Caring for Your Old House: A Guide for Owners and Residents (Respectful Rehabilitation Series) [Paperback]

Judith L. Kitchen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Respectful Rehabilitation Series | Publication Date: April 1, 1991

A Guide for Owners and Residents of Old Houses What are the best sources for researching the history of your home? How do you know if a particular old house is right for you? The original siding on your historic house is missing -- what can you do? How can you safely clean the exterior of your house? The answers to many questions such as these are given in this well-illustrated handbook for owners and residents of old homes. Caring for Your Old House offers comprehensive advice to old-house owners and residents on researching, repairing and maintaining an old residence to avoid the pitfalls of too many changes too soon. In this authoritative guidebook, the author demystifies the questions surrounding what is historically significant, what is an appropriate rehabilitation and when is restoration appropriate. Caring for Your Old House offers helpful advice on:
* inspecting a house for possible purchase
* what to expect when considering repairs to exterior and interior portions of the house
* energy conservation methods
* hiring architects and contractors
* ongoing maintenance
* and much more!
This book is filled with checklists and tips including 10 money-saving ideas for consideration before beginning rehabilitation, a capsule history of the preservation movement, descriptions of key architectural styles and 14 ways to finance a rehabilitation. Also included is a glossary, a reading list, the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and more than 150 illustrations and photographs.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In this well-illustrated handbook, Judith Kitchen provides comprehensive advice and guidance for old-house owners on researching, repairing and maintaining an old residence to avoid making any irreversible changes to the historic integrity of the house. Potential old-house owners will find valuable recommendations on finding that old home. Included are inspection and maintenance tips with overviews on repairing problems in foundations, roofs, paint, mechanical and plumbing systems and other areas of the house.

From the Back Cover

A Guide for Owners and Residents of Old Houses What are the best sources for researching the history of your home? How do you know if a particular old house is right for you? The original siding on your historic house is missing — what can you do? How can you safely clean the exterior of your house? The answers to many questions such as these are given in this well-illustrated handbook for owners and residents of old homes. Caring for Your Old House offers comprehensive advice to old-house owners and residents on researching, repairing and maintaining an old residence to avoid the pitfalls of too many changes too soon. In this authoritative guidebook, the author demystifies the questions surrounding what is historically significant, what is an appropriate rehabilitation and when is restoration appropriate. Caring for Your Old House offers helpful advice on:

• inspecting a house for possible purchase
• what to expect when considering repairs to exterior and interior portions of the house
• energy conservation methods
• hiring architects and contractors
• ongoing maintenance
• and much more!

This book is filled with checklists and tips including 10 money-saving ideas for consideration before beginning rehabilitation, a capsule history of the preservation movement, descriptions of key architectural styles and 14 ways to finance a rehabilitation. Also included is a glossary, a reading list, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and more than 150 illustrations and photographs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471143715
• ISBN-13: 978-0471143710
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #747,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete guide for Mantaining an older building, January 22, 2001

By 

John Archdale Clegg (Greensboro, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caring for Your Old House: A Guide for Owners and Residents (Respectful Rehabilitation Series) (Paperback)

This book was required for an architectural conservation class which I am currently enrolled in. I have found it extremelly helpfull. Unfortunantly I bought this book at the bookstore for a lot more money. The author gets quite technical at times, however they give you quick insights that are at once complete and easy to read. This is definantly a very affordable guide for home owners, designers, and preservationists of all sorts.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Information for lovers of old homes, November 26, 2001

By 

SueP "Designing1" (Centerbrook, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caring for Your Old House: A Guide for Owners and Residents (Respectful Rehabilitation Series) (Paperback)

I bought this as a gift for a friend. He shared it with me after reading it cover-to-cover. Great info for anyone concerned with historic preservation. Not quite the "handyman" book I had expected but nonetheless it proved to be some worthwhile reading.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for historic home owners, August 12, 2003

By 

Rhonda Deeg (Havre de Grace, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caring for Your Old House: A Guide for Owners and Residents (Respectful Rehabilitation Series) (Paperback)

Finally a concise, easy to read text that any historical home owner should own and read. It is the bible of historical building maintenance! This text should be used by every historical society and historic preservation commission as a guide for recommending proper ways to treat and maintain historic building materials. It would be a wonderful text to suggest to an interested student, as well. Thanks Judith for putting something together that is so user-friendly!