Understanding some basics about residential design and historic preservation can provide useful guidelines for creating sensitive additions to old houses.
Thick walls, deep eaves, and high ceilings are all reasons why old houses feel cooler in hot weather and warmer in winter than more recent buildings do. Even so, many old houses lack insulation and central HVAC systems, making it hard to retrofit them with the latest in technological advances.
The task of removing woodwork without splintering the pieces—and then reassembling all of it correctly—is sobering. Here are methods developed by OHJ readers and salvagers.