{"id":1550,"date":"2014-02-07T09:38:01","date_gmt":"2014-02-07T13:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/?p=1550"},"modified":"2022-12-13T10:16:29","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T15:16:29","slug":"reclaiming-the-charm-and-appeal-of-old-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/07\/reclaiming-the-charm-and-appeal-of-old-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"Reclaiming the charm and appeal of old homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Old<\/a>\u201cThey don\u2019t build\u2019em like they used to\u2026\u201d
\n<\/i><\/h1>\n

…<\/i> is often heard by those who praise the virtues of an old home<\/a>.\u00a0 Many home buyers might talk about the character and charm that exudes from an old home, while others might point to the quality of materials and workmanship that cannot be matched by new homes built today.<\/p>\n

In some respects, it\u2019s good they don\u2019t build homes the way they used to because some materials used in the past that were thought to be beneficial have been found to be toxic and\/or hazardous.\u00a0 Building materials have changed through the years and continue to evolve for safety, strength, durability, and environmental impact.\u00a0 Many home components are engineered and prefabricated to make installation straight forward, as well as make the home increasingly efficient and environmentally friendly.\u00a0 Floor joists and trusses are engineered to allow for larger and open home designs; while roof and siding components engineered to help reduce heating and cooling costs.\u00a0 Foundation and basement construction techniques and components are designed to be effective in preventing water penetration.<\/p>\n

Workmanship has also changed over the years as well.\u00a0 Because engineered materials are typically prefabricated, onsite custom design and installation is not necessary; construction crews are basically required to know how to use and install the pre-manufactured components.<\/p>\n

Hazardous materials aside, there is something about old homes that grabs our attention.\u00a0 Because the building materials and components were not mass produced or prefabricated, perhaps it\u2019s the workmanship of the construction that demonstrates that the on-site craftsmen were not just masters of their trade \u2013 but artisans.<\/p>\n

Although new homes incorporate modern fixtures and appliances designed for comfort, functionality, and efficiency; many are drawn to the antique quality of the old home.\u00a0 Old home parts are highly sought after items for modern homes too.\u00a0 Many are lured by the appeal and personality of vintage home parts, but I also sense there is also something about the durability of the parts that lets them continue in service.\u00a0 Vintage doorknobs, especially the crystal type, are collectible and sought after antique home parts.<\/p>\n

Those who appreciate old homes talk about the hearty materials that were used in construction.\u00a0 Compared to the new engineered components manufactured to an exact specification, the craftsmen who built the old home onsite appeared to use ample materials that made the construction feel sturdy and robust.\u00a0 This \u201cover-engineering\u201d is typically frowned upon today; using too much raw materials is expensive and considered wasteful.<\/p>\n

\"old<\/a>Another comparison between old vs. new homes<\/a> is the lumber that is used in a home\u2019s construction.\u00a0 Some are keen on old homes because they were built from first generation lumber<\/i>, compared to engineered composites typically used in modern homes.\u00a0 Compared to the wood composites often comprised of glued wood pieces and fibers, first generation lumber is believed to be stronger and more durable.\u00a0 Also known as old growth lumber, first generation lumber refers to lumber that was milled from virgin forests where trees were hundreds of years old.\u00a0 Because of deforestation, old growth lumber is no longer harvested for construction materials.<\/p>\n

To incorporate the virtues of vintage and old building materials in modern homes, many reclaim <\/a>those resources from tear downs.\u00a0 From classic fixtures and hardware to first generation wood, the reclaiming industry has become popular not only to be environmentally friendly \u2013 but to reclaim the charm and character of a bygone age.<\/p>\n

by Dan Krell<\/a> \u00a9<\/p>\n

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\"Protected<\/a>
\nDisclaimer<\/a>. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. This article was originally published the week of February 3, 2014 (Montgomery County Sentinel). Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws. Copyright \u00a9 Dan Krell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThey don\u2019t build\u2019em like they used to\u2026\u201d … is often heard by those who praise the virtues of an old home.\u00a0 Many home buyers might talk about the character and charm that exudes from an old home, while others might point to the quality of materials and workmanship that cannot be matched by new homes … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Reclaiming the charm and appeal of old homes”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[711,405,399,470,650,91],"tags":[1006,909,490,919,488,719,986],"class_list":["post-1550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction","category-homebuyer","category-house","category-new-homes","category-resales","category-single-family-home","tag-construction","tag-home-builder","tag-home-buyer-2","tag-house","tag-new-home","tag-old-house","tag-resales"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1VZLf-p0","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1550"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6598,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1550\/revisions\/6598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}