• Check with your local building inspection department before starting a project to ensure that all work will meet code.

• Sign a simple contract with each professional or tradesperson that specifies bid/price and date of completion to save hassles later.

• Keep an idea book or file. Ripping out photos of and clipping articles on ideas that inspired us allowed us to visualize what we wanted to do with the house when it was just a shell. I kept folders of ideas sorted by room and made an idea notebook to share with the architect and key contractors.

• Take before and in-process photographs. Not only do such photos provided important documentation, they also inspire during low points. As we removed damaged plaster, we captured on film damage caused by two fires (1890 and 1914) and noted changes made long ago to window placement and staircase orientation. Looking back on the photos during the project helped us keep perspective on the progress we’d made. Plus, we included some in a time capsule enclosed in a newel post.

• Reuse old building parts. We reused as many original building parts as possible, from framing lumber to the double-hung windows, to save us time and money. Oftentimes the urge is to purge. But some old-house parts aren’t available any more—others work well with a little maintenance.

• Think outside the box to solve modern code problems. To hide a new chimney flue and plumbing pipes, we bumped out walls, gaining a shelf and storage cubby in the master bath and a closet in the entry.

• Look to the past for charming and inventive kitchen storage. Use old catalogs or plan books or historic houses as inspirations for period cabinet designs, such as clever pull-down bins and fold-down ironing boards. Hire a local carpenter to build solid-wood cabinetry, buy salvaged ones, or piece together an old-fashioned look with stock cabinets.

• Plan ahead for future storage needs. Even if you don’t have the time, money, or immediate need for extra space, leave room for extra built-ins. We’ve left space for built-in bookshelves and a window seat in the library and built-in bath storage.

INEXPENSIVE BUILDING PRODUCTS WE COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT
Gorilla Glue waterproof glue is great for permanently bonding wood and more. We used it to seal up loose window joints. Be sure to wear gloves while using it to avoid dark brown stains that don’t wash off. (Available at hardware stores.)

Most of the salvaged trim we used throughout the house was already painted. We debated about stripping it, but then decided to use it in our informal living areas after finding fragments of old trim in the walls of our house that showed at least some woodwork had been painted. To keep the old paint from peeling, we used XIM 400 white oil-based bonding/sealing primer. XIM sticks to most anything, including glass, providing a solid base for new paint. (Available at paint stores.)

Old wood is incredibly durable. Despite nearly 120 years of use, most of our old windows, porch posts, and clapboards were in good shape. For pieces that suffered from rot, we scraped away the soft spots, used Minwax wood hardener to strengthen the wood, then patched holes and rebuilt areas with Bondo waterproof automotive filler. Bondo is cheaper than traditional wood filler, but has a strong odor.

SALVAGE TO THE RESCUE
Throughout our house, salvaged building materials add character—and have even saved us money. From our brick walks, constructed of old street pavers, to our kitchen cabinets, which once graced a turn-of-the-20th-century apartment building, we’ve found great treasures and learned that the hunt can be nearly as fun as the finds are rewarding.

Here are some tips we’ve picked up on the salvage trail:

• If you live in an older house, check your basement, attic, and garage for extra house parts. In one house we restored, we found the butler’s pantry swinging doors behind a false wall in the attic. In another, we found old trim, original doors, and a neat bookcase all stashed in the rafters of the tiny one-stall garage.

• Network with neighbors to see what spare parts they have. The best chance for finding a close match on woodwork and doors, which were sometimes custom-made, is in your neighborhood, where the same builders may have constructed other houses. Our staircase and interior doors came to us this way.

• Keep an eye out for castoffs when the trash is left out. Some communities even have special bulk trash days when larger items are left curbside. Among other treasures we’ve found: paneled doors with crystal doorknobs and cast-iron floor grates discarded by “remuddlers.”

• Check antiques shops, garage sales, and salvage yards for used building parts.

• Don’t overlook pieces with flaws—they’re often a good deal if they can be fixed easily. For example, we paid $10 for a quarter-sawn oak door that was obscured behind screwed-on wood paneling. We removed the paneling, refinished the piece, and filled the holes with wood filler—now it looks beautiful!

• Bring along measured drawings of all rooms/spaces when looking for salvage and new materials. This can save repeat trips and returns.

• For a list of salvage yards and other sources of architectural antiques and recycled building materials, consult Traditional Building magazine’s on-line list (www.traditional-building.com/8da.htm). Traditional Building is the trade resource for finding building materials suitable for historic restoration.

Here are some tips we’ve picked up on the salvage trail:

• If you live in an older house, check your basement, attic, and garage for extra house parts. In one house we restored, we found the butler’s pantry swinging doors behind a false wall in the attic. In another, we found old trim, original doors, and a neat bookcase all stashed in the rafters of the tiny one-stall garage.

• Network with neighbors to see what spare parts they have. The best chance for finding a close match on woodwork and doors, which were sometimes custom-made, is in your neighborhood, where the same builders may have constructed other houses. Our staircase and interior doors came to us this way.

• Keep an eye out for castoffs when the trash is left out. Some communities even have special bulk trash days when larger items are left curbside. Among other treasures we’ve found: paneled doors with crystal doorknobs and cast-iron floor grates discarded by “remuddlers.”

• Check antiques shops, garage sales, and salvage yards for used building parts.

• Don’t overlook pieces with flaws—they’re often a good deal if they can be fixed easily. For example, we paid $10 for a quarter-sawn oak door that was obscured behind screwed-on wood paneling. We removed the paneling, refinished the piece, and filled the holes with wood filler—now it looks beautiful!

• Bring along measured drawings of all rooms/spaces when looking for salvage and new materials. This can save repeat trips and returns.

• For a list of salvage yards and other sources of architectural antiques and recycled building materials, consult Traditional Building magazine’s on-line list (www.traditional-building.com/8da.htm). Traditional Building is the trade resource for finding building materials suitable for historic restoration.