John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks™
	207 773-2306      26 Higgins St. Portland, ME  04103
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John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks(tm)

This is the first installment of a regular question and answer column on the maintenance and preservation of historic (and just plain old) buildings by John Leeke, Preservation Consultant. As a consultant Leeke has been helping owners, tradespeople, contractors and architects understand and maintain their historic buildings for over 15 years. he has been restoring historic buildings in New England for nearly 30 years and still spends a good part of his time "with hammer in hand". He has written on restoration and preservation topics for Fine Homebuilding, The Journal of Light Construction, Old-House Journal and other national publications.

Weathered Shingles

We have an historic shingle-style house that was reshingled a few years ago. The exterior finish is now mostly gray rather than the rich wood color it once had. Is there a way to restore the shingles to their original appearance? -- Kathy Kline, Bass Lake, CA

When unprotected wood is exposed to the weather it gradually changes from the "bright" tan (for typical softwoods) to a silvery gray. This happens because the ultraviolet rays of the sun break down the tan colored lignin content of the wood at the surface leaving the gray cellulose fibers. This is the "natural" appearance of weathered wood. If you want that "fresh" look you will be bucking this natural process and setting yourself up for routine maintenance.

To renew the original look of the wood you can spray it with 1/4 to 1/2 part of ordinary household bleach and water. Apply it with an ordinary garden sprayer set for droplets rather than mist. Protect all adjacent surfaces, including roof, windows, vegetation and yourself. This will tend to dissolve the cellulose fibers which you can rinse away with a garden hose. Scrub with a soft or stiff natural bristle brush to increase the renewing effect. Bleach and rinse, bleach and rinse, until you get the look you want. Test at least three different methods and materials on a small section first to determine what works. Keep written notes on each method you use, including materials, techniques and timing. These notes will help you reproduce the selected effect on the rest of the house.
Add a water-repellent treatment, such as Thompson's Water Seal or Curprinol Clear, to the fresh wood surfaces which will help prolong the fresh look. Eventually it will turn gray and you can clean and treat again. You may have to repeat this every 2 to 5 years.

Floor Finishing

I have uncovered wood floors (maple) in my 1920's bungalow home that have been covered with carpeting for many years (I would guess more than 20). Is there a method that I can put a new finish on these floors without sanding them down. There are not a lot of scratches or stains in the floors and I don't want to retain the current color of the wood. Can I put a new polyurethane finish over the old varnish finish? -- Jerry Langley, Atlanta, GA

First clean the newly exposed wood flooring. Begin with a damp mopping and warm water and progress by steps to more aggressive cleaning methods and materials. An intermediate step would be hand scrubbing with a mild detergent like dish washing detergent, Murphy's Oil-Soap, Simple Green or Minwax's new wood floor cleaners. You might have to go all the way to a power scrubber with hot water and a tri-sodium phosphate detergent. If bare wood is exposed excessive water may swell and warp the wood. Use as little water as possible and have handy a wet-dry vacuum and ventilation fans. You may find at any step along the way that the floor looks good and requires no further treatment. With the floor clean you can assess its condition. Is the existing finish worn down to bare wood? Is there extensive cracks and peeling? Is the current color the natural color of the wood? You can determine if it has been stained by cutting through the finish and into the wood with a sharp knife or chisel. If the color of the wood is much lighter below the surface it is probably stained. What is the condition of the wood? Are there splits, slivers or excessive cracks between the boards? Is the surface worn near doors and along walkways?

It is unlikely a polyurethane varnish will be very long lasting over an old varnish finish since it might not adhere well. You might be able to rejuvenate the old finish with a coat of alkyd-resin varnish or a rub-in-wipe-off treatment of tung oil floor finisher.
If you want to change the color of the floor you will have to strip off any existing varnish and possible bleach the wood surface to lighten it, and then stain and varnish the floor.

Federal Funds

Are there any Federal funds available for private restoration projects? -- Nathan Wilkenson, Dover, NH

Generally, Federal grants are not available for privately owned properties. However, you can get a tax credit for rehabilitating an historic building, or a non-historic building built before 1936. Federal tax law offers a 20% tax credit for rehabilitations of historic buildings, and a 10% tax credit for rehabs of non-historic buildings built before 1936. The credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of taxed owed. The 20% rehab investment equals 20% of the amount spent in a certified rehab of a certified historic structure. The 10% rehab investment tax credit equals 10% of the amount spent to rehab a non-historic building built before 1936. What buildings qualify? For the 20% credit, the building must be listed in the National Register of Historic places, eligible for the Register, or be located in a registered historic district. The work done on the building must meet strict guidelines that preserve its architectural character and historical significance. For the 10% credit, the building must be built before 1936. For both credits the building must be income-producing. The tax credit program for historic buildings is administered by each state's historic preservation office. For more info on preservation tax credits call your state historic preservation office. The office in your state may have a different name than that, but every state has one. Call your state government general information number and they will help you find the correct office.

John Leeke is a preservation consultant who helps homeowners, contractors and architects understand and maintain their historic buildings. You can contact him at 26 Higgins St., Portland, Maine, 04103, 207 773-2306; or by E-mail: johnleeke@HistoricHomeWorks.com; or log onto his website at:
www.HistoricHomeWorks.com

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	John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks™
	207 773-2306      26 Higgins St. Portland, ME  04103
	[Home][Library][Restoration Reports][Seminars][Forum][Internships][Office][Workshop][Front Porch][Search] info.© 1994-2009 JohnC.Leeke