Renovating Old Houses

by Nash, George

• ISBN13: 9781561583256
• ISBN10: 1561583251
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: Taunton

Summary

Offers information on replacing foundations; rebuilding windows; installing roofing and siding; repairing plaster; and upgrading wiring, plumbing, and heating systems

Table of Contents

Introduction	2	(12)
Structural and Financial Evaluation	14	(30)
Making an External Examination	16	(11)
Making an Internal Examination	27	(11)
Preserving Historically Significant Features	38	(1)
Financial and Legal Considerations	39	(5)
Organizing Priorities	44	(20)
Developing the Design	46	(9)
Approaches to Renovation	55	(2)
How to Rebuild and Stay Sane	57	(3)
Hiring a Contractor	60	(3)
Architects and Designers	63	(1)
Foundations	64	(38)
Water-Infiltration Problems	66	(2)
Installing an Exterior Drainage System	68	(2)
Repairing and Replacing Foundation Walls	70	(3)
Raising the House	73	(13)
The New Foundation	86	(9)
Adding a Cellar	95	(3)
Pouring a Concrete Floor	98	(4)
The House Frame	102	(28)
Types of House Frames	103	(6)
Replacing Rotted Sills	109	(6)
Repairing Rotted Posts	115	(1)
Repairing Sagging Floors	116	(5)
Repairing Other Structural Elements	121	(4)
Truing Up the House Frame	125	(5)
The Roof	130	(42)
Roofing Materials	131	(6)
Roofing Repairs	137	(7)
Reroofing with Asphalt Shingles	144	(8)
Installing Asphalt Shingles	152	(7)
Reroofing with Wood Shingles	159	(1)
Reroofing with Steel Sheets	160	(4)
Eave Protection	164	(1)
Eavestroughs and Downspouts	165	(6)
The Cold Roof	171	(1)
Windows, Doors, Siding and Trim	172	(34)
Infiltration and Heat Loss: Tightening Up the House	173	(4)
Windows	177	(7)
Doors	184	(5)
Exterior Siding and Trim	189	(13)
Painting Protocol	202	(4)
Attachments, Additions and Alterations	206	(14)
Porches and Verandas	207	(7)
Sheds and Garages	214	(1)
Radical Changes: Attic and Roof Retrofits	215	(5)
Walls, Ceilings and Floors	220	(42)
What to do about Plaster	221	(6)
Inside the Walls: Insulation Theory and Practice	227	(7)
Interior Partitions: Moving Walls	234	(7)
Building and Repairing Stairs	241	(4)
Interior Wall Finishes	245	(7)
Ceiling Treatments	252	(5)
A Note on Trim	257	(1)
Finished at Last: The Floors	258	(4)
The Electrical System	262	(18)
Basic Electrical Theory	263	(1)
Evaluating Your Electrical System	264	(3)
Designing a Circuit	267	(1)
Rewiring an Old House	268	(8)
Making the Right Connection	276	(4)
Household Plumbing	280	(26)
Plumbing Materials and Theory	281	(2)
Springs and Wells	283	(2)
Water Pumps	285	(3)
An Old-House Plumbing System	288	(2)
On-Site Sewage Disposal	290	(13)
Plumbing and Structural Changes	303	(3)
Home Heating Systems	306	(26)
Hot-Air Systems	307	(1)
Steam-Heating Systems	308	(6)
Hot-Water Heating Systems	314	(5)
Alternative Heating Systems	319	(4)
Repairing and Restoring Chimneys	323	(7)
A Few Thoughts about Fireplaces	330	(2)
Afterword	332	(2)
Bibliography	334	(5)
Index	339