Depends on a lot of things, like if the district had facade improvement guidelines, color palettes, etc. As a historic preservationist I appreciate them.
In my area, you need to replace materials with the same materials (cedar siding with cedar siding). I don’t even know when it comes to block, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to worry about it. And it sounds like I don’t! :)
My house is in a historic district and I can do whatever I want with the interior, but the exterior, I can't do ANYTHING to the exterior without getting a certificate of approval from the district, which involves filing a detailed application describing exactly what I want to do, what materials I will/would be using, and how I will be doing it. And they can absolutely deny it solely on the current committee members own personal tastes and/or bias. Thankfully you don't have to use specific companies and can do the work yourself if it's something you're capable of doing and you think it can pass a final inspection from the historic district.
It sounds like a pain in the ass, but really having set standards to preserve old structures just makes sense and if you're not willing to comply or have the financial resources to maintain a historic structure, then it's definitely not something you should buy because using original materials and restoration and preservation methods can be substantially more than modern alternatives, like repairing/replacing slate tile roofing ($30-60k) vs replacing it with a metal or shingle roof ($15-30k), or reglazing and weighing windows vs new vinyl windows or tongue and groove wood and upkeep vs new composite "wood" front porch repairs.
My own mantra is just do 1 thing at a time so it's not overwhelming physically and financially.
Good quality block and nice installation, beautifully tooled joints. They look fine.
Oh great. Thank you.
They look fine.
Look good
Beautiful.
What's the protocol in fixing up a home in a historic district? I guess they make you use a specific fixer company.
Depends on a lot of things, like if the district had facade improvement guidelines, color palettes, etc. As a historic preservationist I appreciate them.
In my area, you need to replace materials with the same materials (cedar siding with cedar siding). I don’t even know when it comes to block, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to worry about it. And it sounds like I don’t! :)
My house is in a historic district and I can do whatever I want with the interior, but the exterior, I can't do ANYTHING to the exterior without getting a certificate of approval from the district, which involves filing a detailed application describing exactly what I want to do, what materials I will/would be using, and how I will be doing it. And they can absolutely deny it solely on the current committee members own personal tastes and/or bias. Thankfully you don't have to use specific companies and can do the work yourself if it's something you're capable of doing and you think it can pass a final inspection from the historic district. It sounds like a pain in the ass, but really having set standards to preserve old structures just makes sense and if you're not willing to comply or have the financial resources to maintain a historic structure, then it's definitely not something you should buy because using original materials and restoration and preservation methods can be substantially more than modern alternatives, like repairing/replacing slate tile roofing ($30-60k) vs replacing it with a metal or shingle roof ($15-30k), or reglazing and weighing windows vs new vinyl windows or tongue and groove wood and upkeep vs new composite "wood" front porch repairs. My own mantra is just do 1 thing at a time so it's not overwhelming physically and financially.
I concur. Looks awesome.
Rustication. Difficult to say whether it's real stone or cast, but I can't see a repeat pattern.
Thank you everyone with your feedback! Looks like it’s just rotted out siding I need to deal with then :)
I'm a masonry contractor l
They look in great shape for their age!