OLD HOME RESOURCES

Resources for support and learning.

A cornerstone of the way I practice architecture is to share and educate. I’m always willing to share my resources to help other old house lovers find the things and information they need for a successful restoration or renovation.

Over the years I’ve compiled a multitude of resources for old house information, restoration sources, fixtures, and supplies. Some of these links may be affiliate links, but I will only ever share products and information I have vetted myself and would use on my own old home. If you have a resource that you think should be included on this list, I love to find new things! Please share it with me.

*Dormer in need of restoration on a Chicago bungalow*

Let’s Review Some Basics

This isn’t an old house resource, but here is my best answer to the question, “how much do you charge for architectural services?” The answer is very often, “it depends.” As for me, I prefer to bill hourly instead of on a percentage of the construction cost basis. This allows me to gear the services I provide to exactly what you need or ask me to do without tying it directly to the cost of construction. My 2024 hourly rate is $190 per hour, and I do my very best to be as efficient on your project as possible. If you are still wondering what the overall cost will be, MOST projects fall right around 10-15% of the overall construction cost/budget, depending on the services required. If you are interested in a more thorough explanation of “What do Architects cost?” this is the most comprehensive and realistic description of how licensed Architects base their fee structure that I have ever found.
I am a licensed Architect in the State of Oklahoma and I also carry an NCARB certificate which allows me to apply for a reciprocal license in any state in the US. But what does that mean? Here’s what I went through to legally be able to call myself an “Architect.”
- I graduated from an accredited architecture program with a Masters of Architecture (6 years of college)
- I logged approximately 9,000 hours in six experience categories as an apprentice architect
- I passed 7 licensing exams which test different areas of knowledge and are typically 2-3 hours each to complete
- I have been verified by my home state and paid my bi-annual licensing fee
- I am required to log 12 continuing education hours every year to renew my license along with the annual/bi-annual fee
- I am held to a “standard of care” and I’m liable for drawings I produce and stamp
Most states don’t require a licensed Architect to “stamp plans” for single family residences, which is where “home designers” and “design build” companies can also design houses. There are plenty of home designers out there that are good at what they do, but because I carry a license, I hold myself to a very high standard of care. My motivation is always to advocate for my clients and make sure they get a safe, healthy, beautiful, well-built house.

Shop My Library and Tools

I’ve created a Kit.co shopping guide so you can easily find the books I keep in my own library as well as the tools I use for my architecture practice and restoring my own old house. These are affiliate links, and your support is greatly appreciated.

My Books & Tools on Kit.co

Old House Info and Blogs

Preservation Trades Network

A non-profit organization whose mission is "to empower the traditional building trades through networking, good works, community, fellowship, and education." We are losing the tradespeople who have the knowledge to restore and preserve these wonderful old houses that we love so much. I joined to support the mission of passing that knowledge down to the next generation as well as to have access to the list of amazing tradespeople who are part of the network. If you’ve ever tried to find someone to help you restore your old windows or repair cracked plaster “the right way,” you know how important it is to support the trades.

About Your House with Bob Yapp

Bob Yapp was my gateway into preservation about 10 years ago. The first spring that we owned our 1911 bungalow, our local Preservation Commission offered a “wood window restoration” course, and I jumped at the chance to learn. That’s when I met Bob, and I’ve been enchanted ever since. I’ve attended MANY of his workshops, including wood window restoration & weatherization (twice), making wooden storm windows, and passive floor restoration, all of which were offered with grants from our State Historic Preservation Office and by the Tulsa Preservation Commission. Recently I finally had the pleasure of meeting his lovely wife, Pat, and staying at the Belvedere Inn (in the Belvedere suite, worth it!) while joining the Historic Plaster Repair Boot Camp. I plan to make it a yearly tradition, at least until there aren’t any courses I haven’t taken at least once. If you ever get the chance to attend one of his hands-on workshops, I highly recommend them. His blog and videos also have a wealth of knowledge and information that I could never hope to rival. He’s an amazing resource and a great friend!

National Parks Service

The National Park Service has some great resources for preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic buildings in the form of “Preservation Briefs.” They cover topics from repointing historic masonry to repairing historic wooden windows.

Old House Journal Magazine

Old House Journal magazine is a great resource for DIY preservation know-how. It’s been one of the best resources for preservation and old house repair since at least the 1980s. They also have a good amount of online content.

The Craftsman Blog

Scott Sidler is a restoration & preservation contractor in Austin, Texas. He is always willing to share info and is a great resource for DIY know-how. He offers an online Window Restoration Course, which I have purchased for myself as a refresher for when I’m restoring my own 110-year-old wood windows. He also offers some hard-to-find old house supplies for sale on his website.

Blake Hill House

Stacy Grinsfelder is an old house lover and window restoration educator, and steward of a wonderful old house that she is painstakingly restoring and renovating. She also hosts the “True Tales from Old Houses” podcast, which is one of my favorites, and I have had the privilege of joining her for an episode or two. Her blog has extensive DIY info and resources, and she’s just the nicest person and a wonderful advocate for historic preservation and original wood windows.

My Old House Fix

Chris Hewett is a fellow old house lower and owner. His blog has a lot of great technical information for fixing issues you might come across in an old house. He’s an engineer, and he brings that engineering mindset to how he looks at accomplishing old house projects and fixes.

Podcasts

The Keeping Room Podcast

Hosted by Katelyn Parker & Jake Landry. That’s right, I started my own podcast! (New episodes released roughly monthly) Subscribe here!

True Tales From Old Houses

True Tales From Old Houses is a really wonderful podcast for people who love old houses. Stacy Grinsfelder, the current steward of Blake Hill House, interviews all sorts of guests (homeowners and tradespeople) who share their stories and experience in the realm of old houses and preservation. I consider her one of my first “Instagram friends,” and I have had the pleasure of joining her for a couple of episodes, which are linked below.

Talking Home Renovations

Talking Home Renovations with Katherine MacPhail is another podcast about houses and renovations. Katherine is also an Architect and she loves old houses, but she and her varied guests cover a wider range of topics in the realm of residential architecture. She recently launched a new series “Smart Old House Case Study” where she discusses the process of renovating her own, new to her, old house. A while ago, I was invited on to share my own “renovation story” and that episode is linked below. Also linked are the show notes that are mentioned in the podcast.