PRESERVATION DAYTON, INC

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6/8/2021

How to repair rotted wood

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Build and restore rotted wood without replacing it
Use a polyester filler to rebuild rotted or damaged wood. You can mold and shape it to match the original wood profile. It takes paint well and won't rot.

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3/7/2021

Renovating Historic Windows beats replacements

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Almost Every Window Retrofit Option Offers a Better Return on Investment than Replacement Windows. 
Findings from the cost analysis sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation showed that new, "high performance" windows are by far the most expensive measure, costing at least double that of common retrofit options when considering materials, installation and general construction commonly required for an existing home. In all climate zones analyzed in the study, cellular shades, interior storm panels and various exterior storm window configurations offer a higher average return on investment compared to new, efficient replacement windows.  
 
For more information see:
The National Trust Resource Library

The California Office of Historic Preservation

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8/4/2020

Financial assistance in removing lead paint

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Is there any financial help for removing lead based paint from my home or rental properties?

Yes! The Ohio Department of Public Health offers grants and technical help in removing lead based paint. Learn more here. 

​
 Don't forget if you live in a historic district, that you need permission from the City's Preservation Officer to make exterior modifications to your home. These Minor Certificates of Appropriateness can often be issued same day via phone or email. Contact Holly.Hornbeak@DaytonOhio.gov or give her a call at 937-333-4271 to get the ball rolling!

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12/18/2019

8 ways to green your historic house

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You love your old house, but what about your carbon footprint? Not to worry. Thanks to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, we have eight ways you can green your historic house. 

“The greenest building is the one that’s already built,” says architect Carl Elefante. So enjoy your charm AND your next electric bill. 

Click here for the full list of recommendations. And, check with your neighborhood association or attend a meeting. Chances are you aren't the only one looking to help the planet. 

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8/6/2019

basement water infiltration

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"Our home’s basement needs some tuckpointing/repointing and perhaps some drainage due to water intrusion.  I’m curious if you have recommendations?"
 
The only real way to truly correct water intrusion in a basement is to trench around the exterior of the  basement walls and lay drain tiles/perforated PVC, a layer of gravel, and then to close it back up. The water infiltration is likely the cause of the need for tuck pointing on those basement walls.

Things to check - 
Are the walls cinder block? Rubble stone? 
Are the downspouts running far enough away from the house? 
Is the terrain around the house sloped away from the house enough to get run-off as far away from the house as possible?
 
There are some inside “bandaids” that are marketed but they are just that, a bandaid. The water is at the interior surface of the walls with any of those solutions.
 
If you can get a French drain on the outside, tar/seal the exterior wall and fill with gravel and then topsoil, you will most likely solve your problem. Remember to grade the soil away from the house a bit.

If that doesn’t resolve the problem, you can always go back at a later time and install a drain and sump under the basement floor. One is not dependant on the other. Just be sure the perimeter drain around the exterior has a place to dump the water.

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8/6/2019

Repairing deteriorating brick

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If the face of the brick has burst off, that is the result of water penetration. In the winter, that moisture freezes and expands causing the brick face to burst off. The source of the water penetration must be found and corrected. It could be a bad gutter or downspout, a leak in the roof or the lack of a drip edge. Once the source is found and corrected, depending on the amount of damage one of the following options will work:
  • If the damage is spotty and only a few brick, those can be cut out and replaced with reclaimed brick. The current brick can even be cut out and turned around so that the backside, that was not exposed to the elements faces the exterior.
  • If the brick damage is spotty, the brick can be brushed clean of loose material and there are sealers that can be applied to protect the brick.
  • The third option, and the last resort, if a majority of the brick is damaged, is a bonding agent that can be applied to the face of the brick and then a mortar repair made to smooth the face of the brick, after which, the brick can be painted with a good quality paint.

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Copyright © 2022 | Photography courtesy of Andy Snow and Alex Duncan
  • Home
  • About
    • About PDI
    • History
    • Preservation Awards
    • Annual Meeting & Year in Review
  • Membership
  • Donate
  • Neighborhoods and Landmarks
  • Endangered Properties
    • Endangered Properties >
      • Louis Traxler Mansion
      • Leopold Rauh House
      • Michael Neil House
      • Dayton Daily News Building
      • Van Deman Apartments
      • Thomas E. Tucker House
      • John R. Reynolds Mansion
      • Santa Clara Business District
    • Lost Properties >
      • Gem City Ice Cream Building
      • Edward T. Snediker House
    • Saved Properties >
      • South Park Methodist Church
  • Walking Tours
    • Dayton View Historic DIstrict
    • Five Oaks Historic Districts >
      • Squirrel-Forest Historic District
    • Grafton Hill Historic DIstrict
    • Huffman Historic District
    • McPherson Town Historic District
    • Oregon Historic District
    • South Park Historic District
    • St. Anne's Hill Historic District
    • Paul Laurence Dunbar Historic District
    • West Third Street Historic District
    • Wright-Dunbar Village Historic District
  • Resources
    • Member Only Content >
      • Archived Walking Tours
      • Contractor Directory
    • Start Here!
    • Tips and Tricks
    • Researching Your Historic Home
    • Home Repair Assistance
    • Documents
  • Contact