Introduction:

Owners of older homes in the Pacific Northwest will be particularly interested in this fall's series of classes.  Maintaining old homes presents major challenges: paint peels, wood rots, floors sag. Heat leaks through old single-pane windows, uninsulated walls, and gaps in the siding. Understanding traditional construction methods can help homeowners make intelligent decisions on how to maintain and insulate without compromising the the historic fabric of their old buildings.

These courses are a mixture of lecture, site visits and some hands-on on work. When we get to the hands-on we'll work on one of the houses on NCO's Row at Fort Worden. The houses are just a couple of hundred yards from the School.

These houses were built between 1895 and 1907. The Fort's maintenance budget has been pretty sparse over the years and houses illustrate many types of maintenance problems .

The images above were taken at Buildings 334 and 335 on NCO's Row. You can see hints of the issues there. Which are important and which are not? Join us to find out.

Maintenance of Old Homes in the Pacific NW:

Maintaining an older home can be a major challenge (but you know that already...). What you need is help in understanding the needs of an older home so that you can prioritize the tasks. Which tasks need to be done now and which can be deferred?

Knowing the way older homes were built and the types of materials used can simplify the maintenance challenge. Knowing the right way to prep for painting; identifying signs of rot or beetle infestation enable you to plan a maintenance or repair program for your house.

Are there things you (the homeowner) can do or do you need to call in the professional?

In this class we cover the common problems afflicting older homes in the Pacific NW and explain the remedies.

We will cover topics that will help you get your building ready for the winter ahead:

• Gutters and water diversion
• Heating systems
  
• Thermal and moisture barriers
  
• Painting
  
• Roofing
  
• Flashing
  
• Windows
• Siding

This class offers you the opportunity to ask questions and explore possible solutions. Feel free to bring photos of the problems in your home so that we can discuss them in the class.

Class size: 25 
Cost:         $80

This course is offered once 

Weatherization of Old Homes in the Pacific NW:

Many older home are tough to heat -- the combinations of old leaky single pane windows, uninsulated walls, gaps in the siding can cause heat to leak out of an older home at a high rate.  High heating bills can drive owners to despair.

• What is the best approach to making an older home energy efficient?
  
• How do you prioritize the tasks.
  
• What is my greatest insulation bang for the dollar?
  
• Do I need to replace the windows with new energy efficient windows?
• Are there affordable techniques to retain my old windows?
• Can old windows be made as efficient as new windows?
• What caulk should I use and how do I prepare for caulking.
• Can I use that cheap caulk?
• What are the properties that you need in a caulk that will keep the building sealed year round?
• Where should I caulk?
• How to you add insulation to older homes. Does blow-in insulation actually work?
• How do I stop that gale around the door?
• Where are the hidden areas you need to seal.
• Are there simple ways to detect leaks?

This one day course will address how to properly weatherize your historic property. We'll address the questions above and you'll get some hands on practise caulking one of the buildings on NCO's row.

Class size:  25
Cost:          $80

This course is offered once 

Wood Window Restoration Workshop:

Most of the homes built at the turn of the 19th century have double hung sash windows and in many houses the years have taken their toll. The putty dries and glass rattles. The sashcords break, the thumb locks snap, the windows jam and the wind howls in. Owners without the time (and money) paint them shut and then are stifled in the summer when the cooling breeze would be welcomed.

Repairing old windows, adding weather stripping and a storm window can make your windows almost as good as installing new windows. Curtains anybody?

Many of the fixes can be made by a homeowner who understand how the windows work and can identify fixes they can make and the fixes where they need professional help.

This two day course offers an introduction to wood windows in historic buildings with an emphasis on minor window repairs, sash re-glazing, window re-roping, and window weatherization.

After this course you will have a good working knowledge of wood window terminology and you will know how to assess the condition of wood windows.

You will understand materials needed to complete to complete these tasks and you will have the basics skills to make wood windows operational.

It will also be an introduction on some of the methods to increase the energy efficiency of their wood windows.

This two day class will teach you how to dismantle, repair, re-rope and reglaze old double hung sash windows.

Class size: 12 
Cost:         $240

This course is offered once