these old houses have unique architectural styling, and as someone who is interested in Native-American history, I found the theories concerning the stars on the Quanah Parker house to be fascinating.

Preservation Oklahoma often works together with the Oklahoma Historical Society, a state organization, on preservation projects. They are even working to save over 250 old family cemeteries scattered around the state, so I guess old family cemeteries are just as prevalent in the western states as they are here in Virginia.

Old House Moving in Seattle

I just wanted to include a quick mention of a great article about an old house that was moved in Seattle. The move took place a couple of years ago, but the pictures that are included with the article are timeless. I think they really express the hard work and effort that can go into moving an old house for even a short distance. If you click on the center photo in the article, you can go through the entire thirty-two-picture slide show. The photography is excellent, particularly the expressions captured on the workers’ faces, and the view at night looking down the steep hill up which they had to move the old house.

So I’ve been roofing like a wild man here at MyFixitUpLife HQ and have been using tools day in and day out. One tool that I got more mileage out of than I thought was my Bostitch Twin Blade Utility Knife. I used it all over the roof site–probably a utility knife’s worst nightmare–cutting all kinds of different materials. The tool’s versatility, toughness and ease of operation really impressed me.

Bostitch Twin Blade Utility Knife

The key feature of this tool is that you can load two blades in it. This is a dream come true on a roof where sometimes a hook blade is the right cutter while others a straight utility blade gains the day.

One of the toughest things you can do to a utility knife is cut roofing materials with a hook blade. Cutting these rugged materials creates a lot of tension on a knife’s interior parts and lower quality knives will easily give up their blades or you’ll find there’s some kind of button or release that you press when you’re bearing down like mad on the knife body. After installing 20 squares of Grace Ice and Water Shield and DaVinci RoofScapes polymer slates plus cutting lumber and other packaging bands this tool never flinched. And it delivered the blade I needed when I needed it.

See, when cutting Ice and Water Shield (or tar paper for that matter) if you’ve got a bare wood deck beneath you a utility knife blade works best. But if you’ve got a surface below you you can’t drag a blade across, holding the piece up and cutting it with the hook works best. The hook is also good for cutting small pieces. And it’s awesomely better than a straight blade for cutting lumber and millwork bands. I can deploy whichever blade I need with nary a thought. Awesome.

What’s also cool is that the knife is designed so that I can only extend one blade at a time. Nice.

The tool’s slightly curved body enabled me to really grab hold and press or pull through a cut. No slips. The blade-buttons are easy to press and slide. Blade change is a little finicky but it works. And the tool’s on-abord blade storage holds hook or straight blades. Access is sensible and easy. And it never came open while I was working. Nicely done.

I think when I’m done the roof I’ll keep one straight and one hook in the tool to make old house fixes easy–OK, easier–although on drywall and demo jobs I might keep two straights so I have to change blade fewer times. Bostitch has cracked the dual-blade code with this knife.

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Turn smooth, flat stones into a whimsical outdoor accent of your own design

If there’s a tool I find I can no longer live without, it’s a cordless impact driver. This tool–barely in existence, nevermind all over job sites–10 years ago is now my mainframe driver and drill. And while all the major tool companies make them, they’re not all the same.

Milwaukee 2650-20 18 Volt Impact Driver.

Milwaukee’s 2650-20 is decked with primo features that definitely win it a spot on my job sites. With 2200 RPM and 1400 inch-pounds of torque, this tool has the juice. I drove everything from scads of 3 inch screws for remodeling applications and a roof replacement to drywall screws to lags for the SnoGuards that capped off the roof. I also sandwiched up some 2-bys to simulate a deck ledger and sunk 1/2 inch x 6 inch lags in a pre-drilled holes…uh…awesome…category-killing power.

I also drilled a zillion holes from little pilots to 3/4-inch bores in 2-by. I can honestly say that the 18 volt lithium ion battery powering this well-designed tool was a go-anywhere do-anything power plant that earned its keep on all kinds of sites.

The tool is plush to operate. For example, most impact drivers I’ve had are zero to full blast when squeezing their variable speed triggers all the way. It’s fine, but the Milwaukee takes just a 1/2-beat to ramp up giving it a plush, solid feel and makes me feel like it takes a tougher bite into fasteners. It even sounds solid.

Operating the tool was also smooth. The variable speed trigger was easy to dial in to the speed/power blend the fastener and situation required–everything from run-and-gun deckers to snugging up pan-head screws in window replacements and cabinets. And as for vibration, impact drivers, well, impact. Part A of the mechanism inside the tool bashes Part B which is what gives these tools such umph (Milwaukee designed their own here in the US, by the way, which I think is very cool.) Some drivers’ energy transfers that rattle into your hands. Milwaukee’s tool seems to cushion that blow better (blows, actually, 0-3200 impacts per minute.)

The tool’s power head is small enough that I can maneuver it into all those oddball locations a remodeler and/or fixer of old houses finds constantly. I drilled a lot of jig-less pocket holes and screws and angled connections with no problem.

The battery exchange–a very important feature to me; I hate wrestling with batteries!–is ideal. And its got a fuel gauge. While that might seem gimmicky, for someone who depends on cordless tools as much as I do, knowing the battery is hot before I climb 25 feet up the ladder, then climb the rest of the way up to the roof peak, is awesome information.

The charger is a simple “hot-or-not” affair: green light means go; red light means it needs more charge time. And what I call the “piggy-back” plug on the charger is genius. In other words, the plug has a plug in it. This means you can plug the charger into your multi-plug then plug something else into the back of the charger plug; it’s like the charger doesn’t even take up a space in the multi-. Awesome.

The over-molded rubber grips are comfortable to hold and maneuver the tool with. Even the bottom of the battery has a rubber over-mold, ideal for working in and around cabinets and new counters where the tool is going to be put down. It’s got a work light which is cool, but it powers up and down with a trigger pull. This can deliver a strobe-light effect when working in dark quarters. Yes, light is better than dark, but a light that stays on a few seconds after the trigger is off is even better. The 1/4 inch hex collar works nicely for bit exchange. I might be able to make the case that I wish it were a little bigger, but that’s so close to nitpicking I’ll stay here on the fence about that one.

As for the tool’s overall size it’s great; if the power head were a fraction smaller, it’d be a category killer. The tool has a belt-hook, which I applaud. However, I think it needs to be bigger. It hooks on a regular belt OK which is fine if you’re not wearing a tool pouch. However, the hook’s jaw isn’t wide or deep enough to accept tool bags which is really the only real estate I have to hook anything on. Interestingly, the belt-hook helped me discover something else out about this tool I never would have tested directly: total toughness. See, while I used the tool on a roof project screwing down 2-by walk-boards and lagging-off my fall-protection lanyard bracket it got away from me. Twice. As it slid down and over the side of the 2-story 8-pitch roof I thought it’d be pretty much cooked. Wrong.

It runs as true and works as hard and smart as the day I got it. Primo.