STREET APPEAL
Unless you live in a heritage district or are fortunate enough to own a house of clear architectural distinction, it can be confusing how best to fix up your home’s façade. The truth is, many of Toronto’s older houses are severely neglected and quite removed from their original glory. There are many Victorian Bay & Gables that have had their gingerbread trim removed, brick painted, and wood windows replaced with vinyl. But restoration can seem overwhelming, when finding a new way to compliment the old. Well, do not fret! Here are recommendations on how to bestow your Toronto house with plenty of lasting street appeal.
Before and After view of our Argyle project.
REMOVE THE BAD
You must first identify and work to undo all the ill-conceived modifications and repairs of the past. One of the most common is aluminum trim. Especially in neighbourhoods that fell on hard times, aluminum became an accepted alternative to costly maintenance of painted wood. The unfortunate effect is a cityscape robbed of much of it’s original detailing: replaced, instead, with flat oil-canned metal, in the standard white, brown, green, and black. Taking this away and restoring the wood behind will do much to spruce up your façade’s appearance.
Brick, too, is often neglected or made the victim of poor restoration work. Restoring brick can help preserve your home for years to come, but it takes the hand of a skilled mason. Cleaning and repointing brick properly without damage takes real knowledge and experience. Ultimately, though, the result is well worth the investment.
This is the 'before' image of the facade of the Dovercourt Dwelling. Scroll down to see the after shot.
UNIFY THE STYLE
Once you remove the bad, you must replace it with something good. But this can be a hard thing to qualify, especially when your façade is composed of a number of elements. When it comes to lasting street appeal, it helps to unify the look of your home.
Deciding on the look of your house depends on many factors, including how much of an overhaul you are interested in making. For many old houses, it may be best to embrace the original style. To do so, first identify the original elements that you still have. For example, if you own a Victorian Bay & Gable, do you still have the gingerbread trim? If so, good! You have something of value that you should preserve. You should then consider the things you plan to replace. For example, you may have an opportunity to upgrade your windows while also restoring an original look: like replacing casement and awning assemblies with double-hung sash windows on that old Victorian.
'After' photo of the Dovercourt Dwelling facade. The original brick was restored, the original trim was repaired and painted, the eavestroughs and downspouts were replaced, and the railing was redesigned.
Be careful of adding elements that may clash with the house’s predominant style. For example, it may be better to replace that 1980’s PVC porch railing on your 1920’s bungalow with something closer to the original than a modern glass railing. Such introduced elements have a tendency of looking especially dated after a few years when a new trend takes hold. The same is true with colour: do you really want to be the last person to paint your house grey?
UPDATE WITH LASTING MATERIALS
The final consideration is to update with lasting materials. Not only is this better for your long-term bottom line, but it is likely to look better, too. Aluminum-clad wood windows may be more expensive the vinyl, but they will last a whole lot longer. The same is true with replaced siding and eaves. Consider pre-finished wood or factory-painted fibre-cement board instead of aluminum and vinyl siding.
We used fibre-cement panels to replace the aluminum siding that previously clad our Ritchie Rowhouse.
Since such façade work often entails historical knowledge, familiarity with construction best practices, and an eye for composition, it’s helpful to work with an architect if your house’s appearance is important to you. And as you consider the options and details, remember to let unity of style and longevity of materials guide you. If you do, you are sure to give your house lasting street appeal.
——
Written by Brian Hagood, OAA
