Yes, historic homes can be restored, and in many cases they should be. These houses often carry decades of craftsmanship worth preserving: solid wood trim, plaster details, and construction methods you rarely see anymore. But older homes also come with real challenges that a newer build won't have.
Aging foundations can crack or lose strength over time. Wiring methods used decades ago don't meet today's safety standards. Old plumbing materials can corrode or clog. And depending on when a home was built, materials like asbestos and lead paint may be hiding behind the walls or under the flooring. None of these issues make a historic home a bad candidate for a remodel, but they do change how the project gets planned and priced. Here's what to look for before you start.
There is something special about the character of older homes, they are lasting testaments to the artistry and craftsmanship of years long gone by. Fortunately for our fellow historic house enthusiasts, there are a lot of old homes left today, and many are in need of remodeling.
From the ground level all the way to the peak of the roof, old homes can be full of surprises. Even homes built to last still need regular maintenance and updates. Fortunately, remodeling presents the perfect opportunity to give some old Portland homes the attention they deserve.
At Lamont Bros., we consider an “old home” one built before or around 1920. Barring a few admissible advancements in construction technology, most homes built since 1920 are more or less the same.
In the early 1900s, the science of concrete was not broadly understood. Because of this, the foundations of homes built during that time are not consistent in terms of strength or longevity. Many foundations from this era lack the proper structural stability, either due to high levels of silt in the sand, the wrong type of aggregate, or improper water ratios.
A compromised foundation is a serious problem, especially for an active seismic zone like the Pacific Northwest.
The good news is that bad foundation conditions are easy to detect. Oftentimes, the concrete will be brittle enough that it will crumble away with a gentle scrape from a hard tool. The bad news is that solving this issue is not easy or cheap.
The options for fixing a compromised foundation are to either reinforce or replace it. Which one you go with will come down to exactly how compromised the foundation is.
Reinforcing a foundation may involve anything from screwing massive steel plates over cracks in the wall to building a wood-framed foundation wall inside of the old one. Foundation repair work is inherently custom by nature, and any custom construction work is expensive. Expect for foundation reinforcement to cost anywhere from $12-34k.
If you replace your foundation, that requires a subcontractor to raise your home on jacks, demolish the old foundation, and pour an entirely new foundation. Many homeowners who choose to do this will also opt to add a basement if they didn’t already have one.
This kind of foundation will cost a minimum of $175k, depending on the home’s size, accessibility, and condition of the existing foundation.
Homes built between the mid 19th and early 20th century used a method of framing known as “balloon framing.” It was a transitional technique between timber framing ways of yore and the platform framing practices of today.
Balloon framing became popular in the 19th century as a method of framing that required very little skilled carpentry, as opposed to timber framing, which required extensive knowledge of advanced joinery.
Current platform framing builds floor by floor, so the floor joists of each floor separate studs of each separate level. Think of it as a “building block” approach to framing. Each floor is like a block stacked on top of the one below.
Balloon framing used wall studs that ran the entire height of a house’s wall, from foundation to roof, with the floor joists supported by a beam attached to the side of the studs. So, a 2 story home required 25-30 foot stud boards.
Balloon-framed houses tend to be less structurally stable because of uneven weight distribution. This can cause floors – especially 2nd and 3rd story levels – to sag.
Also, because the studs run the entire height of the wall, so does the cavity between them. In this case, an open cavity from the basement up to the attic means more air currents and less energy efficiency. It’s also more conducive to home fires, as no partition exists to stop flames from spreading from one floor to the next.
While balloon framing does not pose as immediate of a threat to your home, it is something to consider while remodeling. If you tear your walls open while remodeling your old home, you might as well take the time to address the structural issues within a balloon-framed home while the studs are exposed.
Inspectors in Portland may also be somewhat strict on structural issues while remodeling old homes. Many will require that we add additional partitions within the stud bays, called fire blocking. Worst case scenario, we completely re-frame some of the home’s upper levels using platform methods.
Up until the 1930s, standard electrical wiring used a method known as “knob and tube.” An outdated approach to residential electrical wiring, knob and tube involved separate hot and neutral wires. It also had no grounding wire.
As you might have guessed, this presents several hazards. The lack of a grounding circuit means a greater risk of electric shock.
Because of their age and more frequent exposure to the elements, the wires are prone to short circuit malfunction if anything crosses between them, including water, insulation, or vermin.
Today, hot, neutral, and ground wire are all run together in the same conduit, commonly called romex, greatly reducing the risk of short circuits and electric shock.
Additionally, knob and tube wiring can’t handle the power needs of the modern American. Our energy consumption per capita has grown over 50% since 1920. As you can imagine, running modern appliances like TVs, microwaves, and gaming consoles on a knob and tube system is a great way to overload the circuit, damage your appliances, or cause an electrical fire.
While a properly maintained knob and tube system is not inherently dangerous, you should usually replace it. Unfortunately, this usually requires a full rewiring of a home, and electricians aren’t especially cheap these days.
Early 20th-century plumbing wasn’t quite down to an exact science during the Portland housing boom. One of the most common issues with the plumbing of the era is in the sewer lines.
Sewer drainage lines from homes in the early 1900s still have clay pipes. Prone to blockage and breakage by tree and plant roots, you should also replace these pipes before they cause a sewage leak on your property.
Water supply lines, on the other hand, were usually made from galvanized steel, which wasn’t much better. The issue with galvanized steel pipes is that mineral buildup restricts the flow of water, resulting in low water pressure to the home. You’ll probably want to replace these, too.
Another thing to consider when remodeling an old home in Portland is whether or not the home contains any hazardous materials. Specifically, we frequently encounter old houses with high levels of asbestos and lead.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring, fibrous material that offers excellent insulation and heat-resistant properties. Unfortunately, after decades of using it in both residential and commercial construction, we discovered that asbestos is also very dangerous.
When inhaled, the microscopic fibers of the asbestos lodge in the lungs. Prolonged exposure can result in severe respiratory illness, including cancer.
In residential spaces, asbestos is most commonly found in linoleum floor tiles and flooring adhesive. It may also be present in some forms of wall plaster and drywall; 20-30% of the homes we’ve worked on have had this issue.
Lead paint is or was at one point present in just about every home built before 1970. The presence of lead paint isn’t dangerous in and of itself, but it can be very toxic if inhaled or ingested. Lead poisoning is especially hazardous to young children and can have severe neurological effects if left untreated.
As a general rule of thumb, lead paint that is not chipping or peeling poses very little health risk. However, most remodel projects involve cutting into walls or re-painting the interior. If existing lead paint is disturbed in any way, it immediately becomes a health risk. Dust created from sawing through lead paint is especially toxic because it puts lead particles in the air.
In our professional experience, you should never try to handle hazardous materials yourself.
In some Portland residential districts, such as Irvington, there are laws in place to preserve historic architecture. Homes within these districts must be remodeled according to strict standards. Before remodeling your old home, enter your address in this district mapping tool to check to see if you live in one of these historic Portland districts.
In most cases, yes. Homes built around this era often have solid wood framing, plaster details, and construction quality that's hard to find in a newer build. The tradeoff is that a house this age usually needs work on the systems you can't see: the foundation, wiring, and plumbing. If those get addressed as part of the remodel, you end up with a home that combines original character with modern safety and function. The renovation is worth it when the bones of the house are sound and the budget accounts for those hidden systems, not just the cosmetic updates.
Costs vary widely based on the home's condition and what needs to be addressed. Foundation work alone can range from $12,000 to $34,000 for reinforcement, or upwards of $175,000 if a full foundation replacement is needed. Add in rewiring, updated plumbing, and potential hazardous material remediation for things like asbestos or lead paint, and a full restoration can run well into six figures. Getting a full inspection before you start gives you a much clearer number than a general estimate.
With proper maintenance and the right updates, a 100-year-old house can last many more decades, in some cases as long as it's been standing already. The homes that run into trouble are usually the ones where foundation issues, old wiring, or plumbing problems go unaddressed for too long. Replacing or reinforcing those systems during a remodel resets the clock on the parts of the house that wear out fastest, letting the original structure and craftsmanship continue on for years to come.
Now that you know what kind of things to expect from remodeling old homes in Portland, are you up to the challenge? If you’re thinking about a remodel for an old home, several of our design consultants at Lamont Bros are historic house enthusiasts; some of us even live in them!
Click the button below to schedule a call with a design consultant. We’ll help guide you through the process of remodeling, from drafting designs all the way to the construction finish line.