Offering that timeless charm, heritage homes provide architectural significance. At the same time, renovating such properties requires a careful balance between modernizing the property and preserving its history. Whether you’re restoring woodwork, upgrading outdated systems, or maintaining aesthetics, these kinds of renovations require much thought.
For homeowners looking to take on heritage home renovations, the best practices contained in this blog post can help maintain both comfort and functionality.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Heritage Home Renovations
- Structural and Foundation Considerations
- Restoring Architectural Details
- Modernizing While Preserving History
- Working with Experts and Regulations
Understanding Heritage Home Renovations
Heritage homes often need to follow specific guidelines as to whether or not you can make changes to them. The regulations are in place so that the historical significance of the home stays intact.
That said, the rules that are in place don’t totally remove the possibility of renovating the space or improving its livability. You can still do that. Let’s go through some of the common challenges that renovating a heritage home comes with.
Common Challenges
- Building Code Compliance: Heritage homes may not meet modern safety codes, requiring structural updates. This means you have to be up to date on building codes and be compliant with them.
- Material Sourcing: Finding period-appropriate materials can be difficult and costly. You may have to do added research in order to make things happen.
- Balancing Old and New: When renovating a heritage home, you want to be able to add new components to it, but you have to honour its original historical value as well.
Structural and Foundation Considerations
Some older homes have foundations that have moved over time, and other structural issues may need to be addressed. Focusing on them early on ensures that you can execute a safe and long-lasting renovation project.
Evaluating Structural Integrity
- Foundation Repairs: If you have an uneven foundation, you might want a professional to deal with it because it’s important.
- Framing and Load-Bearing Walls: Be careful when modifying heritage homes because they often use different construction techniques that can impact the weight that the walls have to bear.
Restoring Architectural Details
Part of what makes a heritage home unique is the fact that its architectural elements, such as stained glass, woodwork, and mouldings, can come from a generation gone by.
Preserving Original Features
- Woodwork and Trim: Stripping old paint and refinishing it can restore the original luck while maintaining the historic materials that have been used in the past.
- Windows and Doors: Refurbish the original windows of the heritage home where you can. They contribute to the home’s overall authenticity.
- Flooring: Preserve the original craftsmanship of the flooring by refinishing it rather than totally replacing it.
Modernizing While Preserving History
Integrating modern features into a heritage home requires careful planning. Here are some things to consider.
Smart Upgrades
- Insulation and Energy Efficiency: Use spray foam or other minimally invasive techniques to improve the energy efficiency inside of your heritage home without altering the aesthetics.
- Electrical and Plumbing Updates: Upgrade outdated systems without making visible changes.
- Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations: Retain period-style fixtures while incorporating today’s appliances so that you have a mix of old and new.
Working with Experts and Regulations
When you’re working on a heritage home, you’ll have to get clearance from specialists to ensure compliance with municipal and provincial regulations. Here’s what you need to consider.
Navigating Heritage Regulations
- Consulting Heritage Planners: These professionals guide you on best practices and the changes that are permitted.
- Hiring Skilled Tradespeople: These contractors specialize in all the delicate aspects of trying to upgrade a heritage home.
- Financial Incentives: The Government of Canada’s Historic Places Initiative provides valuable resources for homeowners related to grants and tax incentives if you’re modifying a heritage home.
Implementing these best practices alongside a team of experienced professionals means you can make renovating a heritage home a huge success. Update everything that needs to be made new while keeping the unique charm of the house for generations to come.
