Building Doctor advice: Inspect your old house every year, beware of moisture damage
DOVER ‒ You need a complete physical exam every year, and so does your house.
An expert in the preservation of historic buildings told an audience Thursday evening that homeowners should conduct a complete inspection annually, from roof to foundation, inside and out. The goal is to find and fix small problems before they become big ones.
The No. 1 enemy is moisture, Nathan Bevil told an audience at the Reeves Museum's carriage house. He appeared as part of the Building Doctor program of the State Historic Preservation Office of the Ohio History Connection.
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A three-member team gave a presentation Thursday and visited old buildings on Friday.
Friday's first site visit was to the Reeves Museum, where Bevil's point about moisture was proven.
Building Doctor: Peeling paint and failing plaster
Museum Director Shelagh K. Pruni took the team to problem areas in the historic structure. First stop was the kitchen, where wallpaper peeled away from damaged plaster below a window.
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Bevil, community planning and preservation manager, suggested looking outside for the cause. He found it. Looking up, he saw tufts of leaves showing above a gutter. He said water was likely overflowing from the clogged drainage device and spilling onto the wall and window sill before entering the interior. He suggested viewing the area during a rainstorm.
He said that once the water infiltration stops, the wall would need to dry out for a year before it could be repaired.
On Thursday evening, he and other Building Doctor advisers gave illustrated talks about topics like peeling paint and failing plaster, wet basements, deteriorating masonry, windows, wood issues and bringing pre-1955 buildings up-to-date without sacrificing historic integrity.
Bevil and Joy Williams, architectural reviews manager, showed several slides of problems.
The audience groaned when Williams showed photos of window openings with rounded tops that had replacement windows with straight tops. She recommended that replacement windows match the shape and size of the originals.
But given the choice of replacing or repairing windows on an old building, Bevil recommended repair when possible. His reasoning: Windows that are hundreds of years old were made with old-growth timber that is superior to today's wood.
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Zoar Mayor Scott Gordon asked how to set priorities in spending for projects on historic buildings.
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If a building needs both windows and a roof, Bevil said, and you couldn't afford historically perfect replacements for both, spend the money to get the best windows. He said the windows are highly visible, but people wouldn't spend much time looking at a roof. He said rubber substitutes for expensive slate roofing can look good enough.
Bevil suggested looking at old family photos for clues about a home's original appearance, such as the style of a missing porch.
A publication from the Building Doctor offers these additional prescriptions:
Do
Open basement windows in the dry season to let air circulate. Feel basement walls for dampness. Check for proper ventilation and dehumidification. Make sure air can circulate freely and isn't blocked by materials stored against the wall.
Look for loose or damaged siding. Note any areas of paint failure. Check gaps between boards. Gaps smaller than a quarter of an inch will help ventilate the wall cavity; larger gaps may admit rain water.
Caulk gaps where window and door frames meet masonry or wood openings to prevent water from entering.
Don't
Use abrasive cleaning methods, such as sandblasting, to clean brick or masonry, as it can cause irreparable harm by damaging the hard exterior and exposing the softer interior.
Use water-repellant coatings on masonry. They can trap moisture inside. Trapped moisture that freezes and expands forces the surface to flake or spall.
Seal basement windows. This can trap moist air inside, prevent proper air circulation and cause a damp basement.
Plant bushes or other vegetation close to the foundation. This can prevent sunlight from reaching the ground, allowing moisture to accumulate there.
More information about the Building Doctor is available online at www.building-doctor.org. The Dover clinic was cosponsored by the Reeves Victorian Home & Carriage House Museum.
Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.
On Twitter: @nmolnarTR
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Building Doctor officials visit Reeves Museum in Dover
