Older homes pose certain challenges in remodeling. As an architect in San Francisco, I often work with older Victorian homes with small rooms, undated and unusual additions, and a lack of any insulation in the walls. People are quick to want to simply demolish and build a new building. But not only do older buildings have a certain charm that their newer counterparts can’t fake, but you can save thousands of pounds of new materials by remodeling an older home.

Salvaging the Wood

The studs in an older home are typically old growth wood, in true size 2-x-4-inch studs, and they’re very easy to salvage and reuse. The walls you remove may be over the existing wood floor and a simple refinishing will revive those old floors.

But watch out! You can’t simply take old wood and use it to build a new structural wall. Consult with your architect or structural engineer before doing anything structural with salvaged wood.

Demolishing a few old walls is minor, but you’ll probably need a permit from your local building department.

Being Aware of Asbestos

Asbestos is a durable, insulating, fire-resistant material widely used from the 1950s through the 1970s. When certain unusual cancer cases were attributed to asbestos, the use of it was banned. Lurking under your current carpet or wood floor may be old asbestos tiles. That old resilient sheet flooring in your home may not be vinyl — if it’s more than 30 years old, the floor could be vinyl asbestos tile (VAT). Covering the side of your home may be asbestos shingles.

Warning: Asbestos is only an immediate threat if the material is broken, releasing fibers into the air. If it’s intact, most asbestos-containing products don’t pose a significant health threat. But exposure to asbestos dust is dangerous! If you own an older home and you’re planning to do any remodeling, check with your local building department for more information on asbestos abatement (removal). You may need a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to do the job.

Asbestos cannot (and should not) be recycled. The licensed abatement contractor will dispose of it for you.

Looking Out for Lead Paint

For centuries, lead was used as a pigment and binding agent in most paints. Banned in 1978, lead-based paints were found to cause nervous system damage, hearing loss, stunted growth, reduced IQ, and delayed development. It is especially dangerous to young children whose immune systems are still developing. Lead affects every organ in the body. And children are not the only ones at risk. Adults are not immune from the dangers of lead paint; for example, it can cause reproductive problems in men.

A common misconception about lead-based paint is that it’s harmful to children because they eat large flakes of broken lead paint. In reality, the children unknowingly inhale microscopic dust.  ....read more