Chattanooga Cottage: Carolyn Zappa turned the restoration of her Tennessee home into a real family affair. She enlisted the help of her daughter, mother and grandmother in the cause of restoring her Victorian cottage. Though she was a bit surprised at how much structural work was needed, she was able to creatively solve cosmetic problems involving tiling, wallpaper bordering and antique finishing.
Austin Foursquare: This 1908 Foursquare could have been lost to fire if it not for the perseverance of homeowner August Harris. Owned by his family since 1925, Harris' home remained standing after being heavily damaged by a fire. Harris always dreamed of owning this brick home, although he never predicted the amount of work required to fix it up. Contractor Howard McCall helped him restore the damaged roof, but Harris did most of the other work himself including squeezing through a narrow 18-inch crawlspace to update some wiring. All told it took Harris eight years to restore to home to properly reflect the splendor of its Austin, Texas, neighborhood.
Tips, Terms and Tradesmen
In the Details: Bullseye Glass
Bullseye glass is thick, handblown glass with a circular center section that resembles a bull's-eye. The glass works beautifully as replacement glass in older homes, lending a classic character to windows. Glass artist David Osburn still practices the medieval glassblowing technique, turning out new panes of bull's-eye glass that give an authentic look to older homes.
Problem Solver: Venting an Oven
Updating a historic home with modern conveniences isn't always easily done, especially when a homeowner has to abide by historic preservation codes. Homeowner Fred Stockbauer chose to run the vent down, through the crawlspace and out the side of the foundation, rather than cutting an opening in the roof.
How-To: Repair a Muntin
The strips of wood that separate a window's glass panes are called muntins. Although easily damaged, they can be repaired in a few steps. Carpenter Christian Kelleher recommends using a hand plane to shave away the damaged area, then finding a suitable replacement piece at the hardware store. Make sure the profile of the replacement muntin matches the old one, and trim it to fit. Secure the new piece with wood glue and small nails.
Terms:
- Back flap: The part of the shutter that's usually against the wall and is only seen when the shutter is closed.
- Prussian blue: The first manufactured pigment, Prussian blue was commonly found in affluent homes of the mid-18th to early 19th century.
- Board and batten: Walls with wide, vertical boards that are covered at the joints by narrow boards.
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