John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks™
	207 773-2306      26 Higgins St. Portland, ME  04103
	[Home][Library][Restoration Reports][Seminars][Forum][Internships][Office][Workshop][Front Porch][Search] info.© 1994-2007 JohnC.Leeke

Return to Q & A table of contents.

John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks(TM)

Paint on Bricks

"Can paint be completely removed from brick? We just bought an old brick house that has who knows how many layers of paint on it? I prefer brick but don't know what my options are. Someone mentioned steam cleaning to me, another said sand-blasting."

First determine if your bricks need to be painted. Some brick is rather soft and will not hold up to the weather, so it should be painted. This may even have been the intent of the original builders, or a condition that developed later. To do this you will have to remove patches of paint from various points around the building and examine the brick. It takes experience and knowledge to determine the type and condition of the brick, you should bring in a specialist if you don't know all about bricks.

If you have harder brick that doesn't need paint then consider paint removal. Don't remove the paint with any kind of abrasive blasting. Blasting will remove the hard outer skin of the brick exposing the softer inner brick which is not as resistant to weathering. Chemical paint removal won't cause this type of damage. Whether you do it or hire it done do test panels (say 3' x 3') to select the specific methods and materials for removal and then do a test section from foundation to roof to determine time and cost data that you can project to the rest of the building. This also give you a chance to test whether or not you want to do the whole job yourself or whether you can work with the contractor doing the testing.

Hinges

"I am looking for a resource for old hinges. I have looked in Renovator's Supply and in Garrett Wade catalogs without success. I am sure their are other catalogs but I don't know where to look. Could I send a picture of the hinge to someone and stand a better chance of matching it? It is a black 3X3 door hinge, with an engraved Victorian design with a Steeple on the hinge." --John Turney

Talk to Lance Dobson at Uginia's Place (3522 Broad St. Chamblee, GA 30341 800 337-1677, 404 458-1677). He carries a wide variety of antique hardware. The Old-House Journal has a Restoration Directory that lists dozens of other specialty hardware companies. (508 283-3200, $14.95)

Fireplace Tiles

"I have an older house (approximately 85 years old). In one of the fireplace hearth's some tiles are missing. They are approximately (2" by 6") in size with a depth of about 7/16". They are dark gray in color. The color match isn't too important to me since you can't really see the tiles being inside the fireplace. However, the size is since I'd like to be able to salvage what is left. I have brought a sample to a large distributor who told me that my only chance of finding replacements would be through some type of renovation supplier. I don't know what the tiles are made of however, the distributor thought they may be English quarry tile. I'm located in Massachusetts and am wondering if you know of renovation suppliers in this area."

We used to search far and wide for replacements, spending a lot of time and money in the process. Now we often find local talent to reproduce tiles. Try going to a nearby potter or ceramist who does arts-level or crafts-level work. While they may not be used to doing architectural reproductions, they do often have the knowledge, skills and equipment to make replacements. Usually they do this work for quite reasonable fees.

John Leeke is a preservation consultant who helps homeowners, contractors and architects understand and maintain their historic buildings. You can contact him at 26 Higgins St., Portland, Maine, 04103; or by E-mail: johnleeke@HistoricHomeWorks.com; or log onto his website at: www.HistoricHomeWorks.com

Return to Q & A table of contents.

	John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks™
	207 773-2306      26 Higgins St. Portland, ME  04103
	[Home][Library][Restoration Reports][Seminars][Forum][Internships][Office][Workshop][Front Porch][Search] info.© 1994-2007 JohnC.Leeke