Historical Building Restoration: What You Need To Know

People have been conducting historical building restoration projects for many decades in order to preserve pieces of rich history that would otherwise have been lost. Doing so takes an intense amount of time, skill, and research so that everything is up to code and regulations are taken care of, and also so that the restoration process is done as efficiently and accurately as possible.

It takes a professional team of experienced inspectors and restorationists to perform the correct actions required of historical restoration, but they’ll know the ins and outs of anything they come across, and it wouldn’t hurt if you did too.

Keeping it Classic 

The highest priority when undergoing a historical building restoration is to preserve the original structure and keep its classic aesthetic while doing so. You aren’t updating an any old house or redesigning your living room. Buildings that are a part of history need to be restored to their former glory without compromising their true character, otherwise, you risk stripping them of those features that made them timeless.

While the structure could benefit from additional changes or reworks aside from the standard restoration, it wouldn’t just be restored, it would be changed from its original design, and that simply isn’t what protecting a historic monument is about—take the multitude of historic art restoration disasters as an example.

Abide by the Code

Just because a structure has its place in history doesn’t mean it can override building codes. While historical buildings must abide by their own specific rules and regulations, they do exist. If you don’t already have the proper background knowledge and education to handle these regulations, it is best to hire a professional company that is familiar with these matters, such as Brickworks Property Restoration.

By hiring a professional, you’ll be able to hand them the reins to make sure all the proper protocols and compliances are met to get the job done right. They’ll have the experience of having done historical restorations in your area before, meaning they can save you a lot of the hassle of familiarizing yourself with local standards.

Use Original Materials

Repairs should be prioritized over replacements when possible, but in the event that certain features are in need of replacing, it is important to ensure that all the materials being used are authentic to the time period. While it would be easier and more efficient to use many of our modern techniques and materials, doing so would go against the historical integrity of the building. 

This also means that any materials used not only be from the appropriate time period, but that they also remain consistent with the original in design, material, texture, color, and size. The goal of historical building restoration is to preserve what was special about the structure, and using all of the original materials is crucial when doing so.

From Crumbling to Glowing

Performing a historical building restoration is much different from your typical restoration project. It takes much more time, research, and expertise in order to ensure that the task is done correctly, but by the time it’s finished, the building will go from a crumbling pile of bricks to a glowing monument to history.

Need to know more about a particular restoration project? Contact Brickworks Property Restoration today for more information and a free inspection.