Left: The aluminum siding being removed. Right: The exterior after the siding and door trim and pediment have been removed.

Another big project was the facade of the home itself. After the ugly, 1970s aluminum siding was stripped off to reveal the original wooden planks the home was sheathed in when it was built, focus turned to the entrance. As you can see, we removed the trim and pediment in favor of more historically accurate elements.

Hand-crimped, baby!

Like this standing seam roof. It features vertically aligned crimps in the zinc (which is a super durable, corrosion-resistant metal, perfect for elements like this), which not only give some great visual interest and texture, but these crimped seams hold the metal together and direct water towards the miniature gutter, which keeps rain runoff from falling directly onto somebody entering the home. I love when form and function come together to keep my hair from getting wet. Genius!

Left: The finishing touches being put on the roof. Right: The completed roof sitting pretty over the entry.

When restoring a house, we like to stay as true to the original building techniques as we can. That means, if something would have originally been made by hand, we find skilled artisans to reproduce it faithfully using the same by-hand methods, which is exactly what we did with this roof. It was made the old-fashioned way—hand-bent, hand-fit, hand-soldered. Just knowing that fact makes this roof all the more incredible!

The post Handmade History: Standing seam zinc roof installation appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.

The clerestory at Rokeby Mansion designed and built by Stanford White

Essentially, a clerestory is any window above eye level whose sole purpose is to let in light and air, such as tall windows in a basilica, or even on certain train cars or double decker buses. There’s a lot of room for interpretation in that definition, and indeed, there have been more variations on a clerestory than there are ways to spell it. And while they originated with the Egyptians, our clerestory has a lot more in common with a house that’s a little more local. The nearly 200-year-old Rokeby mansion, which sits in Barrytown, NY, was our inspiration for the clerestory at our current project.

Left: The main stairs at the Rokeby Mansion, with the clerestory above. Right: The main stairs at our project. If you were to keep walking up those stairs, you would wind around to the left to see our clerestory above you.

Rokeby mansion is not open to the public, and in fact is one of the few privately owned homes in the Hudson River Landmark District, seeing dozens of generations of Astor and Livingston descendents. At the end of the 19th century, family friend and celebrated architect Stanford White (also renowned for his AMAZING MUSTACHE, and a very tragic demise) made some additions to the home, one of which was the beautiful and intricate clerestory.

Left: The first stages of the project involved removing the second floor ceiling above the hallway and sawing through the beams to open the space. Right: A close-up of our clerestory, where you can see the attic walls that were already in place.

Much like the Rokeby clerestory, ours sits above the winding, main staircase. Creating this architectural element is no small feat – the second floor ceiling had to be sawed through and completely removed. The configuration of the attic above allowed for us to situate the feature directly above the staircase and hallway, without having to install any additional walls in the attic to close off the clerestory on all sides. The installation of a skylight now brings sunshine streaming into the hall, as well as down the staircase. The finishing touches that are planned for this aspect of the restoration will really make the clerestory sing, and we’ll be sure to give an updated report once we get closer to its completion.

Top: The clerestory in context with the stairway. You can just see the light that hangs at the center of the staircase. Bottom: The clerestory in context with the second floor hallway. The clerestory sits directly above the hall, which leads to the master suite and study, and the guest bedrooms.

For now, it just feels like a little piece of history is waiting for you upstairs, just asking to be discovered.

For more information about the Rokeby Mansion and its inhabitants, check out this great article from the New York Times.

The post The story of our clerestory appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.

Top: Before the paneling went up in the master bedroom.
Bottom: After the installation of some of the pieces of Cherry paneling.

One of the more exciting aspects is that the installation of the Cherry wood paneling has begun! You all know my feelings about this solid wood paneling from my last post about this upstate project detailing all of the amazing salvaged items that are going to be used in the home. This past week the wood panels were being moved into the rooms they would soon be encasing, and this week they’re finally starting to be put up on the walls.

Beautiful dovetailing detail of one of the panels.

A full wall outfitted with the paneling.

The master bedroom was the first to receive the Cherry wood treatment. It’s amazing that the pieces fit so perfectly – they were all salvaged from another house that, unbelievably, had the same proportions/measurements as our project. It was like a meant-to-be, gift-from-heaven type of deal when we managed to score this paneling. I promise I’ll keep my fawning to a minimum in this post!

Another neat aspect of the installation of these pieces was what we discovered when moving the breathtaking mantel into place in the master: check out that label! Unfortunately it’s a little difficult to read, but the name George Andrew Kuhner is clearly visible.

After doing some digging, I wasn’t able to find much, but this great advert for “mantels, special furniture, grilles, etc.” from the fifth Architectural Exhibition 1905, Brooklyn Chapter of American Institute of Architects catalog did turn up. Google, how did we ever get anything done before you existed?

Stay tuned to the blog, we’re going to be doing a bunch more posts about this project as work progresses!

The post Paneling progress! appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.

We’re not kidding about the pickaxes flying.

Even though there is a lot of work going on now—ripping out walls, sawing through beams, hammering concrete floors—the most exciting part is not the hubbub, but the little, quiet corners that sit away from the flying sawdust and swinging pickaxes. More specifically, what is sitting in these corners: all of the great salvaged pieces that will be going into this home. After many hours in the car and many miles on the road, we’ve scored some truly unique finds. It’s incredible how much these details can make a house sing, and give back a personality that has been all but obliterated after being subjected to too many “improvements” and “updates” over the years.

Architectural salvage pieces can give back the air of historical accuracy that tends to get stripped from the great older homes that dot the countryside (or the cityscape) in our little corner of New York. It’s a bit of a Möbius strip of house renovation, though: if people didn’t remove these older elements from their homes, we wouldn’t have a supply to pull from. But then again, if people didn’t remove these older elements, we wouldn’t NEED a supply to pull from. Chicken or the egg type of deal. Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked. Let’s look at all the pretty stuff!

Transom doors! Both useful AND lovely to look at.

This pair of doors with their glorious transoms still attached will be going in on the first floor. If you’re lucky enough to find a home that has transom windows, the majority of the time the windows have been painted shut. Or sheetrocked over. Or just removed altogether. People don’t seem to realize the potential of these little windows! They allow for light and airflow throughout a home, and are actually one of the ways to passively increase your home’s energy efficiency. You heard it here first: transoms are going to make a comeback. Their benefits are so great, I can’t imagine why they ever went out of favor in the first place. Not to mention, they’re just really neat!

The “Indian door.” Notice the latch at the bottom to pull the protective panel over the glass panes.

Speaking of doors, check out this green cutie that was salvaged in Yorktown, PA. Termed an “Indian door,” the origins of its name might erase some of its cuteness. Supposedly, this type of door, where a panel attached to the bottom half of the door can be swung up to cover the windows, was a form of protection against raiding Native Americans during our country’s formative years. Some hasty Googling has revealed nothing in terms of whether this is the case or not. (If anyone knows anything about this type of door, enlighten me in the comments!)

Solid Cherry wood paneling. I can almost smell the leather-bound books from here…

And lastly, plank after plank of solid Cherry wood wall paneling. This stuff is gorgeous. Solid. Cherry. Wood. Did I mention it was SOLID CHERRY WOOD? I can’t hide my jealousy, so I’m not even going to try. Several rooms in the house will be sheathed in this glorious stuff, including the upstairs study. Did you know you technically can’t call a room a study unless its paneled in glorious solid Cherry wood? It’s true. These panels were another great find over in Pennsylvania and they will truly transform the rooms that are lucky enough to get the paneling treatment. I’m just going to say it one more time: solid CHERRY WOOD. OK, I’m done.

Solid Cherry wood!

OK, I’m done for real now.

The post Transforming “the den” into “The Study”: the wonders of architectural salvage appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.

A postcard of the Masonic Temple in Albany

Some of these places, however, aren’t open to the public. Sometimes you’re only able to admire them from afar, and maybe, if you’re feeling especially daring (and you’re wearing your running shoes, just in case) you even dare to press your face up to a well-positioned window and sneak a peek.

For those of you who aren’t quite that daring (and are local), you’re in luck! The Historic Albany Foundation can help sate your curiosity in a totally legal way. Every month, they hold house tours of downtown Albany’s most awe-inspiring historical landmarks. The thrill of being able to nose around in a normally off-limits building is enough to get me interested! Their latest tour, happening next Tuesday, the 29th, will be of the historic Albany Masonic Temple. Construction on the original temple began in 1768! From the lodge’s website:

The Albany Temple is built on the same site, where, on May 12th, 1768, the cornerstone was laid for the first lodge house built and owned by a Masonic lodge (Master’s Lodge No.5) in North America.

Since that time, this property has remained continuously vested in the hands of the Masonic Fraternity, the oldest such property known to exist in the world.

Absolutely incredible! See? We just get lucky here when it comes to historically AWESOME people, places and things. And we’re even luckier that the Historic Albany Foundation makes it possible to see more than what you would just passing these buildings on the street!

To find out more about the work the the Historic Albany Foundation does, upcoming house tours, and upcoming workshops, check out their website and be sure to like them on Facebook (and like us, too!)

The post A peek at history in downtown Albany appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.

I’m afraid I might be about to dash some dreams and burst some bubbles. I apologize in advance.

Not so much a hidden treasure as a lurking nightmare. We discovered asbestos in the basement of our most recent Hudson Valley project. Every speck of it has to be removed before we can even begin thinking about downstairs demo work.

Guess what surprises most likely await you in the basement? Asbestos. Sorry.

At the same Hudson Valley project: This brick wall is where the building originally ended. It was added onto many years ago, but that’s not the surprise. The surprise is that the joists in the original part of the building run opposite to the joists in this added on portion, meaning if you wanted to run pipes or wires from the back of the building to the front, well… Too bad. You can’t.

What about behind the walls? No historical documents? No, probably just a jumble of joists that don’t line up.

Ok, so we did sorta find something interesting in the basement besides asbestos. This old printing press was hanging out down there. Now, it could be a leftover relic from this building’s past, or it could be a recent purchase that the previous owner either forgot was down there or just had no way of getting out and no where to store it once he did. I hate to play the pessimist, but my money is on the second one.

And even if you do find something you would consider a treasure, there’s a really (really, really) good chance that someone bought that treasure not too long ago from an antique dealer and just forgot they were storing it when they moved. Sad but true.

Now, I know this may seem like I’m slapping you with a harsh reality without any regard for your feelings, or hopes, or wishes, or lollipop dreams, but really, I do it because I care. Really, I am! You may indeed find some treasure hidden from the world for the last 200 years just chilling in the attic of your historic home, I’m not saying it’s impossible. But more often than not, the surprises you’re going to uncover when you begin restoration are going to be things you never expected. Like asbestos, or severe water damage, or a brick support wall almost completely sheared in half. These are not fun surprises. These are the types of things that can push your budget to the brink, your deadline into next fall, and your sanity to the breaking point.

I share this depressing information with you not to scare you, but to prepare you. The worst thing you can do during a renovation is be unprepared. Expect the unexpected! Be it good, or bad. And to those of you that really do find amazing things forgotten for years while renovating an historic home, YES! You’re the people who give the rest of us hope that maybe behind all that life-threatening asbestos sits an original copy of the Declaration of Independence. You are living the dream!

The post Surprise! You just discovered… 6 more weeks of work appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.

We are currently combating the cold at one of our latest projects. One of the biggest parts of this full-house restoration just outside of Albany, NY is the installation of a geothermal system. Geothermal systems are just what they sound like: geo (meaning earth) and thermal (meaning heat). Earth heat systems. While we all know that the best way to keep your Dr. Pepper cold at the beach is to dig a cup-holder sized hole into the sand and let Mother Nature do its thing, digging a little further, say 250 to 300 feet, is where things start to heat up. Tapping into this naturally occurring heat source can both heat AND cool your home in an energy efficient and environmentally friendly way, not to mention you could significantly lower your utility bill.

Top: This huge drill was used to make five 250 ft holes. Center: One of the five 250′ holes. They will house two polyethylene pipes joined at the bottom with a u-joint. A water-based fluid is sent down one pipe and up the other, soaking up heat as it goes. Bottom: The heat is then transferred into the home through pipes laid in this trench.

The process can be somewhat daunting. It requires a good amount of land and some pretty heavy machinery. It also tends to make quite a mess. For this project, we installed a vertical, closed-loop system 250 feet below ground; the five holes took a total of two weeks to drill. This deep hole is the source of the heat, which warms a water-based fluid that circulates through a series of buried pipes. These pipes connect to a geothermal unit within the house which pumps the heat throughout the home, warming it in the winter. In the summer, the process is reversed, and the hot air within the house is transferred to the ground. Because the Earth is a constant 50-60°, regulating a home’s temperature is possible year-round. Pretty simple logic, huh?

Top: The mess. Bottom: The machines. In the end? Totally worth it!

While it usually requires a big investment up front, the payoff can be just as hefty. You could see anywhere from a 25% to 75% drop in utility costs, meaning you could heat and cool a typical 2,000 ft² home for as little as $1 a day. $1 A DAY. You can even use the system to generate hot water. Amazing! The system requires a small amount of electricity to run, but is still recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as the most environmentally safe and cost effective heating and cooling system on the market. Installing a geothermal system is the equivalent of planting 750 trees or taking two cars off the road. You can also scratch the threat of combustion, fire, and carbon monoxide poisoning because you’re eliminating gas and other fossil fuels from your home. All this, coupled with the fact that the system can last 20+ years with minimal maintenance, kinda starts to make the initial cost of installation seem like a tiny drop in the bucket, doesn’t it?

Until next time,
The Howard Hall Farm Restoration Group

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The post Dec 2012 Howard Hall Newsletter: Going Geothermal appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.

Bye bye walls

The refugee pile

There are some elements of this huge and beautiful 19th century building that don’t need to fear for their life, though. “Character creators” we’ll call them: elements that are decidedly historic in nature, and gorgeous to boot. This is where a solid knowledge of architectural history and a finely tuned editing eye come into play. These two things can often be the most powerful tool in your toolbox when it comes to preserving the historic elements of your home.

Check out the stamped ornamental detailing on these Victorian tin ceiling tiles

The tin ceilings in the downstairs rooms, for example. These stamp-design beauties are way too good to get rid of, and while you can buy repros today, nothing beats the original. They are distinctly Victorian (i.e. when Americans were doing all they could to emulate European homes, but on a budget). They are a direct link to this building’s past. They’re safe.

The woodwork in the entry stretches all the way up to the ceiling

This beautifully detailed wood paneling is present throughout the entire building

The woodwork that outlines every doorway and runs along nearly every wall? That’s safe, too. The quality, the craftsmanship, and yes, the freaking gorgeousness of it all, will keep it squarely on the “do not disturb” list. Ornamental elements like this are yet another thing that you just don’t find in modern homes. They take a little extra time and a decent amount of know-how, so you can bet that once home building became like an assembly line production, personality-filled details like these were the first to go.

How lovely are these little hex tiles in the entry?

Probably my favorite ingredient in this architectural stew is these lovely little hex tiles that live in the entryway. Another decidedly Victorian component, and too darn charming to even think of nixing. The design is subtle yet lovely enough to warrant an effort to keep them safe while it seems like the whole world is crumbling down around them.

When you’re embarking on your own historic home restoration project, walk through your home and look at the standout elements. The details that give it flavor, point directly to its past, or that are made with true craftsmanship. Its these things that give your home its life and personality. Without them you’d just be living in another box made out of ticky tacky, all looking just the same.

The post Preserving the character of history appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.

With that said, we are currently looking to donate two natural gas hot water heaters, one boiler, and two oil tanks. While these items are located in Brooklyn, if you know of someone in Staten Island, Queens, or New Jersey who might be in need of these items, we are willing to help get them out there. Please spread the word through as many channels as you can. We would like to be able to get these to a family affected by Sandy that truly needs them. If you have any questions, please feel free to forward them to admin@howardhallfarm.com. Pictures and specs below!

BOILER – 1 AVAILABLE (Click images to enlarge)

Fuel oil #2, natural gas or LP Gas
Max. Input Oil: 2.10 GpH
Max. Input Gas: 294 Mbtu/hr
Gross output: 256 Mbtu/hr
Net IBR Rating: 223 Mbtu/hr

HOT WATER HEATER – 2 AVAILABLE (Click image to enlarge)

OIL TANK – 2 AVAILABLE (Click images to enlarge)

Tank size: 275
Min. capacity of tank: 266 U.S. gallons
Thickness of shell: 12 gauge
Thickness of heads: 12 gauge
Date of manufacture: 2010
Tested to: 7 PSIG

The post Sandy Donations: Anyone in need of a hot water heater, boiler or oil tank? appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.

The current project is not a designated landmark site, however, it does have many architectural components that exist in buildings that are landmarked. The front of the building – in an abstract, Picasso-like manner – is similar to a human face. In this case, the face would be a Greek Revival style face. Slight variations exist but the Greek Revival townhome usually displays the following: six-over-six-double-hung wood windows, and usually six-over-nine windows at the parlor floor level; grand entrance pilasters; sidelights; stone enframements (brownstone base with brick upper facade, or stretcher bond brick in this case); a stoop of medium height with wrought or cast-iron handrails, fence, and newels; a wood dentiled cornice; and a vertical paneled wood door. These features alone reveal that this home was built between 1830 and 1850. When the actual work began, the facade revealed quite a bit more.

After the application of the concrete scratch coat

To prepare for restoration on the lower brownstone portion, the existing brownstone was chiseled off until the sturdy subsurface was reached. In this particular case, portions of the existing facade were chiseled off 6 inches deep! That’s quite a depth considering that the anticipated depth would only be 2 inches. When the loose, chipped layers are removed, we can then proceed with the concrete scratch coat. The scratch coat consists of a 1:1:6 ratio lime, cement and sand mixture. The scratch coat is the layer over the brick that the final brownstone layer will adhere to.

Now that the scratch coat has been completed, a unique application of Cathedral Stone Lime Mortar will be hand troweled and formed onto the scratch coat. We will be posting with more details on that as progress is made.

The post Summer/ Fall Resoration Project: Chelsea Townhome Facade Restoration appeared first on Howard Hall Farm.