Challenges in Renovating Old House

Buying a home is an exciting process. It is even more exciting when you are renovating old house. However, there are also some concerns you will need to deal with when making old home improvements. Some of these are about health and safety as well. Read on to find out how a restoration will appear to be.

Outdated plumbing and Electrical Works

Plumbing pipes in old buildings corrode over a period of time. These elderly galvanized pipes are prone to clogging and leaking and should be replaced with new PVC or CPVC pipes. It’s flexible, faster to install, less expensive and much more reliable. However, the old plumbing materials require special handling and disposal. Even the old electrical wiring is an inconvenience. These electrical systems pose a dangerous risk, as they may not be able to handle the demands of modern appliances, making this an essential part of a remodeling job. Your wiring needs to be replaced with expert advice to help prevent house fires and bring it up to present standards.

Damage Due to Water Seepage

When it comes to your old house renovation, you should know that it is influenced by geographical factors. Why do we say this? Moisture is present almost everywhere in a house. Water damaged houses are expensive to restore and due to the extensive moisture build-up caused by faulty plumbing, a broken or leaky pipe, termites and mold work their way through the brick wall and ceiling. If you see water spots on the walls it can be a sign of flashing issues that may be caused by cracked shingles, missing tiles or poor waterproofing. This can potentially be a major issue, as waterproofing and pest control is not economically feasible in an old structure.

Foundation Cracks and Other Structural Issues

Old foundations never usually stood the test of time. Once a home age, either there will be a notable slope in the floor or there will be cracks in walls that become increasingly worse. Another significant issue for homes, which is more than 60 years old, especially ancestral property, is that it forms cracks in the roof, making every rainfall a potential nightmare.

Small kitchens, tiny bedrooms, narrow living spaces, hallways, and ladder-like stairways are all examples of old-world beauty but there is a reason why we left it all behind and converted it to modern living and modular kitchen cabinets. Though these old green homes with natural light and minimal living room design are wonderful, they are costly to maintain. And when doing old or historic home renovations, contractors will also have to drive steep pipe pilings and then use hydraulic jacks to raise the foundation. In the most extreme cases, it may require an entirely new structural foundation.

Outdated and Unsafe Building Materials

Ancestral homes or older homes were constructed with completely different materials than today. With outdated layouts, finding room to modernize your home or rearrange the layout can be a tricky and unpleasant process. If you are planning to maintain your home’s old character, it can be extremely tricky especially since they may have completely different materials. The wood and other structural materials that might have been used in the property might be extremely costly and not so readily available in the present case scenarios. You will need to consult an experienced architect or engineer, to figure out improvements when renovating an old house. A good contractor can estimate and renovate it to a smart home so dramatically. But, make sure you still keep value to the original design of the house by meeting all the old model aesthetics and taste.

Architects offer the service of renovating old house and thus it is always better to contact one of them. Most of the interior designers mainly take care of the furnishing works and therefore, renovation may not come under their scope of work. Renovation may include external, structural, plastering, tiling and painting and interior works. So, first clearly know what all needs to be done and then plan accordingly.