Period Restoration and Repair

“The greenest building… is the one already built” - Carl Elefante

Preserving, or simply maintaining an old building can often be the “greenest” thing you can do. It may also be the best way to preserve value in a home, and to ensure you have something original, unique, and timeless.

Sussex County has a wide variety of North American building types from as early as the 17th century. When working on old buildings, its important to use the right materials and methods to repair them. In old brick buildings, it’s important to use the right mortar because the brick is softer than modern brick. Modern mortars are too hard and will cause the brick to spall and fail.

Old doors and windows were designed to be serviced. Wood pins, mortice and tenon joints, and glazing beads and puttys mean that windows and doors can be serviced, and not thrown away like modern vinyl windows. They even make double and triple pane inserts to place higher performing glass in old frames.

It’s also important that where modern building products might be used (housewraps, panel sheathing) that techniques are adjusted to ensure proper performance. Walls that can’t dry will push paint off of wood siding because of the vapor drive.