If you own a house that was built before World War II, then every time something – walls, ceilings, doors, windows, etc. – needs to be repaired due to settling of the structure or water damage, you probably have a question in your mind – to repair the original piece or to replace it with a new one. By replacing with a new one we mean breaking down the plaster ceilings and walls, maybe even crown moldings attached to them, and putting drywall against the framing structure instead; removing old wooden doors and windows; taking down original wood moldings and trim and installing modern ones from home improvement stores.
The replacement option may be very tempting under an assumption that the new piece, even though it may cost more than repairing the old one, will be more cost-effective in the long run by avoiding periodic repairs down the road. But with decades of experience of working in old houses, we can assure you that preservation of the original parts of your house has much more benefits than their replacement. According to most of our clients, main advantage of preservation is keeping the Character of the house. Old, well-maintained Brownstones and Old town houses have that magnificent look, visualizing the history of the house. Walking into one of these houses gives you absolutely different feeling comparing to its modern counterparts. Each piece of the house has its special meaning to the story and replacing any of them with a new analog most likely will destroy the harmony of the house. Although original parts may never be perfectly flat and fresh but they always look nicer than new ones. It is also very important to preserve not just looks of original materials, but also to keep the original design of things in place while making repairs.
Throughout 40 years in business we developed wide verity of services that are tailored specifically for Brownstones and Old town houses. These services include but are not limited to:
- Repairs of plaster parts – crown moldings, ceiling medallions, domes, walls and ceilings;
- Exterior restoration – Entrance doors and their casings, staircases and railings, windows (casing, trim), rotten seals and roof patching, pointing, whole house painting
- Interior restoration – floors, chair and base moldings, stairs, railings, built-ins, inside doors (casing, trim)
- Repairing and remodeling old bathrooms and basements .
Detailed information and illustrative materials for most of these services you can find on this website.