Maintaining historic Structures -- with Measure Twice Renewal
We offer maintenance planning services and maintenance skills workshops, all tailored to your needs.
I am a licensed and insured Construction Supervisor (MA CS 094102) and Home Improvement Contractor (MA HIC181736) with ample experience in addressing the problems of old buildings. Our company is called Measure Twice Renewal, and while I have a mere fifteen years in of dealing with old buildings as a builder, my partner Tee O'Sullivan has been dealing with the ravages of water, time, and neglect wreak on historic wood-frame construction for more than forty. Contact us for details and pricing.
Building Maintenance Planning
Whether your wood-frame buildings* have had preservation work done or not, maintenance by committee can be a sure road to rotting sills. All buildings, but especially historic wood-frame structures need ongoing care and maintenance. The good news: whether post and beam or stick frame or a mixture of styles, they are built on a logical system and all parts can be repaired or replaced. Show us your site and we will help you develop a straightforward building maintenance plan and learn to recognize when to call in a professional. (*Many old "brick" buildings are wood-frame clad with brick.)
Maintaining Historic Structures Workshop
This workshop covers the skills needed to maintain wood-frame structures. Host it for your staff and/or volunteers or as a friend/fundraiser. Participants will learn to lean gutters, practice ladder safety, create simple window repair, painting practices, and other skills as they pertain to your structure. The workshop will be tailored to your needs and topics may not be covered in order listed. We conduct as much of the workshop as possible as see-for-yourself tour of your property and/or hands-on skills development. Participants will be working for about 2/3 of the time. No experience required. [4 hours, up to 12 participants]
Topics to be covered:
A. Introduction (all workshops): seminar style
- Wooden structures: how they are made and what’s in the walls
- Mechanical systems: electricity, water, sewer, heat.
- Safety practices
B. The Wellness Check (all workshops): seminar style
A seasonal check on your structure(s) and systems to make sure the place is ready for what happens next and to minimize your chances at costly surprises. Participants receive a list.
C. Practical skills: choose one each from I and II
I
- Gutters and Ladder Safety (includes ice dam prevention and mitigation if applicable) Hands-on gutter inspection and cleaning, includes minor repair. Involves ladder work up to the first-floor roof.
- Window maintenance and unsticking. Includes discussion of what you might do about your particular drafty windows in the winter.
- Painting 101: planning, prepping, painting, cleanup. Includes lead safety.
- Pest management: full checkup for practical instruction in powder-post beetle infestation prevention and mitigation
II
- Preparing for freeze-up: draft mitigation, prevention of freezing pipes, what do do when pipes do freeze
- Water management: checking for leaks and problems, clearing around the foundation, seeing and mitigating mold
- Inspecting the mechanical systems/seasonal check-up
- Creak ’n drips: minor repairs of ongoing issues such as leaking faucets and sticking locks, when to call in a pro.
D. Wrap-up
Notes and Requirements
- Participants must bring work gloves and wear sturdy sneakers, work shoes, or boots with grippy soles (i.e. ridges), long sleeves and long pants. Steel toes not necessary. No shoes, no gloves = no tools & no ladders.
- Measure Twice Renewal carries construction liability insurance. If you wish to host this workshop, please check whether your insurance covers the liability. (Wink -- having you check is our free contribution to your maintenance plans)
- Any other specific requirements depend on the topics to be covered per your request