Restoration usually involves the use of traditional materials
and techniques to repair damage done by time. The goal of any
restoration project is to return the structure, whether it is a house, barn,
foundation or any historic structure, to its original condition.
Here are some examples and descriptions of restoration work:
Leveling the floors of an old Victorian house:
A Stone Arch Bridge:
Bluestone Wall:
| Leveling the floors of an old Victorian house:
Victorian houses were built using 'Balloon' type construction; the
shell of the house supported all the floors. (Houses built today utilize
'Platform' type construction, wherein each floor supports the floor
above.) Over the years water had over-flowed the rear
foundation causing the shell and floor joists to rot and sink
approximately 8" from their original positions. Previous owners
tried to stop this process by piling concrete upon the outside top of the
foundation. The structure
was supported with timber cribbing and slowly repositioned using small
hydraulic bottle jacks. All the rotten timbers and joists were
replaced with pressure treated lumber, all sound original joists were
treated with an environmentally safe boron compound to prevent any
potential insect damage, latent rot or mold, and two metal 'I'-beams were
inserted along the centerline of the building to reinforce the entire
building. (click to enlarge any image.) |
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Cleared Old Foundation |
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Timber and Jacks |
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Rotten Floor Joist |
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A Restored Victorian |
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Letter from Owner |
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| A Stone Arch Bridge:
The original stone bridge across this mill stream had been washed away
after many decades of seasonal floods. Ruble from the original
structure can be seen in the photo of the concrete replacement
bridge. The owners, descendants of the original 18th
century mill owners, wanted to restore the bridge. The photo
of this work in progress shows the stonework of Bloomington limestone used
to recreate a graceful stone sculpture. (click to enlarge any image.) |
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Concrete Slab Bridge |
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Stone Arch Bridge |
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| A Bluestone Wall: A
long retaining wall (originally poorly constructed by other contractors!)
was detracting from the value of the property and house on this
site. Re-using all of the original stone, we were able to create a
'tight' graceful stone wall in the backyard of this upscale house.
The resale value of this house increased well above the cost of this
restoration. The photos are presented as 'before' and 'after' to
give you some idea of the transformation. (click to enlarge any image.) |
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