As my Wife and I begin to discuss updates and changes to our house, one primary thought enters my mind: do no harm. It may seem melodramatic, but as we begin the process of updating our house, it's easy to get caught up in the HGTV and Chip & Joanna mentality.
The original, 90 year old, double-hung windows will not be replaced, but restored. Thankfully, most of the windows function quite well, which a testament to the longevity and quality of a wood window. But, each window will receive varying degrees of attention. Each pane of glass will be reglazed. All the sash ropes will be replaced, any sagging meeting rails will be repaired to "like new" condition, and spring bronze will be added to weatherproof around the perimeter of each sash. All of this is painstaking work, but less expensive than true, meaning all wood ($$$$), replacement windows. The alternative vinyl or aluminum window, which is common nowadays, is an inferior product and lacks longevity. Additionally, they look out of place on an old home. In order to bring the current windows up to modern energy efficiency standards, wood storm windows and screens will be added, although I'm, also, looking at metal framed versions that mount to the blind stop.
The red oak floors are in great shape and I would never consider replacing them, not even in the kitchen. In fact, in the past, someone removed a portion of the flooring at the back door and installed Saltillo tile. I have two theories on why this happened. Either, the moisture, meaning snow, being tracked in from the back yard was allowed to dry on the flooring (red oak is not a moisture resistant wood, it's porous) and the planks swelled, or there was a possible door leak that allowed moisture to seep in and damage the floor. Regardless, the tile will be removed and replaced with wood flooring.
I haven't figured out how to approach the wood trim and solid wood doors. Thankfully, they're stained, so stripping paint isn't an issue, but figuring out how to get the wood back to a condition for staining is new territory for me.
We've had several contractors visit during our last stay. Although, we did our best to convey our vision for the home, I'm certain there were misunderstandings in what we want to do. This was confirmed, once we received the initial estimates and work detail. But, now, we've made our decision on who we'll trust with our house. We're excited to begin the work, but now the painstaking detail of design and period-correct materials must be determined. Yes, it matters to me. Not because I care what someone else thinks, but what I envision as the best balance between old and new; how to balance and optimize design elements is important to me.
