From removing
graffiti in Manhattan to rebuilding a hops barn in Oregon, the National
Park Service—a part of the Department of the Interior—has faced
just about every problem an old structure can encounter. Here for
the first time is a collection of their hard-won know-how and official
guidelines, written by the top experts in their respective fields
of preservation. Forty-one illustrated chapters include: • cleaning
and waterproof coating for historic masonry; • repointing mortar
joints; • maintaining historic adobe buildings; • the dangers of
abrasive cleaning; •repairing historic wooden windows; • rehabilitating
historic storefronts; • repairing wooden shingles; • preserving
barns; •repairing stucco; • using substitute materials on historic
building exteriors; • mothballing historic buildings; • understanding
architectural cast iron. There’s even a chapter on repairing vintage
signs. Each subject is treated with the utmost care and discusses
the safest and most historically accurate repairs. Perhaps just
as important as the valuable advice on how to undertake various
projects, the guides also give invaluable advice on what not to
do—based on years of preservation experience—that can save a homeowner
thousands of dollars, hours, and perhaps a priceless piece of architecture.
For the student or the professional restorer, The Preservation
of Historic Architecture is the official government text on
saving old buildings.
