HOUSE RENOVATION & STRUCTURAL REHABILITATION
House Renovation Near Me: Whole-House Renovation for Older Properties
Renovating an old house is not always a matter of replacing finishes, updating a kitchen, or repairing a floor. In properties that are 100 years old, the visible condition of the house may only reveal part of the problem.
At BRO Builder, we approach major house renovation projects as construction and structural rehabilitation projects. We investigate the existing building, identify visible and concealed conditions, determine how the structure is supported, and develop a renovation strategy based on what the building is actually telling us.
When the Floor Is Telling You Something Is Wrong
One of the most obvious symptoms we encounter in very old houses is a floor that is dramatically out of level.
In some properties, the change in elevation is so significant that you do not need a laser level or surveying equipment to recognize it. You can see that one section of the house has settled lower than another.
This is where many renovation projects begin. A homeowner may initially believe that the problem is the subfloor because that is where the deterioration becomes visible.
The subfloor may be the symptom, not the source of the problem.
In an older house, a sinking or severely uneven floor can be the result of movement within the supporting structure below it. Before replacing the subfloor, the contractor needs to understand why that portion of the house moved in the first place.
The Foundation Problem Behind the Sinking Floor
Some historic houses were not constructed on the continuous foundation systems commonly used today. Instead, portions of the structure were supported by individual masonry or brick piers.
These piers could be relatively shallow and have limited bearing areas. The performance of each support also depended on the soil and conditions directly beneath it.
After decades of exposure, settlement, moisture, changing loads, and deterioration, individual supports may not continue to perform equally. One section of the house can begin to settle while another remains relatively stable.
This condition is known as differential settlement.
House structure → floor framing → supports → brick piers → soil
When the supporting points move differently, the structure above them follows that movement. The floor framing can deflect, the subfloor can become severely out of level, and portions of the house may appear to sink independently of other areas.
CURRENT RENOVATION PROJECT
A 100-Year-Old House: What We Discovered
Our current renovation project provides a real example of why renovating an old house requires a different approach from remodeling a relatively modern home.
The property is more than 100 years old. It was repair multiple times over the years, however one of the most obvious conditions was the dramatic variation in floor elevation throughout portions of the house.
What initially appeared to be a subfloor problem required a much deeper investigation.
As the building was examined, we discovered that the house did not have a conventional modern foundation. Instead, portions of the structure were supported by brick piers.
That discovery changed the way the renovation had to be evaluated.
The question was no longer simply how to repair the floor. The question became how the building was transferring its loads to the ground and why different sections of the structure had experienced different levels of settlement.
The visible floor condition was part of a larger structural story.
This is one of the fundamental differences between repairing an isolated floor and performing a complete renovation of an historic or severely deteriorated house.
Experience With How Older Houses Were Actually Built
One of the advantages of working on older houses is having access to knowledge that is not always found in architectural drawings, inspection reports, or modern construction manuals.
A senior member of our construction team, with decades of hands-on building experience, has personally built many houses using construction methods from an earlier generation. His experience provides our team with valuable insight into how these buildings were originally framed, supported, and assembled.
That firsthand knowledge becomes particularly valuable when we open an older house and encounter construction details that may look unusual when compared with modern building practices.
He can often recognize why a particular framing configuration was used, how older builders approached structural support, how materials were commonly assembled, and where modifications or previous repairs may have changed the original construction.
The Plans Tell You What Was Designed. Experience Can Tell You What You Are Looking At.
Renovating an old house requires both modern construction knowledge and an understanding of the methods used when the house was originally built.
That combination is especially important when dealing with concealed framing, old floor systems, masonry piers, roof structures, previous alterations, and other conditions that may not resemble modern construction.
Why It Is Difficult to Estimate an Old House Renovation
One of the biggest challenges with a complete renovation is that a significant portion of the existing construction is concealed.
Before demolition, the contractor may not be able to see the complete condition of the framing, floor system, connections, supports, or previous repairs.
Below the Floor
Subflooring can conceal deteriorated joists, damaged framing, previous repairs, moisture damage, insect damage, and problems with the supporting system.
Inside the Walls
Wall finishes can conceal framing conditions, alterations, damaged members, moisture intrusion, and older construction methods.
Above the Ceiling
Ceiling finishes can conceal roof framing, previous structural modifications, connections, and conditions that cannot be confirmed from the finished interior.
This creates an important distinction between an estimate based on visible conditions and the final scope that becomes known after selective demolition and investigation.
You cannot fully price concealed conditions before you can see them.
Known, Probable and Concealed Conditions
A responsible renovation process distinguishes between conditions that can be verified before construction and conditions that may only become apparent after the building is opened.
Known Conditions
Conditions that can be observed, measured, photographed, or otherwise documented during the initial investigation.
Probable Conditions
Conditions that may reasonably be anticipated based on the age, construction type, history, visible symptoms, and previous modifications to the property.
Concealed Conditions
Conditions that cannot be confirmed until finishes or assemblies are removed and the underlying construction becomes accessible.
Why the Age of the House Matters
A house constructed more than a century ago was built under a construction environment fundamentally different from today's.
Maryland adopted a Model Performance Building Code in 1971, although compliance was voluntary at that time. Maryland later established mandatory Maryland Building Performance Standards, enacted in 1993 and applicable to construction permits beginning in 1995.
Local jurisdictions also had their own construction requirements before the modern statewide framework.
This history is important when evaluating an older property.
A nineteenth-century house was not originally designed around the structural assumptions, prescriptive framing practices, foundation systems, energy requirements, electrical standards, plumbing standards, and other requirements used in modern construction.
That does not mean the house was necessarily poorly constructed. Many historic structures have survived for well over a century.
It means the building was constructed differently, and those original construction methods need to be understood before deciding how the property should be rehabilitated.
Historic Roof Framing Can Be Different
The same principle applies to the roof structure.
Older houses can contain roof framing configurations that differ significantly from modern construction. Depending on the period and construction method, a contractor may encounter irregular rafter spacing, different connection methods, unusual tie arrangements, older dimensional lumber, previous modifications, or a ridge board rather than a structural ridge beam.
The absence of a particular modern framing component does not automatically mean that an historic roof is structurally defective.
The important question is how the entire roof system transfers its loads.
Moisture, Termites and Deteriorated Wood
Older structures can also contain wood that has been exposed to moisture, insects, inadequate ventilation, ground conditions, or previous water intrusion for decades.
Wood deterioration may remain concealed until the surrounding construction is opened.
Termite damage and other wood-destroying insect activity can further complicate an already deteriorated structure. A member that appears acceptable from one location may require closer examination once it is exposed.
For that reason, replacing the visible damaged component without investigating the surrounding structure can leave the underlying problem unresolved.
From House Renovation to Complete Rehabilitation
There is a significant difference between remodeling an individual room and rehabilitating an entire house.
A whole-house renovation can involve multiple interconnected construction systems, including:
- Foundation and support systems
- Structural framing
- Floor systems and subflooring
- Roof framing and roofing
- Exterior walls and building envelope
- Windows and exterior doors
- Insulation and air sealing
- Electrical systems
- Plumbing systems
- HVAC systems
- Interior walls and ceilings
- Flooring
- Kitchens and bathrooms
- Interior finishes
When a property has extensive structural and building-system deterioration, the project may be more accurately described as complete house rehabilitation.
Looking for a House Renovation Contractor Near You?
If your house is old, severely deteriorated, visibly out of level, or showing signs of structural movement, the first question should not necessarily be:
"How much will it cost to replace the floor?"
A better question is:
"Why did the floor get this way?"
That question can change the entire renovation project.
BRO Builder approaches major house renovation projects by looking beyond the visible symptom and investigating the building as a system.
We evaluate accessible conditions, consider the building's age and construction methods, investigate concealed conditions as the project develops, and determine what should be repaired, reinforced, replaced, or preserved.
Old House. New Life.
A house that has survived for more than a century has already endured generations of occupants, repairs, modifications, weather, settlement, and changing construction practices.
The objective of rehabilitation is not simply to make the property look new. It is to understand the existing structure, address the conditions that compromise it, modernize what needs to be modernized, and give the property another generation of useful life.
If you are looking for house renovation near me, house renovation contractor, whole-house renovation, old house renovation, or complete house rehabilitation, start with the condition of the building — not just the finishes.
Sometimes the floor is not the problem. Sometimes the floor is telling you where the problem begins.
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