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| Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes | 
| Author: George Nash
Publisher: Taunton
Category: Book
List Price: $32.00
Buy New: $11.98
You Save: $20.02 (63%)
New (34) from $11.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 16090
Format: Illustrated
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 10.8 x 9.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 1561585351
Dewey Decimal Number: 690.837
UPC: 094115585354
EAN: 9781561585359
ASIN: 1561585351
Publication Date: November 10, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: May have small mark or shelf wear / Legendary independent bookstore online since 1994. Reliable customer service and no-hassle return policy.
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Product Description
For those who love to live in old houses or want to invest in one, this completely revised and updated book levels no stone unturned. From evaluating a property to making foundation repairs to adding on a porch, it's a comprehensive guide to every aspect of making renovations and repairs--whether you already live in, or are contemplating buying, an older home.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
Required reading for olh house owners August 18, 2008
If you have an old house, then you should own this book. Perhaps you don't want to tackle the problems of owning an old house yourself, but hire out instead. If that's true you should still read this book. You'll be more informed and know what the repairs might entail and what questions to ask your contractor. I use this book as a guide for my own repairs and its been invaluable. Simple, clear illustrations of what's inside the walls of an old home is very handy!
A must own for old house lovers. April 7, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
First things first.... This is not a fix-it book for the average homeowner. It is a renovation guide for older homes and covers everything from stone foundations to slate roofs and provides whole slew of major structural repair information. So if you are wanting to learn simple home repairs, like fixing a leaky faucet or quieting a squeaky floor you would do better to look elsewhere.
My first house was built in the 1890s and because I was very young and didn't know anything about how old houses were constructed, the construction behind those plaster walls, in the basement and attic looked shoddy to my uneducated eyes but it didn't matter to me, I was just grateful to be a home owner. My father told me this is how real craftsmen built homes during that era. He added: "Son, this house will be around and doing just fine LONG after you are gone!"
Even though I old that old house a long time ago, when I saw this book I knew I just had to have it. It takes a look behind the scenes of old houses and shows how they are broght back to their past glory no matter how much neglect they have suffered. Whether you currrently own an old house, previously owned an old house or just have an interest in construction methods of eras long ago, this book is perfect for your bookshelf!
A Must-Buy Book if You Own an Old Home December 16, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Mr. Nash has written a wonderfully detailed and informative book that, I feel, is a must-own for anyone who owns or is looking to purchase an old house.
As someone who grew up in the building trade, I found my how-to construction and woodworking knowledge incomplete when my wife and I recently purchased our 1884 Victorian home. This book provided exactly the information I need to understand and recognize the challenges I will face when I perform the renovation. Since approximately 1950, homes have pretty much been built the same which is where my experience lies. But old houses were built in a different way, with different materials, and incorporated much different ornamentation and detail than modern homes. This book explains those differences and offers a myriad of excellent suggestion on how to bring old homes up to modern house standards.
Each owner of an old house has the same questions to answer, such as whether to repair or replace the original windows, whether to repair or replace the plaster walls, how to best increase insulation of the house without creating moisture issues, how to determine the state of the electrical and plumbing, etc. This book discusses each one of these issues, presenting the pros and cons of any decision in a way that is very informative and easily understood.
Though the author's experience and many of the examples given in this book seem to be based in the upper north-east regions, I found very little that was not applicable to my southern-Missouri residence. I may not have to worry much about frost heave on my cellar walls, but moisture is an issue where I will be taking many of Mr. Nash's recommendations to heart, especially his "Ground Roof" option which I have not encountered before.
All in all, this book will give those new to home renovation much needed information on how to recognize and deal with most all problems that will be encountered during a renovation, and will provide those who already have renovation knowledge additional concepts and tools to solve issues that are more prevalent to an old house.
Read it front-to-back, become a better, wiser person. November 23, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book is much like 'How to Keep Your Volkswagon Alive Forever', in the sense that yes, it is a how-to book. However, it is also a guide; not just to renovation/restoration but also to yourself: are you, like Nash, the die-hard romantic, the perpetually patient, are you - as Nash puts it- "..a peculiar kind of maniac who is one part ability, one part inventiveness, two parts determination, three parts romanticism, and six parts damn foolishness."?
If you just stood up, proudly, and yelled YES! with your fist high in the air (or at least in your mind, you did), or if you want to be, or know someone who is, or want to make sure the world is never bereft of these fine old houses (and full of soul-less tract homes and 'live-work' lofts), then do not hesitate one dang-gone second- buy this book. buy two, so when the first is covered in saw dust, concrete drips, laquer and stain; you (or others) can still go home and read Nash's superb writing.
 chrismas gift for someone else November 22, 2007
0 out of 15 found this review helpful
My review is based on information from others who have this book. They say it is well written and quite helpful. It is a Christmas gift for someone else and therefore I have not personally looked at it.
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