Why You Should Use a Structural Design Contractor for Your Historic Restoration

A popular trend among house flippers is purchasing historical homes and renovating them to help restore old neighborhoods to their original beauty. If you want to jump on board with this trend for your next house flip, then there are some things you should consider. One of the main considerations is hiring a structural design contractor for the project. You may think a regular renovation contractor will work, but you should consider these reasons why a structural design contractor may be ideal for the historic renovation project.

Load Distribution

When you are renovating a historical project, your first instinct may be to go in and just start the renovation as you would with a modern home. The issue with this is that many historical homes had different load distributions compared to modern home designs. This is due to building standards during the time period as well as the materials used. For example, hardwood beams with higher load limits may have been used as opposed to weaker woods or composites in modern homes. The structural designer can help determine what the load distribution is for various areas of the home and help with determining a renovating structural design that will work for the load limit.

Material Compatibility

Materials you use in a modern renovation or house flip will differ greatly when you are considering a historic renovation. This is primarily due to the materials that were used at the time the historic home was built, and how close you want to get to that historical marker. A structural design contractor will know what material fits the renovation project as well as how to implement it properly into a design that will work for the renovation, work for the functionality of the home, and fit your needs as well. Though a general restoration contractor may be able to do this, having someone who is a certified structural designer gives you the added bonus of knowing they will have a wider array of options and knowledge for your specific restoration rather than a general overview.

Water, Steam, and Condensation

One of the last things you may consider is the condensation that can build in certain rooms due to water or steam. This is primarily due to the fact that most modern homes have exhaust fans or circulation that prevents a condensation from building up or causing issues with mould and mildew. In historic homes this may not be the case depending on the age. For example, the structure of the home may not have exhaust fans or allow for duct work to be easily placed. Your structural design contractor can come up with workarounds for this, consider all the possible migrations of water, steam, and condensation, and use historic materials that are compatible with the home to help reduce the chances of build-up and mould.

By keeping these considerations in mind, you can ensure that you are doing the best you can to renovate the home to its original look and feel. The structural design contractor will help you along the way so you can also register the home on a historic registry.