Switchplates – Restoring the Small Things in A Historic Home

If you have just purchased an old house and want to fix it up, without messing it up, there are a lot of very delicate steps to take in the process. This is even more the case if you want to be able to make your home a historic landmark in your area.

First, look at what can stay and what can go. This should start at the big things and include all the little details down to the floorboards and switchplates. The more of the old pieces of your home you can use, even down to those little door knobs and switchplates, the more historic it really will be.

Any of the old pieces that are still good, you should keep. They just may need a little cleaning. Those that aren’t, don’t get rid of just yet. You may still be able to use them, or at least have them help you make your job a little easier.

How bad is the damage? If moldings and other wooden pieces are broken, is there any way they could be glued together, filled, or patched, then sanded, to be made whole again? Many people worry about the time it will take to go this route with making repairs to the house. Trust us, it is not nearly as much time as it will take to try and find other, old, historic matching pieces to use in your home. Besides, you are restoring a house, not remodeling. Restoring takes work.

What about the metal pieces in the home. From door knobs to switchplates, you should check all these items and make a list of what’s usable, what’s broken and what’s missing. But once again, don’t get rid of any of those broken items, not even switch plate covers that have been split in half. They may have life in them yet. Take them to a metal shop and see if they can use the pieces that you have found to bring those switchplates back to life. It’s not uncommon in old houses, especially those that have not seen the love and care they deserve, that some hardware items have ‘disappeared’ over the years. If this is the case in your home, you are going to have to find someone who can help you create replicas of the working pieces you have. Many times you will be able to find a metal worker who can take one of the good switch plates, make a mold, and pour a number of new switch plates, out of the same material. Once you clean up the old ones, you may not be able to tell a difference which ones are which.

Larger furniture pieces in the home should be preserved at all costs. If the home has an old style tub or sink, but there are cracks and chips, see if you can find someone who can make the repair, then have the tub re-glazed and it will be ready for use once again.

While the initial work that will go into restoring an old house may seem like a lot of hassle, the eventual results of all that hard work will be completely worthwhile, as you will have a home to treasure for years to come.