Things To Consider When Restoring Your House To A Livable Condition
Posted by MarkChristopher on December 1st, 2017
Buying an old house often means acquiring a historic architecture. But that's not necessarily a bad thing! Older homes have an imposing stature, often boasting features like architectural windows and solid plaster walls that you don’t find in many newer buildings. Details like woodwork, fireplaces, and broad floorboards, are indeed praiseworthy and bring with them the exciting opportunity to bring an old house back to life.
However, restoring a historic house is no easy job. You need to take special care when dealing with old structures and building materials, as old houses are full of unpleasant surprises, and costs can go up quickly. But if the renovation is done the right way, you can turn a nightmare into a dream home. With some strategic thinking about design, materials, and timing, you can cut down the costs of your home renovation without changing the architectural pattern. When seeking renovation services in South London, make sure you are prepared to live in a historic house. Here are some quick tips to guide you through:
1. Treating the Woodwork: If left to nature in damp conditions, wood will decay rapidly once dead, disintegrating into little more than dust after being fed by termites and molds. Leave untreated timber in a building, and the same process of decay will set in. Therefore, damp is the enemy of the homeowner. It is also the reason why timber used in construction today is either softwood that’s treated with insecticides and fungicides to preserve it, or hardwood, which is more dense and resinous, and more naturally resistant to decay. Timber treatment in South London helps you deal with this overt crisis in your ancient house.
2. Fixing Water Leakage: Water leakage and seepage are the worst part about staying in an old house. Watch out for the ceilings, floors, and windows for signs of percolation, which could be a warning of serious structural issues. Water damage has long-term effects like dry rot. Also, bugs love wet environments. One of the areas to check for water damage is the sill plate. Rotten sill plates explain why the floors are crooked since that’s the entire structure on which the house sits. It is a cause for serious concern and needs to be fixed at the earliest.
3. Fix the Wiring: Old electrical wiring can be a safety hazard and needs to be brought up to code. When remodeling your house, you need to hire an electrician to upgrade the electrical panel. Homes in the 1920s didn’t have hair dryers, and even something as small as that can draw more power than old household electrical systems can handle. Old wiring is also much more than a housing inconvenience. Depending on your needs and the appliances you own, you may need to upgrade the old installation to support new appliances, computers, entertainment systems, and other projects.
Author Bio: The author is an avid blogger and the above article is about renovating an old house.
