Restoration Tip ~ Save What Can’t Be Reproduced. Modern building codes will not allow the recreation of some historic features once they are removed from a house.
This is the spiral stair was added when an 1827 Cape had a second story and finished attic added around 1850. The large center chimney left little room for a staircase, but the builder managed to create this amazing swirl of a stair in the available space. The French hand block-printed Gothic Revival wallpaper was installed in 1852.
While perfectly functional (it’s been in use for almost 170 years), this stair doesn’t come close to meeting current code requirements and could not be built today.
Chapter 5 of Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners is titled “Bureaucrats You’ll Meet.” Building Permits, Historic Preservation Certificates, utility company requirements, etc. are explored and explained. Half the battle is knowing what to expect and being well prepared.
A tip from the book… avoid tearing out anything that can’t be rebuilt under current code. Find a way to repair it, not replace it, and it is unlikely you will have to bring it up to code for residential use.
Want more tips? The award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book is filled with tips to make restoring houses easier.
Signed and personalized copies of the book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries other select preservation and restoration titles, including the classic “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAllester. Save with our multi-book combo packs!
© Scott T. Hanson 2024.
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