1800's Secretary Question
antiquesilver
3 years ago
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antiquesilver
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoRelated Discussions
Question about stein/tankard from 1800's
Comments (5)It looks like a cup...perhaps originally went with a coffee set....or perhaps a punch set, depending on the size. Most likely silver plate. The design appears to have been influenced by the Eastlake movement. Linda C...See More1800's plaster frame chipping off
Comments (1)Restore the painting or the frame? The painting will look better in a restored frame....those old frames were made from plaster ornamentation on a wood base and then gold leafed.....not gold spray paint. If you can afford it have the frame restored....it won't be cheap!! Linda C...See More1800's farm house
Comments (10)My pre-Civil War farmhouse in northern NY has no central heat. Always was, and still is, heated with woodstoves. Ours are more efficient and cleaner burning, now. It went through a period when it had coal stoves, but they are awful to live with and a serious health hazard so I wouldn't recommend that. You may not need A/C. Unfortunately the easiest route to A/C is also the least attractive sort of heating: forced air. But you already have some investment in the infrastructure for hydronic heating (hot water radiators). I disagree with other posters about the relatviely efficiency of hot water cast iron radiators vs. hot water in baseboards. Love the first, loathe the second. There are very high efficiency gas-fired boilers (to make the hot water for the radiators and your DHW) if you need to replace the boiler. Fracked gas is much cheaper than Venezuelan oil right now. But tightening up your house and some forms of insulation will give immediate rewards now matter what the season. Before you embark on this however, do read a lot about it as what is often recommended for "newer" old houses (post WWII) is not necessarily the right thing to do with really old houses. Really old buildings that are still extant have a different way of handling air infiltration and moisture ventilating. Combining modern standards with the older technology can get you in trouble. Also do not replace deteriorated old windows. In most instances they can be rehabbed to excellent energy efficiency, while retaining a very critical piece of your house's original design. And old windows, if they need re-rehabbing in another 50-75 years can be done, but newer windows will just be on an endless replacment schedule. One thing that you quickly realize when working with a 19th c house is that what most home improvement purveyors think of as loooooooong warranties, (10-25 years), is barely out of "brand new" when looked at in the context of 150-200 years of service. The very best thing you can do for your house at the outset is nothing other than clean it up and study it for 6 months to a year. Paint some walls, if you must put your own stamp on the place. The ideas you have now need to be informed by what you will discover about the house. And that goes double, or treble, if this is your first old building. The most risky thing for old buildings is a new owner whose bank balance wasn't completely depleted in the purchase. Lucky is the house whose owner had to scrape every penny together for the closing. That's a built-in period of early financial rehabbing instead of early building rehabbing. Below is my standard internet "housewarming present " for new owners. It's a set of documents about caring for old buildings from just common old buildings to museum-level buildings. The principles and methods are the same. And it comes from a non-commercial source (The National Park Service) so they're not trying to sell you anything. Two other valuable websites: John Leeke's (particularly good on structural issues, paint, weatherization and windows): www.historichomeworks.com and a forum of very knowledgeable old-house enthusiasts: www.wavyglass.org (there maybe a "e" in wavy, not sure). HTH L. Here is a link that might be useful: National Park Service Series of Preservation Briefs of many aspects of caring for and repairing old buildings...See MorePainting my 1800s brick farmhouse
Comments (46)So glad to hear brick was not painted! The issue with using ordinary house paint is not so much paint chipping off, but that over time the brick itself becomes damaged by moisture trapped behind the paint film. Either a breathable masonry stain or mineral (aka potassium silicate) paint is about all that should be used, But better yet is jjust leaving it and being able to enjoy its original beauty....See Moreantiquesilver
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoantiquesilver
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3 years agoJill Hilts
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2 years ago
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