The Sleeping Porch: An Architectural Tradition Due For A Comeback
In the early part of the 20th century a new idea was gaining ground in home construction. This trend was particularly prevalent in the southern states where the mild winters and sweltering summers necessitated a different approach in the pre air-conditioning days. The summer sun could be brutal in the south and while homes of the time were well designed to be self-cooling it would take a while for the house to cool down from the heat of the day. Thus was born the sleeping porch.
History
Born out of the sanitary revolution which instilled an almost frenzied fear of germs (a recent discovery by science at the time), the sleeping porch offered a healthy and comfortable escape from the "vitiated" indoor air. In the early 1900s tuberculosis was the number one cause of death and fresh air was considered some of the best treatment for people suffering from this lung ailment. The population in the southern states discovered that by building a screened, private porch they could enjoy the cooler summer nights rather than sleeping in a stuffy and warm bedroom. The sleeping porch provided cover from sudden summer thunderstorms and was open on two or more sides to catch the evening breezes. These porches became an especially popular place for children to spend their summer nights. Hospitals also made use of the fresh air by placing patients beds on porches some of which were screened in and others utilized mosquito nets over beds.
The sleeping porch on the iconic Gamble House in California
Design
Sleeping porches come in as many styles as the homes they inhabit, but there are some common characteristics among them. First, a true sleeping porch is not the same as a front porch. The front porch is a public space designed to be a transition from the outside to the inside more personal portion of the home. A sleeping porch is a secluded and private room meant to be used only by the homes inhabitants. They are commonly screened in on two, or even better, three sides and placed on a side of the house more likely to catch the evening breezes. Often they are found on the second stories of homes.
Today's houses have swapped sleeping porches and ceiling fans for air conditioning. And most old sleeping porches have been closed in over the years to add square footage to the home. But in a time of eco-friendly building and the demanding schedules of today the sleeping porch is making a bit of a come back. The frenzied pace of the modern world seems to float away as the cicadas song sings you to sleep and takes you back to a simpler time. After all who can resist a private porch where you can get back in touch with nature, take a mid-afternoon nap or unwind with a good book, even if it is on your Kindle?
Patients convalescing on the wrap around porch of an old hospital
Historic Moldings & Trim
The trim installed in your home has gone through a lot of changes over the last couple centuries. On the simple frontier homes of early colonial America there wasn’t much need for the extraneous trim and moldings present in European homes at the time. It was a wild country and the focus was on survival. But as the country matured so did its stylistic tastes in molding.
Why Moldings?
Moldings came about because they both simplify the process of assembling a house and beautify it. Form follows function, right? Transitions from one type of material to another in a house can be very difficult to perfect. Doorjambs meet walls, walls meet floors, and ceilings meet walls. These are all places where it saves time and material if you have a little leeway with the perfection of your cuts. Slight imperfections can be hidden by moldings, which ultimately make the transition look even nicer than a clean transition could.
A good baseboard hides the ugly transition between plaster/drywall and your floor. It gives a perfectly straight line and a finished feel to the space. Doorways are another element that need room to fit just right and in this situation casings hide the imperfect joints and shims used to level the door. And let’s not forget the thousands of hands that will handle the doorway over its lifetime. A semi-gloss casing is much more resistant to marking than the flat paint on your walls.. Even crown molding helps to dress up the transition from wall to ceiling. Done properly it can make a room seem taller or shorter depending on what the designer wants.
Period Trim
There are hundreds of trim styles and patterns available at mills and home stores today. Going into detail about each individual architectural style is well beyond the scope of this article, but we would like to give a few details about some of the more common house styles across America and the moldings typically found within. Unless noted otherwise the trim was typically painted a semi-gloss bright white color.
Greek Revival (1825-1860)– Typically wide bandings of trim both inside and out were common with significant door casings reminiscent of classical Greek and Roman styles. Dentils are a detail used almost to excess in this style. Large crown molding is also typical
Gothic Revival (1840-1870) – A simpler version that the ornate Queen Anne, except for very detailed vergeboards on the steep exterior gable ends.
Queen Anne/Victorian (1880-1910) – Tall baseboards and ornate, highly detailed moldings were common in this style.
American Craftsman (1905-1930) – This style took a decidedly earthy turn from its predecessors. The trim patterns became greatly simplified and more geometric with fewer rounded designs. Baseboards and casings were often finished natural or stained and varnished to reveal the natural wood's color.
Moderne (1930-1959) – The modern age brought about a massive desire for simplicity and minimalism. Smooth patterns with minimal or no pattern on short, thin casings and baseboards ruled the day.
Another great source for for finding the right style moldings for your historic home is the Kuiken Brothers Design Guide that has molding sets for specific historic house styles. Here you can find molding choices for many of the styles listed above.
Matching the appropriate moldings to your historic home will add value and character. If you feel your home has had its period trim replaced by contractor grade products you can easily bring the character back by restoring this valuable element back to your home. Next time we’ll talk a bit more about how to properly install these elements. From how to cope joints to where to start your installation we’ll cover the important points you need to know.
Tudor Style
Defining Characteristics
- 1890 - 1940
Ivy covered stone tudor. Note the slight flair of the roof at the soffit (a distinct dutch influence)
- Steeply pitched roof with prominent front gable
- Half-timbering present on about half of examples
- Massive chimneys typical with decorative chimney pots
- Tall, narrow, multi-pane windows
The Tudor style is one of the American Eclectic architectural styles that, like other American house styles, borrows heavily from the original Tudor style of England in the 16th century but adds its own regional American touches. In America, the dates for this style are loosely pegged between 1890 and 1940 though the most popular years were the 1920s and early 1930s when it closely rivaled the Colonial Revival as the most popular style in the country.
Half-timbering on a split-level Tudor
Half-Timbering
The Tudor style combined the earthiness of construction from the middle-ages by using half-timbering. Half-timbering was a method of construction from centuries ago that occurred when the exterior walls of a timber framed house were infilled with materials to weather-in the house. Most commonly this infill was wattle-and-daub (upright branches interwoven by smaller branches and covered by a thick coat of clay mud), laths and plaster, or bricks. When the Tudor style became popular in America most half-timbering was simply decorative. The variety of half-timbered styles on Tudors ranges from ornate to simple, but is most commonly found in gable peaks and almost never on the first story.
Architectural Elements
Windows - Windows are usually casement and made of wood or metal with multiple panes often in a diamond pattern. They are often placed in groups of 3 or more and occasionally with a small group of bay windows called an oriel.
Doorways - This is an area where Renaissance detailing is often added with sometimes extensive stone work.
Walls - Exterior walls are usually either stucco in-fill when half-timbering is present or sometimes ornate brickwork. Often herringbone brick patterns and crafted stone patterns are used for the same areas.
Larger more ornate examples of the Tudor style can be found dotted across the country, but more often they were of a more cottage feel as they filled in the suburbs of American in the early 20th century. The warmth of the old English countryside cottage was definitely channeled into the American psyche and came to its fruition in the Tudor style. And this style represents a cozy nod to the home of our original founders and their long heritage as master builders with a lasting style.
Why I Love Old Houses
I don't often post articles on this blog of a personal nature. It's easy to get caught up in the nuts and bolts of how to cope a joint properly, or cleanly refinish wood floors, but sometimes I need to remember why I do what I do.
When I was a kid my parents lived in an old Colonial house built in 1759 in the Catskill Mountains of New York state. The house was incredible for a kid! There were secret hiding spots everywhere from the stone cistern in the basement to the hidden attic door in my closet. I loved to learn about the home's past from my father as he slowly unearthed its secrets. The small town we lived in was apparently incorporated at a meeting in our house that George Washington himself attended. The property line was marked by a centuries old sturdy dry-stacked stone wall. All fun stories and bits of history. But the stories that I discovered myself were the most intriguing.
One time while I was mowing the lawn I noticed a flagstone peeking out from the grass. Curious what it was doing there I cleared away the grass to find it was rather large. I proceeded to poke around the area and see what else I found. I soon came across another flagstone laid in line with this one just a couple feet away. I continue my excavations and after awhile I had uncovered a flagstone path that started from the back of the house and led out about 75 feet before my mom made me stop. I never did find out where that path led and sometimes I still wonder about it today. Where did it go? Who put it there? When? How long had it been buried? I was like an explorer uncovering uncharted territory and it was exciting. I wanted to know! I still do.
The Story of an Old House
Old houses tell a story. They have a history. There is something about running your hand down a banister that generations of people have held in their hands for centuries. It give you a sense of place and time and a perspective on where you fit in this huge, sometimes impersonal world. You are a part, a small part, but an important part of a much greater story. My parent's house has stood there, unchanged (mostly) and unmoved while the world has changed around it. From colonial struggles of a home on the frontier to a small and burgeoning nation. People living in that house lived through the struggles of the War of 1812 when our nation's capital was burned. They suffered through the Civil War. They watched as horses and buggies turned to cars and trucks. The world grew up and the inhabitants of that house watched it all through the wavy glass of its old windows.
A history book contains pictures and stories of what life was like in years gone by but those stories are locked within the boundaries of the binding. A museum displays actual artifacts from these times, but they are roped off and safely behind glass. But walking into a historic house is like stepping back in time and being wrapped up in the pages of that history book, being a part the of history. We are tactile beings and the ability to touch pieces of history and interact with them is the most profound way to connect to the time and place they came from.
The house I currently live in was built in 1929. The permit wall pulled in June of 1929 and it was finished in early 1930. Not nearly as old as the house I grew up in, but I can't help but wonder what was going on in the lives of its original occupants as it was being built. The Florida Land Boom and stock market were almost at their peak before crashing down to begin the Great Depression in October of 1929 (just as they were finishing their house). Perhaps that is why our house is an interesting combination of high end designs in some places and simple detailing in others. Was money tight as construction finished? I don't know, but I know it's unique. Just like each and every historic house it is uniquely crafted to its original occupants. And as long as it stands it is a testament to what they endured during those years and a testament to their hopes for the future.
My childhood 1759 Colonial home
Each historic home I work on has its own story, and though I may make my living as a carpenter or tile layer or glazier, I am really just a reader of homes. Stepping into each old house is like opening a new book. And as I read I learn more and more until I feel comfortable enough writing my own chapter. Leaving my mark along with the artists and craftsman of the past whose work I respect so greatly. Hoping that my own meager contribution will be of a quality they deem worthy of inclusion in their book, from so long ago.
How to Restore Old Hardware
Rusted and painted window sash pulleys circa 1892
After a century of paint jobs and humidity a lot of your home's hardware can loose its original luster. It's a small detail in a historic house, but properly restored hardware on windows, doors, and elsewhere gives a house that extra oomph that adds to the overall vintage feel of the home (whether people consciously realize it or not!) But these pieces can be easily revived and put back into service with just a elbow grease by following the steps below.
Step 1 Prep
Any house built before 1978 may contain lead paint so take extra precaution when disturbing painted surfaces especially around windows and doors. For a small task like this some basic precautions will do, but for larger projects follow the rules laid out by the EPA's Renovate Right Program. Keep children and pets away from the room. Wear a N100 or P100 mask to prevent inhaling any lead paint. *This is not a typical dust mask it must read N100 or P100! Make sure to clean up thoroughly with a wet cloth and a vacuum to make sure there are no remaining paint chips or dust.
Step 2 Remove the Hardware
The screws holding most of this hardware likely haven't moved in quite a few decades so they can be easily stripped if you're not careful. Using your flat head screw driver carefully scrape any paint from the screw head and groove. I like to add a little Liquid Wrench or WD-40 to coax the particularly troublesome screws out. Save all the screws too! They'll need to be cleaned just like the rest of the hardware.
Step 3 Rust/Paint Removal
There are two ways to go depending on how you want your hardware to look. Make sure you clean up not only the hardware but also the screws that will hold it in place.
- Boiling off the Paint - You can let you hardware soak in a simmering pot of water and baking soda for an hour or two and then wipe off the paint with your fingers or some 0000 Steel Wool. This method will maintain the aged patina of your hardware the best. This method is not a great solution if your problem is mainly rust.
- Wire Wheel - I prefer to use a wire wheel on a bench top grinder. The grinder cost me $40 and the wheel was another $10 and it is the fastest way to remove decades of built up paint, rust and grime. Wear safety glasses, gloves and your mask and once the wire wheel is spinning just hold the hardware up to it and work all around till the surface is cleaned to your desired level. Hold on tight and be careful you don't have a piece fly out of your hand and across the room.
Step 4 Lubricate and Protect
After restoration! (You can now notice the patent dates on the pulleys dating to Sept. 1887)
Once you have everything cleaned up you'll need to lubricate the moving parts. Use one of the earlier lubricants mentioned or some spray graphite. And to protect the metal from rusting (bare metal will rust quickly once exposed to air!) You can use a spray urethane or varnish to protect the surface. I prefer an old-school method that I know some folks will disagree with, but it works fine for me. After cleaning I like to give the hardware a good soak in Boiled Linseed Oil. If you use this method you need to wipe the hardware down very well otherwise you'll have a gummed up piece of hardware once it dries. Every couple years they will need to be rubbed down with some more oil to prevent rust, but you won't have a coat of finish to get scratched and then re-apply.
Now that you know how, take a weekend and finish the whole house, conquer a room at a time, or hire a professional to do the work for you. Either way, saving the original antique hardware is a worthwhile task that will retain the character of your home and function much longer than anything you can pick up at the local hardware store.
For more tips and advice you can always contact us on our website at www.AustinHomeRestorations.com
Best Websites for Old House DIYers
There are countless old and historic house blogs scattered across the Internet. Some of them focus on How-To subjects, others discuss the history of old houses, and some are an online diary of people's journey to fix up there own historic house. Some of these blogs are great for learning the step-by-step of certain projects while others are fun to read the cautionary tales of hapless homeowners. All of these blogs can be a great source of ideas for your own home.
We've taken the time to list our 10 favorite old house websites currently out there. And each one of these is definitely worth a read to learn a little something, have a little laugh or find the next great idea for your house.
1. 1912 Bungalow - This blog is the story of Heather Ferguson and David Chiu who purchased and began A MASSIVE restoration project on their Arts & Crafts Bungalow near downtown Los Angeles in 2002. Name the project and they have most likely done it. From foundation repair to dormer rehab they have documented it all very well on this easily searchable blog.
2. My Finish Carpentry - If you have a trim project coming up this is place for tips and tutorials along with lots of great pictures to give you ideas about baseboards, crown, casings, wainscoting and much more.
3.Historic Home Works Forum - This a fantastic place for advice from professionals and amateurs about working on historic homes. Lots of threads about a vast array of subjects that are specific to historic properties.
4. OldHouse Web Blog - OldHouse Web is exactly what its name says. A huge collection of anything pertaining to old houses on the web, and their blog section has lots of well organized articles from bloggers all over the historic preservation and home improvement spectrum.
5. Historic House Blog - This site has an eccelectic taste in its postings ranging from architectural styles to historic properties for sale. They even have book reviews you might be interested in and the ever popular post featuring a historic house for sale for only $1! (moving fees not included)
6. Perfectly Imperfect - Perfectly Imperfect's Shaunna creates a fun atmosphere with this blog dedicated to all the great ideas she has concerning DIY crafts and vintage design ideas for your home. She's an expert at unique furniture creations and will walk you thru how to paint special finishes on your one of a kind pieces to make them really stand out.
7. Wood Window Makeover - Steve Quillian is an expert when it comes to historic windows. He can save them when others would tear out and replace and he can build them from scratch to look exactly like the real deal. His blog has plenty of pictures and lots of short lessons on repairing and understanding historic windows.
8. HistPres - Histpres is a little different from the other blogs we've mentioned so far. They cover the happenings in historic preservation around the country. Topics such as preservation trends, job opportunities in preservation related fields, education and training in preservation, as wells as blogs by professionals about their particular trades.
9. Not Just A Housewife - I just found this great site by a crafty DIYing mom. She has some creative ideas and a keen sense of style when it comes to salvaged and reused materials. Shabby-chic fans will be especially pleased with her projects.
10. This Old House - It's certainly not a hidden gem like these other sites are, and most owners of a historic home already know, but in case you don't know all the ins and outs of this classic website it's worth another look. They have copious videos and tutorials for the various projects you may encounter not to mention a busy forum with others just like yourself sharing advice and good stories. It's definitely worth your time to explore more thoroughly.
I hope you find this list as helpful and entertaining as I do. These site are a constant source of inspiration and wisdom for me and I know they will be for you too. Happy restorations to all you old house aficionados!
Before You Buy A Historic House
So, you've decided to buy a historic house. Congratulations! Purchasing a historic home is more than just owning a beautiful piece of history. It’s a labor of love that can require a lot of work and an extra serving of patience. Historic homes line the streets of almost every town from Maine to California, and there is no dearth of variety when it comes to an old house. There are Craftsman Bungalows, Queen Annes, Colonial Revivals, Greek Revivals, and on and on. And while owning a historic home can be a romantic notion with wide-plank floors and stained-glass windows, there is often a lot of work to maintain, or in some cases, revive an old house. So, if you're up to it here are a few things to think about before you take the plunge into this unique form of homeownership.
- Have a Cash Reserve - Historic houses are old and like anything old they can be in good shape or bad shape depending on how they have been cared for over their life. It's always wise to have an "Emergency Fund" when you buy a house because let's face it, things are going to wear out and break down. If you don't have several thousand dollars in reserve after you close on your house you're asking for trouble. The home we live in now required all new plumbing, a new roof, and a whole new HVAC system thanks to the coldest Orlando winter in 15 years all in the first year we lived there. But we were prepared with adequate reserves, which brings us to our next point.
- Get an Inspection - You should always get an inspection before you buy any house. It's a huge investment and you want to make sure you know what you are purchasing. With a old house you'll want to not only have your local home inspector do a thorough inspection but you'll want to have a contractor who specializes in historic restorations and repairs. A specialist will help point out problem areas and potential solutions that are specific to historic houses in more detail than a home inspector will. Most home inspectors spend their time on newer houses since there are more of them around. But a restoration expert can tell you the dangers that may be lurking within like asbestos siding (health issues) or balloon framing (a fire hazard). Make sure to utilize the knowledge of both of these professionals before signing on the dotted line.
- Research Your Historic Designation - Some old houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places others are located within local historic districts. Both come with certain restrictions. And depending on your perception these restrictions may be something you desire or something you detest. There are no restrictions on the federal level unless you are receiving funding from the government for your renovations. (Learn more about Funding Your Renovation) However, local districts have restrictions that can range from virtually non-existent to extremely strict. Make sure you know what you are getting into especially if you are planning a major restoration project with the property. In Orlando's historic districts you'll need to obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness for any exterior changes to the structure visible from the street.
After you've done all your homework and saved the cash you're ready to take the big step of buying a historic home of your very own. And speaking from the experiences of many of our clients it will completely change the way you think about houses. It's almost like waking up and seeing things never visible to you before. And just like any good relationship it always has its bumps like the closet door that will work fine on Tuesday and then be seemingly glued shut on Wednesday. If you're strong enough to handle the "quirks" of old house life you'll become the newest part of a the long history your home has endured so gracefully.
Timber, Balloon, or Platform Frame?
A house's frame is like its bones. Without a sturdy frame your house is one gust of wind away from collapse. The most common building material used to frame a house is, no surprise, wood. It's strong, readily available, inexpensive, and extremely versatile. Wood framed houses typically fall into one of three categories depending on their age. Each of these techniques of wood framing have their own strengths and weaknesses. And if you're up to a little detective work you can usually discover what technique was used to build your home.
Timber Frame
Ise Temple Japan
This is the oldest known form of wood construction and no-one knows exactly how it started or when, but let's just say it's really old! In fact, the world's oldest known timber frame building still in existence today is the Ise Temple in Japan built in 690 AD. Timber frame structures can easily last centuries due to their inherent strength and stability. And what's more impressive is that they attain this immense level of rigidity and staying power without the use of nails. Nails weren't used extensively until the Industrial revolution because until that time they were hand cut and expensive. Timber frame buildings avoid the use of nails by using complex mortise and tenon joinery to marry its posts and beams together tightly. And you won't find any 2x4's in an old timber frame house. The wood used in timber framing is much more substantial in size 6x6, 8x8, 10x10 timbers are the norm.
Timber frame homes were typical across much of American until the late 1800s when it was surpassed by balloon framing. If your house was built before the 1830s then it's almost certain to be a timber frame home. An easy way to tell is to go into the basement or attic where the timbers are still visible. There you'll find thick, usually hand-hewn, beams of locally grown timbers. The frame is completely self-sufficient unlike other forms of framing that require cross-bracing or sheathing to add racking strength and rigidity to the frame.
While they are the strongest method of framing, timber frames have some drawbacks. However, they are all involved in the construction process. Once the frame is up and built out, I'll take a timber frame over all other forms of construction any day. Timber frames require large pieces of wood which are not always readily available in certain locations and can be more expensive in materials than the standard dimensional lumber that is available at every lumber yard in America. Though timber frames can utilize 'green' lumber which is more inexpensive than dried lumber and this can create a near parity in the cost of lumber for the building. Timber framing also requires a master craftsman, or housewright to build and a skilled craftsman does not come cheaply. Anyone can drive a bunch of nails, but only a skilled housewright can make the perfectly matching joints required to secure a timber frame structure properly. A timber frame is usually the most expensive method of the three, but costs are coming down as of recent years.
Balloon Frame
In the 1800s people started looking for a way to build houses faster and more inexpensively. Unless you were a skilled housewright most people were unable to cut the complex joinery required for a timber frame house. At this time dimensional lumber (2x4, 2x6 etc.) was fast becoming available along with manufactured nails thanks the Industrial Revolution and railroads. And balloon framing utilized these new materials. Dimensional lumber fastened with nails (not joinery) creates the frame of the house. The aspect that make it unique is that the framing members run all the way from the foundation to the top of the second story. Balloon framed houses use some very long pieces of lumber. The balloon frame eliminated the need for skilled craftsman and therefore made the task of building a house available to the everyman.
There is plenty of debate as to exactly where the first balloon framed house was built and who came up with the idea. Chicago tends to get most of the credit though. It got its name rather dubiously though as it was thought of early on as being such a weak form of construction that the houses would be carried away like a balloon on even the slightest breeze. Though not as strong and imposing as a timber frame, balloon frames were eventually regarded as a more than acceptable way to build a house. And from the 1890s until the 1930s it was the most common form of construction in the country.
The one rather large drawback to balloon framed houses is their fire risk. With wall cavities that are typically uninsulated and run the entire height of the building fire is able to spread quickly and often without notice. Balloon frame houses should be be retrofitted with insulation and fire blocking between stories to retard the spread of fires within the home. This risk is not one to be understated.
Platform Frame
By the 1930s the risks associated with balloon framing had become apparent so the housing industry came up with the next great idea in framing. Platform framing is very similar to the balloon frame. It uses 2x4s spaced 16" on center and requires the same basic layout except for a few key differences. A platform frame uses shorter lengths of lumber because each story of the building is built individually and placed on top of the one below. Shorter 2x4s cost less per foot than longer ones and the break between each floor created the much needed fire block not present in the balloon frame. Also, platform frames could be built without the use of scaffolding. Since each story was constructed on top of the previous one the second story floor could be used by workers to build the the second story walls upon resulting in much faster and easer construction.
Within just a few years the platform frame took its place as the most common form of framing and has continued to hold onto that title today.
Eatonville Historic District
Children playing and singing in Eatonville, 1935, photographed by folklorist Alan Lomax, who was traveling with Zora Neale Hurston in Florida. - Courtesy Library of Congress
After the end of slavery and the Civil War blacks across the South began looking to take part in the great American experiment in search of their own prosperity with their newly gained freedom. Though relations between whites and blacks were relatively harmonious in 1880s Central Florida there was still a desire by many blacks to have a town of their own. In 1882, businessman Joseph C. Clarke bought approximately 112 acres from Maitland Mayor Josiah C. Eaton. Clarke began selling off the land to black families from surrounding Orlando, Winter Park, and Maitland. And on August 15, 1887 a group of 27 black men in the area met and voted to incorporate Eatonville, thereby creating the first officially black community in the United States. Though nearly 100 of these communities were founded in the same era only about a dozen still remain today and Eatonville is the most prominent, being the oldest in the nation.
The town was home to famous author, Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) who moved to Eatonville at the age of 3. Her father became mayor of Eatonville. Most of her novels were thinly veiled depictions of life in Eatonville. She wrote several short stories and wrote 7 novels. One her most important novels was 1937's, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Every year the town holds their annual Zora! Festival in January which is a huge celebration of art and music. Other famous residents of Eatonville are famous football player David "Deacon" Jones and Jules Andre Smith who did a series of paintings depicting life in Eatonville during the 1930s and 1940s. Twelve of these works are on display at the nearby Maitland Art Center.
The town has always been a humble and small black community located a mere 6 miles North of Orlando and just across Interstate 4 from the Lake Formosa Historic District. Most of the historic buildings are vernacular bungalows or wood frame of simple construction. One of the most notable series of buildings in the community was the Robert Hungerford Normal and Industrial School (1897) which was patterned after the Tuskegee Institute with the belief that every student was required to enroll in basic academics in addition to one or more hands on vocational studies. In 1950 the school became part of the Orange County School District and became the Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School. Most of the old buildings have sadly been replaced over the years but the Florida State archives still retains some fantastic photos of the grounds from the early 1900s. All the photos below are used courtesy of The Florida State Archives.
-
- Cluett Hall which burned down in 1922
-
- The center of campus circa 1914
-
- Booker T. Washington Hall
-
- The Palms Dormitory
Why I Don’t Mind VOCs
There has been a lot of talk lately about VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) and how they are used in particular in our paints and finishes. And having just found my soap-box I'd like to say a few words from the perspective of both a professional in the home improvement field and as a homeowner myself.
First, as a homeowner I want to inhale the least amount of VOCs as possible. I know, as an informed consumer, that VOCs are bad for me to breathe (though they are not on par with asbestos and lead paint). So when painting my own house I try to pick paints that have the least VOC concentration possible, but I am not willing to sacrifice a certain level of quality for VOC compliance. I would be lying if I said price didn't matter to me as well, and the low or zero VOC paints are always significantly more expensive. It seems to be the organic label of the paint world.
As a professional, I should be more worried than a homeowner about the fumes. After all, I'll be inhaling them even with my respirator for hours a day over the years. That can really add up to do some damage to my health over the coming decades. But I'm careful, as should all professionals be, about how I handle these strong solvents to protect myself and my clients.
The problem arises when the government (the EPA specifically but other agencies as well) try to get involved to protect us from ourselves. I have used several products that are now no longer available due to increased scrutiny of these strong solvents and the pace seems to be accelerating. I understand the need for health and safety. And if there was a product that accomplished exactly what I need to do without having the harsh fumes then I would gladly pay a premium to use that product. Alas, there are not suitable substitutes for many of these products. And once they have been banned the professionals are left with the option of doing an inferior job and trying to explain to the homeowner why we can't do things as well as they did in the old days or simply passing on the job.
The Solution
Unless there is an equally effective industry accepted substitute for a product don't ban it. Of course, if it is something like asbestos that is clearly causing deadly forms of cancer then yes, it should be banned immediately and carefully handled afterward. But for something that simply "increases indoor air-quality" and doesn't cause any terrible diseases when used properly there should be no restrictions. The average homeowner is exposed to such small amounts of VOCs throughout their day that unless they recently painted their house, clean almost daily with harsh cleaning products, or put their nose to the gas tank when they fill up their worries should be minimal. The EPA claims that VOC concentrations have been found to be 2-5 times greater indoors than outdoors, which makes sense in our new buildings with such tight construction. So the old-fashioned idea of opening the windows for some fresh air may not be such a bad idea. Education is always the best way to protect people, and when professionals and homeowners are properly educated about these products they can use them as the responsible adults they are without having "Big Brother" make your decisions for you. It is a free country...isn't it?